Pharmacies SE Asia Style

Picking up motion sickness pills for our trip to Pai

Pharmacies in Southeast Asia are a bit like grocery stores in the USA. They're packed wall to wall with so many options that they make me cross-eyed. 

And, they're a very economical and efficient business. If you need motion sickness pills for example (which are a must when traveling to Pai, Thailand with its 700+ curves in the road), the pharmacist will sell you one sheet of pills from the box. Not the whole box, just one sheet, which is plenty for most uses. 

And even better, no prescriptions are necessary! Which is great, or scary, depending on your perspective. For us, it can be a great thing, because we can pick up really cheap ear-infection drops for less than $1/box. In Australia, those same boxes cost a trip to the doctor ($90), plus $50-60 for the actual medication. I get recurring ear infections from scuba diving, and that makes for an expensive added expense.

Can't find something? Ask the pharmacist. Packed in these little cubby-shops they have everything from makeup to contact solution to ear medication. And you can find one on every block, so you can price shop! PS contact lens solution (Bausch & Lomb) is $2 here, versus $11+ in the states. Hurray!

A very large pharmacy! Good prices =)