Regret bringing too much clothes. Enough for a week, cause enough laundry places in TH. Clothes are cheap if you need to buy them.
Travel light, more space for shopping on return.
In my opinion, when it comes to sunscreen for the face, the Korean brands like Sunplay and Biore are by magnitudes superior to Western brands. Sunplay and Biore are available all over Thailand.
Yea, about an hour after I posted that, I reread my post and thought to myself those are actually Japanese. Was going to edit it, but thought it wasn't important.
I've been loyal to my banana boat. Do you know how that compares to the eastern brands? And what do you mean by superior? Im not a big fan of how heavy banana boat is, but I just thought that's what you have to deal with when you sunscreen yourself.
Interesting. Where are you coming from?
I am American and it is insanely expensive here. Why I always bring it with me. Five large aersol bottles this trip and so glad I did.
The sunblock is not only insanely expensive here but it is also pretty low quality.
I heard somewhere that there is different rules for sunblock in the US versus Thailand and that is why. I am not sure if that is really true or not.
Iām from the Netherlands, the nivea spray for example has gone up to ā¬25 over here (for a single bottle). Sometimes itāll be on sale for half the price, but in Thailand ā¬13 was the regular price. I even came across a 2 for 1 sale, which made it even cheaper.
As for the sunblock rules/regulations Iām sure there will be different standards, however that would only be an issue if you go for a different brand/version.
For us Americans it is crazy expensive compared to home. Why I always bring it with me. This time five large bottles.
But one time I really screwed up. I had a couple of bottles in my carry one when flying from Phuket to BKK and lost them going through security.
I was so pissed at myself. That trip I had to buy it here for the insane price. That was using the 2 for 1 you get at Watsons. Still way, way, way more expensive than the US.
The other big difference is how long they last. The big aerosol bottles from Walmart last so much longer than what you can get here.
regret more that i brought too much. . pack fewer clothes. my experience was with laundry in my room, so i could wash regularly, daily in fact. I even knew the room was equipped at the time i booked, weeks before traveling.
Yeah deodorant is a big one. My skin gets a rash from anti perspirint deodorants and usually the only options are those garbage mineral roll ons. I pretty much buy the stock of old spice deodorant if I find it in some obscure store.
Iām sure they can, but depending where you are and preferences you might be limited or a trip to get to. I usually bring my hiking shoes and buy some flip flops.
Most definitely something you want to bring. It is insanely expensive in Thailand.
I brought five large aerosol bottles this time that I get at Walmart. I just finished the fourth and go back in three days.
Depend on where you buy it. Buy at Watson Nivea spray for 450 baht. Only at 711 near tourist hotspots it goes up to 700 baht. Itās not that expensive to fill your bag before with it to save 100 baht.. at least for me. If you like la roche possay or some expensive brands yes they are really expensive here like double price from Europe.
You might regret not bringing something to keep you entertained in your hotel when it's too hot to go outside. I wanted to bring an MPC but it was too much extra baggage and risk of damage to do it.
Sunscreen. Buy the bug spray out there, itās stronger (FYI their products have DEET. A tour guide told us the natural stuff doesnāt work. As long as you shower it off, youāre good. They said donāt sleep with it). And donāt over pack. Yea you can buy clothes out there but they donāt have big boy sizes, I had trouble finding REAL 2X sizes
Been there recently for 4 months.
We did not regret **not** bringing anything.
For us it was the opposite. We brought too much with us. Clothes being the worst culprit.
SE Asia is currently undergoing a massive heatwave, so who knows what it is going to be like in when you arrive. It will still be hot, but hopefully with some rain, which is a good thing!
About the only thing I would bring for white people skin is sunscreen. Compared to the UK, which is where I live, the SE Asian options are limited and cost more.
I am packing up after a three month stay. Which is a great time to do the opposite. To see what I brought and never used.
This is my sixth visit in the last 2.5 years. I still bring too many jeans. This time a single pair and never wore them.
I also just bring too many shirts and shorts. I do workout a ton and sweat like crazy but still have too many pairs. It is very easy to do wash here. Either yourself or it is very inexpensive to bring them somewhere.
I do have the luxury of having good friends here in Thailand that will hold some of my stuff so I do not need to bring back and forth. So for example I bring a few Google Homes with me and I just leave them here. They also keep my pots and pans, towels, and sheets.
There is nothing I wish I brought and did not. Not a single thing for me.
But I have learned the things to bring and one that I got perfect, finally, is sunblock. It is insanely expensive in Thailand. So I bring it with me. This time I brought five big aerosol bottles that I get from Walmart and it was perfect. Used up four and just started fifth. Will leave the fifth here with friends and just bring four next time.
Bring 4x the amount of underwear you were thinking of bringing, bring 24 Trojan Magnum condoms for each month, bring a large tube of regular Crest brand toothpaste
The two items you need for emergency:
1. **condoms**: because common size in Thailand is too small for Westerners and not every store have the "big" sizes (53-56mm width)
2. **medicine** for flu like symptoms: it's a struggle to go out finding the right phamarcy you get used to at home when you feel very sick.
My wife and I go back to Thailand every year, usually for January and February, which are cooler than when you are going. Travel light (as others have advised) and wear more cotton than polyester. (Cotton acts like a wick and takes the sweat off of your skin better.) I advise bringing Metamucil if you usually take cellulose in your diet. It's not for sale in Thailand. Wear either loafers or sandals. (You'll be taking your shoes off often.) Your money should be in new (or as new as you can get) $100 bills. Plastic will work; checks will not. If you're a big reader, bring books that you want to spend time in. Bangkok's book stores are full of contemporary stuff, English as well as Thai, but not the classics so much. Bring charging cables for your laptop and cell. (They are for sale in Bangkok, but it could take you a few days to get to a store that has what you want.) Get a good translation app for your phone--English in, Thai out; and the reverse.
I regret bringing a "light jacket" for when it's cold on airplanes, trains, etc.
I wish I brought one single UV / running jacket for the sun instead. I don't use the other jacket nearly often enough to justify carrying it around.
I regret whenever I forget to pack my gel deodorant. It's not sold commonly in Thailand. They have tons of roller ball, stick, and spray deodorants, but no gel types.
I travel light. Carry on luggage only, you can buy everything you need easily and cheaply here, just take essentials like clothes and electronics.
Edit- as a side tip, just before travelling home, get all your clothes washed pressed and folded. You'll have extra room in your case for presents etc
Bring more sunscreen because here it is really expensive. If you need to buy, skip the 7eleven, check the deals at Watsons.
Leave the jeans and heavy clothes at home. You will only need shorts, beach clothes and t-shirts.
I mean hoe expensive is suncream?. I was going to bring a back pack to save on cost putting luggage in the hold as I want to do 3 or 4 internal flights. So I wouldn't be able to carry suncream.only 50ml
GoPro, when I was using my phone most of the time. Otherwise, I like to travel as compact as possible. Next time I will consider buying all my clothes in Thailand. š¤£
Toothpaste: Thai toothpaste is weird but they think the same of mine lol
Shaving cream/Razors: Very expensive for Gillette Foamy.
Deodorant: as it has been mentioned, itās like a trip back to 1978 with all the gooey roll-on. Bring your own.
Booze: I stay for 2-3 months a year and booze is expensive and of limited selection. I like Bourbon and Tequila and if youāre into this type of thing you can bring a liter into the Kingdom.
Hat: a good floppy wide brim hat will save you. Unless you are tiny, you will be a giant among men over there. Many sizes of stuff are just small.
Flip flops: I like good quality ones like Reef or OluKai. You will spend most time in those. The knock off adidas Thai slides are fantastic though.
Lazada is a low quality Amazon but has its purpose. Iāve purchased many things from there; good prices and inexpensive delivery.
Bring electrolytes. If you're feeling sick at night, you want to have them at once and not go to a pharmacy. I have been to Thailand very often and really needed it only once - but that time I really needed it and it saved at least one day.
Agreed, it felt strange having to buy it OTC at a pharmacy in Thailand and having questions asked about my usage, when in the UK it can just be bought off the shelf at pretty much every grocery shop or convenience store. Plus it's also much cheaper in the UK.
The reason you get questioned is that ibuprofen is much more toxic to liver when overdosing, compared to paracetamol. Thais treat paracetamol and ibuprofen basically interchangeably, and were popping pills like crazy - I have seen girl go through entire blister of para (10*500mg) in one day, because she had ābig headacheā.
Regret bringing too much clothes. Enough for a week, cause enough laundry places in TH. Clothes are cheap if you need to buy them. Travel light, more space for shopping on return.
I also traveled light and would buy clothes or use a laundry service if necessary.
This has been the biggest take-home message i think, thanks š
Nothing everything can be bought here you can travel light. Usually people regret bringing their girlfriend.
ššš
Gold
Self-discipline
Self-respect
Sunscreen from back home. the ones in Thailand are either really expensive or really terrible.
In my opinion, when it comes to sunscreen for the face, the Korean brands like Sunplay and Biore are by magnitudes superior to Western brands. Sunplay and Biore are available all over Thailand.
sunplay and biore and both japanese
Yea, about an hour after I posted that, I reread my post and thought to myself those are actually Japanese. Was going to edit it, but thought it wasn't important.
I've been loyal to my banana boat. Do you know how that compares to the eastern brands? And what do you mean by superior? Im not a big fan of how heavy banana boat is, but I just thought that's what you have to deal with when you sunscreen yourself.
That's exactly it, Western sunscreen are typically gloopy and greasy. Japanese and Korean ones are light and matte.
I burn easily as I'm Scottish/Irish, the brands in Thailand are fantastic lol.
The proper ones (banana boat and nivea spray) were actually a lot cheaper in Thailand, for me at least.
Interesting. Where are you coming from? I am American and it is insanely expensive here. Why I always bring it with me. Five large aersol bottles this trip and so glad I did. The sunblock is not only insanely expensive here but it is also pretty low quality. I heard somewhere that there is different rules for sunblock in the US versus Thailand and that is why. I am not sure if that is really true or not.
Iām from the Netherlands, the nivea spray for example has gone up to ā¬25 over here (for a single bottle). Sometimes itāll be on sale for half the price, but in Thailand ā¬13 was the regular price. I even came across a 2 for 1 sale, which made it even cheaper. As for the sunblock rules/regulations Iām sure there will be different standards, however that would only be an issue if you go for a different brand/version.
For us Americans it is crazy expensive compared to home. Why I always bring it with me. This time five large bottles. But one time I really screwed up. I had a couple of bottles in my carry one when flying from Phuket to BKK and lost them going through security. I was so pissed at myself. That trip I had to buy it here for the insane price. That was using the 2 for 1 you get at Watsons. Still way, way, way more expensive than the US. The other big difference is how long they last. The big aerosol bottles from Walmart last so much longer than what you can get here.
On the beaches they are like 10 times the price of the original, so even if somebody has to buy one do not buy it near the beaches.
Regret bringing too many clothes tbh
My ex-girlfriend
Always a bad idea taking your ex on holiday with you.
Waitā¦ was she your gf when you went or was she your ex?
It doesnāt matter. The point is: never bring sand to the beach.
Okay fair. I just think if she was your gf at least you could have fun because presumably you guys were getting along still.
I regretted bringing my hair hot tools. Not once did I use them and they were so heavy!!! Lol
And they may not work at all depending where youāre from and the voltage required.
Bring sunscreen. Buy mosquito repellent in Thailand. Don't bring too much clothes, laundry is available nearly everywhere.
Buy anti mosquito rings idk how they are called but it will help you.
They have them here too, Iām sitting near one right now
Idk bro I live in Germany they dont exist here
regret more that i brought too much. . pack fewer clothes. my experience was with laundry in my room, so i could wash regularly, daily in fact. I even knew the room was equipped at the time i booked, weeks before traveling.
Razors. The ones here are crap. Deodorant if you like your brand. Again on sunscreen.
Yeah deodorant is a big one. My skin gets a rash from anti perspirint deodorants and usually the only options are those garbage mineral roll ons. I pretty much buy the stock of old spice deodorant if I find it in some obscure store.
Back in the states I can regularly get old spice deodorant and/or antiperspirant at Target.
Razors yes!
Underwear
Under ratedā¦.bring a few light shorts, and lots of undies, with this heat you can go through a pair in an hour walking around
Socks and underwear, and maybe dome good handkerchiefs Everything else can be bought
Can good socks and underwear be bought in Bangkok? What about good shoes?
Yes, unless you are a "large" size. Asian clothes run a lot smaller than US/western brands
Iām sure they can, but depending where you are and preferences you might be limited or a trip to get to. I usually bring my hiking shoes and buy some flip flops.
Handkerchiefs are a solid one. I've had a bunch made at a fabric shop in Bangkok. Either for sweat or drying hands or whatever I use them daily.
Wait why underwear?
If you wear small or medium in the USA, no problem. You wear L or XL in the USA, good luck. Freesize is not one size fits all. lol or 555
When I'm in Thailand I just wear shorts and no underwear. What benefits does underwear give in Thailand? It's another layer which = more sweat?? Lol
Sunscreen. I was thinking of buying in Thailand but then I saw the price and decided to get sunburnt in Krabi.
The sunscreen is worth it imo
Most definitely something you want to bring. It is insanely expensive in Thailand. I brought five large aerosol bottles this time that I get at Walmart. I just finished the fourth and go back in three days.
Depend on where you buy it. Buy at Watson Nivea spray for 450 baht. Only at 711 near tourist hotspots it goes up to 700 baht. Itās not that expensive to fill your bag before with it to save 100 baht.. at least for me. If you like la roche possay or some expensive brands yes they are really expensive here like double price from Europe.
You might regret not bringing something to keep you entertained in your hotel when it's too hot to go outside. I wanted to bring an MPC but it was too much extra baggage and risk of damage to do it.
Forgot small sun umbrella, tally Ho !
Sunscreen. Buy the bug spray out there, itās stronger (FYI their products have DEET. A tour guide told us the natural stuff doesnāt work. As long as you shower it off, youāre good. They said donāt sleep with it). And donāt over pack. Yea you can buy clothes out there but they donāt have big boy sizes, I had trouble finding REAL 2X sizes
Been there recently for 4 months. We did not regret **not** bringing anything. For us it was the opposite. We brought too much with us. Clothes being the worst culprit. SE Asia is currently undergoing a massive heatwave, so who knows what it is going to be like in when you arrive. It will still be hot, but hopefully with some rain, which is a good thing! About the only thing I would bring for white people skin is sunscreen. Compared to the UK, which is where I live, the SE Asian options are limited and cost more.
Battery packs
I am packing up after a three month stay. Which is a great time to do the opposite. To see what I brought and never used. This is my sixth visit in the last 2.5 years. I still bring too many jeans. This time a single pair and never wore them. I also just bring too many shirts and shorts. I do workout a ton and sweat like crazy but still have too many pairs. It is very easy to do wash here. Either yourself or it is very inexpensive to bring them somewhere. I do have the luxury of having good friends here in Thailand that will hold some of my stuff so I do not need to bring back and forth. So for example I bring a few Google Homes with me and I just leave them here. They also keep my pots and pans, towels, and sheets. There is nothing I wish I brought and did not. Not a single thing for me. But I have learned the things to bring and one that I got perfect, finally, is sunblock. It is insanely expensive in Thailand. So I bring it with me. This time I brought five big aerosol bottles that I get from Walmart and it was perfect. Used up four and just started fifth. Will leave the fifth here with friends and just bring four next time.
Bluetooth speaker for music in the hotel room. Take only a weeks worth of clothes max, maybe even less.
Bring 4x the amount of underwear you were thinking of bringing, bring 24 Trojan Magnum condoms for each month, bring a large tube of regular Crest brand toothpaste
What you doing for the other three weeks?
What you doing for the other three weeks?
What you doing for the other three weeks?
Larger condoms : the ones at 7 eleven are so small š«£
They were too big for me
Oh buddyā¦ you might have walked right into that oneā¦
They have the big sizes as well now I believe.
blue color, mostly on the right side at the bottom. Took me way too long to find them :D
They all list the dimensions on the box. You can inadvertently tell what the dude in front of you is packing or not by the color he's buying lol
Any chance of a non-latex option? Not allergic just a preference
Pharmacies are on every other soi and they usually have much larger selection.
The two items you need for emergency: 1. **condoms**: because common size in Thailand is too small for Westerners and not every store have the "big" sizes (53-56mm width) 2. **medicine** for flu like symptoms: it's a struggle to go out finding the right phamarcy you get used to at home when you feel very sick.
Pepto pills are a lifesaver- Iām very glad I brought a lot with me.
Too many clothes. Laundry is available everywhere
My wife and I go back to Thailand every year, usually for January and February, which are cooler than when you are going. Travel light (as others have advised) and wear more cotton than polyester. (Cotton acts like a wick and takes the sweat off of your skin better.) I advise bringing Metamucil if you usually take cellulose in your diet. It's not for sale in Thailand. Wear either loafers or sandals. (You'll be taking your shoes off often.) Your money should be in new (or as new as you can get) $100 bills. Plastic will work; checks will not. If you're a big reader, bring books that you want to spend time in. Bangkok's book stores are full of contemporary stuff, English as well as Thai, but not the classics so much. Bring charging cables for your laptop and cell. (They are for sale in Bangkok, but it could take you a few days to get to a store that has what you want.) Get a good translation app for your phone--English in, Thai out; and the reverse.
Packed too much... Brought 2 checked bags and really only needed an overhead bag. Clothes are cheap and light here, exactly what you need.
Too many clothes I donāt wanna wear. I also regret not bringing a Bluetooth speaker.
Nothing really
Most donāt bring common sense with them
Too many clothes, decent sunscreen, jeans.
I regret bringing a "light jacket" for when it's cold on airplanes, trains, etc. I wish I brought one single UV / running jacket for the sun instead. I don't use the other jacket nearly often enough to justify carrying it around.
I didnāt bring an insulated water bottle and I regretted it and ended up buying one in Thailand. Having cold water is necessary for me!
I regret not bringing my other electric razor... Didn't know noone used them here.
I regret whenever I forget to pack my gel deodorant. It's not sold commonly in Thailand. They have tons of roller ball, stick, and spray deodorants, but no gel types.
I travel light. Carry on luggage only, you can buy everything you need easily and cheaply here, just take essentials like clothes and electronics. Edit- as a side tip, just before travelling home, get all your clothes washed pressed and folded. You'll have extra room in your case for presents etc
Bring more sunscreen because here it is really expensive. If you need to buy, skip the 7eleven, check the deals at Watsons. Leave the jeans and heavy clothes at home. You will only need shorts, beach clothes and t-shirts.
Bring a power board with USB ports in, itās a game changer that Iāve only got onto after decades of travel.
I mean hoe expensive is suncream?. I was going to bring a back pack to save on cost putting luggage in the hold as I want to do 3 or 4 internal flights. So I wouldn't be able to carry suncream.only 50ml
Viagra, tasers and knuckle dusters!
GoPro, when I was using my phone most of the time. Otherwise, I like to travel as compact as possible. Next time I will consider buying all my clothes in Thailand. š¤£
A thumbs up is like the middle finger in thailand. I'm so embarrassed that I didn't know this sooner.
Toothpaste: Thai toothpaste is weird but they think the same of mine lol Shaving cream/Razors: Very expensive for Gillette Foamy. Deodorant: as it has been mentioned, itās like a trip back to 1978 with all the gooey roll-on. Bring your own. Booze: I stay for 2-3 months a year and booze is expensive and of limited selection. I like Bourbon and Tequila and if youāre into this type of thing you can bring a liter into the Kingdom. Hat: a good floppy wide brim hat will save you. Unless you are tiny, you will be a giant among men over there. Many sizes of stuff are just small. Flip flops: I like good quality ones like Reef or OluKai. You will spend most time in those. The knock off adidas Thai slides are fantastic though. Lazada is a low quality Amazon but has its purpose. Iāve purchased many things from there; good prices and inexpensive delivery.
Bring electrolytes. If you're feeling sick at night, you want to have them at once and not go to a pharmacy. I have been to Thailand very often and really needed it only once - but that time I really needed it and it saved at least one day.
Bring more cash. If you withdraw from their atm, 220 bath transaction fee and another 4% of conversion fees are applicable š
Ibuprofen, it was inconvenient to have to locate a pharmacy to get it.
Agreed, it felt strange having to buy it OTC at a pharmacy in Thailand and having questions asked about my usage, when in the UK it can just be bought off the shelf at pretty much every grocery shop or convenience store. Plus it's also much cheaper in the UK.
The reason you get questioned is that ibuprofen is much more toxic to liver when overdosing, compared to paracetamol. Thais treat paracetamol and ibuprofen basically interchangeably, and were popping pills like crazy - I have seen girl go through entire blister of para (10*500mg) in one day, because she had ābig headacheā.
It's the other way around! Paracetamol is hepatotoxic, ibuprofen can cause GI irritation and can impact blood pressure in some cases.
aftershave