A Packing List - A Guide on What to Bring on your Teach & Travel Abroad Experience in Thailand
Updated: Mar 14, 2020
Important Items
Printed Copies of your documents (Passport, License, Visa, degree, transcripts, extra passport photos, resume, and criminal background check.
Tell your debit and credit card bank you’ll be in Thailand and get approved for purchasing goods there
Cash to exchange on arrival- $600ish
Daily medication (call your insurance companies to get travel approval and get medication in advance)
Unlock your phone before you go by calling your phone provider. This is needed to insert a Thai SIM card when you arrive.
Teaching Attire: Ask your agency! Every school is different
**SpeakEZ agency (Contact J2)
Typical Women working Clothes.
2-3 longer skirts that cover the knee
2-3 blouses that cover the shoulders and chest
1-2 dresses that cover the knees, shoulders, and chest
Closed toe shoes
Typical Men Working Clothes
2-3 dress shirts
3-4 pairs of dress pants/trousers
1-2 ties
5-7 dress socks
1 pair of shoes (1 black)
You’ll be in these clothes a lot. Buy comfortable work clothes before you arrive.
Everyday Clothes:
Sandals
Hats
Walking shoes
Bathing Suits
Underwear and Socks
Shorts
Shirts!
Lounge shorts/sweats
Summer Dresses
1-2 pairs of jeans
Light sweatshirt
Light rain Jacket (not heavy)
1 button down (nice bars/clubs and restaurants dress code)
1 business casual pants (bars/clubs and restaurants dress code)
Health & Medicine
Over the counter:
Bug Spray
Electrolytes- Emergen-C
Diarrhea- Imodium or Pepcid
Advil/Tylenol
Antibiotic Cream
Anti-acid liquid- Maalox
Band-aids
Sunscreen
Toilet Trees- Toothbrush, Deodorant, etc.
Shots:
Hepatitis A and B vaccines are mandatory
Rabies vaccine is not mandatory
* Consult your doctor
Tampons:
It is difficult to find tampons and they're expensive, so pack for the full term + more
Regarding the scarcity of tampons, a Diva Cup is recommended
Items:
Living Items:
Laundry Bag
Kindle/Books
Umbrella
Towel- quality is low in Thai stores
Glasses and contact lenses
Pillow cases
Electric razor- No hot water is available
Coin Purse- Unlike the USA, in Thailand coins are used frequently
School Items:
Hand sanitizer
Tattoo concealer- Block visible tattoos (ask your agency)
Clean facial hair
Piercings are okay in conservative facial areas like ears and sometimes nose
Travel Items:
Backpack or Duffel Bag for weekend trips
Jaw string bag or fanny pack for adventure days
Travel Journal
Small ‘hotel like’ shampoo, conditioner, and soap bottles to pack for weekend and travel trips
Camera
Portable phone charger
Microfiber Towel
Electronics:
Laptop
Phone (if you have an old unused phone lying around, bring it for a backup)
Phone chargers
Wall adapter- most wall outlets in Thailand are the same as the US. However, sometimes the wall outlets don't have the third hole used for lamps and laptop chargers. I suggest you get a WorldWide Adapter.
Temples:
Cover knees and don’t expose shoulders
No visible cleavage- Women must wear bras
A shawl is recommended
What Not to Pack:
Shampoo, soap, conditioner, makeup, extra toothbrush, deodorant, sunscreen- you can buy all of these at the local supermarket for cheaper than in the US
School supplies
Scarf
Heavy Jackets
Too many jeans
Packing Techniques:
Roll all your clothes!
Thailand has everything and it’s SOOOO cheap. You can buy everything there so don’t stress too much about packing the little things.
If you have questions: please email hello@j2teachabroad.com
About Journey to Teach Abroad:
Become a global citizen and discover life TEACHING ABROAD. Journey to Teach Abroad is a teacher training TEFL certification course in Los Angeles that GUARANTEES a teaching job abroad. They also offer Job Placements to amazing schools in Thailand and SouthEast Asia for those who are ready to go!
If you have questions: please email hello@j2teachabroad.com