Bed bugs in Thailand – how to avoid them and what to do if you get bitten
Bed bugs exist in Thailand, but it’s not really as big of a deal as you’d think if you’ve been scrolling through Reddit – they do exist though, and it’s worth knowing what to do prior to encountering them.
We’ve stayed in hundreds of places across Thailand over the years, from 200 baht dorm beds on Khao San Road to fancy resorts in Krabi, and we’ve never had bed bugs ourselves. But we know a few people who have, and it’s always a similar story – never had them before, then stayed in a place that looked perfectly clean, then waking up covered in bites.
Getting rid of bed bugs is not always a quick DIY job. If you suspect an infestation, the CDC recommends contacting a pest-control company experienced with bed bugs. A room check or a trip to 7-Eleven is not a guarantee that you won’t carry them elsewhere.
How to check your room for bed bugs
It take two minutes and will save you just a massive headache and time sink. We do the following things every time we check in to a new hotel.
Pull back the sheets. Look at the mattress seams and corners. You’re looking for tiny dark spots – reddish-brown or black. That’s dried blood and faeces. Live bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and reddish-brown, but you’re more likely to spot their droppings than the bugs themselves (they hide during the day and haunt people at night!).
Check behind the headboard. If it’s not bolted to the wall, pull it forward and look behind it. Bed bugs love hiding in cracks and joints of wooden furniture.
Look at the pillow seams. Flip the pillows over, check the zippers and edges.
Smell the room. A heavy bed bug infestation has a sweet, musty smell – kinda like coriander that’s gone off. If the room smells weird, trust your nose.
Tip: If you’re really paranoid, keep your bags in the bathtub until you’ve checked the bed, or at least keep everything on a smooth uncarpeted surface like a tiled floor. Never put your backpack on the bed or on upholstered furniture.
Where bed bugs show up most in Thailand
Not all accommodation carries the same risk.
- Budget hostels and guesthouses (under 500 baht) – highest risk, especially in backpacker hubs like Khao San Road, Pai, and the islands. Cheaper places use cheaper pest control, and the high turnover of guests means bugs travel fast.
- Mid-range hotels (500-2,000 baht) – lower risk. These places have reputations to protect and usually contract professional pest control.
- Resorts and high-end hotels (2,000+ baht) – very rare. Not impossible, but we’ve never heard a first-hand account from anyone we know.
- Bamboo bungalows and beach huts – surprisingly risky. The natural materials give bed bugs more places to hide, and these structures are harder to treat.
Before you book anywhere, search the accommodation name plus “bed bugs” in recent reviews on Booking.com or Google Maps. Look at reviews from the last six months specifically – a bed bug complaint from three years ago doesn’t mean much if the place has been treated since then.
In general, good reviews above 8/10 has worked well for us on all fronts – including bed bugs.
How to spot bed bug bites
Bed bug bites don’t always show up right away. Some people react within hours, some don’t see marks for two or three day. A small percentage of people don’t react at all (lucky them).
Here’s what to look for:
- A burning or itching sensation before the marks appear – often the first sign.
- Red, raised bumps in lines or clusters – bed bugs bite multiple times, so the marks often appear in rows of three or four (sometimes called “breakfast, lunch, and dinner”).
- Bites on exposed skin – face, neck, arms, hands, feet. Bed bugs bite at night and go for whatever skin isn’t covered by sheets or clothing.
The itching is intense. Way worse than mosquito bites. If you wake up with a line of red bumps and you’re scratching like mad, it’s probably bed bugs.
Don’t confuse them with mosquito bites (random placement, single bumps) or heat rash (small bumps over a large area, usually on your chest or back).
What to buy in Thailand if you get bed bugs
Everything you need is available locally.
For the bites:
- Antihistamine tablets – any pharmacy (ร้านขายยา). Ask for cetirizine or loratadine. About 20-50 baht (~$0.60-$1.50 USD) for a strip of 10. These reduce the itching from the inside.
- Hydrocortisone cream (1%) – available over the counter at Thai pharmacies, 40-80 baht (~$1.20-$2.30 USD). Apply directly to bites.
- Tiger Balm – not a medical treatment, but the cooling sensation helps with the itching. Available at every 7-Eleven for about 50 baht (~$1.50 USD). We always carry it anyway for mosquito bites and headaches (we recommend it in our packing essentials guide).
- Calamine lotion – pharmacies stock it, around 35-60 baht (~$1-$1.75 USD). Good old-fashioned itch relief.
For killing the bugs in your stuff:
- Insecticide sprays – a brand name or can colour is not enough to choose a treatment. The EPA advises following the exact product label, including the target pest, permitted surfaces, application method and precautions. Ask the hotel for experienced pest-control help before treating your belongings.
Warning: Do not spray insecticide directly on your skin or on clothes you’re about to wear. Do not improvise sealed-bag insecticide treatments. Airing items out does not make an unlabelled treatment safe.
What actually kills bed bugs (and what doesn’t)
Mark Rober did a great video on this with a bed bug researcher from Rutgers University, and the findings are worth knowing. The short version: heat kills bed bugs, and almost everything else people recommend is useless.
What works:
- Heat above 50°C (122°F) – kills bed bugs instantly. They can’t build immunity to heat the way they can to chemicals. A clothes dryer on high heat, a steam cleaner, or a hot wash all work.
- Diatomaceous earth – a fine powder that dehydrates and kills them. The EPA warns against food- or pool-grade products because of inhalation risks. Do not casually dust a hotel room; any pesticide product needs to be labelled for the pest and intended surface.
What doesn’t work:
- Ultrasonic repellent devices (total scam)
- Fabric softener sheets
- Mothballs
- Baking soda
- Essential oils (lavender, tea tree, all of them)
Resistance can make insecticide sprays unreliable. Rutgers recommends combining control methods with monitoring and follow-up, rather than relying on a consumer spray alone.
How to get rid of bed bugs from your clothes and bags
This is the most important step. If you don’t deal with your belongings properly, you’ll carry the bugs to your next hotel and start the cycle again.
Wash everything at 60°C or higher. That’s the temperature that kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact. A normal cold wash won’t do it. Most laundromats in Thailand have hot wash options – tell the staff you need a hot wash. The Thai phrase is “sak nam ron” (ซักน้ำร้อน). If you can’t wash something, throw it in a dryer on the highest heat setting for 30 minutes – that alone will kill them.
Bag items you can’t wash for containment. Keep electronics, books and shoes sealed separately until a pest-control professional can advise on suitable treatment. Bagging is not proof that the bugs are dead.
Check your backpack too. Keep it separate from cleaned clothing until you have arranged a treatment suitable for the material. Don’t spray its inside and seal it overnight.
Don’t automatically throw things away. Ask a pest-control professional what can be treated safely and how to dispose of anything that cannot. Keep suspect items contained so someone else does not pick up the problem.
What to tell your hotel
Tell reception straight away. Take photos of any evidence (the bites, the spots on the mattress) before you do anything else. Be kind and don’t just immediately leave a bad review, they may not know, and the previous guest may not have reported the issue.
Ask for a different room – on a different floor if possible. Bed bugs can travel between adjacent rooms through cracks in walls and along pipes. Before you move your bags to the new room, inspect it the same way you should have inspected the first one.
If the place refuses to help or acts like it’s not their problem, leave. You can dispute the charge with your credit card company later, and your travel insurance may cover the cost of rebooking elsewhere. It’s worth checking your policy – SafetyWing, which we recommend for travel insurance, covers emergency accommodation changes.
Frequently asked questions
Are bed bugs common in Thailand?
They exist but they’re not as widespread as the internet would have you believe. Budget accommodation in backpacker areas carries the most risk. Mid-range hotels and above rarely have problems. Check recent reviews before booking, inspect your room on arrival, and you’ll almost certainly be fine.
Can bed bugs in Thailand make you sick?
They can cause health problems. The CDC says bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but bites can cause itching, loss of sleep and, rarely, serious allergic reactions. Speak with a healthcare provider if you suspect an allergic reaction. CDC clinical guidance stresses hygiene and avoiding scratching to help prevent secondary infection; antihistamine cream is not a substitute for this or for assessment of an infection. For wider travel-health planning, see our vaccinations and health guide.
Do I need to throw away my backpack?
Don’t throw out your expensive bag over some bed bugs. The EPA advises against discarding all your belongings because many can be treated. Get advice on a method suitable for your bag; neither a hot wash nor an unspecified insecticide is a guaranteed solution for every item.
Can I get bed bugs from sleeper trains or buses?
It’s possible but uncommon. Sleeper trains and overnight buses in Thailand are generally well maintained. The cheap backpacker buses between Khao San Road and the southern islands are the ones to be more cautious about – for bed bugs and for other reasons. If you’re worried, keep your bag sealed and don’t use the provided blankets or pillows.
How do I stop bed bugs following me to my next hotel?
Plan how to handle your belongings before moving. Keep untreated items sealed separately, get advice on suitable treatment and inspect your bags before you repack. The EPA's control guidance separates containment from treatment and calls for follow-up checks; bagging things for an afternoon does not establish that they are clear.
It is easy to get paranoid about bed bugs after reading articles like this one. Try not to. We’ve been travelling Thailand for years and never had them. The people we know who have say it was sorted in an afternoon with a trip to 7-Eleven and a hot wash at the laundromat. Check your room, keep your bag off the bed, and you’ll be fine. And if you do get unlucky, it’s a nuisance – not a disaster.
For more practical tips on staying safe and prepared in Thailand, check out our beginner tips guide – it covers the stuff we wish someone had told us before our first trip.