Hi all
another question..
Have been speaking to a few friends and fam and have had conflicting views on 'what to pack.
Some people say take pretty much an empty bag, no toiletries, sunscreen, fly spray, NOTHING.. because it is cheaper to buy it over there..
while others say the opposite..

What do you all think?
Grace :)

PS: 9 DAYS TO GO!!!

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....Thailand here we come....

Yes Grace ... prob about 9 out of 10 people will say pack very little ie. no toiletries (only essential medications) and enough clothes to last you a few days. Im of the other view, that I try and pack all the toiletries I will need, use them over there and then dump whats not used. Its ok to have extra kilos with toiletries on the way over, but you dont want that coming home. I also do the clothes thing a bit differently too. I will pack clothes enough to last me, but 3/4 of those clothes will be old stuff that I will wear and then leave there. The lady that cleans your room will usually be over the moon when you leave her some old clothes!!! This time, I did pack too many clothes, so next time it will be less. It also depends if you think you will be buying clothes for yourself over there. If not, then you'll need to pack more.
While toiletries may be cheaper to buy over there (and most are) my view is that I dont want to waste valuable time, looking for and buying it there! When I can get it here and be packed and ready to go!!!
Thats only my view, as I said most people will say the opposite and tell you to pack very little.
Kitty (only 9 days for you - happy counting down!)

Thanks Kitty!
Its all so confusing! Everyone has different ideas! yours do make a lot of sense though.. I think i might pack light on the clothes rather than take old ones..... Im always looking for an excuse to buy some new ones:)
- Grace

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....Thailand here we come....

Hi Grace, only 9 days, I am excited for you. What I generally find is that most lotions and roll-ons dont travel all that well in the non- pressurised confines of the baggage compartment and tend to leak, so whatever you take, pack carefully. We used to take them in our hand luggage, but they are pretty fussy with what you can take on board these days, unless you buy them in last chance duty free after passport control. I have always found suntan/after-sun lotions to be pretty expensive in most of the "tourist zone" shops, for obvious reasons, so it will be more of a convienience thing rather than a money saver if you choose to buy over there.

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I love Thailand this much

Hi Shanek!
Yes I am very excited! 9 days:) cant wait!!!
thanks for the packing tips.. I think thats a good idea to take the more expensive things such as sunscreen etc and maybe buy the cheap things over there
Grace

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....Thailand here we come....

Tracey always fills smaller bottles with stuff she cannot get like special shampoo/conditioner ect and then uses gaffer tape to seal the lids so they dont leak.

I would take what you need for a tropical climate light loose clothing.

20kg is quite alot of weight when you consider the type of cloths you need to take so you should be well under flying out.

Have you thought of the roll up vacume space bags? We use them all the time and you will be suprised how much space they save in your carry on luggage! It still weighs a lot but if you dont struggle with it it will be overlooked by the person at check in on the way home.

We now use space bags and take minimal carry on,with extra duffle bags in our check in luggage on the way out,then use the space bags again in the hand luggage on the way home,and they are pretty handy for unwashed cloths to stop odors in your luggage especially damp bathers ect.

den

Hi Grace,
I have to agree with Kitty. Take the nessesities cos you don't want to have to go straight out and buy stuff you need. Put in one of those zip/seal bags so if anything leaks then it will not go on anything else.
As for clothes, remember depending on your size , it may be hard to find what you want. I am a size 10 - 12 and was told I was BIG - stunned but had a laugh after I got over the shock. So take enough to be comfortable, and so you don't have to rush out and get more ASAP. Then you can buy as the fancy takes you...

Karin

If you're a small size (e.g. 8 or 10) buying clothes there won't be a problem. You'll be able to buy at market stalls, small shops and up-market places.
If you're bigger than that, you'll be limited to the more expensive places - department stores and boutiques. Marks and Spencers clothing ranges up to their big sizes (18+) but prices are high.... not 'Thailand prices' at all.
As for toiletries, standard sized items weigh a lot, so I take the bare minimum in mini sizes as I know I'll be out shopping next day and I'll be able to get what I want just about anywhere I go. Thailand, like other places in SE Asia, is awash with everything related to personal care, hygiene and beauty.
But buy your hair removal products at home because, apart from razors, it's hard to get what you need in Thailand.

Watsons (chain of chemists) is the place to go - they have stores all over the place. They stock many popular brands at prices much cheaper than at home. Look out for the fabulous moisturising hair treatments in plastic jars. And every 7-11 has fab minisized shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser.

P.S. re clothing...... yes, Karin's right. I'm a size 12 and I remember the first time I was in MBK and saw a nice rack of pantsuits and as I was beginning to look at the "medium" the shopkeeper said (very loudly!!) "No madame....not your size.. over there for you... XXL!!"

Kimbo ... isnt it funny how we gender-guess wrong on the forum .... all this time I had assumed you were male .... sorry!!!!

Yes ... same for me about sizing and buying clothese... being a size 12/14 and having to buy XXL in Thailand, and Im guessing most asian countries are the same. That is why I take most of my clothes with, cos Im pretty sure there aint gonna be lots of nice stuff to fit me to buy there!!!

Grace ... only 7 more sleeps!!!!! Dont forget to ask any more q's you have on here before you go ... there will always be someone with helpful answers to whatever question you may have.

Kitty

PS. Fishy - how come you changed your name from Fishtaco??? I think I gender-guessed you correct!