Thailand - money

Crazyivan 1979

Hi all,
Heading off to thailand for 3 wks at the start of august.

My plan:

1. Fly in to Bangkok (spend 3 days there)
2. Train and boat to Ko Tao (1 week there)
3. Across to Ko Samui (1 week there)
4. Across to Ko Phangan (1 week there)
5. Fly back to Bangkok.

What is the best way to bring/ carry money?

Should I bring Euros/ USD and change over there at a bank for baht/ travellers cheques?

Or should I stick it all on my credit card before I go and take it out as needed? If I do that, is there good access to cash machines on the places I have mentioned?

Are safes in the villas/ apts on the islands reliable/ trustworthy?

Thanks.

conbre

stick it on the credit card, get set up with internet banking so you can transfer money to your other acc (current), keep your other card somewhere safe as back up.

Berty

I will tell you what I did.

I had AU Dollars with me. I just changed it as I needed it. Most exchange kiosks(and there are hundreds of them) do not charge any commission at all. They are all along the street and very trustworthy and safe.

Transaction takes less than 3 minutes usually.

Keep money in the hotel safe like I did. I was hoping to bring back some AU home to change back into Euros. I came home with 20THB which is around €1.80. :mad:

Do not bother with the CC in Thailand. A lot of transactions, nearly all are haggling to you cannot really haggle with a CC because of charges.

Are the Villas etc trustworth reliable. Too broad a question to answer.

Check out http://www.tripadvisor.ie and type in the name of the places you are going to stay in. Read the views. Know before you Go

Crazyivan 1979

Thanks for the info

conbre

i found withdrawing from cash machines the most convenient, if your cc is in the plus you dont pay any charrges, carrying a lot of cash in thailand is a bit foolish, from my experiences over there

spongeman

Berty wrote: »

I will tell you what I did.

I had AU Dollars with me. I just changed it as I needed it. Most exchange kiosks(and there are hundreds of them) do not charge any commission at all. They are all along the street and very trustworthy and safe.

Transaction takes less than 3 minutes usually.

Keep money in the hotel safe like I did. I was hoping to bring back some AU home to change back into Euros. I came home with 20THB which is around €1.80. :mad:

Do not bother with the CC in Thailand. A lot of transactions, nearly all are haggling to you cannot really haggle with a CC because of charges.

Are the Villas etc trustworth reliable. Too broad a question to answer.

Check out http://www.tripadvisor.ie and type in the name of the places you are going to stay in. Read the views. Know before you Go

Good advice there. I have been to Thailand ten times and never used a hotel safe.

The higher demonations of note the better the rate. Jewellery shops also give a good rate.

Change as you go is good advice, as Berty said.

Berty

Also the word "EASY" is my favourite Thailand word for language barrier.

"How much do you want for it?"

"3000THB"

"I will give you 100THB"

"NO NO NO NO!! Too little You give me 500THB(WTF happened to 3000THB buddy?)"

"I give you 100THB" * Hold out money in a waving kind of way "Take it, EASY money, quick sale, EASY!!"

"No No No"

Finally you do this

"Ok Im feeling nice today, here is 200THB. Its all I pay, Its EASY for you, EASY, you just take money I take polo shirt EASY

They hated myself and GF who got into the haggling thing fairly quickly when she realised she could get knock off Gucci/Guess bags for half nothing.

Morale of story. Foolish people spend money fairly quickly. If you are good at haggling and your money then you will be ok and change a lot less at the kiosks.

Remember. Its EASY when you know how!!

**EASY phrase copyright of Berty. Use responsibly.

gman2k

Euros are accepted at all exchange counters over there.
There's nothing wrong with American Express travellers cheques also!

Mistake I made when going out there last time was buying some bahts in Amsterdam - very expensive.

big b

Apart from any upmarket stores & restaurants....haggle for EVERYTHING in Thailand.
Changing money is very easy, but shop around for that too. A money exchange opposite my hotel offered 300 baht more for €50 than the hotel rate.
If you take the time to haggle, and to shop around, your money should go a long way.