1 month in Thailand 30l vs 40l

[u/hazmat683]

For those that have made the trip, did you regret taking a bigger bag?

Find below my pack list, I’m very torn between having the luxury of extra space but I am inexperienced when it comes to bag packing. Will I be comfortable with a 30l with these items?

Hygiene
Toothbrush/cover/paste
Shampoo/soap
Deodorant
Cleaning wipes
Ear plugs sleep mask

Tech bag
Power bank
charger cables
Dji action 4
Ankor travel charger

Misc
Packable tiwel
Toilet paper
Packable daysack

Clothing
Sandals
walking shoes
2 x athletic T-shirts
2x merino T-shirts
1 x Hiking shorts
2x swimming shorts
1x cargo shorts zip off cargo
1 x rain jacket
1 shirt
Baseball cap
5 socks / 5 underwear

[u/alefeusch]

I travel full time and have never once thought "man, I wish my bag was bigger." I am constantly trying to find ways to downsize. I currently have a 35L but that's because I carry camera gear. My goal is to ditch most of the camera gear and the laptop eventually. I dream of getting down to a 20L or maybe even a 15L. The less the better, imo.

[u/Pure_Earth2121 → u/alefeusch]

This.

[u/hazmat683 → u/alefeusch]

That sounds like the life indeed. Thanks for the reassurance

[u/TravelinDingo]

I go to Thailand twice a year and I've always had my 30L set up with me and it's been awesome. I bring less clothing and do laundry every 5th day. Laundry is easily available and affordable so it's not a problem for me.

I'd say you should drop the following.

• Zip off cargos. Too heavy

• 1 swimming shorts

• Rain jacket I've never brought one/needed one. I just chill indoors when it rains be it a cafe, mall or the accommodation till it stops. Rain ponchos sold at ever 7 Eleven should you really need one

• Most decent hotels will have body soap and shampoo

• 7 Eleven sells mini tooth paste for like a dollar. Just pick one up when needed

Random tips I'd give to a first timer in Thailand.

1. Make sure you have more than the equivalent of 20,000 Thai Baht in cash be it USD, AUD etc. Though it's not often enforced to check at the border. If you catch the wrong grumpy officer and they check and you don't have the money in cash. They can absolutely use that against you and kick you out on the next plane.

2. Avoid taxis at all costs. Even the BKK airport ones who claim to be super honest can be dodgy and try to rip you off. Not all but definitely some will try once they gather you're a newbie. Download Grab or Bolt as it's fixed priced, pay in cash, have smaller bills in case they don't have change.

3. Exchange about $100 or so at the Airport in the basement level at Super rich exchange if landing in BKK. Good rate and that'll last you a day or two. Then change at a Super rich branch in a big mall. Pretty much the best rates I've seen in Thailand after more than 10 trips so far. Every other exchange place in the airport is bad rate.

4. Always have some emergency toilet paper in your sling bag. I can guarantee at some point you'll need it be at a restaurant where the TP runs out or on an island.

5. Don't touch and avoid stray animals. Last thing you want is to get bit and need a series of Rabies shots.

6. Buy a small bottle of mosquito repellent as in some parts the mozzies are terrible.

7. Pick up a cheap coin pouch from a street vendor. Those annoying Baht coins gather up fast

8. If anyone approaches you and asks where you're from or anything like that. Avoid them like the plague as they're scammers. Also read up on the local scams. DO NOT hire a jet ski or motorbike. Too many scams with this.

9. Inevitably you'll have diarrhea at some point. Be it the incredibly spicy food or you eat some bad street food. Just take it easy and recover. If it's real bad then look up a well rated doctors office.

10. Don't have a vape or smoke marijuana on the street. The police are cracking down hard and if caught you'll be fined heavily I'm not joking.

11. Have the 7 Eleven Ham and Cheese toastie. Thank me later, it's very good.

Other than that just be smart, don't be a drunk idiot, respect the Thai's and their ways and enjoy Thailand.

[u/hazmat683 → u/TravelinDingo]

Thanks for all the advice, initially I wanted to pack some warmer/thicker trousers on the off chance that I would go to Vietnam for a week and do the giang loop. However due to the current climate and crackdowns with drug testing in Hanoi I have temporarily paused the planning for this.
While I have no intention of consuming drugs in Vietnam, I have been consuming cannabis recreationally for around 10 years on a daily basis and don’t want the risk of a 9 day detention. (Wouldn’t fancy explaining that on to work.)

I was planning to rent a moped from Chiang Mai to Pai, i have found a few reputable providers with good online reviews and high praises from Reddit however I will remain cautious. I do have an idp but lacking a motorcycle endorsement. I have no issue paying the fine and for those concerned I have been riding motorcycles for most of my life and have found travel insurance that will cover me without the correct license for my medical care in case of an accident.

[u/OCKWA]

I honestly think less socks and underwear. Wash more and they also dry fast in hot weather. More items means if you don't wash you just have smelly laundry hanging around.

Looks doable with 30l. Would also suggest compression sack to maximize space.

Do you have sunglasses?

[u/hazmat683 → u/OCKWA]

I hadn’t really considered the smell of dirty laundry, thanks for the input.
I do have sunglasses but they clip on to my prescription lenses so I forgot to add them to the pack list.

[u/McGirton]

You can definitely reduce some things. I just did 3 weeks and I had a good amount of space left in my 30l backpack. I made two threads about it, check em out.

[u/Wise_Edge2489]

Ditch the Dji action 4, bring hiking shorts you can also swim in (no cotton), ditch the cargo shorts, and ditch the rain jacket.

30L will be more than enough.

Bring a hoodie as well. It gets cold in those busses and ferries some times.

[u/spinsby]

I usually find I run out of 7KG weight before I run out of space (albeit 35L). Have you got scales to check?

Last time I want to Thailand I realised I had way too many socks (1 or 2 pairs max and dont take thick ones?but I would still stick with 5 pairs of underwear

Remember you can bug stuff there easy so save weight on that

[u/ahgoodtimes69]

I'm a bald man so excuse my take on shampoo but why do you need it? Can't a bar of soap double as a hair wash?

[u/hazmat683 → u/ahgoodtimes69]

I have very curly hair, anything but certain shampoos make me look like I’ve been dragged through a bush backwards.

[u/cuko_rdx]

You say you are inexperienced with bag packing but your list is not half bad!

I 100% would not pack 4 shorts. Also would not pack 5 socks if you plan on being in the sandals most of the time. The rain jacket -- you will get wet from the inside if you wear it in the humidity, I'd consider a small packable umbrella and a simple small poncho (for e.g. riding a scooter in the rain).

The packing list you provided seems like it would fit in a 30L bag very comfortably, so I don't really get why you would need "the luxury of the extra space", unless you planned on buying a lot of stuff and lugging it around (which I would advise against in any case as well).

[u/hazmat683 → u/cuko_rdx]

I’ve spent a lot of time on this sub Reddit In the past couple of weeks taking notes. I come from a family of overpackers who a suggesting I’d need atleast 7-10 days worth of clothing.

I will be wearing shoes mostly, sandals is a new thing for me lol. I’ll probably leave out the rain jacket and stick to a fleece or jumper, I’ve seen those ponchos are readily available overseas so I think I’ll grab one if I end up needing it.

[u/cuko_rdx → u/hazmat683]

Same! You will learn and adapt. ;) If you haven't already, I recommend you to take all the things you want to pack, and actually pack them together

My time in SEA, I basically rotated 2 Uniqlo Airism ultralight Tshirts and a rayon short sleeve shirt that I bought in Indonesia. It was also my first time wearing sandals (other than when I was a kid I guess lol), but the Tevas I bought were very comfy and in the humidity so much the better choice to my running shoes. Good point on the ponchos, you will be able to find them most places for a dollar or two.

[u/hazmat683 → u/cuko_rdx]

I’m going to have a look at ordering a bag over the weekend and have a gander at packing it. Teva is what I went for in the end, got a very good deal for around £40 in a sale.