If you’re looking to buy or rent a property in Thailand, you can find just about anything you need for your house or apartment once you get here. There are a few items however that can be more difficult to find so here we’ve created a short-list of items you may want to consider sticking in your suitcase before moving to the land of smiles:
Five Things to Bring When Moving to Thailand
1) Bed Linens: Bed linens are available in Thailand, but for some reason the selection is very limited. The overall selection is quite limited and for whatever reason, a flat sheet or a top sheet is nearly impossible to find at all. Most bed-in-a-bag sets come with a fitted sheet, pillow covers and a comforter, but no top sheet. If you want one, especially one in a specific color you’re better to order a set online. Even better, bring bed linens from home as sheets can be heavy and will cost you to ship internationally.
2) Baking Materials: Thailand’s hot climate as well as the abundance of inexpensive food everywhere makes the use of a kitchen much less common than most Western places. Even less common are ovens. If you are a serious baker, you might be better off bringing your own favorite baking trays. If you are not serious about baking, don’t bother bringing anything to do with it since you will likely never use it anyways.
3) Toiletry Brands: If you are particular about brands and really enjoy certain ones from your home country, its best stock piling these things into your suitcase before moving to Thailand. There is not a whole lot of crossover between Thai and Western brands; import taxes get hefty! Of course you can easily find any product you need, like shampoo, conditioner, razors, face wash, exfoliators, etc. but you might have a difficult time reading the labels. If you think you can’t live without a particular brand, bring at least a month’s supply with you so you can give yourself time to order more if it’s not sold in Thailand.
4) Medicines and Sunscreens: Anything that requires a prescription is best to get from home, from a doctor you can easily communicate with that you trust. Regulations on medicines is not the same as it is from wherever you may be from, and these items don’t always make it through customs when you ship them from home anyway. If you can, it’s best to stock up on what you need before you move to Thailand, otherwise you could be left without.
Another thing that doesn’t require a prescription but does go in your medicine cabinet is sunscreen. The products you’ll find on the shelves in Thailand often have skin-whitening compounds, which many foreigners do not want. Similarly, it’s highly unlikely that you will find any sunless-tanner products in Thailand so if that’s something you want, put a stockpile in your checked luggage.
5) Random Everyday Products: Bleach pens, wrinkle remover spray, dry shampoo, cooking oil spray: What these items all have in common is that they are innovative but inexpensive answers to every day inconveniences. They are not products that solve huge problems, as you can certainly get by in life just fine without them. These products do make life a bit easier though. If you have a similar product you use often, bring it with you. It’s worth the extra kg in your luggage to not have the frustration of finding it in a random international store or ordering it online with a shipping fee that’s more than the product itself.
Have you moved to Thailand and can’t find a particular something? Let us know what you’re missing in the comment section below!
