Money exchange at Bangkok airport
Replies: 18 - Last Post: Dec 9, 2012 7:16 PM Last Post By: SimonHill
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Money exchange at Bangkok airport
Hi all,Is it advisable to get some local money upon arrival at BKK airport? Do they offer good a good exchange rate?
Thanks
2
Agree with #1, particularly re small notes.Thailand is about the only country I know where the exchange rate at the airport is pretty much the same as you will get in town.
Enjoy your travels,
Grazee
3
Thailand is about the only country I know where the exchange rate at the airport is pretty much the same as you will get in town.
Not true. Better rates in town, especially if you're willing to walk around and search out the best rate.
5
Yeah, unless you are changing vast amounts of money, the slightly better exchange rates in town won't make much difference at all. In any case, the exchange rates in BKK airport are still a LOT better than the rates you are likely to get in your home country.Bear in mind there are ATMs in the airport too. You can take out small notes from ATMs to give you some change for the cab fare (ie. take out 4900 baht instead of 5000). If you forget to do that, and you're going on the expressway, you can also get change for 1000 baht notes at the toll booths.
7
Is there a limit on how much cash, bills, can be exchanged?(We are thinking of a small to medium amount of Canadian cash, $2500 each, then deposit the Bhats in Thai bank account]
Also, I think I read somewhere else the denominations make a difference?
(.Does it make a difference if it is $20 or $100 Canadian bills?]
8
You have to change some money at the airport otherwise you would not have any Thai baht to pay for your bus or taxi rides etc. You have to use baht to pay for things in Bangkok.I don't find the rate at the airport to be terribly bad compared to other banks in town. The rate changes every working day anyway. What you get on arrival will be different a couple days later, either up or down a little. If the rate is more a few days later doesn't mean you got a bad rate you got the rate in force for that particular day.
Don't change any money in a different country than Thailand that is when you really get a lousy rate! Bank money changers are at the airport 24 hours a day. You can even change excess Thai baht back to your own currency when you return to the airport to fly out.
The bank money changers and mini bank money changers are all over the city and have decent hours. Hotels and stores usually have worse rates.
Good luck.
Edited by: CheapCharles
11
He would probably take your dollars if he reckoned he could make some extra money by giving you a poor exchange rate. Otherwise, he would prefer to be paid in baht, which is the currency in daily use in Thailand.12
Are ATMs still charging 150 baht per transaction?If so then its a bad move to take out small amounts - even the 5000 mentioned above would have roughly a 3% 'surcharge', making cash probably a better deal.
Re the rates - I take Pounds Sterling (UK) and always reckon that the airport is pretty good. If you trawl the streets around KSR you will find small variations in rates, which may be slightly better than the airport, but you are only talking small fractions of a baht. Other currencies may be different.
