With favorable exchange rates, an unfussy tourist visa policy, idyllic beaches, and world-renowned cuisine, the number of foreign visitors to the country has doubled over the past decade. If you are planing to Thailand this year, let us help you prepare 17 useful items that should be in your suitcase.
Land of smiles with many golden temples
1) Slip-on shoes
, not just for entering someone’s house or a temple, but also to go into a cafe, restaurant, shop, or massage parlor. Instead of wasting time unlacing impractical hiking boots or strappy sandals every time, pack a pair of breathable, slip-on shoes.
2) Activated charcoal
A lot of travelers end up getting sick at least once, so pack some activated charcoal to be prepared. These capsules quickly absorb whatever toxins are in your system, stopping dreaded diarrhea.
3) Power Adapters
Thailand uses quite a few different outlets so you need an international power adapter. This will ensure you always can charge your devices. Most Southeast Asian countries can have strong power surges so you may want to bring a surge protector too.
4) Quick-dry towel
Not all hostels and budget guesthouses in Thailand provide towels, so it’s a good idea to bring your own. A quick-dry towel is sufficient, and these are small and lightweight.
5) Water Bottle
You can refill water bottles with filtered water for just a few cents in Thailand, so save some money by bringing your water bottle and filling up as you go.
6) Travel insurance
While travel insurance isn’t the most exciting thing to think about when you’re planning a trip, it’s a necessity. You don’t want to find yourself unable to get home during a health emergency or have to spend money on replacing thestolen items. Thailand is a safe country, but things can still go wrong, whether it’s injury, illness, or petty crime. Knowing that insurance will cover those situations can give you some peace-of-mind while you’re traveling.
7) Passport Pouch
It is safer to keep important things in a passport pouch
You’ll obviously have to takeyour passport to Thailand, so it’s a good idea to bring a holder to keep it safe and keep other valuables organized. When you’re in crowded places, like markets and bus stations, it’s an especially good idea to avoid carrying valuables in your pockets. This pouch holds not only a passport, but also cash, credit cards, and even a cell phone, and it’s much less likely to get stolen than a regular wallet.
8) Rain Jacket
Even outside of the rainy season, which runs from May – October, there’s always the potential for rainin Bangkok. Between hikes with elephants and motorbike rides, you’ll want to bring a rain jacket shell with you.
9) Waterproof Phone Case
If you want to protect your phone from dust, sand, dirt and water while also being able to take underwater photos and videos then this little phone case is a must.
10) Travel backpack
Traveling with a backpack is the most convenient. You can also easily attach a smaller pack to the outside, in case you want more storage space or you’ll need a day pack on your travels.
11) Apps for Traveling in Thailand
Before traveling to Thailand, you might also want to think about downloading a few Thailand-specific apps. For example:
• GrabTaxi[1] — A taxi-hailing app for taxis in Bangkok. Never get ripped off by a “faulty” meter again.
• Next Station[2] — Navigate Bangkok’s MRT (train) with this handy trip planning app.
• iTranslate[3] — Translate signs and menus instantly with iTranslate — super handy when you want to communicate with the residents. Word Lens is another good alternative.
12) Affordable Underwater Camera
This is a reasonablecamera that won’t get damaged easily and won’t break the bank. It takes great pictures both on land and underwater. A lot of wonderful things to photograph in Thailand are near water such as the beaches, waterfalls and rain forests.
13) Urination Device
Thailand is a place with limited toilets. This little device allows women to stand and pee with no mess and no more hurting bladder
14) Sarong
Sarong is a useful item for Thailand trip
You should bring a sarong to Thailand, because they have so many uses for travelers: towel, blanket, swimsuit cover-up, curtain, skirt, beach towel or scarf. Sarongs might not be an ideal replacement for all of those items, but they work great in a pinch. Plus, they’re lightweight, and they dry quickly.
15) Hiking shoes
Thailand has lots of great hiking and trekking options. But some of the trails are pretty intense, so you’ll want protective footwear. While waterproof shoes might seem like a good idea, they’re too warm for Thailand’s heat and humidity, so look for ventilated shoes instead.
16) Lonely Planet Thailand guidebooks
Lonely Planet Thailand guidebooks cover both popular and off-the-beaten-path destinations, and always give budget-friendly options. The book is updated pretty regularly, so be sure to get the newest edition.
17) Long pants
Visitors are required to cover shoulders, chest, and knees to enter temples, so you should bring long pants and a shirt with sleeves to wear on days you visit temples.
In addition to all these physical items, you should definitely make sure to bring there an opened-heart and an adventurous spirit!
References
- ^ GrabTaxi (www.grab.com)
- ^ Next Station (appshopper.com)
- ^ iTranslate (www.itranslate.com)
