10 tips to smartly pack your suitcase for Thailand
Enjoy your vacation Thailand, but what are you taking? Usually too much. Do you really need to carry two bottles of shampoo and three types of sunscreen? And your half bookcase?
In addition, packing the suitcase is often postponed until the last minute. This also makes it a stressful affair. Gone stress, gone too much stuff! Nothing 'packed and bagged'. Go back to basics and take what you really need with you. So read these 10 tips for packing your suitcase.
1. Always take it with you
A number of things are indispensable for a relaxing holiday in Thailand. A passport or proof of identity, possibly a visa, money (cash, debit card, credit card) and your travel papers (print your e-ticket or make sure it is on your mobile phone). In addition to probably your mobile phone with accompanying charging cables, perhaps earplugs, an iPad and (sun) glasses. Put it in your hand luggage in a safe place and make sure it is easily accessible.
2. Choose targeted
Take a good look at the local weather, how long you will be away and what you will be doing during your stay. Traveling with a backpack is different from a beach holiday. Adjust your luggage accordingly. Forget the 'maybe I need it' and then put everything in your luggage, but choose targeted. Bring good basic pieces that you can combine with each other. And unless you travel to a remote place and spend days wandering through no man's land, remember that almost everything is for sale in Thailand.
3. Make packing lists
It is very useful to make a packing list and to think consciously about what you really need. You can write a list by hand, but nowadays packing lists can also be found online, such as Inpaklijst.nl and Meenemen.nl
4. Weight of the case
If you buy a new suitcase, choose a suitcase model that is not too heavy. Nowadays there are countless lightweight suitcases that are extremely strong.
5. Cosmetics
Do not bring too many cosmetic products. They take up a lot of space and are heavy. Preferably fill small bottles and buy small packages. You can buy larger packages everywhere in Thailand. Bringing a good bottle of sunscreen from a brand you know is useful.
6. Books
Of course, holidays include: reading books. But these too are weighty space eaters. Think about which book really needs to be in the holiday suitcase and buy the paperback version of it. For the rest, use e-readers or bring a book in the form of a magazine.
7. Bath and hand towels
Before you travel, inquire whether you can use a bath and hand towel service during your stay in the hotel or other accommodation. If this is the case, you can leave this luggage at home. If not or if you have booked a holiday where you bring your own towels, choose a medium size (also for the beach) and roll them up, so they take up less space.
8. Valuables
Leave really valuable items such as jewelry and items that you are attached to at home as much as possible. That means less worry and prevents your holiday from falling into the water. And store valuables in a safe or think of a good place where others cannot easily find it (but which you will remember!).
9. Packing…
Put your suitcase on your bed a few days in advance. Collect all items using the packing list. Seriously see if you really need all that and start packing. Pack smartly and ergonomically: roll up your clothes, put heavy things at the bottom and lighter things on top of your suitcase.
Put your toiletry bag in a plastic bag in case something leaks.
10. Weigh your suitcase before departure
Excessive kilos of luggage can be very costly. How often do you not see that people at the airport are still hurriedly transferring luggage from suitcase to hand luggage. So make sure you weigh your suitcase on a scale before you leave for the airport.
Source: Skyscanner.nl
Video: Handy packing tips
Watch the video below for helpful packing tips:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIk8v__Osm8[/embedyt]
For towels I always take the so-called “hamman towels” in two sizes.
A large one for the beach and a small one for after showering. These towels weigh a fraction of normal towels, absorb moisture well and dry in no time.
Or buy those towels for 300 baht at BigC and give them away later.
That's the best way to save space and weight and you'll make a nice chambermaid very happy if you give them to them before you leave. We have been doing this for years with great pleasure and gratitude from the recipient(s).
You can buy large beach / bath towels for 150 to (indeed) 300 baht on the market.
Having them washed once costs 15 to 30 baht,
You can take a sarong with you in all directions. A towel 300 baht? At the weekend market you have three for it. There are also quick-drying towels for sale at Xenox, but an old one from home is easier to give away after the holiday.
Choose a hard-shell suitcase without zippers, even if it has a lock on it, for example TSA, it is very easy to open without opening the lock. At various Xenox stores towels are for sale that are very light and fast drying micro fiber. A cotton sarong works wonders with it, you can use it as a beach dress and on wicker chairs. This but you never know the seats are not treated for bamboo louse.
A three-way plug. This may no longer be sold in the Netherlands, but is widely available in Thailand. Very useful if there are few sockets in the room.
Adapter plugs: American to European and vice versa. You avoid clumsy world adapters.
And last but not least for the frugal Dutchman:
An immersion heater (available from Blokker). You can buy a microwave safe cup and plastic bags at your local 7/11. Very handy to make coffee and tea in the room (if not already present). Making a boiled egg or an omelette (in a bag) is also possible.
take the bare essentials with you like clothing. If you need something buy it there, it's cheaper than here, and you have more choice. And when you get back you have beautiful summer clothes that pay 2 to 3 times more here. so pack the essentials for 1 or 2 days, no more. You also don't have too much weight for the airport when you leave. When you come back you always have room left for souvenirs and the like. I'd say take your suitcase and have a good trip.
Keep in mind that the clothing (and shoes, bags, etc) purchased in Thailand is of a lower quality than what we are used to here and that cheap can be expensive.
Not cut up labels in the well-known department stores designer clothing or sometimes in China town for the American market. I always say fell off the truck.
The same quality as the Zeeman, they have the same Chinese supplier. If you want better stuff you have to pay more. Incidentally, also great for sale in Thailand, and still cheaper than in the Netherlands
I don't believe that, compare Big C's T shirts with a shirt bought in the Netherlands, the cotton in Thailand is thicker and stronger. I bought beautiful quality shoes from the Taywin brand for the equivalent of 125,00 Euro, a pair of the same kind from Van Bommel is easily twice as expensive. But just like in the Netherlands, don't make impulsive purchases, not even on the market.
Under point 1. Always take with you I miss an important thing and that is medicines with a medicine passport. Once I forgot an important medicine and with the help of the medicine passport that contains the exact substances I was able to buy exactly the same medicine at a good pharmacy in Thailand.
Well. Or else you google your medicine and see the active substances. Just as convenient. Every pharmacy (even the bad ones) has it in stock.
You can buy most medicines in Thailand, sometimes with a different name. Always put your medicines in your hand luggage.
Last time I had a large suitcase with stuff, clothes and souvenirs, but next year only a shoulder bag with some small stuff, I'll buy the rest there
I'll give you my packing list again.
Only hand luggage, that travels so much more pleasantly.
Rest I buy here and use, or give leftovers away.
Spare glasses
Medication
2 underpants
2 shorts
2 T shirts
2 Sweatbands
2 Phones
Tablet
Camera
(this time 2 cameras, one waterproof due to Songkran last month)
Chargers
Passport
Medicine Passport
Cash
Debit card
Maybe I can finish it:
Tablet, cameras, passport, telephones and medicine passport are in the (inner) pockets of your summer jacket (ok, that's a bit heavy, but it's not weighed). Furthermore, reasonably neat long trousers (with cash and debit card), neat shirt, tie (loosely) and sturdy, neat shoes. Then you can also dress 'dressed' if necessary.
Then all you have to do is pack:
Spare glasses
Medication
2 underpants
2 shorts
2 T shirts
2 Sweatbands
Chargers
It just depends on what you're going to do (and what you like). Shoes: Lots of temple visits, shoes that you can easily take off, city trip ditto. nature parks, etc. then you want something firmer, but rather not waterproof and breathable. And good socks in it. A few cheap flip-flops can be found everywhere, but something that also stays intact in size 44 is a bit more difficult.
Kwa suitcase, Rimowa and samsonite make ultra-light suitcases, but you can open and close those zippers seemingly invisibly with a ballpoint pen. Pacsafe has suitcases that are quite burglary proof and still flexible, steel net does not make them super light! They also have slashproof backpacks, belt bags, shoulder bags etc…Camera bag rather not looking like. There are reinforced camera straps. Although I always feel very safe in this area in Asia. in practice you always take too much with you.
Take a picture of your suitcase if it is lost, easy to recognize and put your address on the inside of the suitcase. Not as a label on the suitcase for possible burglary when you are not at home.
In my eyes, everyone drags along what they want, even if it's peanut butter and bitterballen or like someone: 20 liters of wine.
In the days when I came to Thailand as a tourist or had to go abroad for work, packing took half an hour and I always did it myself! Never been overweight because yes, before closing the suitcase it is advisable to check the scales, no surprises afterwards. When you come to Thailand, you don't go to the "hole of plutos" but to a country where just about everything you can think of is for sale, except for a few European specialties and often at a much better price than in Thailand. available in the country of origin. Next week, out of necessity, I will not go to Belgium for my Visa because I have a retirement visa, but for some administrative matters, for a few days. What I take with me can be put in my hand luggage, which I then put in a normal suitcase. I need that travel case for my return to Thailand because I can't find certain spices here, needed as a hobby cook, for certain preparations. If I get 10kg of luggage, both there and back, it will be a lot.
LS Lung Addie
I have gained quite a bit of travel experience in recent years and I actually take a bit more with me than before in terms of clothes and shoes. It is also no longer a problem if you can take 30 kg with you in the stacking class plus often a little extra through your frequent flyer pass. In the past with that 20 kg rule, it was quite a bit of attention. With good wheels under your suitcase, you can also race quickly and smoothly over the airports and through hotels. You really don't get a crooked back from lugging. My suitcase only just fits in the back of the Bangkok taxis because of the mega gas tanks that are in there. If you go out in Bangkok to the better discos, clubs and restaurants you can't show up in your shorts and flip flops. I also like to present myself well-groomed and dressed. The first few days I usually sweat a lot due to the temperature jet lag and then it is nice to change shirts and pants more often without going shopping immediately. If I go on a business trip to Asia, I make sure to wear very neat clothes because they like a well-dressed businessman with neat looks and a beautiful business card. Now we Dutch seem to have a bad reputation abroad when it comes to clothing. So I'm trying to make some of it to get the average up a bit. And yes, when I go to the beach you will also see me in the Frans Amsterdam look. Be careful when buying boxer shorts in Thailand. They can deliver quite a bit. And if you put them on right away, your skin can get the color of the boxer shorts itself. Then you look a bit weird.
In Thailand almost everything is for sale so don't take too much with you. I always have my suitcase sealed at Schiphol and in Bangkok, which is very handy!
We travel with the two of us, divide the clothes into two suitcases, it is unthinkable that your suitcase will not arrive immediately. And then my wife has a big problem because she only has a plus size. This is how we try to keep it cozy and prevent it from better than cure.
Also I have plus size there is always some in the hand luggage short blouse swimsuit plus some underwear.
Last was nice suitcase did not arrive we went shopping my husband has an easy size
After 1 day of telephone from hotel de shop we heard you no suitcase we have clothes in large size.
But just go and see everything bought. Calls after three days the suitcase boy cannot reach you suitcases have arrived. Yes we don't stay three in room because we don't have suitcase. He laughed at that and everything was okay again.
Another tip
Rolling up clothes saves space, possibly vacuuming (if this is within reach)
We have been traveling to Thailand for years with only hand luggage and that suits us fine. You don't need that much and everything is for sale. Occasionally we go to a laundry, for 200 bath everything is wonderfully fresh and ironed. Another advantage is that you never have to wait in line with your boarding pass and you can walk to the taxi upon arrival.
“Upon arrival you can walk to the taxi.”
The only difference is that you don't have to wait for your luggage upon arrival.
For the rest it is just the same.
Why should someone who only has hand luggage be allowed to go straight to the taxi and not have to go through immigration and customs?
The difference is that you don't have to queue at a counter to check in your luggage. You don't have to wait for your bags on arrival. Of course you have to go through immigration and customs, everyone has to do that, right?
You can easily compress clothes. At the Action there are vacuum bags for 99 ct.
This saves you a lot of space in your suitcase. With the help of your vacuum cleaner, you can pull the air out of the clothing.
By using the cap many times…..
Do you also take your vacuum cleaner with you for the return journey? 🙂
But do you also have to take that vacuum cleaner with you on holiday, to vacuum those bags before returning?
You can buy everything here.
At Watsons..body wash…deaf soap…hand cream…toothpaste…everything cheap.
T-shirts 3 €…shirts 7 €….socks 5 pairs 3 €.
Towels on the market…dresses for ladies 8 €.
Give it away before you go home.
Good luck.
It is indeed incomprehensible. Even the most basic necessities of life are simply available in the shop here.
And another tip take a pen with you in your hand luggage if you have to fill in the Thai immigration papers on the plane..
With 300 people around you who mostly also have to fill in that card, you may wonder whether that is really necessary.
In addition, due to the enormous temperature changes on Suvarnabhumi, some pens tend to leak.
Yes and four pairs of sandals size 47/48 because they really don't have them there, at least I haven't seen them anywhere yet and the rest well you can buy that there or have it made in terms of clothing.
I can still get the shoe size, but why would you take 4 pairs?
Just curious though. Perhaps there is an acceptable explanation for it.
A 42/43 tiger
I take a picture of my cards and passport.
I print it out, write down the flight number and address, and give it to my brother.
Should something happen, he has all the information at hand to block or arrange things.
When we first went to Thailand they said don't take too much with you because you can buy cheap clothes there.
I'm glad I didn't do that, first of all it's very hot there and you do change once a day and to go shopping right after arrival!!!!!
Secondly, I wear size 2/42 and you don't find that easily in Thailand.
Dear traveler, as described before, don't take too much with you. If you want to read books or magazines, buy them at Schiphol. you are then already checked in and through customs. saves a lot of weight in your suitcase, if you buy it on the latter. Make a list of which books you want to read and you have the latest new magazines.
Have fun