Immunity IV drip (vitamin C) on Phi Phi Island
Feeling run down halfway through your trip? Our vitamin C drip on Koh Phi Phi, the Immunity Shield, combines vitamin C, zinc and B vitamins with fluids, given by a licensed nurse at your hotel, bungalow or boat. It won’t cure a cold, and we’ll tell you honestly what it can do.
from ฿3,900
Includes the visit, health check and nurse
45 min
Drip time, plus about 10 minutes setup
30–60 min
Typical arrival in Tonsai & Loh Dalum
Daily 8am–10pm
Hotel, villa, bungalow or boat
Run down on holiday
When guests ask us for a vitamin C drip
Long flights, late nights on Loh Dalum, too much sun and not enough sleep add up. By day five or six of a trip a lot of travellers feel flat, with a scratchy throat or the start of a cold, and worry it will ruin the rest of the holiday.
Our Immunity Shield drip is for guests on Koh Phi Phi who:
- Feel tired and run down after travel, late nights or a busy few days
- Have mild cold symptoms (a sniffle or sore throat) but no fever
- Haven’t been eating or drinking well and want fluids and vitamins in one go
- Want a recovery day before a boat trip, a dive or the journey home
Immunity IV ingredients
What’s in our vitamin C drip?
Your nurse checks your health and medication first, then confirms the exact contents with you.
| Ingredient | Why it’s in the drip |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C | An antioxidant vitamin your body needs for normal immune function. Given by drip, it reaches higher blood levels than tablets can. |
| Zinc | A trace mineral that supports normal immune function. |
| B-complex vitamins | Support normal energy metabolism, and are often low when you’ve been drinking or not eating well. |
| Electrolyte fluids | The base of the drip: water and salts to rehydrate you while the vitamins go in. |
Ingredients are pharmaceutical grade from licensed Thai suppliers. The exact contents are confirmed by your nurse at the health check.
Does an IV drip help with a cold or flu?
Honestly, the evidence is modest. Large reviews of the research found that people who take vitamin C regularly have slightly shorter colds, but taking it once a cold has started hasn’t been shown to make a reliable difference, and there is very little good research on vitamin C given by drip for colds. A vitamin C drip will not cure a cold or flu, and it can’t prevent you catching one.
What a drip can do is help you feel better while your body does the work: fluids and salts when you haven’t been drinking enough, vitamins when you haven’t been eating well, and an hour lying still in a cool room with a nurse checking on you. For many run-down travellers that’s enough to get back on their feet.
Flu is different from a cold: it usually comes on suddenly with a high temperature, aches and exhaustion. An IV drip can’t treat the flu virus. If you have a fever, see a doctor first, because in Thailand a fever can also be dengue. A drip may help later if you are struggling to drink enough while you recover, and our guide to sore throats and colds in Thailand covers what to buy at the pharmacy.
Is it a Myers cocktail?
No, and we don’t call it one. The classic Myers’ cocktail is a mix of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C. Our Immunity Shield focuses on vitamin C and zinc instead. If you’re looking for a Myers-style drip in Thailand, our Dive & Energy drip is the closest on our menu, with magnesium, calcium, B12, B-complex and vitamin C. Tell the nurse what you’re after and they’ll recommend the right one.
How much does a vitamin C drip cost on Koh Phi Phi?
Our Immunity Shield drip costs from ฿3,900 and takes about 45 min. The price includes the visit to your hotel, bungalow, villa or boat on Phi Phi Don, the health check and a licensed nurse for the whole treatment. We confirm the price on WhatsApp before we set off. You can also compare all our IV drip treatments and prices.
Who shouldn’t have high-dose vitamin C?
Vitamin C by drip is generally well tolerated, but it isn’t right for everyone. Tell us when you book if you have:
- G6PD deficiency: high doses of vitamin C can damage red blood cells. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor at home before you book.
- Kidney disease or a history of kidney stones
- A condition that causes iron overload, such as haemochromatosis
- Pregnancy, a heart condition, or any regular medication
Your nurse may adjust the drip, or recommend you see a doctor instead. Read how we keep IV drips safe.
When you need a doctor, not a drip
A fever in Thailand needs a doctor, not a vitamin drip. Dengue fever is common in Thailand, and fever with a severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle or joint pain or a rash needs a blood test at a clinic or hospital. Go straight to hospital or call 1669 (Thailand emergency medical services) for severe tummy pain, vomiting that won’t stop, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or stool, breathing difficulty, confusion or extreme drowsiness. Also see a doctor for a fever above 39°C, a cough that lasts more than three weeks, or a sore throat so bad you can’t swallow. Our guide to medical help on Koh Phi Phi lists the clinics and how to reach the mainland.
Mobile vitamin C IV
How to book your drip
Message us your location and how you feel, including any fever. We come to you anywhere on Phi Phi Don: on foot in the village, and by longtail boat to Long Beach, Laem Tong, Loh Bagao and boats in the bay.
1
Message us
Send your location and how you are feeling on WhatsApp. We usually reply within minutes.
2
Quick health check
Answer a few short screening questions so we can recommend the safest drip for you.
3
Nurse arrives
A licensed nurse comes to your room, villa or boat, usually within 30–60 minutes.
4
Relax & recover
Lie back for 30–60 minutes while the drip works. Your nurse stays with you the whole time.
Vitamin C IV FAQ
Questions about immunity drips
Can I have a vitamin C drip if I have a cold?
Yes, if it’s a mild cold without a fever. If you have a temperature, tell us first: in Thailand a fever can be dengue or another infection that needs a doctor, so the nurse may advise a clinic visit instead.
How is a vitamin C drip different from tablets?
A drip puts vitamin C straight into your bloodstream, so blood levels go higher than tablets can reach. Whether that higher level helps a cold is not proven. For everyday health, a good diet or tablets are usually enough.
Does a vitamin C drip hurt?
You feel a quick sharp scratch when the cannula goes in, then nothing much. Some people feel a cool sensation in the arm or a slight taste while vitamins go in. Tell the nurse if anything feels uncomfortable and they can slow the drip down.
How often can I have one?
For travellers, one drip on a bad day is plenty. We don’t recommend repeated high-dose drips during a short holiday unless a doctor has advised it.
Can I add vitamin C to another drip?
Most of our drips already contain vitamin C. Tell the nurse how you feel and they’ll recommend the single drip that fits best, rather than stacking extras.
Keep reading
More on staying well on Phi Phi
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C · Cochrane review: Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold · WHO: Dengue and severe dengue.
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