Money exchange in thailand?

Question

heyy, i am australian therefor i have AUD how should i get my money over there ie. atms, money exchange counters, banks.

i am planning on taking $2000 AUD over and i do not want 60 odd thousand THB in my pocket so how should i. i want aprox. 2000 THB on me?

i really dont know anything about the money so any help or hints would be great lol

Cheers

Answer 1

Don't change any money over to Thai baht until you reach Thailand, you will get a better exchange rate in Thailand than other countries.  

Thailand uses banks and mini banks to exchange money.  The exchange rates are changed every day.  Most of the banks will have about the same rate on that same particular day.  

You can change travelers checks and cash at the airport when you arrive.  You can also use the ATM's with many debit and credit cards.  When you use an ATM take out the maximum you can to cut down on lots of fees for small withdrawals.  Don't worry about getting stuck with Thai baht when you go home - you will have a chance to change baht over to AUD at the airport.  

Make sure you get some small bills for paying taxi rides.  Taxi drivers may tell you that they do not have change for a 500 baht note, hoping you will be stupid enough to say "keep the change!"

I always use the security box in the hotel to safeguard cash and valuables.  Don't leave the key to that safety box out in plain sight, if you get ripped off in a hotel it will probably be a fellow tourist not necessarily the hotel staff.

You will get used to the currency pretty fast.  You can use a "cheat sheet" and write down what the approximate value is for 20 baht, 50 baht, 100 baht, 500 baht and 1000 baht notes so you will have it straight in your head. But, after  a while you will get used to it.  

Currency conversion chart:

http://www.nwa.com/travel/world/currency...

The banks and mini-banks are all over the city, you won't have a problem changing money.  Hotels and stores will have a lower exchange rate than the banks.  

If you use credit cards or debit cards make sure you tell your bank that you will be overseas, otherwise your withdrawal at an ATM may be denied because they suspect fraud.  Also, my advice is to use cash for cheap purchases, especially in stores and restaurants to avoid fraudulent charges that you will not discover until you return home.

For debit cards I try to use an ATM when their bank is still open so that if the card doesn't come back the bank employee can open the ATM and get it.  I take out the maximum that I can each time to cut down on lots of fees for cheap withdrawals.



There are credit unions and  some banks that sell travelers checks to their members without any commission charges.  Some credit unions and banks also pay your ATM charges even when overseas - if you look around you probably can find one near your home - if you want.  

Don't flash money around, I try to have small bills separate from larger bills, usually in a shirt pocket which I use for cheap purchases.  I keep the 1000 baht notes tucked away out of sight.

Good luck.

Answer 2

money is easy to exchange in Bangkok, it's everywhere in malls

Answer 3

I suggest you take travellers cheques in high denomination Aussie Dollars ($200 or $500 units). If you have a debit card on any Aussie Bank you should be able to use it at any ATM in Thailand to get cash in Thai Baht.

Answer 4

carry less than 5000 baht on you, and use an ATM to withdraw the money.  

After fees and finance charges, it is actually cheaper to exchange money at a money exchange counter, but I would not recommend having that type of cash on you.

Answer 5

Best to use your ATM card, and take some dollars with you also.  Many places in Bangkok to exchange dollars.  As for your ATM card be sure to inform your bank your going overseas so they don't lock your card.

Answer 6

Check your bank service rate for using ATM card in Thailand. Its convenience and plentiful ATM machines everywhere makes it easy. And the inter-bank exchange rate is lower than you can ever hope to get from any money exchange service.