STI TEST · BANGKOK
Gonorrhoea (Gonorrhea) Test in Bangkok
A gonorrhoea PCR test from urine or swabs of the throat, rectum or vagina, taken by a doctor who comes to you in Bangkok.
Message Ovio Medically reviewed by Kewalee Rujikajorn, MD · 24 September 2026
Gonorrhoea test at a glance.
- SampleUrine, plus throat or rectal swabs
- Test from2 weeks after exposure
- Symptoms start1–14 days, if any
- TreatmentAn antibiotic injection
- Who comesA doctor, to your home, condo, hotel or office
- ResultsExplained by your doctor
- PriceConfirmed before your visit
THE INFECTION
What is gonorrhoea?
- Cause
- A bacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Also called
- Gonorrhea · Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection · The clap
Gonorrhoea (spelled gonorrhea in American English, and sometimes called 'the clap') is a bacterial STI caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It spreads through vaginal, anal and oral sex, and infects the urethra, cervix, rectum and throat.
Men with a genital infection often notice symptoms within days. Most women, and most people with a throat or rectal infection, notice nothing at all. Untreated, gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility, and rarely spreads through the blood to the joints and skin.
Gonorrhoea is still curable, but it has become resistant to many antibiotics over the years, and the World Health Organization treats it as a serious and growing public-health problem. That makes testing the right sites, getting the right treatment, and checking partners more important than for most STIs.
Symptoms of gonorrhoea.
Symptoms depend on where the infection is. Throat and rectal infections are the easiest to miss.
Men
- White, yellow or green discharge from the penis
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Pain or swelling in the testicles
Women
- Often no symptoms
- Increased or unusual vaginal discharge
- Pain when passing urine
- Bleeding between periods
Rectum and throat
- Rectal discharge, itching or pain
- Pain when opening the bowels
- A sore throat, though usually nothing
Throat and rectal gonorrhoea rarely cause symptoms, and only a swab from that site will find it.
How the gonorrhoea test works.
Molecular tests (NAAT or PCR) are the gold standard for gonorrhoea. The sample has to come from each site that could be infected.
Urine PCR
First-catch urine
Detects urethral infection. Does not test the throat or rectum.
Swab PCR
Vaginal, throat or rectal swab
A quick swab from each exposed site. Often combined with chlamydia testing on the same sample.
Culture
Swab
Grows the bacterium in the laboratory so its antibiotic sensitivity can be tested. Used when treatment has failed or resistance is suspected.
Sources: CDC2, WHO1, Sexual Health Sheffield NHS3
Testing with Ovio
- Tell us what you needCall or message Ovio, privately. Say where you are in Bangkok and when suits you.
- A doctor comes to youAt your home, condo, hotel or office. The doctor asks about your concerns and recommends the right samples.
- Samples go to the laboratoryTaken there and then; for most tests the visit itself is short.
- Your result, explainedWhat it means, and what to do next if anything needs treatment or a repeat test.
Not sure which test you need?
Speak to one of our doctors. They will ask about your situation and suggest the tests, samples and timing that fit it.
When to test for gonorrhoea.
Every test has a window period: the time after exposure before it can reliably detect an infection. A test taken too early can be negative even when the infection is there.
| Test | Sample | Timing after exposure | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAAT; culture may be needed in specific clinical situations | Urine or vaginal, throat or rectal swab as indicated | Test from 14 days | A urine result does not assess the throat or rectum. Culture can matter for treatment decisions. |
Sources: The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust4, Sexual Health Sheffield NHS3, CDC2
Who should get tested
- Anyone with discharge, burning when urinating or testicular pain
- Anyone with a new partner, or more than one partner
- Anyone whose partner has gonorrhoea or another STI
- Men who have sex with men, with throat and rectal swabs
- Young people aged 15 to 24, who account for a large share of reported cases in Thailand
- Anyone who was treated for gonorrhoea three months ago
AFTER THE TEST
Results and next steps.
A positive result is treated with antibiotics, usually a single injection of ceftriaxone. Because of rising resistance, it is important to take the treatment a doctor prescribes and not to self-treat.
Partners from the last two months should be tested and treated. Avoid sex until everyone has finished treatment and for 7 days after.
For throat infections a test of cure is often advised 7 to 14 days after treatment, and everyone should retest about three months later, because reinfection is common.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are unwell, in severe pain or worried about something urgent, contact a doctor now or go to a hospital emergency department.
Lowering your risk.
- Use condoms for vaginal and anal sex, and condoms or dams for oral sex
- Test with every new partner, including throat and rectal swabs where relevant
- Never take leftover or over-the-counter antibiotics for suspected gonorrhoea
- Make sure partners are treated before having sex again
Gonorrhoea testing:
your questions.
Can't see your question? Ask one of our doctors.
When there are symptoms, they usually begin 1 to 14 days after sex with someone who has gonorrhoea, according to the World Health Organization. Men with a urethral infection tend to notice them quickly. Women, and anyone infected in the throat or rectum, often have no symptoms at all.
If you have had oral sex, yes. Gonorrhoea in the throat is common, usually silent, and a urine test will not detect it. The same applies to the rectum after anal sex. The doctor will suggest the samples that match the sex you have had.
The bacterium has become resistant to several antibiotics that used to cure it. Current treatment still works for almost everyone, but it needs the right antibiotic, usually a ceftriaxone injection, rather than leftover tablets or medicine bought without a prescription. In some cases a test of cure afterwards is advised.
Usually, yes. Gonorrhoea and chlamydia often occur together, and the same urine or swab sample can be tested for both with one PCR test. If one is found, the doctor will make sure the other is covered by treatment or testing.
NHS services recommend testing two weeks after the sex you are worried about. If you have symptoms, test straight away. A negative test taken earlier than two weeks may need repeating.
Yes. Recent partners should be tested and treated even if they feel fine, and you should avoid sex until you have both finished treatment and for 7 days afterwards. Otherwise the infection passes back and forth.
MEDICALLY REVIEWED
Kewalee Rujikajorn, MD
General Practitioner, Bangkok
Reviewed 24 September 2026
Kewalee Rujikajorn is a general practitioner in Bangkok, providing outpatient care for urgent, acute and chronic illness and remote consultations through a telemedicine platform. A graduate of the Medical University of Lublin, Kewalee completed postgraduate medical training at Thammasat University Hospital and has published research in ophthalmology.
Sources.
- Gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection): fact sheetWorld Health Organization, 22 October 2025
- Gonococcal Infections: STI Treatment GuidelinesUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Chlamydia and gonorrhoea factsheetSexual Health Sheffield NHS
- Sexual health home testing: window periodsThe Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
Ovio uses official public-health sources and reviews this page when they change. Questions about this content: info@oviowellness.com.
Speak to one of our doctors.
A doctor comes to your home, condo, hotel or office in Bangkok, talks through what you are worried about, takes the samples for your gonorrhoea test and explains what happens next.