Getting close to our 4th stay in Hau Hin, so excited, like a kid waiting for Christmas.
Anyway back to my question, what are the pros and cons of exchanging UK £20 notes into Thai BHT at Suvarnabhumi Airport? just need a few days cash til we get sorted.
The rates in the UK are total crap, so if you have any thoughts or other alternatives please enlighten me.
Kind regards
Dave & Lynn
A mate told me scientists are trying to invent Viagra for women. I told him it's been around for years: they call it 'cash.'
If I need Thai currency on arrival in Thailand, I don't think twice about changing money at the airport. I always find the rates there are comparable with the rest of Thailand.
Buying THB abroad is plain stupid. The f/x rate will always be worse than buying the currency in its native land.
I've never encountered any difference in the airport bank rates and the rate in banks outside the airport. I don't think banks want to be going to the bother of having different rates in different places - rates are moving all day long from big central data servers.
On 20 quid how much possible difference could there be even if they set different rates all over the country? 20 baht?
Yup I change currency at Swampy as well no problem. BUT - never a lot - because I simply don't carry much stirling into Thailand anyway. I prefer to pay any hotel bills by credit card and draw spending money at ATMs with the debit card.
For a stay of more than a week or 2 you would need to carry more cash than is worth the risk of losing. At least if cards are lost they can be stopped.
Online banking is a great help as well.
We change enough at the airport for the first few days. My wife is Thai and has family in BKK so they know places that have a better rates. With a few days cash we don't feel we loose much yet have a time to acclimatize.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
margaretcarnes wrote:Yup I change currency at Swampy as well no problem. BUT - never a lot - because I simply don't carry much stirling into Thailand anyway. I prefer to pay any hotel bills by credit card and draw spending money at ATMs with the debit card.
For a stay of more than a week or 2 you would need to carry more cash than is worth the risk of losing. At least if cards are lost they can be stopped.
Online banking is a great help as well.
Yep, agree with that Mags - we've also picked up a couple of ''Currency Cards'' to give them a try. Actually get a better deal than using my Lloyds Debit card it seems, plus added security in that not only can the card be cancelled, but should the card be nicked/lost with access to the PIN, we can only lose what we have put on the card - no access to our main account etc.
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" - Yma o Hyd.
7th floor kiosk at MBK centre used to give a pretty decent rate (comparatively). Mind you that was back when you used to get 79 bath to the pound. Imagine that!
Anyway the rates are much the same every where else.
Out of the airport money changers often give the best rates. But do you really want to be chasing around in heat and traffic to find the one that will save you 50 satang on a pound?
margaretcarnes wrote:Yup I change currency at Swampy as well no problem. BUT - never a lot - because I simply don't carry much stirling into Thailand anyway. I prefer to pay any hotel bills by credit card and draw spending money at ATMs with the debit card.
For a stay of more than a week or 2 you would need to carry more cash than is worth the risk of losing. At least if cards are lost they can be stopped.
Online banking is a great help as well.
Yep, agree with that Mags - we've also picked up a couple of ''Currency Cards'' to give them a try. Actually get a better deal than using my Lloyds Debit card it seems, plus added security in that not only can the card be cancelled, but should the card be nicked/lost with access to the PIN, we can only lose what we have put on the card - no access to our main account etc.
margaretcarnes wrote:Yup I change currency at Swampy as well no problem. BUT - never a lot - because I simply don't carry much stirling into Thailand anyway. I prefer to pay any hotel bills by credit card and draw spending money at ATMs with the debit card.
For a stay of more than a week or 2 you would need to carry more cash than is worth the risk of losing. At least if cards are lost they can be stopped.
Online banking is a great help as well.
Yep, agree with that Mags - we've also picked up a couple of ''Currency Cards'' to give them a try. Actually get a better deal than using my Lloyds Debit card it seems, plus added security in that not only can the card be cancelled, but should the card be nicked/lost with access to the PIN, we can only lose what we have put on the card - no access to our main account etc.
Are those currency cards from Lloyds harve?
No, not through Lloyds. There are numerous cards out there, but we went with ''Caxton'' - http://www.caxtonfxcard.com/
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things" - Yma o Hyd.
