Packing for 18 days in Thailand with Intro Travel requires some strategy. You’ll experience everything from overnight trains to floating bungalows, jungle camping to beach parties. I just completed the Thai Intro tour and learned what’s essential versus what weighs you down.
This guide covers exactly what to pack, what you can buy there, what to leave at home, and insider tips specific to this tour as well as the 9 day and 12 day Thailand tour options with Intro Travel.
For my complete day-by-day breakdown, check out my Thai Intro 18 Day Itinerary Guide. For my overall thoughts, read my Intro Travel Thailand Review.
Table of Contents
The Most Important Packing Rule: Leave Room for Shopping
This is crucial: Thailand is an incredible shopping destination. You’ll want to bring home clothes, souvenirs, elephant pants, handmade goods from night markets, and more. If you fill your suitcase before you leave home, you’ll either:
- Pay overweight baggage fees
- Ship stuff home (expensive)
- Leave things behind (heartbreaking)
Pack your bag only 60-70% full when you leave. Trust me on this. I’m a notorious over packer, but I did not want to make the same mistake I did last time I was in Southeast Asia with overpacking.
Essential Documents & Money
🛂 Documents You Must Have:
- Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond travel dates)
- Travel insurance proof (Intro Travel requires this—you’ll show it at the Day 2 meeting)
- Copies of passport (physical and digital)
- Flight confirmations
- Emergency contact information
💰 Money Matters:
- 1 debit card
- 1-2 credit cards (keep in separate places)
- $200 USD cash as emergency backup
Pro tip: Notify your banks you’re traveling to Thailand. Nothing worse than frozen cards abroad!
Luggage: What Type and Size
🧳 Main Luggage:
- Wheeled suitcase or Rucksack. I do a medium/large wheeled suitcase for all my travels since I don’t care to invest in a rucksack and the only issue I ever have is when there is no elevator in the hotel (rarely happens). Most people on this tour, however, choose the rucksack option.
- You’ll be moving between 8 different accommodations, so pick which ever is easier for you to handle.
🎒 Day Pack (ESSENTIAL):
- 20-30L backpack for daily activities
- You’ll use this for:
- Overnight train (Day 3)Khao Sok floating bungalows (Day 4)Jungle trek and camping (Days 15)
Day pack must-haves: Water bottle, sunscreen, bug spray, phone charger, small towel, swimwear, change of clothes for multi-day stretches.
Clothing for Thai Intro Group Trip
General Clothing Tips:
- Breathable, quick-dry fabrics are your friend
- Thailand is HOT and HUMID (except trains and ferries. Ironically, they are freezing!)
- You’ll have laundry opportunities throughout (24-hour turnaround)
- Expect only one wear for each item before it needs to be laundered, as it will get drentched with sweat 💦
- Modest clothing required for temples (covered shoulders and knees for women, less strict for men)
What to Pack:
👕 Tops (6-9):
- 3-6 breathable t-shirts or tank tops
- 1-3 nicer tops for goodbye dinners and party nights
- 1-2 light long-sleeve shirt (sun protection, temple visits, and for the freezing train and ferries)
🩳 Bottoms (5-7):
- 2-4 shorts
- 1-2 pair lightweight pants or joggers
- 1-3 skirts or dresses
👙 Swimwear (2-4):
- Swimsuits (at least 2—you’ll be in water constantly for half the trip)
👟 Footwear:
- Comfortable walking sandals like Birkenstocks (you’ll live in these)
- Atheltic for hiking and Muay Thai and the elephant sanctuary
- Flip flops for the beach (I just used my Birkenstocks since they are old and I don’t mind the water damage)
- Nicer sandals for evenings out
🧥 Layers (Yes, Really):
- Light rain jacket or poncho –you can buy a cheap, flimsy one at 7 Eleven if you forget though.
- Light jacket or fleece (ESSENTIAL for train, ferry, and airplane)
🩲 Sleepwear & Undergarments:
- 7-12 underwear
- 2 bras/sports bras —though, honestly, you’ll probably end up going braless most of the time
- 2 sets of pajamas
- 2-4 pairs of socks
What to Buy in Thailand Instead:
- Elephant pants (comfy, cheap, everyone buys them)
- Additional clothes if you need them (or just want them because they are cute!)
- Sarong or wrap for temples and beach
- Intro Travel merchandise (available at Koh Phangan)
- Jewelry (affordable and a favorite souvenir)
- Hats
- Thai snacks and treats
Toiletries & Personal Care
The Golden Rule:
Don’t pack full-size toiletries for the 18 day tour. 7-Eleven is EVERYWHERE in Thailand and has everything you need and more. Bring travel sized toiletries for the first few days, then replenish as needed.
🪥 Essential Toiletries:
- Sunscreen (bring some, buy more there—you’ll use tons)
- Bug spray with DEET (essential for jungle and evening activities)
- Small shampoo/conditioner (restock at 7-Eleven)
- Body wash or soap (most hotels had body wash, aside from Khao Sok and the Jungle Camp)
- Toothbrush and small toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Face wash and moisturizer
- Razor
- Hand sanitizer gel (A staple for all my travels)
- Tampons/pads
Nice to Have (But Not Necessary):
- Travel hair dryer (most hotels don’t have working ones)
- Dry shampoo (humid weather makes hair gross, but you’ll be showering multiple times a day anyways)
🚫 What NOT to Pack:
- Full-size bottles of anything
- Fancy hair styling tools (humidity will defeat you, just give up)
- Expensive skincare routine (simplify!)
First Aid & Medications
Essential Medications:
- Anti-diarrheal (Imodium—just in case)
- Seasickness medication (multiple boat days!)
- Pain reliever (ibuprofen/acetaminophen)
- Antihistamine (allergies or bug bites)
- Any prescription medications (bring full supply)
- Pepto Bismol or antacid
First Aid Items:
- Blister bandaids (THE ONE THING I COULDN’T FIND AT 7-ELEVEN 😭)
- Regular bandaids
- Alcohol wipes
Technology & Electronics
📸 Must Bring:
- Smartphone (obviously)
- Phone charger and cable
- Wireless power bank (ESSENTIAL—my charging port got condensation from the humidity and wouldn’t charge by wire for 16 hours!)
- Waterproof phone case (for Sticky Waterfall, plankton boat, bamboo rafting. You can also buy one there)
- Headphones or earbuds
Nice to Have:
- Camera (if you’re into photography)
- GoPro or action camera (for underwater shots)
- E-reader or tablet (long travel days)
Miscellaneous Must-Haves
- Reusable water bottle (stay hydrated!)
- Ziplock bags (various sizes for wet clothes, toiletries, organizing)
- Playing cards or travel games (downtime at floating bungalows)
- Sunglasses 😎
- Snorkel & mask (I always prefer to bring my own so that I know it’s clean and is a perfect fit. Others kept complaining the ones provided during snorkeling were utter 💩 and kept leaking.)
- Tote bag or drawstring bag –You can buy one there, but it’s nice to have for beach days to carry your towel and water in.
Laundry Strategy
You’ll have laundry opportunities throughout the tour:
When to Do Laundry:
- Koh Phangan (Day 5): First opportunity, you’re here 4 nights
- Koh Phi Phi (Day 9): Second opportunity, here 3 nights
- Chiang Mai (Day 13): Final opportunity, here until tour end
Laundry Tips:
- Pack extra underwear so you can go longer between washes!
- Do it the FIRST day in each new city (24-hour turnaround).
- Your group leader shares laundry service locations in the group chat.
- Cost is super cheap (weight-based, usually $3-5 USD).
Final Thailand Packing Wisdom
Remember: You can buy almost anything you forget in Thailand. Don’t stress about bringing everything. 7-Eleven is everywhere and well-stocked, and there are stores galore with affordable and stylish clothing!
Pack light, leave room for shopping, and embrace the adventure. You’re going to have an incredible time!
Ready to book? Read my complete Intro Travel Thailand Review for my verdict on whether the tour is worth it.
Want to see what happens each day? Check out my Thai Intro 18 Day Itinerary Guide for the full day-by-day breakdown.
