Thailand Packing List: What To Pack For Thailand In 2020

A few things you need to know about Thailand

Before you really know what to pack for Thailand, you need to consider a few important things.

These are ...

1. Religion in Thailand

The dominant religion in Thailand is Buddhism. Which is great because the Buddhist temples across Thailand are some of the very best things to see!

In fact, I even had my own Sak Yant done at a temple just outside Bangkok which was a truly unforgettable experience (literally, because I now have a permanent tattoo to remember it!)

But why is this important?

Well, Buddhist traditions and beliefs are a lot more reserved than those in most western countries.

So if you plan on visiting temples and other religious sites, then you need to be respectful and cover up.

For us, Cazzy took a light long dress and a shawl to Thailand which she then used to cover up her shoulders and legs without getting too hot.

For guys, you’ll also need to slip something over your legs when visiting temples; and it’s best to put on a t-shirt instead of just a vest top.

When you’re on popular tourist beaches, you are typically okay with what you would wear back home.

2. Geography of Thailand

Thailand is actually pretty darn big!

As a very (VERY) rough rule of thumb, the most northern towns and cities, like Chiang Rai, Pai and Chiang Mai, are a bit cooler as they are higher up in the mountains.

Then, the islands in the south of Thailand tend to be a little hotter.

However, this is not to say that it’s cold up north; in fact at all times of the year you can expect average daily temperatures in the high 20’s and low 30’s.

So, if you plan on visiting some of the towns and cities located up in the mountains, then you will want to take with you some slightly warmer weather clothes for the nighttime and early mornings.

However, if you plan on spending much of your time in the south, in the hottest part of the year, relaxing on beaches and drinking cocktails, then you needn’t bother!

3. Seasons in Thailand

Nowhere in the country experiences “winters” as we in the UK or Ireland might know them.

Instead, they experience a tropical climate which means heavy rainfall and monsoons rip through different parts of the country at different parts of the year.

I don’t know enough about all of the different climates in the various parts of Thailand, so instead here’s a couple of really useful links that should help you with understanding what the weather will be like in the areas you plan to visit:

Choosing the right bag for Thailand

Before you even get started packing for your travels, you first need to know what bags you plan to take with you.

This is important if you are backpacking, not just Thailand, but also other countries through Southeast Asia.

Choosing a larger backpack

The most common issue we see is other backpackers taking bags that are far too big for them.

It’s no use taking a big 70 litre bag with you, because then you end up packing it full of a whole bunch of unnecessary things that will just weigh you down and cause you to pay more on luggage fees.

Below I’ll show you mine and Cazzy’s top recommendations when backpacking Thailand; but first up; here’s a few things to consider when deciding with rucksack is best for you ...

How long do you plan on travelling?
How many of you will be going to Thailand?
What do you actually plan on doing when in Thailand?

For example, our second trip to Thailand was a part of our 3 month backpacking adventure which also included Bali, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

We each took with us one larger rucksack (50-65 litres) as well as a smaller day bag each (more on that below).

For two people backpacking for this length of time, it was actually too much space!

And as you will soon see, it’s likely that we take a lot more travel gear abroad with us than you; largely because we work whilst travelling.

In terms of brands; from experience our number 1 recommendation has to be Osprey.

They are the go-to choice for the majority of backpackers, and it really is hard to see why.

They’re affordable, incredibly durable, comfortable and they offer a massive range of both men’s and women's rucksacks.

Here are our 2 top recommendations for backpacking in Thailand:

Bradley's choice

OSPREY PACKS FARPOINT 70 (FOR MEN)

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Cazzy's choice

OSPREY PACKS RENN 65 (FOR WOMEN)

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Choosing the perfect day bag

A day bag is a key piece of travel gear for Thailand and it will get alot of use.

When you’re out and about exploring towns, cities, beaches and forests; you will be leaving your big rucksack back at the hostel or hotel.

Your day bag should be big enough that it can hold everything you need for a day away; and also be comfy in the meantime.

Once again, the best day bag I can recommend through experience is Osprey.

They are designed with adventure in mind and are built to be lightweight yet durable for exploring for days at a time.

Between us, Cazzy and I take one Osprey day bag (that’s now lasted me for more than 4 years of travelling) as well as a slightly larger day bag that we use for carrying our gadgets.

Our day bag recommendations for Thailand:

Bradley's choice

OSPREY PACKS STRATOS 24

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Cazzy's choice

STANDARD LUGGAGE CO DAILY BACKPACK

Check Amazon Check Standard Luggage

Final thoughts on picking bags for travel to Thailand

Nowadays, when we backpack for 2 or 3 months at a time, we only take one 70 litre rucksack between us.

This offers up so many benefits, such as:

We have less bags to worry about
It costs us less in luggage fees when flying
It forces us to only take what we need

This last point is important.

Far too many travellers to Thailand, and other backpacking countries, take a massive rucksack that's far too big; and then needlessly fill it with things they actually don’t need.

You needn’t be worried about taking everything with you and forgetting something as Thailand is a very modern country and you’ll be able to pick up anything you need when out there.

What to pack for Thailand: Travel Essentials

Now you’ve got your bag sorted, it’s time to start filling it!

It makes sense to start with all the essential things you’ll need to pack for Thailand.

Afterwards, I’m going to delve a bit deeper into other things we took with us to Thailand: namely our photography gear and other cool items to help make your trip awesome!

First up ...

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What to wear in Thailand for men

Here’s my rough guide to an ideal men's packing list for Thailand.

This is what I had with me on our overall 3 month trip and it suited me just fine!

5 t-shirts - 4 short-sleeve and one long-sleeve
2 tank tops - Cazzy hates these, but it’s my only excuse to wear them!
1 evening shirt - When you want to appear a little less casual
2 pairs of swim trunks
1 pair of jorts - Slightly more stylish than my bright pink swim shorts
1 lightweight rain jacket - Doesn’t have to be too warm, but enough to stop you getting soaked through during Thailand’s infamous monsoons
1 pair of jeans - I probably only wore these twice in Thailand, but great for early mornings and late at night when it gets a bit cooler
2 pairs of long socks
5 pairs of trainer socks
1 hoody - Again, this only got used once or twice, but is great for any early morning hikes when it is still chilly
1 cap
1 pair of sunglasses
1 pair of trainers - These get used for absolutely everything when we are backpacking; right through from light hiking to dining out at night
1 pair of flip flops - I always recommend Reef flip flops as they are much more durable than standard pairs and are really comfortable for long distance walking. They also have a bottle opener in the sole which comes in handy from time to time!

What to wear in Thailand for women (from Cazzy)

Hey guys! Here’s a quick look at my personal female Thailand packing list ...

1 pair of water shoes - These are super useful for Thailand, especially if you do some island hopping in the south where you’ll be snorkelling and swimming in the sea!
1 shawl - You’ll need to cover your shoulders at temples so having one of these is perfect and they’re good as a light cover in the evenings when the sun goes down
1 pair of sunglasses - Protect your eyes from the sun with quality sunglasses
1 pair of flip flops - Perfect for the beaches, (which Thailand has A LOT of!)
1 stylish hat - This will protect your head from the intense heat and keep you looking great!
4 t-shirts - Light and easy to pop on and off over a bikini
2 pairs of shorts - These are great for mix and matching outfits
2 swimming costumes/bikinis - Pack two and then you can easily buy more out there
3 sun dresses - Perfect for dressing up both day and night
1 long skirt - These are great for photos and perfect for temples and religious sites
1 pair of light cotton trousers - For those early morning sunrise challenges when it’s a little cooler
1 playsuit or jumpsuit - To style up for an evening of fun
1 light jacket - This is perfect for the early mornings, evenings and cold aircon on long bus journeys
1 pair of trainers - 1 pair of trainers will keep you going and if you get a cool colour you can wear them in the evening too
5 pairs of trainer socks

Washing clothes in Thailand

Just like all countries in Southeast Asia, it’s really easy and cheap to get someone else to wash your clothes.

You normally pay a fixed amount per kilo; perhaps 40-50 Baht, and you’ll have it washed, dried and back to you within a day.

Most hostels and hotels offer this service, and you’ll see signs in popular towns where locals can also help you out as well.

We also take a bar of soap with us and use this in emergencies if we need an extra pair of undies washed.

First aid kit

Though you will hopefully have little use for it, a first aid kit should form an essential part of your Thailand packing list.

We have a small travel first aid kit that comes with us everywhere; and we always need it for at least some minor task.

Here’s the sorts of things our kit always has in it as standard.

Diarrhoea kit - I’m sorry to say but it's not just India where there's a good chance of getting an upset stomach (aka, the dreaded "Delhi Belly"). If you plan on eating street food in Thailand, then there’s a good chance you will end up getting ill and needing this kit. Three of our friends joined us on our second trip to Thailand and all five of us got sick at least once within two weeks
Plasters
Paracetamol
Antiseptic cream
Scissors/nail clippers
Bandages & tape
Moleskin tape - For blisters, much better than Compeeds!
Needles and thread
Tweezers
Motion sickness tablets - Important for those choppy boats rides when island hopping in Thailand. God I hated those boat rides!!!

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Ready-made travel first aid kit

If you don’t yet own a travel first aid kit, then here’s a good option to buy.

It contains the majority of what you need and you can then just add in any other items you want to take with you.

Plus, it’s small enough to tuck away in your backpack and not take up much space.

Toiletries

It’s possible to pick up any toiletries you need when in Thailand.

However, they do tend to be more expensive there than what they cost to buy in the UK; so we bought all of the following and took them with us.

Wash bag - Make sure your wash bag has a handle so that you can hang it up by the sink. Most bathrooms in Thailand’s hostels and hotels are small and cramped so this comes in very useful
2 x toothbrush
2 toothbrush travel container
Toothpaste
Shampoo & conditioner 2 in 1
Dry shampoo
Men’s deodorant
Women’s deodorant
Small perfume
Small aftershave
Disposable razors
Shaving foam
Electric razor

Travel Banking

When we travelled to Thailand, we took with us 4 travel cards.

These are the same travel cards we now take away with us to any country, as they’ve never let us down; not once!

Out of these 4 cards ...

2 live in my wallet
1 lives in my big rucksack
1 lives in Cazzy’s big rucksack or day bag

Why do we take 4 cards with us? And why do we place them in different bags?

Well, simply because if any of them get lost or stolen, then we always have back ups.

A few times over the years we have left our cards in ATMs, so have always been grateful that we’ve had spares.

What are the best banks in Thailand?

Before I take you through our chosen travel cards, here’s a quick note on withdrawing cash from banks in Thailand.

First up, it really f**ks me off that Thailand has ridiculous withdrawal fees absolutely everywhere.

They charge a fixed fee per withdrawal no matter how much you take out.

When we visited, this was around 200 Baht.

Also, the maximum you could take out at any one time was between 10,000 and 20,000 Baht.

Meaning that you basically have to suck it up and lose a lot of money on ATM fees regardless.

I’ve yet to find another country in the world that has the policy and it’s pretty annoying, especially as Thailand is typically quite a backpacker budget friendly destination.

Okay, that’s my little rant over!

So, with regards to ATMs, there are lots of different banks all over Thailand, and we had success with both Visa and Mastercard in almost all of them.

They all seem to charge roughly the same fees; but do be warned that these may well have gone up now.

In the year between Cazzy’s visits, the fees had gone up and there’s no reason to say they’re not even higher now.

So feel free to test a few banks when there before accepting their fees; but don’t be surprised if you find there’s no way to avoid them.

If you do come across any ATMs that are now cheaper, then let me know in the comments below and I will update this section.

Which travel cards do we use?

The two travel card providers that we now use are Monzo and Revolut.

These are UK-based countries and I’m not sure whether you can get one if you come from outside the UK; so you’ll need to check.

Though I imagine there must be similar companies cropping up in all countries now, as they are so much better than traditional banks.

Both Monzo and Revolut allow you to withdraw currency and use your card in normal transactions, just like your regular banking card.

The benefit is that they don’t charge you any currency conversion fees, but instead give you the best rate possible.

The only fees you need to pay are when you withdraw above a certain amount each month.

If you’re interested, just download the app and check it out.

From there, you then apply for a card and they send you it for free.

Find Revolut here: Apple / Android
Find Monzo here: Apple / Android

Read Also: Monzo vs Revolut: Which Is Best For Travel?

Important Documents

Here’s all of the important documents that we took with us to Thailand.

Passport
Wallet to hold important documents - Cazzy holds onto this and it helps us keep everything organised in one place for when we need it
Driving license and international driving license - If your travel plans include renting a moped or car in Thailand then you’ll need an International Driver’s License. If you’re from the UK, then you can pick one of these up from The Post Office.
Copy of your passport - We took a photocopy of these with us so that we could use them instead of always handing over our passports to hotels for example
Copy of your vaccinations - When entering Thailand, the border agents may need to see proof that you’ve had certain vaccinations. Many countries in Asia have this policy so it’s useful just to always have it with you
Cazzy’s medication letter from her doctor
Print out of your travel insurance - Always buy travel insurance, especially for Thailand! The country is mental and you never know what might happen. Having a printout of your insurance is useful in case of an emergency and you need to show the doctor
Travel insurance - If you’re coming from the US, then World Nomads could be a great value backpackers travel insurance option. I’ve searched with them a few times, but they always come in massively expensive; perhaps because insurance from UK based providers is much cheaper. Either way, I always use Compare The Market and pay roughly £70 per year for a multi trip policy that offers single trips of up to 90 days at a time.

Cameras & other tech

If you want to make use of Thailand’s natural beauty, then you’re going to want some decent photography gear to take with you.

Here’s what we took with us when backpacking Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.

Nikon D780

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DSLR

A DSLR (Digital Single Lense Reflex Camera) is a great bit of kit to buy if you’re serious about upping your photography game. When brought together with a wide variety of different lenses, you have the ability to capture epic shots that are otherwise not possible on other devices. Perhaps my favourite part about Thailand is it’s stunning natural vistas, and there is no better way to capture them than with a wide angle lens like this. We take ours with us now wherever we go and it forms a key part of our travel tech!

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II

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Handheld video camera

We use this camera almost everywhere we go when travelling. A lot of the time, when you are out and about on day trips in different parts of Thailand, you don’t want to be lugging a big DSLR camera around with you. Especially if you are on a moped. In that case, a handheld video camera like this is the best of both worlds as it allows you to capture some really high res photos, as well as great quality videos that can then be edited together.

GoPro HERO8 Black

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Underwater camera / action camera

I absolutely love our GoPro! And in Thailand, it is a must have in your packing list! Why? Well, because the coast of Thailand offers some of the world’s best snorkelling and diving spots. And if you are already spending all that money to travel Thailand and explore it’s underwater beauty, it’s worth having a great GoPro with you that’s able to capture those memories in stunning HD.

DJI Mavic Pro

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Drone

Full disclosure - We haven’t yet taken our drone to Thailand. Why? Simply because we haven't been there since owning one! The first time we took our drone abroad with us was when packing for Sri Lanka a few months later and I instantly fell in love. A drone allows you to capture the most unbelievable photos and videos and we can’t wait to take ours on our next trip to Thailand. As always, whenever taking your drone travelling, be sure to do your research local laws and restrictions well ahead of time.

Thailand Packing List: What To Pack For Thailand In 2020

A few things you need to know about Thailand

1. Religion in Thailand

2. Geography of Thailand

3. Seasons in Thailand

Choosing the right bag for Thailand

Choosing a larger backpack

Bradley's choice

OSPREY PACKS FARPOINT 70 (FOR MEN)

Cazzy's choice

OSPREY PACKS RENN 65 (FOR WOMEN)

Choosing the perfect day bag

Bradley's choice

OSPREY PACKS STRATOS 24

Cazzy's choice

STANDARD LUGGAGE CO DAILY BACKPACK

Final thoughts on picking bags for travel to Thailand

What to pack for Thailand: Travel Essentials

What to wear in Thailand for men

What to wear in Thailand for women (from Cazzy)

Washing clothes in Thailand

First aid kit

Ready-made travel first aid kit

Toiletries

Travel Banking

What are the best banks in Thailand?

Which travel cards do we use?

Important Documents

Cameras & other tech

DSLR

Handheld video camera

Underwater camera / action camera

Drone

Other Gadgets we travel with

Health & Safety

Miscellaneous things to pack for Thailand

What NOT to pack for Thailand!

Other items to add to your Thailand packing list

Top tips when packing for Thailand

Remember, you can buy almost everything out there!

Think carefully about where you’ll actually be visiting

Try to be respectful

Ultimate Thailand packing checklist

Men's Packing List

Women's Packing List

Travel essentials

First aid

Toiletries

Documents

Other

Tech/gadgets

Health & Safety

Miscellaneous

Other items to consider

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