Thailand tip: What do you pack in your suitcase?
Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations for the Dutch and Belgians. When you travel to Thailand, it is good to know what you do and don't need in your suitcase. We will give you some tips.
You go to Thailand for the wonderful weather. So bring thin breathable clothing. If you go to the North (into the mountains) make sure you have warm clothes. It can be quite cold there. A warm sweater or cardigan is also recommended if you travel by bus or train in Thailand. The air conditioning is usually very high and therefore it can be cold in the bus. Also make sure you wear neat and covering clothing when you visit a temple.
In any case, take with you in your suitcase:
- Summer clothes
- Appropriate clothing (covering shoulders and knees)
- A cardigan with long sleeves
- Slippers
- Sturdy walking boots
Cosmetics bag
Be aware of the sun, which is many times stronger than in the Netherlands and make sure you protect yourself well with sunscreen (possibly 'sunblock'), sunglasses and a cap. Mosquito spray is a must, especially in the evenings it can come in handy.
- Sunburn
- Mosquito repellent
You may also want to bring a mosquito net.
Money and documents
ATM machines charge 180 Baht for each transaction. If you want the best rate, it makes sense to bring euros and exchange them on the spot for Thai Baht. Check your health and travel insurance and vaccinations for proper preparation. A copy of your passport can be useful if - in the worst case scenario - you lose your passport.
- Cash
- Travel Insurance
- Copy of your passport (digital and/or on paper)
- Vaccinations
Packing tips
Everything is for sale in Thailand so don't take unnecessary things with you. Did you forget something? Don't worry, you can buy it on the spot. Make sure you leave space in your suitcase because you can shop a lot and cheaply in Thailand.
Provide good water protection
Depending on how much you plan to travel and in which season, it can be useful to invest in a waterproof bag/protective cover (also for your smartphone). It doesn't rain often, but when it does it rains in buckets.
If there are any readers with useful tips, please complete this message.
To save weight, you can already put on the sturdy walking shoes instead of stuffing them in the suitcase. At the airport you usually walk quite a distance, and on the long flight a pair of sturdy shoes are also better than slippers or flip flops.
The long-sleeved sweater is also not a superfluous luxury on the plane.
Do not fold the rest of your clothes, but roll them up. Then it creases less, and more fits in the suitcase or backpack.
Don't just take the copy of your passport with you, but also email it to yourself. This way you can always retrieve it, even if you have lost everything.
You can leave the pan with meatballs, bag of Bintjes, Edammer cheese, Bosche bollen, hema sausages, etc. (Yes, the Dutch really take these things with them on holiday.) at home. There is really all kinds of food for sale in Thailand, and often much tastier than what you can take with you.
What is handy to take with you is a bag of candy and chewing gum for the plane.
If you want to spoil your acquaintances and friends there, feel free to bring some Belgian chocolate, but do stuff it in an insulation bag or box.
I hang the sturdy walking shoes around my neck, you don't have to take them off during the check, they don't count in the weight (approx. 2 kg) and you can also wear a pair of sandals.
Rolling up is indeed better, but as a licorice lover I would recommend taking this with you.
Since the tenor of the article; there is no superfluous things to take with me, so I took the trouble to respond. Do not bring mosquito repellent. Mosquito spray is for sale at every 7-eleven or pharmacy and often of a better quality (sprays more tailored to the local mosquito) than the universal ones from the Netherlands. Copies of important documents are certainly useful, but also send yourself an email with scans of these documents. Internet cafes and also most Hotels have internet points with printers where you can make a copy (otherwise you will just see that you have handed in your copy and need another one for eg renting a car or something). Summer clothing yes for the first 3 days is sufficient. Especially in the large malls or markets you can buy excellent T-shirts for prices well below the NL value. Great for holiday use and still saves a lot of volume in your suitcase. The same goes for slippers. If you have a special size (type of beer belly, etc.), then better bring your own. Have fun 🙂
clean underpants x number of days stay + 2
a few T shirts
a shirt
a jacket
a T-shirt with long sleeves
long pants
long pants with removable legs
enough shorts
a pair of slippers
3 pairs of socks approx
1 pair of long flight compression socks
van deo
toothbrush
shaving gear
sunglasses
a few packs of stroopwafels for friends
camera
ipad
credit card
For a stay of 20 days in Thailand, bringing 22 underpants is a bit much. In almost every hotel you can have your clothes washed and ironed. If you are short of underpants, don't be surprised, these are also for sale in Thailand.
Yes, I have some tips, at least, that I think are important.
These are my 10 rules:
1. Make a document containing the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all passengers traveling along and those in each suitcase or bag. This is how I got a forgotten trolley back super fast.
2. Scan all important documents including travel insurance policy, health insurance policy, affiliated SOS services, debit and credit cards. Preferably put a watermark over it against abuse. Store the documents on a tablet or notebook that you bring with you or even better 'in the cloud'. Can also be used as an attachment in an e-mail sent to yourself, so that you can open it from anywhere in the world. Preferably in a password-protected file. I was robbed five years ago and was therefore able to have prints made of the scans for use in reporting to the police and for blocking the passes. I was also able to pass on all the information to my SOS service.
3. Only take cash with you for payments on the go. Money can be withdrawn from an ATM machine anywhere in Thailand. Travel insurers often do not cover or little cash. Proof of cash is also often difficult to provide. I myself am affiliated with ABN AMRO's Stand-By service, which transferred € 1.000 free of charge via Western Union (of course charged to my bank account).
4. For people who use medicines on a daily basis, bring a document of prescribed medicines, preferably from the treating physician. With that document, the same or equivalent medicines can often be bought in Thailand if necessary. So also make sure that the active substances and the necessary dosage are stated in the document. This also applies to self-care products. In addition to my blood-thinning and cholesterol-lowering medicines, I also use Nestosyl, for example, which helps against itching caused by mosquito bites. That is not for sale in Thailand. What is for sale is Xylocaine Jelly 2% (Lidocaine hydrochloride). It does not have the healing effect of Nestosyl, but it does have the itch-reducing property (on the advice of a Thai pharmacist).
5. Excess weight of a suitcase costs a lot of money. It is better to leave things at home that can be bought easily and cheaply in Thailand, such as slippers. Many clothes are also cheap. Most would also like to take some purchased items with them to the Netherlands. So make sure that there is space (in volume and weight) in the suitcase for this.
6. When traveling locally, always take a roll of toilet paper with you and preferably also moist toilet paper. I always have a backpack with me for that kind of luggage. Toilet paper is available in all supermarkets. I don't know moist toilet paper. If necessary, take a package with you from the Netherlands.
7. Always take fragile items such as a camera, tablet and notebook with you in a small trolley or bag. Never in checked baggage. Make a copy of your data from your notebook, tablet and (smart) phone on an external hard drive or better an external SSD and take it with you. If you have enough space 'in the cloud'. then put it (also) on that. Store an external hard disk or SSD separately (not in the same place) from the devices.
8. Make a list of things you are taking with you and take pictures if necessary. This can be useful if the suitcase gets lost or if you are robbed. With the list and photos it is easier to demonstrate what your damage is for a claim with your travel insurance.
9.
10. Finally, have all suitcases sealed at Schiphol and Suvarnabhumi. The suitcase will be weighed for you and provided with a sticker. You prevent uninvited people from putting drugs or other illegal items in your suitcase, whether or not to smuggle in your name. You also prevent things from being removed from your suitcase in the luggage cellar. An additional advantage is that Customs usually leaves sealed suitcases alone (apart from scanning).
I deliberately leave point 9 open for those who also have a good tip.
What can be useful is a small sticker that you stick on the inside of your wallet, stating: your flight numbers, your passport number, date of issue and municipality, expiration date.
This will save you a lot of hassle.
Make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after leaving Thailand. You can buy DEET here in orange spray cans and it is much cheaper than in the Netherlands.
I hardly put any clothes in my suitcase on my way to Thailand. Just my boxer shorts and some stuff for the first few days.
I even flew to Bangkok once with only hand luggage. That saved a lot of lugging, then I can tell you!
The DSLR cameras and other electronics go along in a very sturdy trolley - without zipper - as hand luggage.
Furthermore, I always buy my clothes locally and if necessary there is always a 'laundry' where a lady even irons my boxer shorts for a few cents (after washing!)…
I fear that, despite all my good intentions, my suitcase will be full again when I leave at the end of this month. Every time I realize that I have brought too many clothes and next time I can do with less, but that usually doesn't work out. I have not yet managed to stand at the check-in desk at Schiphol with a suitcase weight of less than 18 kg………………..
If you don't bring any clothes, you'll have room in your suitcase. Enough space to take the purchased clothes with you.
I once flew to Thailand on hand luggage, bought a huge sports bag halfway through the trip and took it filled to the Netherlands.
Bring worn/washed clothing bought in Thailand to the Netherlands and remove the price tags!
My packing list from yesterday:
In jacket and trousers:
Wallet with cash and debit card.
Tablet, camera, phone, power pack.
Passport + copy and medicine passport.
In hand luggage:
Spare glasses
Medication
2 underpants
2 shorts
2 T shirts
2 Sweatbands
Chargers
All kinds of copies of documents have been in the cloud for a long time. The only thing that makes sense to make in Thailand is a copy of the page from your passport on which the current 30-day stamps (or visa if applicable) are stated. Of course you will not walk around with your passport all day and there are authorities that will only accept a copy if it also shows the legality of your stay.
What else is indispensable I buy here, and if it becomes too much I will give it to someone as a gift, but I do not purchase much, when I am here I have everything.
I don't like that lugging around with a suitcase like that, without adequate staff.
Landed at 05.24 this morning, 05.34 at the gate, 05.47 outside with a cigarette. Don't try this at home.
: )
Fine I'll take even less. Only hand luggage and half of your clothes.
With regard to medicine passport, this registration already applies at the embassy or consulate when you collect your visa.
Otherwise, a letter from the general practitioner and or specialist in English which you prescribe the medicines.
Some medicines permitted in the Netherlands are prohibited in Thailand. So be careful with "Dutch" tobacco.
Buy underpants from the market as well as t-shirts. When you go for the first time.
Oh yes, you have 7-eleven (a kind of AH) everywhere.
Oh otherwise I have everything in my Condo in Jomtien and at home in Uttaradit.
Oh yes, I always take a pack of split peas with me to make pea soup.
If you have a suitcase that appears frequently, it is useful to make it a little more recognizable for you on the baggage carousel. I have a black Samsonite with 3 locks on it that is remarkably common when you are waiting at the baggage carousel. Sometimes the paperwork goes slowly on Bangkok Suv that the suitcases have already been taken off the belt and are lined up next to the belt. Then you have the suitcase quickly out of the suitcase knitting. Furthermore, nowadays there are wheels under the suitcases and you can race to your taxi or other means of transport. Just click your hand luggage on it and you will no longer be bothered by lugging your hand luggage. Just like Frans Nico, I also take a few photos when packing. I also always have clothes in my hand luggage. 1 time seen someone get the food poured out on their lap due to sudden turbulence. That lady had no hand luggage and was 'comfortable' with dirty, wet clothes. I do think that on the Bangkok route the luggage amounts are almost all 30 kg or more due to savings programs, so you have to carry a lot when you get there.
Well I'll take it with me, number of days / 2 for everything.
There you will definitely buy something from clothes, cheap. And on every corner of the street you will find a laundry, ready today within tomorrow. Eg for a shirt costs 5 baht, in the city 10 baht.
And then you also have room in your luggage to bring something for the family.
– neat clothing (sporty casual) for the plane
– deo
– you benefit a lot from compression socks on a long flight (exchange for something else on arrival at the toilet)
– definitely a credit card
-
Sturdy hiking boots in the standard packing list?
I come to Thailand a lot. Walk a lot too. But I have never needed sturdy walking shoes.
I will therefore not do a jungle tour.
Furthermore, the fee for using the ATM has now been increased to 200 baht, about 5 euros per transaction.
Have you ever climbed a decent waterfall? It's better not to wear flip flops.
well,
I live near Don Muang (airport) and see two girls walking with each a backpack from above their neck to their knees, sweat running from their faces. I think; they stay in Thailand for a few years. Turns out they speak Dutch (which I couldn't resist of course) and asked them how long they will stay in Thailand?
The answer was two weeks, but have you been here long? No, arrived the day before yesterday and now we are going to Chiang Mai. But why do you have so much stuff with you?
And now it comes………….
We flew with EVA AIR and there you can take 30 kg (hold) luggage and another 7 kg hand luggage + a laptop. So they are carrying around 40 kg per person for the entire holiday.
And that, while there is more for sale in Thailand than in the Netherlands.
The moral of the story: take little with you, there is a launderette on every corner for 30 Bhat (€ 0,80)
And, that vest is NOT in your suitcase, but with you on the plane, because after 4 hours of flying it is already very cold in the bitch and you still have 7 hours to go. But…….. in Bangkok you get warm air, that makes you feel better.
Greetings Nico
After years of lugging around with 1 large trolley, I now have a better solution: 2 smaller trolleys. Better handling. One with only clothes, the other with shoes and the rest. Aim to let the weight per piece not exceed 10 kg (but I can't, always have too many clothes :
don't walk around town in shorts and flip flops; the right clothes for the right time. It's old fashioned, I know). In a small backpack some stuff for the road.
Just some tips:
- Glasses cleaning cloths (moist) vh Kruidvat. If you have plastic glasses.
-Earplugs v Pluggerz, 2 types: Sleep and Music. Otherwise I won't survive.
-1 box of Nivea (the regular round blue one), the best face cream out there. Not available everywhere in Cambodia.
-What is the cheapest plastic bathing caps. Not for my head (I'm hair-free), but for putting the shoes in the suitcase.
-1 bottle of 4711 Eau de Cologne. Can't get there. Those poor Asians (and some of us) often feel gassed by what those Farang spray on themselves!
Greetings everyone
Never take a backpack with you, clumsy, cannot be locked, difficult to carry in the heat, but a good suitcase (Samsonite on 4 wheels with clamp closure, never zipper!) and good :
Handyman
Snorkel/scuba mask
Frisbee
TEVAs
strings
These items are either not for sale, don't fit, or are of poor quality in TH and many other countries.
I myself will never have my bags packed. I think this is sham security. Do you really think that it is not possible if the crooks guild wants to put drugs in your sealed suitcase, then they will also be able to arrange a sealing device. Then make it clear to customs that you didn't put it in there.
I do always put an extra strap around my suitcase, which I attach and button in a special recognizable way. If I notice that my suitcase has been opened, I will immediately report this to customs.
I believe everything is summed up in the above responses. However, I would like to add the following thoughts from personal experience.
1. I normally wear walking/sports shoes. Not really for the heavy mountain boots! But the flights to/from Bangkok are mainly at night. Then I prefer to take off my shoes, otherwise it gets on my nerves and I certainly can't sleep. In an airplane, due to the limited space, it is not so easy to tie the laces of your shoes afterwards. And because you still have to provide space in your suitcase for purchasing things in Thailand, I put my (heavier) hiking boots in the hold luggage when I fly to Thailand and I put on comfortable shoes (without laces).
2. I have always carried a backpack in the past. I always closed them with locks. But my physical condition 'evolves with time'… So next time I will use a small trolley with 2 (two!) wheels and 2 support points. Trolleys with 4 wheels are more convenient. But why 2 wheels? The reason for this is simple: think about what happens if you have to leave your trolley on 4 wheels for a while when you need both hands (looking for a passport, taking money out of your pockets, …) and the floor or the footpath is sloping… That the latter is a common problem in Thailand. Not exactly practical!
3. Also empty bags for dirty laundry (underwear, socks) during the return…
You can download and print a checklist from the Brussels Airport website:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/nl/cf/res/pdf/nl/checklistnl
The most important are the documents..
Clothing, well 5 shorts, linen pants, 2 pairs of socks, 5 t-shirts, slippers / shoes and a sweater..
I always buy toiletries on vacation, just like a bath towel. I have never worn underpants and for 3 euros everything goes into the wash and comes back clean and ironed..
So with a suitcase of 8 kilos and a backpack I always go a long way….
10 more nights and go…
I think it's great that people can take so little with them. First of all, all charging cords for cameras and ipad. Then the world plug. What I miss in all the stories is a first aid bag. My goggles, snorkel and flippers. Yes, then I hear the story: you can rent it; nice where so many people have had the snorkel in their mouths. A roll of toilet paper from home. In Thailand it's so thin, it's more like tissue paper.
That 'blotting paper' is also not intended to wipe away the remains. Use the water hose, which is paper, to blot up the water afterwards.
The Dutch plugs usually also fit. Otherwise you can buy an adapter plug in the first 7-eleven. And you have to be very careful with such a roll of toilet paper…
believe almost everything has been mentioned, but I haven't come across one, or read over it.
AZARON stick against mosquito bites and itching from many types of insects!! (for sale at drugstore) Both on the plane and in Thailand itself, of course, we can always be stung unnoticed and a little later yes, it's itch, itch, itch and it doesn't stop.
Azaron is not for sale in Thailand as far as I know and works perfectly if you do get stung.
Because clam boo and spray are also not a 100% guarantee for a bite-free holiday.
Anti-mosquito spray with DEET is for sale in Thailand against mosquitoes.
I have only noticed 1 or 2 times at the most a flying insect.
Addition: With those flying insects I mean in the planes.
For people who are very loved by mosquitoes, a bottle with a high concentration of Deet is sometimes useful, since what is for sale in Thailand generally has a low concentration of Deet.
And in any case it is difficult to explain that you want a high concentration of Deet, then it will soon be No Have. But the average traveler is satisfied with the standard bottles of spray with 12% (from 35 baht) at the 7-eleven.
What people take with them is unbelievable. I usually go to Thailand for a month and then I only need a backpack . A kilo, or 7-8 . a few rolls of tshirt, boxer shorts, socks, extra pants, couple of puzzle books. A few slippers, and tshirts are for sale in Thailand. No lugging around with suitcases. I can just take it as hand luggage if I want to. A fanny pack for the papers, that's all. You have your shoes on, and a vest for the plane or wherever. Sometimes it can be a bit cold. If you want to buy something there, there are also bags for sale to take something home.
Precisely. Suitcase? Hey suitcase. I've been going to Thailand quite a few times now and even for a month I can do with a small backpack (so only hand luggage). And then I don't even have to buy extra clothes, just the toiletries. In the hotels where I visit: clothes in the wash, tomorrow, max ready the day after tomorrow.
No waiting for luggage at the airports, quickly finished unpacking at destination. And then I do indeed have a tablet with me and the necessary electronic charging cables. Right, kilos or 7-8.
How about only hand luggage a 8 kg for 1 month!!!
Comfortable.
Mmmmm…so no one brings condoms? I only see sizes that are too small at the seven eleven
For extraordinarily exotic sizes there could be a problem, but if I look for even a moment at the 7-eleven, a girl like that immediately asks if she can help me and if I say 'Ha sib hok' she fishes out the right box at once.
.
https://goo.gl/photos/tJWcxiJfV4UVV9rY6
this one is also not included:
– Copies of proof of purchase, of electronics (bought in the Netherlands and fairly recently) saves delay (at Schiphol) during the return journey.
For about 2 weeks, 6 or 7 shirts, 3 shorts, underwear, shaving kit, deodorant, toothbrush/paste and slippers, no shower gel or shampoo because I use those in the hotel. After 5 days to the laundry for 30 THB p.kg and ready to go again. Before going home wash everything again and hop back into the suitcase. Including L & M carton and bottle of Sangsom 🙂
I don't carry much in my suitcase. We take the laundry to a small laundry every two days and spend an average of about 1,50 Euro per day.
What I always have in my suitcase is a good Swiss army knife. Handy because there are useful things such as scissors, tweezers, etc. In the suitcase and not in the hand luggage!
Just bring some sweets and gifts for the family.
Is also becoming less and less because they already have all the "junk" from NL and candy etc are also increasingly for sale in Th. I never take clothes etc with me, I always leave them with the family in a suitcase and a small suitcase with acquaintances in BKK before arrival.
A lot goes back, especially fruit and vegetables for Thai acquaintances in NL.
Apply for additional bank accounts at multiple banks and deposit some money into them. With the debit cards and viscards of multiple accounts you have less chance of running out of money.
Send your own documents as a PDF to yourself and possibly photograph them in the smartphone.
Furthermore, if you take more with you to Thailand than what fits in a small suitcase as hand luggage, you have brought too much and consider things. 7-8 kilos may be a bit low, but 15 kg is too much.
DO NOT forget the medicines and medicine passport and stock up before departure, especially blue or those yellow-brown pills.
In hand luggage for two to a maximum of three days of clothing. Also easy to put on something fresh just before landing. Bringing a small bottle of mouthwash, a travel tube of toothpaste with a brush and a small towel is also something to think about.
Fortunately, everything we need is for sale in Thailand. On the way back provide a large suitcase for all purchased items.
Oh don't forget chargers. Enough with my smartphone. In Thailand there are still enough internet cafes if it is necessary to print something. Besides, we're on vacation, right? Isn't it true that not even 20 years ago no one had heard of laptops and smartphones? You just sent a postcard on arrival from here it is beautiful. Viber, Line and Whatsapp have taken over this. Hmm also good for contacts with the MANY people we meet. Put friends at home in a Group saves sending a lot of the same photos and messages.
In my hand luggage I also have a small bottle of disinfectant hand gel and in the Glorix suitcase moist cleaning wipes for the TV remote control and because we were on the ground floor of the hotel, I also put a cloth over the drain of the shower. No more cockroaches in the shower after that.
ATM already costs 220 baht and a very unfavorable exchange rate
Just bring cash. Have your girlfriend open an account and deposit there. Then use the Thai bank card to pin. Are you rid of the laziness of the costs and the worthless rate.
What is super handy are vacuum bags. In the Netherlands you can buy this at the Action.
Rolling up clothes to air out saves a lot of space.
Gr. Christina