changing Money
changing Money
Can anyone let me know if it is best to change money in the UK or HH and where is the best rate in HH, is it also best to fetch T cheques or currency £ or $
Money & stuff
Hi kt,
Hope that I can give some advice - this may not be the gospel as there are many angles on this.
Money - Change in Thailand, it is easy to change some on arrival (at realistic rates) at the Airport in BKK.
Cash - convenient, but a slightly worse rate than travellers cheques. You must weigh up how much you are being charged for the travellers cheques in the first place.
Travellers cheques - bring stirling if you are from the UK, or Euros if in Europe. I have seen advice that you should use dollars. This will cost extra if you buy $ travellers cheques in UK or Europe and is unneccesary.
Travellers cheques are safest in case of loss.
Cash Card - (not Credit Card) widely accepted in cash machines. Unfortunately all issuers have their own charg / commission structure. Best top get largish amounts (that way you pay less charges overall).
I note that you are staying at the Anantara. A good choice of Hotel, slightly outside of HH town, but there is a courtesy transfer and Taxi is only about 100 Baht. There are deposit safes (FOC) in all rooms (or there were) so cash is fairly safe.
Do not change at the Hotel - a really crap rate.
In Thailand, I usually use a mixture of cash and cash card - the saving on travellers cheques, for me, doesn't outweigh the convenience of using cash.
I am certain that someone will remind us of the dangers of card use and cash in Thailand. All I can say is that I have never had a problem (got any wood that I can touch?).
Suggest you read http://www.bangkokbob.net/money.htm which gives loads of tips etc.
Whatever, you've picked a good hotel, in a great place - so enjoy!
/Peter
Hope that I can give some advice - this may not be the gospel as there are many angles on this.
Money - Change in Thailand, it is easy to change some on arrival (at realistic rates) at the Airport in BKK.
Cash - convenient, but a slightly worse rate than travellers cheques. You must weigh up how much you are being charged for the travellers cheques in the first place.
Travellers cheques - bring stirling if you are from the UK, or Euros if in Europe. I have seen advice that you should use dollars. This will cost extra if you buy $ travellers cheques in UK or Europe and is unneccesary.
Travellers cheques are safest in case of loss.
Cash Card - (not Credit Card) widely accepted in cash machines. Unfortunately all issuers have their own charg / commission structure. Best top get largish amounts (that way you pay less charges overall).
I note that you are staying at the Anantara. A good choice of Hotel, slightly outside of HH town, but there is a courtesy transfer and Taxi is only about 100 Baht. There are deposit safes (FOC) in all rooms (or there were) so cash is fairly safe.
Do not change at the Hotel - a really crap rate.
In Thailand, I usually use a mixture of cash and cash card - the saving on travellers cheques, for me, doesn't outweigh the convenience of using cash.
I am certain that someone will remind us of the dangers of card use and cash in Thailand. All I can say is that I have never had a problem (got any wood that I can touch?).
Suggest you read http://www.bangkokbob.net/money.htm which gives loads of tips etc.
Whatever, you've picked a good hotel, in a great place - so enjoy!
/Peter
Thanks for info Pete, I assume you have spent some time in HH and thailand when did you go? is it as good as it seems?. We are going to bangkok first then on to Chiang Rai for a few days, have you been there?
The Tsumani has taken the shine off, we cannot believe what has happened, hopefully we can do something while we are there
kt
The Tsumani has taken the shine off, we cannot believe what has happened, hopefully we can do something while we are there
kt
Thailand, HH etc
Hi again kt,
This will be fairly brief I'm afraid.
We were last in Thailand (Bangkok and HH) in March / April 2004 (See trip report re Anantara) http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/vi ... .php?t=494 . (and others)
My wife and I have not been to Chiang Rai, although there are others on the board who will have been - from everything I have heard a few days there are worthwhile.
We will be back in Thailand mid March to early April again this year but not HH. I have an ex work colleague who is now a resident expat in HH, so we will be going back, but when we do not yet know.
We intend that our next holiday (Sept / Oct) will be back to Bali which we also love.
With regard to the Tsumani taking the shine off the trip, I can understand your feelings. Thailand however needs tourism and the best way to show support is to continue to travel to the country. It is possible, in my opinion, to have the necessary respect, enjoy Thai hospitality and therefore provide the income and support that people need.
Janet and I were in Bali at the time of the bombing and we feel that compassion and our love of the country will always draw us back - whilst we are fit and able. The loss of tourist revenue, following that incident, caused hardship to some of the ordinary people of Bali.
Many of the waiters, massage staff, bar girls, beach vendors etc. in Thailand are supporting families in the North. Some of these people will undoubtedly move to other resorts. Hopefully these resorts can pick up some of the 'slack' in employment until the West coast is fully operational again - as it surely will be.
/Peter
This will be fairly brief I'm afraid.
We were last in Thailand (Bangkok and HH) in March / April 2004 (See trip report re Anantara) http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/vi ... .php?t=494 . (and others)
My wife and I have not been to Chiang Rai, although there are others on the board who will have been - from everything I have heard a few days there are worthwhile.
We will be back in Thailand mid March to early April again this year but not HH. I have an ex work colleague who is now a resident expat in HH, so we will be going back, but when we do not yet know.
We intend that our next holiday (Sept / Oct) will be back to Bali which we also love.
With regard to the Tsumani taking the shine off the trip, I can understand your feelings. Thailand however needs tourism and the best way to show support is to continue to travel to the country. It is possible, in my opinion, to have the necessary respect, enjoy Thai hospitality and therefore provide the income and support that people need.
Janet and I were in Bali at the time of the bombing and we feel that compassion and our love of the country will always draw us back - whilst we are fit and able. The loss of tourist revenue, following that incident, caused hardship to some of the ordinary people of Bali.
Many of the waiters, massage staff, bar girls, beach vendors etc. in Thailand are supporting families in the North. Some of these people will undoubtedly move to other resorts. Hopefully these resorts can pick up some of the 'slack' in employment until the West coast is fully operational again - as it surely will be.
/Peter