Pattaya Packing List

I have fine tuned my Pattaya packing list over my 5 trips.  Each trip was better than the last in the quality of the fun and each trip I learned more on what to bring and not to bring, easing the journey and making my experience in Pattaya even better.

Pattaya Packing List -
What I Wear and Take with Me on the Flight

  • Comfortable walking shoes.  These double as my second pair of shoes in Pattaya.  I normally buy 2 pairs of the same Skechers tennis shoes for my Pattaya trips.  I wear one pair during the day and the other at night.
  • Knee length, baggy, cotton shorts held up with a drawstring.  No need to take off your belt in security, super comfortable, goes over your knees if it is cold, hike them up if it is warm. These double as your lounge around shorts at the hotel.  I also use mine for daytime exploring in Pattaya
  • Mid Calf Length Wool socks. I take my shoes off on the plane but want warm feet.  
  • Short-sleeved cotton shirt with a breast pocket for my reading glasses and boarding passes.  This shirt doubles as one of my daytime exploring shirts in Pattaya.  I like a very thin and cool material.
  • Soft material boxer shorts
  • Nice blue colored t-shirt if I am traveling during cold weather at home.  This  doubles as a lounge around the hotel shirt and as an exploring during the day shirt.
  • Fleece jacket if I am traveling during cold weather at home.  Warm clothes are not necessary in Pattaya unless you keep your room very cool.  The fleece jacket works well as blanket on the flight and it can be folded and scrunched up and stored by your feet.
  • Noise Cancelling Headphones.  These are so nice to drown out the airplane noise.
  • Neck pillow.  I have not really figured out how to use this pillow yet or been able to sleep more than 20 minutes at time.
  • Fanny Pack.  Super handy for the flight to keep your needs right on you instead of in the overhead bin.
  • Eyeglasses.  I wear contact lenses.  About 20 minutes before my flight leaves O-Hare I use the airport restroom one more time and take out my contacts and wear my glasses.  I put my reading glasses in the glass case which goes into my toiletry kit which goes into my backpack.
  • Pocket Stuff - iPhone, Wallet, Boarding Pass.  My iPhone goes in my front lefthand shorts pocket, my wallet in the righthand shorts pocket.  Boarding pass in my shirt breast pocket.  I rarely take out my iPHone or wallet during the flight.  I can glance down and see the boarding pass.  I check for my phone and wallet every time I get up and sit down throughout the trip.

Flight Tip - Fanny Pack

I keep a fanny pack tucked down by my feet during the flight.  This holds my most valuables (passport and cash) plus several handy items for the flight.  I don't have to bother accessing my backpack in the overhead bin or struggle to reach into my pockets in the tiny airplane seats.  Here is what I keep in  it:

  • Passport
  • Big wallet with all my cash for Pattaya
  • Gum & individual mints
  • A few packages of my favorite candy junk food
  • Wet wipes & Kleenex
  • Ibuprofen & diarrhea medication
  • Tiny pen and some paper to write on
Long Wallet from UnsplashUse this type of wallet to keep your countries cash unfolded and in good condition

Pattaya Packing List -
Travel Needs to Buy at Home

Admittedly, many of these you can buy in Pattaya.  But I like to have all these little things packed and fully ready for me when I get to Pattaya so I can hit the ground running.

  • Travel toiletries in small containers.  Contact lens solution, lens case, toothpaste, travel toothbrush, small anti-perspirant, small shave cream, disposable razors.
  • Cold sore medication
  • Any other medications I need
  • Dry ear for swimming
  • Condoms
  • Men's supplement to boost vitality
  • My normal supplements
  • The little things that I keep in my fanny pack (gum, mints, paper, pen, some candy, wet wipes and tissue).

If you forget something or find out you really need something, don't worry.  The 7 - 11's are packed with handy items.  Pharmacies have all the medications you may need.  The Big - C store is also an option.

Pattaya Packing List - Clothing

Me Getting Ready to Go Out no head showingWhat I wear going out in Pattaya. Button down, short sleeve shirt with breast pocket for my reading glasses. nice shorts with leather belt, boxer shorts, ankle high socks and comfortable tennis shoes

There is no need to bring enough clothes for the multiple sets of clothes you wear each day on a long stay with laundry's near most hotels. 

Typically I wear 3 sets of clothes a day:

  1. Shorts, t-shirt and sandals for lounging around the hotel in the morning.
  2. Shorts, tennis shoes, socks, shirt to explore during the day. 
  3. Nice shorts, nice shirt, tennis shoes and socks to wear each night.  

Plus swimsuit and tank top for the pool.  But those don't really need to be laundered very often.

I bring enough for 2 or 3 days and make use of the nearby laundry's, dropping off a load when I go out at midday and picking up yesterday's laundry when I head back to my hotel late in the afternoon.

I love dropping off and picking up my laundry, all perfectly clean, folded and wrapped in plastic.  Having someone else handle a task I hate at home is a simple, and inexpensive, pleasure and one of the elements of living like a king that is possible in Pattaya.

What I Pack and Take to Pattaya:

  • 1 Tennis shoes.  Plus the pair I wear on the flight
  • 1 pair Sandals 
  • 2 pairs Loose athletic cotton shorts. Plus the ones I wear on the flight  
  • 5 Nice button-down short sleeve shirts with breast pocket.  Plus the one I wear 1 on the flight  
  • 6 Ankle high dark socks as Thailand is too hot for long socks
  • 2 Ankle high white socks
  • 8 Boxer shorts.  Plus what I wear on the flight
  • 2 Nice beltable shorts
  • 1 Belt.  No need on the flight with tied short. 
  • 3 T-shirts
  • 2 Tank tops
  • 1 Swimsuit
  • 1 Baseball hat
  • 1 Fleece jacket if I go during cold weather.  I did not bring this on my August trips as it is just for around the airport in my home country.

Buying Clothes in Pattaya

It's fun to shop  for something cool or usable on vacation.  But, if you are a larger guy, I wouldn't recommend you count on buying clothes in Pattaya.   There are massive amounts of very inexpensive clothes, but only for smaller men.  The selection for larger men is quite poor.

I had success buying 3 pairs of lounge shorts during a few trips.  But that was luck.  Only some shops offer larger sizes some of the time.  I bought 2 great shorts on one trip.  I went back to the same shop the next trip, wanting to buy more of them, but they didn't stock them anymore.

Bring what you need and plan on going to the laundry every day or so.

Pattaya Packing List - What Else?

  • 1 Rollable luggage with extendable handle to hold my clothes.  Checked bag.
  • I backpack.  Goes with me on the plane.
  • Laptop computer, mouse, power cord and extension cord.  Goes into backpack.
  • Sunglasses.
  • Planner book with pen and pencil
  • Paper notebook and extra pens.
  • File folder with extra copies of my passport, driver's license, airport maps, copy of my travel insurance, list of contacts at home and any other helpful papers.
  • Extra reading glasses.

Things I Buy in Pattaya

  • Pad for the balcony chair.  I scoured the city looking for a pad.  The only ones are available at the Big C.
  • Roll of toilet paper.  Just in case.  Good for spills.
  • Small bottle of mouthwash.
  • Bar of soap.  Handier than the liquid soap in the shower.
  • KY Jelly 
  • Black Coffee.  This is a brand of instant coffee that I just love.
  • Milk.  For my coffee
  • Sidegra

Pattaya Packing List Wrap Up

Once you've been to Pattaya a time or 2, you will fine tune your packing list.  I make notes of what I need for next time during the trip and study those notes in the months afterward preparing for the next trip.