A Southern Thailand Packing List

Bring bug repellent from the U.S. Mosquitoes are a persistent nuisance almost everywhere in Thailand, and the southern reaches of the country have a moderate problem with malaria. Mosquito coils are widely available, and mosquito nets for guest accommodations are regularly provided where necessary. However, in the U.S., the bug repellent sprays are much stronger than what is available in Thailand. Most deep-woods repellents, or the specialist repellents available in camping stores, have a concentration of N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)---the active ingredient in mosquito repellents---that is above 50 percent. Thailand sells European-strength DEET sprays, which have a concentration that is rarely higher than 15 percent.

While sunblock is widely available throughout Southern Thailand, the strength of the sun there is much stronger than anyone who has never been in the tropics before imagines. A Thai beach is no place for a person who is pale and prone to sunburn to discover that they need SPF 50 sunblock instead of SPF 25, and then not be able to find it. That sort of thing can result in bad sunburn and ruin an entire vacation. Be conservative, and bring along a bottle of the strongest sunblock available as a reserve.

Thailand's tropical weather means things get damp and then stay that way. Anything that does not get a strong dose of sunshine is prone to fungus, mildew and other nastiness, and just because your bathroom floor looks clean does not mean it has been disinfected. Outside of posh resorts, all bathrooms in Thailand should be treated like a locker room floor. Avoid bringing home a case of toe nail fungus or athlete's foot by bringing a cheap pair of flip-flops for the bathroom.

Many Internet shops and shacks in Southern Thailand have a service for downloading photos from a digital camera's memory card to CD. Skip paying for a photo CD that might get broken and carry with you a large-capacity flash memory card for your digital camera.

Pack light clothing. Thailand is hot and humid, and tops in particular will get dirty with sweat. A smart traveler will plan on needing at least one new top every day. That means either bringing a lot of tops or bringing a bottle of Woolite and doing sink laundry to stretch out the life of a travel wardrobe.