returning to bangkok - tips to swap

[vinapu]

Speaking of currency, I returned to Bangkok after a 15 year hiatus.  With me I brought 17,000 baht from that earlier trip - mostly in nice crisp 1,000 baht notes.  To my surprise several places would not accept them as they did not have the recent security features.  I did manage to use most of them but I still have a couple of them,  Let's see what happens on my next trip - hopefully in a year or two!

check e-bay ,  1000 baht notes from first issue ( one with king and queen on reverse)  in good condition may be bought by collectors at substantial premium.

[vinapu]

I mean I keep cash leftover from trips. I'm not investing in these currencies. But I should exchange it with friends traveling there, to de-clutter my life.

I used to keep it as well but than decided to cut on such a waste and with exception on universal currencies like USD and Euro I made a point of spending everything. Keeping few 20 $ / euro notes helps as in last day or two I may exchange only what I need to tidy  me over.

What I don't manage to spent I either drop in charity boxes in the airports or give to some random person , usually cleaner in the airport. This helps de-cluter   my desk

[ChristianPFC]

But you know I'm a cheapskate, I would never do that (charity boxes, give leftover cash to random person), I would cling to the penny/cent/satang.

[a447a]

I once gave a horny old taxi driver my last few thousand baht after he dropped me off at the airport.

 

During the trip he was bemoaning the fact that the local girls had become so expensive.

 

The look on his face as I handed him the money was priceless. Worth every baht! Lol

[santosh108]

Coincidentally, one nice advantage of having saved the baht for so many years was that they had appreciated.  I had bought them for about 44 baht for the dollar and spent them at 34 baht for the dollar!  Unfortunately I travel to India much more often and I have always lost by holding on to rupees.

[Guest ryanasia]

I once gave a horny old taxi driver my last few thousand baht after he dropped me off at the airport.

 

During the trip he was bemoaning the fact that the local girls had become so expensive.

 

The look on his face as I handed him the money was priceless. Worth every baht! Lol

 

That was a nice gesture. Hope the old codger had some fun.

[a447a]

That was a nice gesture. Hope the old codger had some fun.

He was in his seventies. Here's hoping he didn't die on the job!

[Alexx]

He was in his seventies. Here's hoping he didn't die on the job!

Some of our members are probably older than that and - by all appearances - still going strong...

[Guest]

Holding onto leftover currencies generally works for me.

 

1   We have been in a low interest rate environment, so it is often better to keep money in Baht or Euros & spend it on the next trip rather than encounter an extra layer of charges converting it back.

 

2  In some cases, if I go to a major economy, but am unlikely to be going back there for several years, I just wait until the next overseas trip & change the money direct from one overseas currency to the other.  I would be incurring charges anyway, but it is better just to have charges for buying a foreign currency & then using any leftover to buy another, rather than buy-sell-buy. 

[santosh108]

I think that subconsciously I bring back foreign currency so that I will feel attached to returning to that country again.  Also I do not want to pay the reverse exchange rate differential and I am lazy.  I still have Laos kip from 20 years ago!

 

No more 1000 baht with King and Queen on back, but some 500s?!

[baobao]

I think that subconsciously I bring back foreign currency so that I will feel attached to returning to that country again.  

 

I do the same. Call it wishful thinking, but I tend to bring back a variety of notes - maybe a couple of thousand baht, total - so I don't need to stop with luggage at the airport the next trip. I have a slimline wallet I keep with my passport.

[lilbob69]

I always bring back Baht, maybe 4-5000B. I just want to be able to arrive for the next trip with enough for duty free,taxi, beer and some food

[a447a]

I usually arrive back in Thailand with the 20,000 baht I withdrew at the end of my last trip. That'll keep me going for a few days.

[Guest ryanasia]

Holding onto leftover currencies generally works for me.

 

1   We have been in a low interest rate environment, so it is often better to keep money in Baht or Euros & spend it on the next trip rather than encounter an extra layer of charges converting it back.

 

2  In some cases, if I go to a major economy, but am unlikely to be going back there for several years, I just wait until the next overseas trip & change the money direct from one overseas currency to the other.  I would be incurring charges anyway, but it is better just to have charges for buying a foreign currency & then using any leftover to buy another, rather than buy-sell-buy. 

 

The amounts we are discussing wouldn't even make sense if you are talking interest rates. The interest on $600 is what? Yeah if you have left overs and come back that is valid but interest rates? lol I don't think so.

[lilbob69]

I always end up with a lot of coins leftover too. I definitely don't want them in my luggage. In the past I have left bowls full in my room for the cleaning lady, taken bags full to unsuspecting kid beggars (before realising they are part of a child slave labour ring)

 

What is your best way of getting rid of bundles of coins?

[a447a]

Spend them at 7/11 buying stuff you'll use at home ; e.g, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

 

Or chocolate. Yum!

 

Or condoms for your next trip.

 

Or give them to the boys or the hotel staff.

 

Send them to Christian.

 

Plenty of ways to get rid of them.

[vinapu]

I always end up with a lot of coins leftover too. I definitely don't want them in my luggage. In the past I have left bowls full in my room for the cleaning lady, taken bags full to unsuspecting kid beggars (before realising they are part of a child slave labour ring)

 

What is your best way of getting rid of bundles of coins?

first , try not  to accumulate too many bundles , easy to spent on small purchases like BTS, drinks or ice cream.

 

I personally like to have plenty of change on me if only in order to avoid waiting for proper change  in bars and to have handy money for small tips like in restaurants. So before I hit bars my first stop is usually change counter at Sala Daeng BTS 

 

If you stuck with bundles easy to spent in Swampy , not necessarily in overpriced duty frees but there's Family Mart  in the far right end with normal prices. As mentioned above I always give my remaining change to cleaning lady in airport I pass by or drop in charity box.

 

Once I saw somebody leaving several coins on the seat in the train at Swampy , I guess he had the some problem of what to do with spare change, nice problem to have 

[ChristianPFC]

I usually arrive back in Thailand with the 20,000 baht I withdrew at the end of my last trip. That'll keep me going for a few days.

Interesting point. Immigration law says that everyone entering Thailand on visa waiver or tourist visa (?) must have 20,000 THB or equivalent in other common currency on them. To my knowledge, this is only enforced in Sadao (where another Farang passenger on my van was sent back to Malaysia for lack of 20,000 THB in cash). But with my many tourist visas and visa free entries, I don't want to get stuck at immigration for lack of 20,000 THB, so I always take 20,000 THB in cash when I enter Thailand.

[ChristianPFC]

I always end up with a lot of coins leftover too.

 

What is your best way of getting rid of bundles of coins?

 

How does this happen? I always have a lot of 100 and 20 notes, and reasonable amount of coins.

 

Give them to me.

 

(I'm not trying to increase my count of posts, I'm way above the 100 to see the photo forum already, but when I copy/paste two quotes from different posters in one post, they get mixed up. Hence a separate post for every quote.)

[faranglaw]

Interesting point. Immigration law says that everyone entering Thailand on visa waiver or tourist visa (?) must have 20,000 THB or equivalent in other common currency on them. To my knowledge, this is only enforced in Sadao (where another Farang passenger on my van was sent back to Malaysia for lack of 20,000 THB in cash). But with my many tourist visas and visa free entries, I don't want to get stuck at immigration for lack of 20,000 THB, so I always take 20,000 THB in cash when I enter Thailand.

Really! I must have entered LOS 50 times or more, and I had never heard of this.

[vinapu]

Really! I must have entered LOS 50 times or more, and I had never heard of this.

I heard  but in my 15 trips I was never asked about money on me , not than I'm not prepared

[Guest]

Interesting point. Immigration law says that everyone entering Thailand on visa waiver or tourist visa (?) must have 20,000 THB or equivalent in other common currency on them. To my knowledge, this is only enforced in Sadao (where another Farang passenger on my van was sent back to Malaysia for lack of 20,000 THB in cash). But with my many tourist visas and visa free entries, I don't want to get stuck at immigration for lack of 20,000 THB, so I always take 20,000 THB in cash when I enter Thailand.

Considering the ATM withdrawal charges, it can also make economic sense to bring cash as well.  

[Guest ryanasia]

just take some money out 20,000 a pull and have some when you come. It isn't a difficult issue.

[sglad]

Really! I must have entered LOS 50 times or more, and I had never heard of this.

 

Could be a thing if you enter Thailand by land.  Many long-term stayers use (abuse?) the ordinary visa-exempt pass by crisscrossing the land borders for months on end and the Thai authorities ask them to show proof of income.

[sglad]

just take some money out 20,000 a pull and have some when you come. It isn't a difficult issue.

 

I have a friend from Singapore who runs a business in Thailand and she says a recently updated Thai bank statement/passbook showing the requisite amount or more would also be acceptable.