last minute packing
 

We're leaving for BKK on Sunday and have vowed to pack light. However, the last minute "am i bringing the right stuff?" has begun to sink in. I've read conflicting reports about sleeveless shirts. Are they okay for touring as long as we're not going to a temple? What about "collared and sleeveless" for dining?

Also, we'll be in Chiang Mai from the 28th to 31st. I've read that it can be quite cool there, but the temperatures I see online still look pretty warm. Can I expect it to stay this way for a couple more weeks? What about on Doi Inthanon? Is it much cooler up there? BTW, I live in Florida so 50 degrees F is chilly to me :-) Thanks!

You can wear short sleeve shirts everywhere even in temples- but no sleevless shirts in temples.

Bring cotton, linen mix and match clothes. If your hotel provides inexpensive laundry service you can bring less and have the hotel launder some of your clothes. No shorts, miniskirts and backless shoes in temples.

What do you mean by no backless shoes inthe temples? I thought the rule was no shoes in the temples. My plan is to wear a pair of backless (but sturdy) shoes so I can easily slip them on/off at the temples. I wore sneakers/socks one time in India and it was a pain to keep untying and remove at each temple.

Yeah...no shoes in temples. When I take off my shoes, I slip them into a plastic bag and then throw them into my canvas day-bag and enter the temple. I don't like leaving my shoes out on the rack. Plus it's quicker when I leave the temple to take them out of my bag and slip them back on. Happy Travels!

Yes thats right- you take your shoes off- but I remember the rules about shoes so there must be some places- Wats, or other venues where they are strict about they type of shoes worn- why would they have such a rule then?

i have never seen anything about backless shoes in bkk except listed here on this board...?? we often wear sandles...i wear socks with mine frequently to keep dirt away, etc...

don't worry it is always plenty hot in CM as well...much like Florida..don't forget to vote before you leave!!!! swing state???

the point about sleeveless is that you will feel more comfortable with a small sleeve....comfortable in the sense of correctness...
you can and will wear anything on the street and in some places...the thais do, the aussies do as do everyone....its just that for ease of touring its best to be prepared....my wife often carries a lite weight scarf in her purse to throw over her shoulders if there is a question....

don't panic.....take 1/2 of your stuff out of the suitcase and you will be fine...you don't need any dress up stuff...thailand is very casual...men need some long pants and women at least one skirt and some slacks...

the bottom line is wear what you are comfortable with and just be prepared to cover up for modesty sake....you will see it all in bkk....

The backless shoe issue is for the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. You have to take your shoes off to go into the temple itself but the last time I was there they didn't even let you walk on the grounds with backless shoes.They made me put on a pair of their shoes which didn't fit and were in general awful.

Even though you have to remove your shoes to enter temples, it seems that at the Grand Palace, they are very particular regarding the type of shoes you wear even if you don't enter the temple. And particularly, the guards at the entrance were stopping those with backless shoes. So while "slides" are comfortable and easy enough to remove, there is no guarantee whether they attendents/guards at the entrance won't permit you on the grounds.

I personally found that a pair of mocassins or slip-in Keds worked fine everywhere.

Wow, glad I posted. My big concern was having the right clothes weather wise. I didn't expect any issues with my shoes!!! Are running shoes or samdals with a back strap okay? Funny, my backless shoes look nicer than my running shoes, but oh well!

I think I'm only bringing pants to stay on the safe side, but just curious, does anyone wear shoes while touring Thailand?

Oh yes, and no worries, we voted on Monday!

gromeo - Hmmm - did you mean to say "skirts" when you asked "does anyone wear shoes while touring in Thailand?" Hot weather gets to me, and even cotton pants seem like too much to wear. And I don't care for shorts. So I'm taking a few cotton dresses (and one pair of pants for Chiang Mai evenings in Feb) and I'm all set for touring!

my wife takes loose fitting dresses, cotton usually and at least one skirt for dinner....she also takes mens boxer shorts for leg chaffing...she says it works great...
she usually takes one pair of flats and some sandles....we do not take any kind of sneakers....we find them toooooooo hot....

Don't panic. You'll be able to buy anything you don't bring when you get there. We end up taking home way more than we brought anyway, so packing efficiency goes unrewarded unless you feel the need to travel super-light.

Ooops, I meant to ask if anyone wears shorts, not shoes.

Yes, bring shorts. You will want them in Chiang Mai especially if you are doing anything outdoors . We did a lot of trekking, biking and walking. If you are planning on doing anything outdoors you will want comfortable clothes and shoes. For some reason I didn't have any shoe issues either time I was visiting. I guess I must have brought the right shoes.

you can pic up lots of clothing items in thailand to use if need be, but i think shoes probably are best brought with you....also thai sizes are quite small so some items may not fit the bulging american or european....

shorts are often a topic on fodors...i personally only prefer them at the beach or in resorts....many wear them around bkk, but i feel it limits you when wanting to enter some places, like temples and the better restaurants...you see lots around however....

The tip is always to take half the baggage and double the money.

no problem with the flip flops and sleeveless when i was there..can wear anything in BKK or chiang mai..in temples, if ur not on the right dress code, they'll get you to put on a sarong before you enter..yup, no shoes in temple..enjoy ..

Many of you have advised long sleeve shirts to protect against mosquitoes. Is that true for southern beach areas as well? We'll be in Phuket and Koh Lanta (Pimilai) after Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Had hoped to leave most of the luggage in Bangkok and just bring a very few lightweight shorts, sleeveless tops and sundresses to the beach areas. What do you recommend?

long sleeves are often a help everywhere to protect against extra sun when expecting long exposure, like on boat rides, etc...in the resorts anything goes...

By my calculations, the OP should be in BKK by now. Nonetheless, in response to CFW, I suggest that you get a few Ex Officio shirts that are very light, but have long sleeves that roll up to a button and double as short sleeve. We have several each and find that they are perfect for T-land. You can get them online at REI.com or go to any upscale outdoor store. Go Sox.

Buy your shirts while in BKK! Everything is cheap there why buy elsewhere?

GPanda, Thanks. Looks like a solution. Have you tried the "Buzz Off" shirts with mosquito repellent? The shirts are mostly polyester & some are nylon. Won't that be hot? Will I be bitten to death if I go sleeveless?

We just got bsck from Thailand and were wearing ExOfficio clothes which is long sleeve and for 90 deggree weather. 2 shirts (mine and husbands) were also buzz off. The clothes is very comfortable, breathable, really engineering clothses. Buzz-off - can tell you exactly - we were not bitten by mosquitoes but I do not think we wore that shirt in the evening. But clothes is very good.

Re: shoes/sandals as I posted in other thread. It is a pain to choose only one pair of footwear to wea beacuse:

1. you take shoes off in temples. therefore choose shoes which are easy to slip on/off.
2. I was worried of leaving shoes at the temple, but fortunately they were not stolen (or might be taken by mistake), some posters here said they put shoes in the bag and carry with them. Might work, but again more load to carry in your back.
3. Not sure I remember ban on backless shoes in Bangkok temples however we had closed shoes so cannot comment. Our guides told us everything in advance what we should wear so we were prepared.
4. If in the same day you go to temple and go to elephant ridging, for example, you have slippers or flop flops to take off for temples but on the elephant you are not comfortable in flip-flops since they might fall off.
5. re: general clothes. We came with almost empty 3 suitcases and bought clothes along the way. It was the most fun trip we had since we were buying clothes as we went! I bought a wonderful pair of snickers puma japanese design which I've never seen before. Very light and breathable, real summer sneakers. do not see them here. Bought them in LCX dept store in HKG.
Enjoy your travel.
sophia