When you are vacationing in Thailand, or anywhere in the world, there are some areas where the most lost items occur. The list below can help you troubleshoot and walk your way through your day to see if you passed through any of these areas. These are the most likely candidates for helping you to find your lost Thailand items.
The absolute most common place people lose items in Thailand? Airport! Airport seats in the lobby. Airport coffee shops. Airport restrooms. Taxis that take you to the airport. Be especially careful in these areas to keep track of every possession that is important to you!
20 Most Common Locations Where Things Get Lost on Vacation
- Hotel Rooms – Items are often left behind in drawers, closets, under beds, or in the bathroom, especially during the rush to check out. It’s a good idea to pull back the covers and check the bed thoroughly for mobile and computer chargers, money, wallets, purses, tickets and other important papers and items.
- Airports – With the stress of security checks, boarding, and baggage claim, items are frequently lost in terminals, at security checkpoints, or on the plane. We get MANY Lost Item Reports for things lost in the Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Chiang Mai airports. There is something almost magically magnetic about the floors of coffee shops in the airport too. So many things are lost by leaving them on the chairs in the lobby, on the table of a coffee or convenience shop. Please be careful!
- Rental Cars – Small items like keys, phones, and sunglasses often slip between seats or are left in the trunk during hectic moments. Even large items are often left in the trunk as both taxi driver and passengers forget something was put in there. The good news is, you can almost always get your things back. Make it a habit to take a photo of the taxi you are entering and send it to a friend. Text ID numbers of taxi drivers to friends as well – and the COMPANY the driver is part of is also extremely important. Fill out a Lost Item Report form to put us on your side to help.
- Beaches – Sunglasses, towels, and valuables are commonly misplaced in the sand or left behind after a day of relaxation. Before you leave the beach, run your hands around the beach chair you’re sitting in and see if there’s anything that got covered up.
- Public Transportation (buses, trains, taxis) – Belongings like wallets, bags, and phones are easily forgotten on seats, in luggage compartments, or left behind when exiting quickly. Anything on your lap can easily end up on the floor as you move around. Check the floor before you leave any public transportation in Thailand.
- Restaurants and Cafes – In the midst of dining, people often forget items like wallets, sunglasses, and hats on tables or chairs. It’s a bad idea to leave a purse on a chair in any public area. Not only can you easily forget it, but there are thieves looking for this scenario.
- Parks and Picnic Areas – After enjoying the outdoors, items like jackets, blankets, and food containers are often left behind. Check the longtail boats thoroughly before you exit one.
- Shopping Malls – With so many bags and purchases, it’s easy to misplace personal items in changing rooms, on benches, or at checkout counters. This is one of my own problems! I tend to put bags down while I look at other items in a store. I have forgotten bags often and had to run around frantically to try to find them. Usually a store employee has them, but I’ve also lost some bags of items too!
- Tourist Attractions (museums, monuments) – Busy environments with lots of distractions lead to forgotten bags, cameras, and guidebooks.
- Swimming Pools – Towels, sunglasses, wallets, purses, and flip-flops are frequently left behind at hotel or resort pools.
- Rental Properties (Airbnb, vacation homes) – Items are often left in drawers, on nightstands, or in closets during the rush to pack and leave. It’s important to check all over your rental unit because chances are you moved in like it’s really your home for a few days, and then when you leave you’re bound to forget to open all the drawers or check all the rooms.
- Theme Parks – In the excitement of rides and attractions, belongings like hats, bags, and souvenirs are easily misplaced. Loose items can fly off your body on fast rides too!
- Public Restrooms – Items like phones, wallets, sunglasses, and bags of newly-bought goods are often forgotten on counters or in stalls.
- Taxis/Ride Shares – Phones, wallets, kids, and bags are frequently left behind when exiting quickly, especially if distracted or tired.
- Airplanes – Items like laptops, headphones, and passports are easily forgotten in seat pockets in front of you, overhead bins, or under seats. Don’t forget to check the seats and reach down in the crease between cushions.
- Bus and Train Stations – With the rush to catch connections, tickets, bags, and personal items are often left behind on benches or in waiting areas. What would hurt more than losing an entire backpack full of laptop, iPad, mobile phone, wallet, cash, cards, ID, passport, etc.? Not very much, right? Keep your backpacks under constant surveillance!
- Cruise Ships – With so many activities and areas to explore, passengers often misplace items in lounges, restaurants, and cabins.
- Rental Equipment Locations (bikes, skis, snorkels) – Personal belongings like keys, wallets, and phones are often left behind when returning rented gear.
- Hiking Trails and Parks – Items like water bottles, jackets, and cameras are commonly left behind on benches or at rest stops. We get a few Lost Item Reports from people who lost items in Thailand National Parks each week. Mostly, it’s cameras and phones.
- Concerts and Events – In the excitement of a live event, belongings like bags, hats, and tickets are often forgotten in seats or on the ground. Not to mention, stolen. Concerts and other large events are great places for purse-snatchers and other misfits. Keep your valuables close and in front of you – put your backpack in front, not the back.
If you pay attention to this list – just read it through once or twice – you’ll have more awareness while on vacation in Thailand and you are less likely to lose something. Of course, if you’re a bit scatterbrained like us, you’ll lose something anyway!
If You Lose Something in Thailand – Let Us Help >