The "Pharmacy in a Bag": What to Pack in Your Kids' First Aid Kit for Asia

Every parent's biggest fear when booking that dream Bali villa or Bangkok hotel: "What if my kid gets sick and I can't find Children's Tylenol at 2 AM?"

Valid concern. Because here's what nobody tells you in those glossy travel brochures: your 5-year-old will try street food. Your toddler will put their hands in their mouth after touching everything on the MRT. And someone in your family will experience what locals cheerfully call "Bali Belly," "Bangkok Belly," or "the Mekong Quickstep."

(It's diarrhea. We're talking about diarrhea.)

The good news? With the right first aid kit, you can handle 95% of kid health issues without finding a hospital. The even better news? Half the stuff you're worrying about is actually easier to get in Asia than back home.

But that other half? You'll want it with you. In your carry-on. With the child-safety cap you can actually open at 3 AM with one hand while holding a crying toddler.

Why bring it: Yes, paracetamol is available everywhere in Asia—in adult tablets. Finding the exact pediatric liquid suspension your kid will actually swallow (grape flavor, anyone?) is another story. Thai pharmacies sell children's paracetamol, but it might taste different, come in unfamiliar concentrations, or have all instructions in Thai.

What to pack: Your home brand in the original packaging with the dosing syringe. Bring enough for the whole trip plus a few extra days.

Real talk: I once spent 45 minutes in a Bangkok pharmacy trying to explain "children's fever medicine" while my daughter burned up at 39°C in the taxi outside. The pharmacist kept offering adult pills I could "break in half." Not ideal.

Why bring it: Insect bites in Southeast Asia are aggressive. Mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds. Mystery bites that turn into quarter-sized welts. Plus new food allergies popping up from unfamiliar fruits and street snacks.

What to pack: Your child's go-to antihistamine in liquid form. Bring both a non-drowsy option (for daytime) and a drowsy one (which doubles as a sleep aid during jet lag—don't @ us, desperate parents understand).

The catch: Children's Benadryl in specific formulations is hard to find. You'll find adult cetirizine at Boots, but finding that strawberry-flavored syrup your kid tolerates? Good luck.

Why bring it: ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) are available everywhere in Asia—it's called Oralit in Indonesia, and you can grab it at any 7-Eleven. But here's the problem: it tastes like seawater mixed with sadness. Getting a dehydrated, cranky 3-year-old to drink it is like negotiating with a tiny, irrational dictator.

What to pack: Flavored electrolyte powder from home that your kid will actually drink. Brands like Pedialyte have fruit punch, grape, and strawberry flavors. Pack 10-15 packets.

Pro parent hack: Mix half ORS from the local pharmacy with half Pedialyte from home. You get the WHO-recommended electrolyte balance plus a flavor your kid won't revolt against.

Why bring it: Ibuprofen works differently than paracetamol—it's an anti-inflammatory, which means it's better for certain types of pain (earaches, sore throats, teething). While adult ibuprofen is available at Boots and Watsons, pediatric suspensions in known concentrations? Much harder.

What to pack: Berry-flavored liquid ibuprofen, original packaging, with dosing instructions.

Important note: Some doctors recommend avoiding ibuprofen in dengue-prone areas (it can increase bleeding risk). Stick with paracetamol for fever if dengue is suspected. Your hotel concierge can tell you if there's a dengue outbreak happening.

Why bring it: Winding mountain roads to Ubud. Choppy boat rides to the islands. That tuk-tuk driver who thinks he's auditioning for Fast & Furious 47. Motion sickness is real, and kids are especially prone.

What to pack: Children's Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) for motion sickness. If your pediatrician has prescribed ondansetron (Zofran) for your kid before, ask for a travel supply—it's prescription-only in most countries.

The reality: You can find adult Dramamine in Asian pharmacies, but calculating the pediatric dose while your kid is actively vomiting in a taxi is not fun.

Why bring it: Here's something pediatricians don't always mention: zinc supplementation can reduce the duration of diarrhea in kids under 5 by up to a full day. The WHO recommends 10-20mg daily during diarrhea episodes.

What to pack: Chewable zinc tablets or liquid zinc made for kids.

Why it's hard to find: Zinc supplements exist in Asia, but finding the pediatric dosage in a form kids will take (not a giant horse pill) is tricky.

Why bring it: Probiotics can help prevent traveler's diarrhea and restore gut health if it happens. Start them a few days before you leave and continue throughout the trip.

What to pack: A reputable brand with proven strains (Lactobacillus GG or Saccharomyces boulardii). Pack the full trip supply plus extras.

The issue: Asia has tons of probiotic products, but quality varies wildly. You want strains with actual clinical evidence, not just fermented whatever in a pretty package.

Why bring it: Cuts and scrapes get infected fast in humid tropical climates. That tiny sandbox scrape from Monday? By Wednesday it's red, hot, and angry.

What to pack: Triple antibiotic ointment from home. Bring a tube, not just a travel packet.

Alternative: "Active Skin Repair" spray if anyone in your family is allergic to Neosporin. Works great on scrapes, bites, and minor burns.

Local options: Thai pharmacies sell antibiotic creams, but they might contain ingredients like silver sulfadiazine (stronger than you need) or unfamiliar antibiotics.

Why bring it: Bug bites, mystery rashes, heat rash, allergic reactions to tropical plants. Kids scratch. Scratching in humid climates = infection central.

What to pack: Tube of 1% hydrocortisone cream. It's mild enough for kids but strong enough to stop the itch-scratch cycle.

Can you buy it there? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. And when your 4-year-old is scratching themselves bloody at midnight, "sometimes" isn't good enough.

Why bring it: This seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many parents show up in Bali with a 3-day supply of their kid's ADHD medication for a 14-day trip.

What to pack:

Critical: Some medications legal in your country are restricted or banned in Asian countries. ADHD stimulants, certain sleeping pills, and even some allergy medications might require advance permits. Check with the embassy of each country you're visiting.

Here's where you can save suitcase space:

Bandaids: Available at every 7-Eleven. 20 baht ($0.60 USD) for a box.

Adult painkillers: Paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin (in small amounts) are dirt cheap. A blister pack of paracetamol costs 10-15 baht ($0.30 USD).

Oral Rehydration Salts: WHO-formula ORS packets (Oralit, Electral, Hydrite) are in every pharmacy and most convenience stores. Costs 5-10 baht ($0.15-$0.30 USD) per packet.

Antibiotics: Weirdly available over-the-counter in most Southeast Asian countries (Thailand especially). We don't recommend self-prescribing, but if a doctor tells you "your kid needs amoxicillin," you can usually get it without hassle. About 30-50 baht ($1-$1.50 USD) for a course.

Thermometer: If you forgot yours, digital thermometers are available at Boots/Watsons for 100-200 baht ($3-$6 USD).

Mosquito repellent: Better selection in Asia than at home. Look for brands with 15-30% DEET for kids. About 80-150 baht ($2-$4 USD).

Because it's not "if," it's "when."

Hour 1-6: The Denial Phase

Hour 6-12: The Reality Phase

Hour 12-48: The Management Phase

When to See a Doctor (Don't Mess Around):

Pro tip: Most Asian beach resorts have doctors who do hotel room visits. It costs 2,000-4,000 baht ($60-$120 USD) but saves you from dragging a sick kid to a clinic. They can give IV fluids if needed.

Children's Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Dosing:

Children's Ibuprofen Dosing:

When in doubt: Check with your pediatrician before you leave and write down the specific doses for YOUR kid at their current weight. Laminate it. Pack it.

Use a clear zippered toiletry bag—the kind you can see through. When your kid is crying with an earache at 2 AM and you're jetlagged, you don't want to be digging through an opaque bag with a phone flashlight.

Organization system:

Label everything with a label maker or permanent marker. Include your kid's name and dosing on prescription bottles.

Flavored electrolyte powder.

First time: Day 3 in Vietnam, my 6-year-old got food poisoning from—ironically—the one Western restaurant we tried. She wouldn't touch the local ORS (said it tasted like "salty robot tears"). But she gulped down strawberry Pedialyte mixed with coconut water. Stayed hydrated, recovered in 36 hours.

Second time: Dengue scare in Chiang Mai. Turned out to be just a bad flu, but the fever was 40°C. Between the paracetamol and staying hydrated with electrolyte drinks she'd actually drink, we avoided the hospital.

Cost of a box of Pedialyte powder packets: $12 USD

Cost of NOT having it and ending up in a Thai ER with IV bills: $800 USD (before insurance)

Pack the electrolytes.

Four to six weeks before you leave:

Most pediatricians are happy to give you a "sick kid travel protocol" document. This is worth its weight in gold when you're panicking in a foreign country.

Get it. Seriously.

Look for policies that cover:

We use World Nomads or Safety Wing. Costs about $50-$150 USD per person for a two-week trip, depending on coverage levels.

Real story: Family we know had their 8-year-old get appendicitis in Bali. Surgery + 3-day hospital stay cost 120 million rupiah (~$7,500 USD). With insurance, they paid zero and flew home business class (medical evacuation was covered).

Without insurance? They'd still be making payments.

Your kid will probably get a minor stomach bug. They might get a fever. They'll definitely get bug bites.

But with a well-stocked first aid kit, most of these are minor inconveniences, not trip-ruiners.

The alternative—showing up unprepared and spending your vacation hunting for Children's Tylenol in a country where you can't read the labels—is way more stressful than packing an extra 2kg in your suitcase.

Plus, other parents at your resort will worship you when you produce children's antihistamine at the pool after their kid gets stung by a bee.

You'll be the hero. And more importantly, your kids will be healthy enough to enjoy their mango sticky rice.

Bookmark this. Print it. Screenshot the dosing chart. And have an amazing trip.

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Travel smart. Travel often. — The Asia Family Travel Team

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