What actually goes in the carry-on
After ten years and one lost suitcase in Bangkok, this is the list. Everything else can be checked.
Updated 28 April 2026
The rule: if your checked bag never arrives, you should still be able to function for 48 hours. That's it. Build your carry-on around that.
Non-negotiable
- Passport, second photo ID, two payment cards (different networks, different banks)
- Phone, charging cable, 10,000mAh power bank (airline-legal)
- Universal adapter — the Skross Pro is worth the SGD 60
- One change of clothes + underwear, vacuum-rolled
- Toothbrush, deodorant, contact lenses + glasses
The forgettables (the ones that ruin a trip)
- Paracetamol + Imodium + rehydration sachets — three things that turn a bad night into a non-event
- A dry bag (4L). For wet swimsuits, dirty laundry, electronics in tropical rain
- Spare contact lens case + small bottle of solution
- Earplugs + eye mask — even if you don't use them at home, you will at a Bangkok hostel
- Folded canvas tote — for markets, day trips, the inevitable extra bag home
What I stopped packing
- More than one book. Kindle wins.
- Travel pillows. They never live up to the airport-store hope.
- Shoes you haven't broken in. Just don't.
- More than 3 days of clothes for a 2-week trip. You'll wash on day 4.
"Pack for the trip you're actually taking, not the trip you're posting about."