Trip to Thailand

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• Traveling with kids? NoYes
• Planning to rent a scooter? NoYes

Items on the list: 28 of 28 · Show all

Work through the list in order. Hide the notes when you know what to do.

1. Check your passport validity

   Thailand requires at least 6 months of passport validity from the date of entry — border officers do check.

2. Check visa rules

   Many nationalities get 30–60 days visa-free at the time of writing. Rules change periodically — double-check for your passport before booking.

3. Buy travel insurance

   A hospital stay in Thailand costs thousands of dollars. Note: basic policies exclude scooter riding — if you plan to ride, get a policy that covers it.

4. Save tickets and bookings offline

   Immigration may ask for a return ticket and accommodation address. Screenshots plus printouts beat spotty roaming internet.

5. Bring cash to exchange for baht

   Exchange booths in town (Super Rich and similar) beat airport rates by a lot. Bring crisp, newer-series bills — worn notes get a worse rate. Cards work in malls, but street food and markets are cash-only.

6. Make copies of your documents

   Photograph your passport and entry stamp to cloud storage. Leave the original in the hotel safe — a copy is enough around town.

7. Pack a stomach-bug first aid kit

   New food plus heat makes stomach bugs the #1 tourist problem: sorbent, oral rehydration salts, anti-diarrheal, antiseptic, fever reducer. Pharmacies (Boots, 7-Eleven) sell it all, but hunting for one at night with a fever is a bad plan.

8. Buy repellent with 30%+ DEET

   Dengue fever is present in Thailand and there's no tourist vaccine — repellent is your only defense. Apply at dusk and dawn, especially near greenery and water.

9. Sunscreen SPF 50

   This close to the equator you burn even on cloudy days. Add aloe or panthenol for after-sun — resort prices are steep.

10. Remember: drink bottled water only

    Tap water isn't potable. A bottle at 7-Eleven costs 10–15 baht. Factory ice (the tube-shaped kind with a hole) in cafés is generally safe.

11. Check the jellyfish season at your beach

    Rainy season currents bring jellyfish, occasionally dangerous box jellies. Swim at netted/flagged beaches; for stings pour vinegar (stations on many beaches) and see the lifeguard.

12. Modest clothes for temples

    Knees and shoulders covered, shoes off at the entrance. Loose pants and slip-ons make it easy. The Grand Palace in Bangkok turns away visitors in shorts.

13. Light breathable clothes + a layer

    Cotton and linen, nothing heavy. The layer isn't for outdoors — it's for arctic air conditioning in malls, buses and domestic flights.

14. Rain poncho for the wet season

    May to October downpours are short but torrential. Umbrellas are useless; a light 7-Eleven poncho works. A rain cover for your backpack helps too.

15. Chargers: check your plug type

    Thai sockets take both flat US and round European pins — most travelers need no adapter. UK plugs do need one.

16. Power bank — carry-on only

    Power banks are banned from checked luggage; carry-on allows up to 100 Wh (~20,000 mAh) with most airlines.

17. Set up an eSIM or buy a Thai SIM

    AIS/True tourist packages (15–30 days, unlimited data) sell at the airport and 7-Eleven. An eSIM is easier — you're online before immigration.

18. Download offline maps and a translator

    You can't sound out Thai script, and English fades outside tourist zones. Offline maps plus a camera translator make life much easier.

19. Install Grab

    The local ride-hailing app: 2–3x cheaper than tuk-tuks and «negotiated» taxis, with upfront pricing. Doubles as food delivery.

20. Check in online for your flight

    Opens 24–36 hours before departure. Free seats together go fastest right at opening.

21. Kids' documents Yes

    Each child needs their own passport (same 6-month validity rule). Bring the birth certificate if surnames differ; check the rules for one-parent travel.

22. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, kids' tummy remedies, thermometer, their usual meds. Child formulations are harder to find in Thai pharmacies than adult ones.

23. Kids' sun and mosquito protection Yes

    Kids' SPF 50+, a UPF swim shirt, sun hat. Use child-formulated repellent — adult DEET concentrations aren't for kids.

24. Snacks and entertainment for the road Yes

    It's a long flight, often with a connection. Offline cartoons, small new toys, familiar snacks — Thai food takes kids a while.

25. Bring an IDP with motorcycle category Yes

    Without an International Driving Permit with motorcycle category you'll pay checkpoint fines — and worse, your insurance is void in a crash. Get the IDP at home; it takes minutes.

26. Helmet — always, even for 500 meters Yes

    Scooter crashes are the top cause of tourist injuries in Thailand. Ask the rental for a real helmet, not a plastic shell.

27. Video the scooter at pickup Yes

    Walk around it on camera: scratches, mirrors, mileage. It's your only defense against «you scratched it — pay up» at return.

28. Never leave your passport as scooter deposit Yes

    Leave a cash deposit or a copy instead. A pawned passport becomes leverage for inflated damage claims.