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PRE-DEPARTURE
This list has been compiled by veteran travelers. The worst thing
on an outreach is to bring too much. Next, is forgetting your underwear!
Use this list as a general guideline in preparation for your trip
to Thailand.
- Valid passport
- Visa (inquire
about visa regulations at a Thai embassy/consulate) If your stay
is less than 30 days, you can get a tourist visa upon arrival
in Thailand at no charge.
- Air tickets
- Emergency
information
- Luggage ID
tags
- Travelers
cheques (these get a better exchange rate than cash)
- Credit card/ATM
card (PLUS & CIRRUS Networks available in major centers)
- Medical Insurance
- coverage for team members for the duration of their
Outreach.If you are looking for good short term/group medical
insurance we recommend "Talent Trust"
- Please check out their website at:
www.talent-trust.com
- Photocopies
of Passports (first page & visa) and any other important
documents
- Immunizations
(check with your local health department) we suggest at
least a Tetanus vaccination.
Note: Malaria pills are available at any Thai drugstore. We recommend
they be taken if you are going outside of Bangkok and into any
rural areas of Thailand. They are MUCH cheaper to buy here and
and we have the proper kind for teams here in Thailand.
Get
our Application
Form HERE
SUGGESTED
ITEMS TO BRING
(Note that an asterisk * mean items can be easily and cheaply available
in Thailand)
Important Note: The
Airport Authority of Thailand has just announced a ban on all carry-on
baggage that contains liquids, gels, creams, aerosol sprays etc
in excess of 100ml (3oz) per bottle or container. These items must
now be placed in your check-in baggage.
 Travel
Pack - suggested frame 50-65 liter (we do NOT recommend suitcases)
Day Pack
Passport/Money Carrier - either around neck or a waist pouch
* Toiletries - most things easily available in Thailand
(LADIES) - sanitary napkins are readily available at any grocery
store.
Tampons (insertion type) are less so.
* Contact Lens Solutions/Preparations
* Rain gear (Rainy Season May - October)
Camera
*Film
Address Book/diary
Bible, journal, notebook, pens
* Small flashlight/torch
* Small sewing, repair kit
* 1 lightweight sheet/small pillow
* Small alarm clock
* Mosquito repellent
Bathing suit (girls: 1 piece only)
Sunblock/sunscreen/lip balm (can get here but very expensive)
* Hat
* Towel
* Small pocket knife
* Therma Rest/foam pad (if you're going to the hilltribes/villages
or sleeping on the floor)
Lightweight sleeping bag
Inflatable neck pillow/small pillow for bus, train rides or airplane
rides)
* Plate/cup/cutlery
* Water bottle
* Travel clothesline/Clothes pins
* Hand Wash Laundry Detergent
* Kleenex
Wet Wipes (Handi-Wipes)
* Umbrella
* Tylenol/Anti-Diarrhea Medication
1 guitar for the team
Personal medical prescriptions as necessary
Prescription for glasses/contact lenses
OPTIONAL
ITEMS
1 team travel iron
1 team hair dryer
(NOTE: 220 V in Thailand only)
Electric converter/adapters
Pictures of your home country & family (a great witnessing tool.
Thai people LOVE seeing pictures)
Gifts - bookmarks, key-chains, postcards, candy for kids/families
you
befriend. Thai people will appreciate any gift you give them.
DO
NOT BRING ANYTHING EXPENSIVE, BREAKABLE,
VALUABLE OR YOU MAY BE SORRY IF IT'S BROKEN OR STOLEN!
CLOTHING
& DRESS
 REMEMBER,
how you look and how you dress is very important here in Thailand.
Thai culture does not respond well to those who are sloppily dressed
or dressed inappropriately. Please bring clothes that are modest
and neat. For example, NO tank tops, sleeveless
tops, mini skirts or ridiculously short shorts (i.e. 1970’s
style). You can bring one or two pair of shorts to wear inside your
rooms or to play sports, but shorts are not typically worn in public
as everyday wear.
(Note: Many clothing items are also cheaply and easily available
in Thailand.)
For WOMEN and MEN: Long pants and slacks - cotton
pants and slacks are preferred for comfort in this climate - must
be dressy, nice and neat. Nice shirts and blouses - short sleeves
are fine - such as button up or polo style, and other tops, etc.
are permissible.
For WOMEN: gain, dressy, neat, and clean are the
important guidelines. In addition to pants and slacks, modest dresses
and skirts are fine, as long as they at least reach the knee and
have sleeves. Capri pants (a cross between shorts and pants) that
reach down to at least mid-calf can be worn anywhere EXCEPT
when teaching/preaching/visiting schools.
If doing ministry at a school or business, it is most important
to dress properly. The nicer you look, the more effective your ministry
will be. If wearing sandals, be sure to wear socks to schools.
Nice t-shirts of any type are fine. Nice jeans are fine also (leave
the heavy metal t-shirts at home please!). If you are in the villages
it is better for the guys to wear either polo shirts or a button
up shirt when not doing practical work but nice t-shirts will be
OK for many things. In the villages the girls will need to move
more towards skirts (longer than the knees).
SHOES & FOOTWEAR
1 pair hiking or trekking (if going to hilltribes), 1 pair walking,
1 pair nice for church.
* sandals/flip flops - extremely useful for entering houses or using
for showers (must remove shoes whenever entering a house in Asia).
Sandals with a backstrap will also be necessary to enter any/all
temples here in Thailand. Please pay close attention to where others
have taken off their shoes and follow their lead. If your shoes
are expensive, you may want to carry them in with you and store
them inside.
* if you are going to be doing extensive trekking in the hills,
please contact your host for specifics on clothing and footwear
etc.
PIERCINGS/TATOOS
It seems these days we are getting more and more questions about
piercings and tatoos from teams, so here are a few guidelines.
Pierced ears on women are fine here in Thailand. However, teams
need to be concerned about all the other kinds of piercings (both
male and female) that are currently in vogue. Any unusual piercings
may not cause a fuss for the average Thai person, but it will cause
concern amongst the Thai Christian community. Please understand
that we understand this is an amoral issue. However, we need teams
to understand that this is where our brothers and sisters are at
here in Thailand. Therefore, we ask teams to respect this and come
willing to remove lip, navel, eyebrow, tongue (etc) piercings for
the duration of their outreach. It is also possible for people with
these types of piercings to be creative in this endeavour. (you
can usually take these types of rings out during the day during
ministry and put them back in while you are sleeping to maintain
the holes) Pierced ears on men are usually frowned upon by the Thai
Christian community. In the Hilltribes, pierced ears on men are
frowned upon because those people are usually associated with thugs
and hooligans.
Tatoos here in Thailand are usually done for good luck and are associated
with religious ceremonies pertaining to Buddhism. There is not the
same "negative" overtones associated with tatoos as there
are in the west. Obviously, there is not much a person can do if
they have a tatoo other than cover it up if they feel it is going
to be a distraction.
MISC. ITEMS
TEAM MEDICAL KIT (Note that all listed drugs below are readily and
very cheaply available over the counter in almost any drugstore
in Thailand, so if necessary, you can easily assemble a kit when
you arrive)
Aspirin/pain reliever, cold medicine, diarrhea medicine, Laxative,
motion sickness pills, Band-Aids, antibiotic cream, cream for bites/stings,
cream for burns/scalds, anti-itching ointment, tweezers, thermometer,
packets of powdered electrolyte replacement for diarrhea.
WHAT NOT TO BRING!
Lightsabers
Large pets with spots
Negative attitude
Bowling ball
Excessively heavy tubas
Get
our Application
Form HERE
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