Thailand Toiletries

There seems to be a constant debate about what bathroom stuff you should and should not bother to bring. On this last trip I told myself that it was important that I brought all my own everything. I reasoned that I needed to bring my own shampoo and conditioner since my hair is dyed, and certain products help it last longer. First and last time I will be doing that. I didn’t even use all of it either. However, while there may not be many toiletries that really must be brought from home, there are a few. Alongside those are quite a few items that are small enough to not take up much space or add a lot of weight. These might as well just be brought from home.

Bring from Home

Although I could still buy all of these items on the road, I prefer to bring my own. I find they are usually better quality, plus I know I have something I like.

o   Ear plugs / Eye mask

o   Toothbrush and paste

o   Deodorant / Mini hand sanitizers

o   Hair brush or Comb / Hair ties and clips

o   Nail clippers / Tweezers

o   Razor / Blades

o   Chapstick

o   Quick dry towel

o   Baby wipes: These may seem like a strange item, but I used them a lot more than you might expect.

o   Face wash wipes: These are super convenient to have. After a night out it was nice to be able to clean my face without much effort. I liked having face wipes in addition to baby wipes because my skin becomes sensitive when I used baby wipes.

Buy When You Get There

When I started my travels in Thailand my pack weighed in at an embarrassing 40lbs! Slowly shedding unnecessary weight I managed to get it down to 33lbs. There were other things besides toiletries that were dead weight, but most of my problem was that I had brought everything I would need for the entire trip. In fact, I brought more than I needed; I didn’t even use a third of the shampoo I brought and I only used most of the conditioner because of scuba diving. There is a 7-11 on just about every corner. Every 7-11 has just about any toiletry you could ever need. That being said, here are the things I have no intention of bringing with me when I next travel.

o  Shampoo / Conditioner

o  Body wash / Lotion

o  Sunscreen / Bug spray

o  Make up: I actually didn’t bring this. It would really just sweat right off in that kind of environment.

o  Beach towel: I also didn’t bring this one. I bought mine once I did finally get to the islands, a much better alternative.

For Us Girls - Must Haves

These are my only must bring from home items. They also just so happen to be female only items.

o  Bring a Diva Cup: If you don’t know what this you, you should look into it. I recommend it even for normal monthly times. Don't forget the special cleaner it needs.

o  Panty liners: Even if you don’t have your period because of your birth control, I highly, highly recommend you bring these. Find a type that doesn’t make you feel like you are wearing a diaper and bring a bunch. One of these can make a pair of underwear good as new(ish)

o  Tampons: If you decide that the Diva Cup isn’t for you, or you just want to be prepared, bring these. 

o  Body Glide: Most of us at some point will run into the problem of thighs chaffing. The humidity makes the problem even worse. This is really nice to have as a staple in your travel bag.