What to Pack for Thailand
A practical Thailand packing list for city and beach days — temple-ready clothes, rain layer, adapters, and documents worth keeping offline.
Pack for heat, temples, boats and air conditioning
Thailand packing comes down to four situations: hot and humid streets, temples that need covered shoulders and knees, beaches and boats, and the very cold air conditioning in malls, cinemas, buses and planes. If your bag handles those four, you are set. Most other things are easy to buy locally.
Clothes
City and temple days
- Two or three pairs of loose, light trousers or long skirts. Linen and cotton blends dry faster than you would expect
- T-shirts or tops with sleeves. Sleeveless tops are fine for the beach, but not for temples
- One light long-sleeved shirt, useful for sun protection and cold buses
- A thin scarf or sarong. Handy, though not always enough on its own at strict sites
For a full explanation of what is and is not accepted, see Thailand temple etiquette. If your first morning is the Grand Palace, put on trousers and a sleeved top at the hotel. That saves you queuing for rental clothes.
Beach and boat days
- Swimwear, and a cover-up for walking to restaurants and shops
- A quick-dry towel. Hotels provide pool towels, but tours vary
- A rash guard or swim shirt if you burn easily
- A hat with a strap. Speedboats take hats away
Evenings
- One slightly smarter outfit for a nicer restaurant, a rooftop bar or a dinner cruise. Dress codes at upmarket rooftop bars often exclude flip-flops and singlets for men. A Chao Phraya dinner cruise is smart casual
Shoes
- Sandals that grip when wet, for piers and boats
- Slip-on shoes for temple days, since you take them off many times
- One pair of closed, comfortable walking shoes or trainers
- Water shoes if you plan to snorkel or walk on rocky beaches
Rain gear
From roughly May to October on the Andaman coast and in Bangkok, and later in the year on the Gulf islands, expect afternoon showers. A compact rain jacket or poncho and a small umbrella are enough. Read Thailand monsoon and outdoor tours if your dates fall in wet season.
Boat and island day kit
Island trips such as the Phi Phi big boat tour from Phuket, the Krabi 4 island tour or a Coral Island day trip from Pattaya are long days in sun and spray. Bring:
- A dry bag for phone, wallet and passport copy
- Reef-safe sunscreen. Some national parks discourage or ban sunscreens with certain chemicals
- Motion sickness tablets, taken before departure
- Cash for national park fees if your product does not include them (the product page says)
- Snorkel mask if you prefer your own; most tours provide one
Health and toiletries
- Sunscreen, which is more expensive in tourist areas
- Insect repellent
- Rehydration salts
- Basic medicines: painkillers, antihistamines, something for upset stomach, plasters
- Any prescription medicine in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription
- Hand sanitiser
Pharmacies are everywhere in cities and tourist towns and are well stocked.
Electronics
- A universal adapter. Thailand uses a mix of socket types, mainly A, B, C and O, at 220V. Many hotel sockets accept two-pin plugs
- A power bank. Maps, ride apps and photos drain batteries quickly
- A waterproof phone pouch for boat days
- Charging cables, with a spare
Check whether your hair dryer or other devices support 220V before plugging in.
Documents
Keep digital copies in one folder, and paper copies of the most important pages:
- Passport, valid at least six months from arrival
- Visa or e-Visa approval if you needed one. See the Thailand visa overview
- TDAC confirmation
- Hotel bookings with addresses in English and Thai
- Transfer and tour vouchers with Booking IDs
- Travel insurance
- A second payment card kept separately from the first
What to leave at home
- Heavy jeans. You will not wear them
- Too many shoes
- A big towel
- Expensive jewellery
- Full-size toiletries; you can buy them on arrival
Packing for different trips
Bangkok city break
Lean on the city clothes: trousers, sleeved tops, slip-on shoes, a light jacket for the BTS and malls. Add a smart outfit for a river cruise or rooftop.
Beach and islands
More swimwear, a cover-up, dry bag, reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes. Fewer trousers, but still one pair for temples like Big Buddha in Phuket.
North Thailand
Chiang Mai and the hills get cooler nights and mornings from around November to February. A fleece or warm layer is useful for early starts.
Travelling with children
Swim nappies, a sun hat, a portable fan, snacks for long transfers and a lightweight stroller. For airport runs with car seats and lots of luggage, a private transfer is easier than queuing for taxis. Options include BKK to a Bangkok hotel and Phuket Airport to Patong.
FAQ
Can I buy clothes in Thailand?
Yes, cheaply, at markets and malls. Many people pack light and buy temple trousers there.
Is tap water safe to drink?
Most visitors drink bottled or filtered water. Hotels usually supply bottles.
Do I need a jacket?
A light one, mainly for air conditioning and the north in winter.