If you’re moving to Southeast Asia, and especially to Thailand, then you’re going to get a lot from this page.
There are things that are quite difficult (if not expensive) to get here in Thailand, and then there are other things that were easy to get here in Thailand – that I wasted precious luggage space bringing over from the U.S. I further ranked these things based on ease/difficulty to find in Thailand as well as storage space.
Bring to Thailand
- Flat Sheets (Bedding) – yes, this is my #1 item I suggest you bring to Thailand. Why? Because it’s difficult to find good quality bed sheets here. You can find a plethora of fitted sheets, duvets, comforters, and pillow cases – and like in the States, many are sold as a set here in department and home goods stores. But what is missing from the set? You guessed it – flat sheets! It’s just uncommon to find these sheets in Thailand. Yes, you can purchase them from Shoppee and Lazada (the ‘Amazon’s of Thailand) but I have found the quality of these sheets lower than what I’m used to in the U.S. So I purchased some good quality flat sheets from Target on my last trip to the U.S. and then brought them over. Best bedding decision I made!
- PC Laptop – I was very surprised by how much more expensive it was to purchase my favorite PC laptop, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1, in Thailand. I saved over $600 purchasing back in the U.S., or almost 60% savings. This has to do with, I believe, two factors. First, there are significant discounts in the U.S., especially during Black Friday, where I picked up my X1 for a little more than $1,000. Second, the supply chain for customized Lenovo laptops into Thailand are direct from China, which likely adds some logistic costs, which are far more streamlined in the U.S. And for as thin and light as a PC laptop, this one is a no brainer in terms of bringing one (or two) units with you into Thailand.
- Patagonia Products – if you are a fan of Patagonia, you’re going to find it quite difficult to purchase from Thailand. There are specialty outdoor wear stores across SE Asia that may carry Patagonia (e.g., Singapore, Kuala Lumpur) but it surprised me to know that the closest Patagonia retail outlet to Thailand is actually in Hong Kong, and from there, Japan and S. Korea! So please bring your Capilene shirts, your baggie shorts, and even your Better Sweater (hey, it’s get a little cold hiking in winter, even in Thailand) over here.
- Bourbon – branded single malt scotches – Macallan, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, etc. – are readily available across Thailand, from airports to supermarkets. But finding branded Bourbons beyond your Makers and Beams is quite difficult. You may have a chance to get a Wild Turkey 101 or a Woodford in Bangkok, but it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on a solid bourbon such as a Blanton’s, Booker’s, or an Angel’s Envy. So it made me all the more elated to find these bottles (stacked up) at the international terminal of SFO; I quickly bought a bottle of Eagle Rare to bring into Thailand and plan to bring more with every return trip to the U.S. Of course, the tough part is trying to fit (and protect) a bottle in a suitcase; that’s why I always have a Bottle Shield with me.
- Branded vitamins, supplements and protein powder– Centrums, Nature Made, or One a Day are more expensive in Thailand – almost twice as much for the Centrum Multi-vitamins that I purchase. I haven’t tried the Thai-manufactured vitamins so cannot attest to their efficacy, but given the size of the bottles, I readily packed several bottles in my suit case across the Pacific. And of course, the savings are even greater if you purchase unbranded vitamins and supplements from Costco, Walmart, Target, etc. As for branded protein powder: it’s more than double the price for branded protein powder here in Thailand! I regularly took Orgain (from Amazon) back in the U.S. To get Orgain here in Thailand, from their Amazon-like Lazada site costs me more than double! The difficulty is carrying one of these large jugs in your luggage. If you’re ok trying out some Thai-manufactured powders (for example, I use Organic Seeds), then best to leave out of your luggage.
Do Not Bring to Thailand
- Powerbanks – easily number one thing to leave out of your bag into Thailand. There are a few reasons. First, powerbanks are a lot cheaper in Thailand. Compared to my $X Anker powerbank purchased on Amazon, I can get a commensurate one from Mr. DIY for $X. Second, powerbanks are readily available across Thailand. Just walk into any mall (every one has an electronics floor) or a Lotus or a Mr. DIY and you can find multiple powerbanks available for sale. Third, Thai transport authority limits the number of powerbanks you can travel with. You cannot place in your checked bag due to safety concerns; and then you are limited to X powerbanks on your carry-ons. And yes, the security checks are thorough; every authority staff member verifies the X on my powerbanks when I go through security.
- Branded shoes – you can find pretty much any major athletic shoe brand in Thailand and they are priced basically the same. Whether a Nike or Adidas or even specialty On Clouds or Hoka Ones, chances are you can find them at a major mall in Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai. This also pertains to dress shoes; for example, my favorite pair of Ermenegildo Zegna penny loafers are about the same price in Thailand as they are in the U.S. Given the size shoes take up in your baggage, much more efficient to leave out your extra pairs from your luggage and make a quick stopover in Bangkok to pick up a new pair.
- Apple products – I recall stuffing my bag with two iPads, one MacBook Air, and multiple iPhones – having heard that electronics are so much more expensive in Thailand. But the truth is: you really don’t get much of a discount buying them in the U.S. Price after tax is actually cheaper in Thailand (because VAT is included in the listed price at the Apple Store), so would only make sense if you get a really good deal during Black Friday. But even so, retailers have gotten pretty stingy with their discounts on Apple products on Black Friday.
- Yoga mat – I know, I don’t know what I was thinking to bring my travel yoga mat, the Manduka eKO Superlite, into my checked bag. I reasoned that it would provide some extra padding to protect my PlayStation, but it really was a waste of space. Thailand has a plethora of excellent yoga mats – across malls, department stores, Lotus’s, etc. and yoga studios often provide one for you for their classes.
- Contact lenses and prescription glasses – if you wear daily-use contact lenses like me, please leave them back in the U.S. You can easily walk into any optometrist retail outlet here in Thailand (e.g., Top Charoen), give the salesperson your contact lens power (you don’t even need a copy of your prescription), and they will sell you branded (e.g., Acuvue, Alcon) or unbranded contact lenses for a more affordable price than in the U.S. There is less of a difference – both in cost and in travel weight – for prescription glasses. But purchasing a new pair of Warby Parkers on my last trip to the U.S. was likely a waste of time and money; I could have gotten just as good frames and lenses at the OwnDays at the Central mall close to my house than making the additional effort of going to a Warby Parker retail store in the U.S. and then waiting a week for it to be delivered to my house.
Whether you’re planning your trip to move to Thailand, or live in Thailand and have an upcoming trip back to the U.S., I hope this post helps you update your packing list and save you some money.
~Lester T