What to pack for Thailand
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Don't let the wrong shoes or a soggy passport ruin your Thai experience!
What to pack for Thailand - Bags
There are at least three good reasons not to take designer luggage - a) it'll get ruined, b) Prada reads as ‘mug me now' to would-be thieves and c) until designers start designing 60 litre rucksacks with good back support systems, it's a nightmare to carry it further than the taxi stand. So many shops now sell traveller-type rucksacks that you could get something that's comfortable, durable and waterproof - and in your favourite colour.
What to pack for Thailand - Documents
It's every traveller's worse nightmare to get to the airport, home or abroad, and find they've forgotten their passport. To make sure it doesn't happen to you, double check it's still in your bag before you leave the house and before you get off your transport to the airport. Keep everything together in something waterproof to stop you searching frantically or having them turn into a sodden mass if your bag gets wet.
We'd advise you to make photocopies of important documents, to take with you and leave at home, and we've also set up an online safe facility, which lets you create and upload scans of your documents.
What to pack for Thailand - Clothes
If you like shopping, one of the great pleasures of Thailand is buying clothes cheaply and having them made to order. Hence, unless you're totally anti-shopping, it makes sense to buy at least some of the loose cotton clothes you'll need in Thailand. Having said that, the north of the country gets a little chilly in the winter and you'd be wise to bring a couple of warm things. Your wardrobe should be conservative - ie. long-sleeved and long-legged, apart from your beachwear. Wear is the operative word - nude sunbathing isn't approved of.
What to pack for Thailand - Shoes
Like rucksacks, sandals have undergone something of a transformation recently and you can now buy versions that are long lasting but don't look like they'd be worn by biblical characters. Save your flip-flops (if they're waterproof) for the beach or undesirable hostel showers.
What to pack for Thailand - Towel
Towels haven't come out of the travel revolution quite so well - the special travel versions often make you feel like you're drying yourself with a tea towel. If you're worried about the space your bath towel's taking up, fold or roll it instead of screwing it up and make it smaller by tying cord around it.
What to pack for Thailand - Camera
Capture your friend's face as they have their first taste of durian or the twinkling lights of the Loy Krathong festival. Your memories might fade, but hopefully your photos won't - plus, we'd love you to send in photos of your gap year! Keep your camera and film or memory cards somewhere secure and waterproof, and consider attaching them to the inside of your bag. Tip - if your camera uses film, it's a lot cheaper in Thailand. There are plenty of opportunities to burn your photos onto a CD as a back-up if you have a digital camera.
What to pack for Thailand - Toiletries
Some travellers go back to basics with soap, toothpaste and deodorant. If you can't manage that, at least leave behind the eye makeup remover and hair straighteners.
What to pack for Thailand - First aid kit
Healthcare in Thailand is pretty good, so you shouldn't run into major problems. A small bag with antiseptic wipes, Paracetamol or equivalent, plasters, scissors and tweezers will allow you to treat most minor ailments yourself.
What to pack for Thailand - Guide book
Guide books are useful but can be heavy if you buy a big one. Unfortunately, the big ones are usually the ones with detailed information. One solution is to tear out the relevant pages, or throw away pages after you've been to those areas.
What to pack for Thailand - Pen and something to write on
You don't need a pencil case, but one or two writing implements and a small notebook will let you play noughts and crosses, rave about your gap year on a post card or keep track of new friends' email addresses.
What to pack for Thailand - Entertainment
Take an MP3 player or a good book, and you'll have something to do on buses and trains. It's nice to have something familiar if you're feeling a little Thai-ed out, too.
What to pack for Thailand - Adapter
Annoyingly, there are two types of plug in Thailand. Some sockets take both types, but if you want to be sure of plugging in your charger, it's best to have both.
Bits and bobs to pack for Thailand
- A padlock
As in any country popular with travellers, it's wise to lock lockers. Save yourself the hostel's rental fee by taking a couple of your own, in different sizes.
- Safety pins
Do like your granny would and take a few safety pins, which can be used for anything your innovation comes up with.
- A sleep sack
Make your own by folding over and sewing together a sheet so it makes a sort of envelope - or take an empty duvet cover.
- Alarm clock
Set your alarm and catch a sunrise.
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Learn the techniques of Muay Thai, discover the culture and language, visit a temple, meditate with Buddhist monks, and lounge on the famous Thai beaches. An excellent, unusual introduction to Thailand, with various project lengths available. |
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Earn some money, help out others and experience three very beautiful countries. Get everything you need to find work in Oz and NZ and discover the real Thailand through volunteer placements, trips – and time on the beach! |
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This programme is temporarily unavailable. Please contact us for details. This 40 hour online TEFL course allows you to learn at your own pace, when and where you like, to fit around your life schedule allowing flexibility and plenty of time for you to gain the most out of the course. |
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This programme is temporarily unavailable. Please contact us for details. A 60 hour online TEFL course that is slightly more comprehensive with an extra 20 hours gaining a specialist certificate in grammar. Learn at your own pace online and gain your TEFL qualification in your own time! |
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This programme is temporarily unavailable. Please contact us for details. A complete and comprehensive 80 hour online TEFL course that includes everything that the 40 and 60 hour courses include with the addition of 20 hours in 4 specialist teaching certificates and a lifetime access to teaching helpdesk. |
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Travel through the USA, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and India during an unforgettable gap year. Fit in volunteer placements, excursions, paid work opportunities, cultural activities and loads more – but also have time to do your own thing. |
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Dive around Koh Tao, develop your media skills and earn money! You’ll be taught to record, edit and produce DVDs of the dive centre’s customers, and then to sell them to the customers. |
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An excellent opportunity to teach Thai children and contribute to the local communities in a positive way – they’re really keen to learn English as this enhances their future employment opportunities. |
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Experience Thailand through a unique combination of activities. Take a PADI scuba diving certificate, trek through jungle and rainforest, stay in a Buddhist temple - a rare privilege for travellers - and get to grips with the Thai language. |
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Help mahouts (elephant riders) in the ecological centre as they take care of the elephants. Join them for weekly exercise in the national forests of Thailand! |
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Spend the night in a Buddhist temple, take part in a community project or trek through a national park, watch some fire dancing and snorkel off the island of Koh Samet. An unforgettable introduction to Thailand!
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Get involved with innovative and highly successful work to return gibbons to the wild. Study them, help care for them on a daily basis and just enjoy watching them interact against a stunning natural background. |
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Work with the traditional hill tribes of northern Thailand, teaching, building and getting involved with new projects. If you’re patient, compassionate and creative, and interested in new cultures, this is an ideal project. |
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Spread a little happiness through Thai orphanages. Give informal English lessons, work with the children in the garden, run sports and craft sessions and generally show them compassion and enthusiasm. |
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Choose a diving programme to suit you and learn or hone your skills in Thailand’s beautiful blue waters. Take the instructor programme and gain the necessary qualifications to work in a scuba diving centre. |
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Help with the day-to-day care of sick and disabled wild animals. You might be preparing food for bears, crocodiles, big cats or other animals, or assisting with building enclosures. You might even get to go on a night safari! |
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Combine paid work, volunteering and travelling into one fantastic gap year. Everything from flights to job offers is included – that means less hassle, and more chances to get the best out of Africa, Australia and Thailand! |
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Discover why so many travellers love this part of the world! Volunteer in India, spend eight weeks in Thailand and work with the wildlife in Malaysia. You’ll get to see things many people miss. |
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