You’ll Need These Essentials If You’re Traveling to Thailand
Experienced travelers know that there are just some things you can’t not bring when on trips abroad. While you don’t want to encumber yourself with a truckload of heavy items crammed into a travel bag, you do want to make sure that each item you bring makes the trip that much better.
Maybe you’ve got a foldable bag for those souvenirs you’re bringing home. Maybe you’ve got some kind of hydrating cream to restore yourself after spending hours in an airplane. Whatever the case, you know what you’ll need to keep yourself comfortable during your trips.
But each and every location may require specific items. You’ll need beach shorts to go to Hawaii, a winter coat to go to Antarctica, and so on and so forth.
If you’re traveling to Thailand, you’re going to need a few specific items that will be useful to you in the region. What are these items and why are they going to be useful in Thailand (and Southeast Asia in general)?
Mosquito Repellant
The first thing that you’re going to need is mosquito repellant. While the risk of getting diseases via mosquito bites is relatively low in a city like Bangkok, you’ll still want to minimize any risk of malaria or dengue when traveling to Thailand.
So you’re going to want to have a good mosquito repellant on hand. Why? Because this will make you unappealing to disease-carrying mosquitoes. That way, you don’t get bitten and subsequently infected. And even beyond the diseases, mosquito bites can be pretty annoying.
Sunscreen
Something else you’ll want to have and something you’ll want to use in conjunction with the above is sunscreen. Outside of monsoon season, and even during it sometimes, Thailand gets a lot of sun. This means that there’s an increased risk of skin cancer. So you’ll want to protect yourself from that and that’s best done with sunscreen.
There are two things you should know about sunscreen. The first is that a higher SPF does not mean you’ll get significantly better protection. SPF 30 protects you from about 97 percent of UVB radiation. SPF 50 protects you from about 98 percent of UVB radiation and SPF 100 blocks out 99 percent of the same radiation. So the higher numbers do not necessarily translate to significantly better protection.
The second thing is that it should be regularly reapplied, the rule of thumb should be about every two hours. If you’re outdoors enjoying one of Thailand’s beaches, then you may want to reapply it more frequently.
Sunglasses/Hat
Building on the above, you’ll also probably need a good pair of sunglasses. Walking around Thailand when it’s sunny out can mean constantly squinting, which can impede your vision. If you’d rather not have that, then you can don a pair of sunglasses.
If you wear prescription lenses, then you can either switch to contacts or customize the lenses on your sunglasses so that they have your prescription. That way, you’ll be able to walk around without having to squint or sacrifice clarity.
If you can’t do either, then maybe wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your vision from the sun so that you can move freely without the sun getting in your eye.
Cash
Paper or plastic? You’re probably used to paying with plastic. In fact, you may even be phasing away from plastic since e-wallets can make it so that you can pay your bills and everything else with your phone. You probably find yourself using cash less and less. Even if you do use your card, you probably just tap it instead of swiping it like you used to.
But those methods of quick, convenient payment aren’t available everywhere. The vendors on the streets and night markets of Bangkok mainly take cash.
You may find the odd one or two that’ll take a form of payment other than cash but, by and large, the merchants will still exclusively take cash. So you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got a wad of bills with you, just make sure not to flash it around.
A Good Bag
The third thing you’ll want to have with you when traveling to Thailand and walking around its cities is a sturdy bag, preferably one with anti-theft features so that you don’t end up losing the above-mentioned cash. If you’re visiting the crowded night markets or just walking the streets of Bangkok, you’ll want to make sure that your valuables are protected. And such a bag will come in handy to protect your wallet and your passport.
A Local SIM
International data charges can be pretty expensive, so if you’re traveling and you want to avoid those charges, you can get a local SIM card. If you’ve got a phone that still has a physical SIM tray and doesn’t exclusively use an e-SIM, then you can pick up a local SIM card at the airport.
It’ll be prepaid so you’ll have to be careful with your usage, but you’ll have mobile data without having to pay whatever international charges your carrier deigns to charge you.
A Tracking Device
While it is rare, there are occasions wherein an airline can lose your bag and fail to locate it. While it may not help you in the moment, knowing where your lost luggage is can help expedite the process of getting it back to you.
There are plenty of portable tracking devices that you can get. These can be attached to your keys or your bags. You may not think that you need a portable tracking device, but you may want to attach one to your luggage.
A Power Bank
You may not always have access to power outlets when you’re out and about in the city and between taking photos, and checking whatever map app you choose to use, you’re likely to end up draining your phone’s battery. So bring a power bank with you and you’ll be able to charge your phone on the go.
Traveling to Thailand is a privilege that many people get to indulge in. Once you get to book your flight, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got everything that you need in order so you’re not sweating the small stuff.
