money

Hi

Is it best to take cash or travellers cheques if the latter $US or sterling, what is the average cost of lunch and an evening meal, does it vary much from Bangkok, is it ok to pay by card in the restaurants or do they prefer cash

regards susie

money

**Is it best to take cash or travellers cheques if the latter $US or sterling, - Take some cash for immediate needs. You can change it into baht at Bangkok Airport while you are waiting for your luggage to come off the carousel. You get a better rate of exchange than in UK everywhere in Thailand. Don%26#39;t bother with TCs, use your debit card (Nationwide Flex Account is best if you yhave time to get one) to draw cash as you need it. Use a Credit Card (again Nationwide is best) to pay hotel bills and large purchases, but not for cash.

** what is the average cost of lunch and an evening meal, - although prices have inevitably risen with Khao Lak%26#39;s recovery from the Tsunami, prices are definitely less than Bangkok, and assuming you are eating Thai, lunch and dinner are about the same, about 600 to 800 baht (perhaps a bit moore if you have fish/seafood) for 2 or 3 courses including a couple of beers/soft drinks.

** is it ok to pay by card in the restaurants or do they prefer cash - other than in the hotel restaurants its very much a cash economy.

money

Thanx for that, very helpful, I can work out now how much we need to put by for our spending money :-)

regards susie

I would minimize the use of your credit card. For cheap purchases use cash! This would cut down the possibility of credit card fraud that you wouldn%26#39;t discover until you got your statement at home. Don%26#39;t forget to notify the card holder company that you will be overseas and also tell them where you will be or the card may not work in an ATM!

Use the security box in your hotel to store excess money and valuables.

Hope you are spending a few days inn Bangkok, it%26#39;s worth a visit too! If you are switching planes at Bangkok to another flight make sure you know which airport the connecting flight is flying out of. Old Don Muang is being used for lots of local flights.

I went into Nationwide yesterday(Milton Keynes branch) to inform them that I would be in Thailand next week.I was told by the girl there they don%26#39;t need to know any more.I asked her to make a note of my itinery anyway,and she did but not very helpfully.Anyway an hour or two after I got home the girl called me to say she had checked on this,and that Nationwide DO NOT take a note of your travels anymore.

So to all travellers.......take a note of the emergency phone number on the back of your card,and keep it in a safe place.That way if the machine chews up your card you%26#39;ll at least be able to inform your company.

MARGARET

Hi Margaret,

I think there is some confusion at your Nationwide branch. They or any bank don%26#39;t need to know about the use of a Debit Card abroad as it is your cash that you are drawing and its your responsibility to safeguard its use. However, they have a vested interest with a credit card as it is their cash you are using and they are guaranteeing its use, so they do need to know. That%26#39;s what Nationwide told me anyway when I phoned the number on my credit card.

Regards

Alan

Hi Alan

I gave the girl both my debit and credit cards,but she insisted that I didn%26#39;t need to inform them of an overseas trip.I told her that several times previously I had done this and that the details of my journey were fed into the computer,but she still said no.She DID take my details on a piece of paper, which I wasn%26#39;t too happy about,but as I said,she phoned me at home to say she had checked with someone else,and that they DO NOT need any details.The reason she gave was that';they advertise the use of the card abroad.';

I think I%26#39;ll phone customer services tomorrow and make sure myself.

Only a few more days now,we can%26#39;t wait.Sorry we miss you.

MARGARET

I miss you too! - Oh, see what you mean! LOL

Have a wonderful time - and send me photos of the pigeon!!!

Alan

Hi Margaret and Alan,

Happy New Year to you both. Back in cold ole Blighty - YUK

Anyhow, I find it ridiculous that Nationwide won%26#39;t take a note of your dates. We bank with Alliance and Leicester and whilst it was a bit of a pain in the rear they restricted the amount we could withdraw to 5000 baht a day, that way if we mislaid our cards or they were stolen that would be the maxiumum damage someone could do in a 24 hour period by which time we could have reported it.

They also made a note on their computer of our dates in case our card was cloned and if it was used after we returned to the UK we would not be liable.

Not long now. Will do my JBR sometime over the weekend but you must visit Lazy House. A great little bar with Gap (sp) playing acoustic guitar.

Sarah

xx

Hi Sarah

I phoned the international number on the back of my credit card this morning and they have now taken note that I%26#39;ll be in Thailand.Can%26#39;t wait for your JBR on Chiang Mai and Khao Lak.

One quick question.....How many T-shirts did yu take?????

Margaret

I understand that Nationwide are soon to intoduce a charge when their credit and debit cards are used in Thailand.