Title: 
Thailand Holiday Countdown

Word Count:
536

Summary:
With only 5 days remaining until I go to Thailand, the Land of Smiles, it is time to do some serious packing.


Keywords:
baht, carry-on, thailand, cell phone, pack, items, gifts, suitcase. luggage, Bangkok, flight


Article Body:
For the past three weeks, I have been tossing "stuff" in my suitcase in preparation for a 3-week vacation in Khon Kaen, Thailand.  These are the things I will need there, but don’t need here on a daily basis.  Things like, my portable DVD player, digital camera, books and magazines, gifts, and other miscellaneous items.

Now it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty.  I did my laundry last night so that I would be all set to start packing my clothes.

There isn’t all that much to pack when going to Thailand.  I will bring two pair of jeans, two pair of slacks, ½ dozen dress shirts and another ½ dozen T-shirts.  Six pair of underwear and 6 pair of socks, along with one pair of shoes, a couple pairs of shorts and one pair of shower slippers, should complete the wardrobe.

My travel toiletry bag is always packed.  I just need to make a quick inventory and insure that I have the essentials and I will buy the rest when I arrive.

The other electronics will get packed right before I leave.  I will bring my laptop and cable along with my cell phone and charger.  These are usually the last two items I pack and they go in my carry-on bag.

The gifts I bought for my girlfriend, her mother and brother will take up the bulk of the two suitcases.  Hawaiian print material, T-shirts, candy, stuffed animal, sleepwear, and some small knick-knacks will round it out.

My carry-on backpack will hold the laptop and cell phone as mentioned earlier, along with the noise cancelling headphones, camera, a book and a magazine, some mints and gum.  Of course, the ticket, passport, itinerary, some Hawaiian chocolate macadamia nuts, and other small items will fill up about half of the bag.

When I get to the airport, I will stop by the duty free shop to pick up some cigarettes, so I will have to leave room in my carry-on for them.  And, if I see something nice, I may get another gift for my girl.

When I arrive in Bangkok, I won't have to worry about currency conversion right away.  I still have some Baht remaining from my last trip.  This will easily see my through my first night and then I can exchange some cash to Baht in Khon Kaen.

I have already notified my credit/debit card company that I will be in Thailand and what the dates are so that they don’t put a hold on my card.  And I have some dollars with me just in case.  I like to have multiple streams of money to access.  I don’t like traveler's checks because of the cost and only being able to cash them during business hours at a bank.  Debit ATM card is the most convenient way to get Thai Baht for me.

I will get out my checklist and go over it once again.  But, I think I am just about ready to go.

All I have to do is get through 3 more days of work, wait for my 0430 shuttle, and then the 15 hour flight and I will be on a glorious vacation with my girlfriend.  Amen.