What Products Can You Not Live Without From Home?

[Goinghomesoon]

Lioness just saw the Gravox ready-made gravy and sauces in the sachets this morning at my local Tops - 79 baht each. They didn't have the gravy powder though I have seen it at Villa.

I am crossing knickers off my Oz shopping list - bought nice large size at Marks and Spencer in Central Chidlom last weekend. 7 pairs for 940 baht which works out less than I pay in Oz. I know there are cheaper but the M&S ones actually cover both cheeks and keep their elastic for a long time.

My list from home includes:

- 1kg jars of Vegemite cos it's sooo expensive here

- Copha...I need my Chocolate Crackle fix

- kangaroo stir fry strips

- Carefree Super tampons in the largest bulk box I can find. The teeny tiny boxes available here in the various brands drive me nuts

- Rexona Sport pump bottle deodorant, although I can live with Boots Sport roll-on

- bras (M&S has up to size 40G they don't have a huge range of designs)

- sports gear (the Nike shop sales lady disappeared out the back when I walked in

- reasonably priced fresh stone fruit such as peaches (yum).

[cathyy]

I miss readily available Macintosh software, and decent coffee. Not espresso, but coffee. I miss hash browns and genuine omelets when I go out for breakfast. But I can make those myself. I miss Fritos corn chips, not to be confused with tortilla chips. I miss Wendy's. But I don't have any of this brought in for me, except the Mac software.

-The bras here actually fit me better than the US ones, to the point where I'm planning on sending a few to my sister who has a similar shape.

-My Oriental Princess deodorant works just fine, and matches the scent of my bodywash and powder.

-My Oil of Olay "White Radiance" moisturizer may claim to be whitening, but the SPF of 24 is why I buy it. In the US, they just use the word "brightening" or "illuminating" instead of "whitening" for the same effect.

-Oriental Princess cuticle hair treatment is good stuff.

[RueFang]

- 1kg jars of Vegemite

- kangaroo stir fry strips

- reasonably priced fresh stone fruit such as peaches (yum).

hmm, whatever country might you be from, I wonder??? (my friends ALWAYS pack the vegemite when they visit me )

[lioness]

Anyone wanting Kangaroo strips is obviously an Aussie.

My last trip home 10 months ago saw me coming back with 20 x 24 hour roll on Deodorants, 10 Kg Fillet steak 10 Kg T Bones 3 Kg Roo meat and 5kg Gravox Gravey powder, Business class ( not because I'm well off, due to medical ) I had a 30kg baggage allowance which covered the above just.

You would think the gravey powder and roll on Deo would last me, but...my friends like them too, I can't say no. And there is no beef in Thailand that compares with Australian steak.

Lioness

[girlx]

right now i am missing chloroseptic throat spray- it's an anaesthetic that you use for sore throats.

[bggg]

right now i am missing chloroseptic throat spray- it's an anaesthetic that you use for sore throats.

I know what u mean girlx, nothing beats that when u have a really bad throat.

childrens chewable tylenol

childrens chewable multi vitamins

blonde eyebrow pencils

Hickory Farms summer sausage

Taco Bell

Drive thru fast food

[wr3kt]

ooooh yeah I'm really missing decent antiperspirant... I brought 2 tubes of Drysol with me from Canada and I'm about to finish them off! I also have a *really* hard time finding stick-style deodorants here. I've never found TendSkin in Bangkok either, which I guess is ok because I havent seen a waxer in 6 months!

also cant live without:

Neutrogena "cooling mist" spray sunblock (spf 45 hehe, brought a stash)

Deep Woods Off - the citronella wipes just dont do it for me

hardcore cold remedies - I get sick so often here and none of the decongestants work for me, they all have antihistamines which knock me out and i still cant breathe!

I hope this is ok to put here - I'm moving back home in a month and I have a 235g jar of Vegemite that I've been toting around for a while, BB date 29/02/08 but its still sealed. should still be good? after reading this thread I though maybe someone wants it? free to anyone in the area, I go to school near Silom Rd.

[brahmburgers]

M&S panties and bras ....are they anything like the S&M type - lined with spikes facing inwards?

....maybe was invented by the same person who thought up stilleto heel shoes.

[sbk]

believe they mean Marks & Spencers brahms. But if the image of spiked underpants does something for you..... dream on

[mssabai]

believe they mean Marks & Spencers brahms. But if the image of spiked underpants does something for you..... dream on

AKA Marks and Sparks. A british institution!

[donna]

anyway, i missed vegemite when i was in phuket. could only find it in the deli in patong.

Oh, which deli is that, I don't know Patong well but do you know the name or can you describe where it is?

sorry g00dgirl, just saw this post!

the deli is on Rat-U-Thit road, which is the 'back' road. so, you come down from the mountain from kathu, and at the temple, follow the road towards the beach. after the petrol station, turn left, and thats Rat-U-Thit road. go along for a couple of hundred metres and you will see The Deli on the left hand side. its yellow in colour and has everything from 'home'. its run by a thai apparently, but due to the location and a lack of good car parking, it makes it difficult to get to these days.

it could be done a lot better and i wish the owners would see the full potential of the Deli.

in fact, if the uprooted and moved to Jungceylon they would make a killing (but there are probably regulations in place to stop them from having another supermarket in the same complex).

[Nicci]

Hey girls, I' m new to the TV forum but lovin' it already!

So recognisable, all these stories!

In general I really miss good quality clothing! The things that don't shrink after washing or loose color like hel_l!

being from the Netherlands, I really miss some good cheese [ I know probably pretty corny! can't help it!]

And the DOuwe Egberts coffee!

I miss good fitting underwear as well!

Although there are so many things I love here [the bananpancakes with chocolate sauce!!! and all the thai dishes!]

I'm in europe for the moment [enjoying all the above and shopping to bring over once I' m back!]

Will be in BKK for the last week of June, so girls if there are urgant needs...let me know! See what I can bring!! )) I' m thinking of starting a marmite import...

[mic6ard]

definitely tampons, wow are they impossible to find or what. That and decent deodorant, stuff here just aren't the same

[eek]

Can get tampons easy here in Chiang Mai, Bangkok too. Are you in the Islands mic6ard? Watsons, other pharmacists and Supermarkets stock them (Topps, Tescos etc). The popular brand is called Obi. So, if you cant find them, ask an assistant if they have "Obi" in stock. GL

[gcrepos]

A mans persective ...lol

Yes the thai deodorants seem to be made from sting materials

So this my idea

1) Deodorant such as lynx the thai brand is the same but the contents are totaly different

2) Toilet paper (I hate the thai brands they seem to be on the weak side )

3) marmite for sure (I dont like the Vegemite sorry guys & girls )

4) Baked Beans by Heinz (4-6 tins used when missing home ....lol )

5) oh yes the steaks & lamb

6)smoked back bacon

7) Branston Pickle a must have

8) French mustard (the brown mild type 40p in asda type )

9)Pataks curry paste 6 jars .lol each trip the paste is great mixed with curry powder oops.....from the Ul of course to make it all last a little longer

10) my bags nearly full so a number of packet mixes such as colemans fajitas. I hope you ladies dont mind some male input....................lol.... cottage pie mix & several others....

[Boo]

If there is a Boots near you mic6ard then they sell most of their own products including applicator tampons. They aren't cheap & I actually prefer OB but it's handy to stock up on a couple of packs for emergencies.

Maybe too much information for the men but I actually have a tampon & pad storage box, currently stocking over 200 tampons & pads I once got stuck in Issan without any tampons & much to my horror couldn't find them anywhere so I make a point of having a lot on reserve at all times

Other things I can't live without.....not much actually although I was thinking today that I wished boots did the No7 freebie giveaways here, where you buy 20 quids worth of No7 products & got a great little free bag full of miniatures of their currently popular brands, mascara, mini moisturizer (perfect for weekend trips) & always a nice lippy & matching nail varnish. Hardly essential but a nice treat none the less.

[sunspun]

funny...i'm quite the opposite when it comes to deodorant (anti-perspirant really..)

i can't find a single brand in canada i like!

me and the husband use the same..nivea for men. when we come back home we stock up on as much as we can! usually on a 11 pm rush in bangkok to stock up on everything we forgot just before the flight. the 7-11 staff must find it hilarious "uh, 2 bottles of sangsom, 4 cartons of l&m, a bag of birdie 3-in-1, and 27 bottles of nivea deodorant please.."

pack that in with the 8 kgs of ma's curry, and a jumble of magic "protection" strings, amulets, kris, necklaces...etc...

[Jackrabbit]

Noxzema

Rolaids

Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant (NOT antiperspirant)

Advil

However there are many products here that are great and are not available in the USA

[waterford]

For those looking for DEODORANT - Try Villa Market (only place I've seen it - though it is made in Thailand) - FOCAL Body Deodorant Spray. Says it's all natural, hypo-allergenic and fragrance free. Works very well for me and I have stopped bothering bring deodorant from US.