Packing for Thailand and Phuket - for women

A few friends are planning to go to Thailand and have asked the all important question: "What should I bring?" Before we left for our trip, I tried to Google a Thailand-specific packing list, but came up short. So, for all the ladies out there who are about to embark upon a Thailand excursion I've compiled a list of things to consider. I did not list obvious items such as underwear, socks, camera, etc. These are items that I used or wished I had during my trip.

Accessories/Sundries

• Sunglasses (bring a back up pair, just in case a monkey steals a pair or yours break/get lost)
  
• Hat
• Sunscreen (face/lip balm)
  
• Bug repellent (FYI-They use Tiger Balm in Thailand for bug bites, or you could bring whatever works for you)
  
• Hand Sanitizer/Hand wipes (some bathrooms do not have soap)
  
• Kleenex packets (some bathrooms do not have T.P.)
• Small/pocket-sized towel/handkerchief (a lot of bathrooms have a communal hand towel, if they have anything at all). Also works great as a "sweat rag" if you're a sweater. Personally, I glisten ;)
• Small Tide or detergent packets
  
• Refillable water bottle. I didn't bring one, but I saw others on our trip with them. The hotel would provide 2 free bottles ( but glass bottles - inconvenient to lug around) of water, and it would have been nice to have a container to fill and bring on day trips. Our tour group provided bottles of water throughout the day though.
• Underwater camera (for Phuket)
• Electric/plug converters (although, hotels also have them)
• Neck pillow for the airplane and long bus rides
• A few snacks/power bars. I get hungry fast, so I always have something with me. Also great for when you don't like the food (airline food) or if a tour goes longer than anticipated and lunch is later.
• iPod!!!!
  

Clothing

From owning a street wear and snowboarding shop, I know that the basic rule of thumb is "cotton kills." In other words, cotton absorbs moisture and does not dry quickly. For humid, tropical areas your best bet to staying cool (and not smelly) is to get materials that are a mixed blend with wicking or CoolMax features. These features wick moisture away from your body and dry quickly. Perfect if you also want to hand wash clothing at the end of the day because the items will dry fast.

Tops

• Tank tops. If you are a tank-top wearer then I would also pack one of the following:
  
  A lightweight button-up shirt. I brought a white one and just rolled up the sleeves. It was great to have to throw over tank tops and sun dresses when needed. Or you could bring a short-sleeve (cap sleeve), lightweight cardigan to put over tank tops. I would avoid see-through versions or shawls with minimal coverage.

• Short-sleeve shirts/tops. I brought my yoga/workout t-shirts that have the wick/dry feature.
  

Bottoms

• Long skirt. If you plan on visiting the Royal Palace there is a very strict dress code. Ladies must have their shoulders covered (short-sleeve blouse or t-shirt) AND must not show any leg (No shorts for men too). If you don't want to wear pants (it's too hot for pants) I would recommend bringing a light-weight, long skirt or maybe even a sarong that you could wear over shorts.

• Knee-length shirt. All temples will not allow you to wear shorts, but you could get away with skirts that are at or below the knee. If you want to pack extra light, just go with the sarong idea above to go over shorts.
  
  
• 3/4-length pants. Great for all around. A basic color like khaki or black would be ideal to wear during the day and at night.
  
  
• Sundresses. I think it's always nice to have at least one that you could dress up or down. I brought a couple, but in hindsight, I should have just packed one or two skirts to match up with some tops for more versatility.
  
  
• Jeans. I brought a pair but really did not need them. I even wore them in the evenings a couple of nights and they were too hot!
  
  
• Shorts. Yes!
  

Shoes

• Flip flops. Perfect for visits to temples because you have to remove your shoes. Bring a pair that you don't care about because there are warning signs at some temples that say "beware of shoes," meaning there are shoe thieves. Personally, I like the flip flops with arch support, like Reefs or Chacos. They're as comfy as shoes, especially since you will be standing/walking a lot.
  
  
• One pair of comfy sneakers that aren't too hot. I brought Salomon amphibians and noticed that others in our group had something similar. You could wear them with or without socks. If you are a Crocs or Keens sandal person, those would works too.

• I brought a pair of sandals (flat ones and just a basic pair) to dress up sundresses for dinners. Flip flops work everywhere unless you are planning to visit rooftop bars in Bangkok at some of the nicer hotels, then you'll need an alternative to flip flops.
  

Misc.

• Light weight rain jacket or small umbrella.
• Swim suit
• Board shorts
• Extra small tote/beach bag -- great to carry your hotel pool towel to Phuket island/boating trips

Daily Pack

I had a messenger-style bag that fit the following for each day trip.

• A wallet with a copy of my passport, DL/ID card, money and one credit card. I would lock up my original passport and backup credit card in the hotel safe.
  
• Rain jacket (I would bring it on the tour bus, and leave it there during the day)
  
• Camera
• Kleenex, hand sanitizer, small towel, lip balm, small sunscreen
  
• Hat/sunglasses
• Small journal and pen
• iPod
  

Items I did not need:

• Small travel blow dryer. Some of our hotels in Europe didn't have one, so I thought to bring one this time. All the hotels had blowdryers.
• Jeans
• One too many books
• One too many shoes. Just one pair of flip flops, one pair of closed-toe/sneakers, and basic sandals will work.
  

I also brought:

• My laptop. However, almost all the hotels had business centers and there were Internet cafes everywhere. We would use my laptop to download photos every evening, update blogs, and check personal accounts, such as banking, etc.
• Extra copies of our passport, itinerary.
• Thailand travel book.

Also good to know:

• Tampons -- Few and far between at drug/convenience stores. Plan ahead and bring your own if you know you're going to need them.
• Bathrooms can be a "cultural experience" (see White Throne)
• Don't wear nice clothes when visiting the elephants. They will use their dirty, muddy trunks to sniff you in search for food.
• Monkey town. They will climb on you and steal what they can. While we were there they took an earring and a hat. They're also known to steal sunglasses and small items, like cameras. They are also brave enough to try and go into your pockets, especially if you have traces of food.
  
• Phuket boat trips. The rides can be bumpy, so if you are prone to motion sickness bring Dramamine. Dramamine would also work for the days when the tour bus trips take you on windy roads.
  
• Bangkok. The streets are dirty, so you will probably want to wear shoes and not flip flops, especially if it rains.
• If you plan on doing a lot of shopping, you might want to pack a small duffle bag that you can check in on your back. You can toss your dirty clothes in the duffle bag, and gifts/purchases in you original suitcase.
  
• Women are not allowed to touch monks.
• Watch your stuff when you are in crowded places, including temples.
• When you exchange your money, make sure to break up large bills into smaller ones, such as 20 and 50 baht. Also ask for coins. Some bathrooms cost 5 baht to use.
  
• You could eat and drink very well off of $40 a day.
• It's worth it to wake up super early to see local people make offerings to monks on the streets.
• For a cocktail coupled with a nice sunset or evening view, go to the rooftop bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok.
• Get lots of massages!