Despite the fact that the development of international tourism has finally broken the stereotype of mandatory summer holidays, many of us traditionally choose this time of year for travel. In addition, summer trips to Thailand are cheaper than winter trips.
So why not drop everything, pack up a bag and go under the palm trees – listen to the surf, drink cocktails, sunbathe and send photos to your jealous friends who stayed in Krasnoyarsk?
Hundreds of articles have already been written about how to assemble a bag in Thailand. However, their opinions are still fundamentally opposite. Someone advises not to take anything but money with you at all – they say, buy clothes and all the necessary trifles on the spot.
Others, on the contrary, advise to carefully consider the wardrobe, form a weighty first-aid kit and even stock up on homemade food for the first couple of days off – to avoid gastrointestinal disorders …
Where is the truth? Of course, somewhere near. Each of us has its own needs and peculiarities, so the size of the travel bag depends greatly on the duration of the trip, the desire to spend money, your health condition and many other factors.
For simplicity – based on my experience, I will tell you about the things you don’t need to take, and in the second part of the article I will list the necessary things that many tourists often forget to put in their backpacks and suitcases.
Clothes
Try to rule out white things from your holiday wardrobe – especially the most expensive of your wallet and heart. This item has nothing to do with religion or local fashion.
It’s just that Thai laundries don’t always have hot water, and because of some features of the automatic washing process, blouses, t-shirts and shorts may get grey or rusty spots sooner or later.
To keep your favorite clothes, you will have to wash them by hand, and this is troublesome and, again, in the absence of enough hot water (the temperature depends on the quality of the heater) – not always effectively.
I also recommend girls to reduce the number of long skirts and dresses in the floor to 1-2 things, and it is desirable that they have no lining. Believe me, photos with maidens posing against the background of the ocean in sail-like garments have nothing to do with the real comfort of such outfits.
It is hot to walk around Thailand in long dresses, and it is also inconvenient to ride a bike, because you have to roll up the hem all the time, so as not to get dirty and not to tear it. It is better to bring a colorful pareo, which can be easily transformed into a beach sarafan or skirt.
Dishes and household items
The exoticism of Thailand does not mean that only souvenirs and fruits are sold here. Cups, spoons and knives, as well as fumigators, towels, combs, wet wipes, scissors, laundry detergent and any other basic necessities you can easily find in the nearest supermarket, operating around the clock.
Don’t be afraid to forget something like that and check the shopping list for vacations. Save all sorts of travel accessories like thermo cups, plaids and flashlights for motor rallies in your native land.
Infrastructure in Thailand is almost better developed than in Russia, so drink from the coconut shell (unless it is not a form of cocktail) and comb your hair with a fish bone is unlikely to happen.
Cosmetics
I advise you to carefully review the contents of the cosmetics bag for vacation. Soap, shampoo and toothpaste definitely buy on the spot – and at the same time check the quality of local products, in case you want to buy something for good or as a gift.
Decorative cosmetics in Thailand for the most part will be useless (unless you are going to spend the entire trip exclusively in air-conditioned rooms, which is stupid in itself). Leave foundation creams, hairspray, eye shadows and other familiar tubes, bottles and aerosols at home: in the heat the skin should breathe, and complex hair under the scorching sun will not last long.
On vacation you can limit yourself to mascara, a bottle of thermal water and sunscreen.
Deodorant is a separate topic. Standard antiperspirants in hot climates are not very convenient – in addition, they leave traces on clothing, and with the laundry, as you remember, everything is not easy in Thailand.
It is better to get deodorant crystal in the nearest shop on the first day of holiday. It does not block sweating, but it protects against unpleasant odors by killing bacteria. In addition, one such “pebble” will easily serve you until next summer.
Medicines
If you have a chronic illness and are taking prescription pills, you should take them with you (just in case). Also, it will not be superfluous to get a universal package of patches, cream for burns and injuries like “Rescuer” and a couple of blisters enterosorbent type “Filtrum”.
This will suffice for the first day or two, if suddenly burn in the sun, wipe your feet or poison yourself with an exotic treat. Everything. There’s no need to bring a suitcase full of medication!
Most of the usual medications you can buy in Thai pharmacies – they are found here on every corner. And Band-Aids, cough pills and antidiarrhoeal suspension can be bought even in mini-markets like “7eleven” or “Tesco Express”.
In serious situations, health insurance will help you to avoid the need to buy medicines: in Thailand, all the required drugs in the right dosage you get in the hospital.
Of course, the Kingdom has its own laws on smiles, so some of the medicines we are used to are sold here only by prescription.
On the other hand, if you’re perfectly healthy, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to study the range of local pharmacies in search of something special. And if you’re worried about something, it’s best to go to the doctor before your trip, so you don’t have to go on a hospital trip.
Umbrellas and warmth
Rain season doesn’t mean it’s freezing and slushing on the streets. Therefore, if you plan to spend the entire vacation at the resort, without going to neighboring provinces or countries, you will not need warm things: even at night the temperature here does not fall below 25 ° C.
An umbrella may be useful unless as a protection from the sun, but given the narrowness, and sometimes the lack of local sidewalks, it will not always be convenient to walk with it.
And if you get caught in a real rainstorm, it is unlikely that this fragile construction will keep your clothes dry. It is easier to buy on the spot cellophane raincoat – or do not bother at all, because even during the thunderstorm in Thailand, warmth and fun!