Changin money at BKK

[joe552]

I'll be changing €500/600 on arrival at BKK to cover my loom, taxi and my first night out. Is there much of a difference between the various kiosks? I don't want to spend time looking to save a few Baht. But I'd spend a few minutes to save a few hundred. Does it matter where I change my cash? Thanks.

[Nirish guy]

Depending on the amount being changed Joe it can soon add up to quite a reasonable difference - but if it's a one time thing just to get you out of the airport and away then it's probably not that critical - in general in swampy the desks DOWNSTAIRS are slightly better than those in the main arrivals hall ( apparently ?) - but surely all you need is your taxi money and the rest you can sort once you arrive ( which is usually better than the airport rates generally)

[aot871]

I'll be changing €500/600 on arrival at BKK to cover my loom, taxi and my first night out. Is there much of a difference between the various kiosks? I don't want to spend time looking to save a few Baht. But I'd spend a few minutes to save a few hundred. Does it matter where I change my cash? Thanks.

Joe . if you need to change cash at bkk the best is super rich downstairs near the train station ,but i would advise just getting enough to pay for transport to pattaya,from the main dealers then go to the TT currency exchange when u arrive in pattaya ( yellow shops ), the best rates around. I am not sure where u are staying , but there are 2 about 50m from boys town on 2nd road each side of the road.Todays rate is 1euro gets u 34-18 bht

[Nirish guy]

And Joe I'm sure you're aware of it already but if you're trying to save a few quid you know there's a bus goes straight from the airport to Patts now dont you - I think it was 190 baht from memory or there abouts ....

[aot871]

And Joe I'm sure you're aware of it already but if you're trying to save a few quid you know there's a bus goes straight from the airport to Patts now dont you - I think it was 190 baht from memory or there abouts ....

Better than that now , it must be the only thing going down in pattaya , i paid 135 bht in march , it goes between bkk and food mart in jomtiem if that is the one u mean

[gerefan2]

Another vote for the booths at the bottom of the airport at the train station...NOT the booths you pass on the way to Immigration.
Joe...after you are through EVERYTHING just keep going down the escalators until you get to the bottom floor. Its worth it. They give 2.5 baht more than the other booths which on £600 will get you an extra 1500 baht!!
I change everything in one go. Saves other visits to other booths which i hate doing!
I find they are exactly the same rate as TT. in Pattaya

[joe552]

Thanks all. I've the taxi already booked. 1000Bt. (recommended by Moses).

[Jellybean]

Glad to see you have already received quite a few recommendations for the money exchange booths located downstairs, near the train station, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. And that you have now booked your taxi to Pattaya, joe552. I thought you wouldn’t mind if I went off topic and I inserted a post about earplugs for use during your flights to and from Thailand.

I don’t know if you have trouble sleeping aboard airplanes, or if you are one of the lucky ones who can easily fall asleep on departure and wake up refreshed on arrival. Today, while reading Gaybutton Thai forum, I noticed on The Rainbow Club Jomtien topic, a post by fountainhall about wax-based earplugs in which he said:


Not sure if anyone takes ear mufflers into a gogo bar with consistently loud music. I use these occasionally when travelling and they can be a godsend if you are stuck in a hotel with loud traffic outside or some other noise pollution. I don't mean the ones you get for overnight flights in aircraft in biz class which only reduce the drone of the engines. The ones I use can be purchased in boxes of 10 from Boots in the UK, are wax-based and mould themselves to your inner ear. They are amazingly effective. I recall Boots in Thailand used to sell them. Not sure if they still do.

Link: https://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9913

You will have noted, fountainhall said they were available at Boots. I had not previously heard about them and, in all my years of travelling out to Thailand, I have relied on the not very effective memory foam (?) type earplugs given out by airlines.

At Boots today, I bought two packets of five Muffles Wax Earplugs at a cost of £2.69 (€2.92) per packet and will test them out on my flight to Thailand in January 2020. If you are troubled by loud noise in go-go bars or have trouble sleeping on airplanes and were not already aware of these earplugs, you (and of course any other of our members) might care to pop into Boots (other pharmacies are available :) ) and buy the wax-based earplugs. As you will be going out to Thailand ahead of me, if you decide to buy them, perhaps you could let us know if they were effective.

9039

[goji]

Definitely go all the way down to the airport rail link to change your money.
10 booths close together.
The busy ones probably have the best rates, so check the GBP rate there first, then see if any beat it.
There is usually a quiet kiosk further on which matches the best rate and has no queue.

I have used SuperRich green or a red kiosk on it's own to the right, both matching the best rate.

[Nirish guy]

I thought you wouldn’t mind if I went off topic and I inserted a post about earplugs for use during your flights to and from Thailand. ]

Brilliant point and I actually meant to post the same info after my last trip as I too invested in a good pair of ear plugs for my journeys and I can honestly say that it was the best money I've spent in YEARS ( when it comes to flying etc).

I wore ( a pairs of the item below) loads of times during my trip, both on the various planes I was on and elsewhere and they were INVALUABLE. There seemed to be screaming kids in every other aisle and also just noisy people generally everywhere (including unnecessary bloody flight announcements ) it seemed and they totally just blanked the whole lot instantly. I even wore them when just walking about the airport and to my gate etc and they just totally chilled me out as instead of the usual airport craziness I had almost total silence. ( One of the pleasures of travelling alone being that you dont have to endure listening to a travelling companion babbling on about nothing in particular when you want peace)

I too had tried the orange foam versions and while they're cheap and ok they're just "ok" as after a while they lose their shape and also then their so effectiveness ( and as they are throw away cheap I tend to misplace and loose the bloody things then when it seems i need them most too !). So I invested about £20 and bought the plug(s) below from a company called FLARE (https://www.flareaudio.com) you can also buy same on Amazon etc I see now too. But as I said the BEST money I've spent in ages and now I dont fly without them. I've slept and relaxed more on my past few flights when using these than perhaps ever before. So, needless to say I recommend both these products and using ear plugs on planes ( and in clubs! ) generally,

( This comes by the way from someone who suffers from hearing loss and tinnitus now from NOT wearing the likes of these when perhaps I should have in the past when going to too many noisy nightclubs in Thailand and elsewhere. Unfortunately I got the message about ear plugs too late for my hearing but thankfully , but these simple plugs got me a relaxed flight and a good sleep, so definitely well worth the £20 quid!)


9040

[joe552]

Jellybean and NIrish, thanks for your posts about the ear plugs. I have a Boots close to where I live, so I'll check it out.

Re: changing money. How much extra time would it add going downstairs and back up again to meet my taxi? I'm always really anxious to get on the road as quickly as possible.

[Nirish guy]

10 minutes tops, easy peasy Joe.

[joe552]

Thanks NIrish and others for the tip

[Old git]

Be very wary of ATMs at airports around the world - some look quite innocent but when you get your statement you find an outrageously bad exchange rate has been applied.

Only use ATMs from mainstream banks in the country you are visiting. IIRC there are some of these outside in the bus taxi area at BKK (for years I've always taken home enough spare baht to not need to use airport facilities)

I recommend getting an account with Bangkok Bank if you're a regular visitor - the other banks are a bit fussy about giving an account to farangs, but BB just want a passport and a Thai address (which can be a guest house - anywhere) and you'll be issued with a debit card on the spot.

I use a specialist currency converter (not a main bank) to buy Baht and get it transferred in a large lump to my Thai account. Bangkok bank charges about 450 baht for receiving it, but after that there are no ATM charges at all.

[Jellybean]

Yesterday, a member sent me a PM directing my attention to a post by fountainhall dated August 7th, 2019 on The Rainbow Club Jomtien topic over on Gaybutton Thai. It has an impact on my previous recommendation for Boots Muffles Wax Earplugs, so I have quoted his post in full below:

9061

Link to Gaybutton Thai: https://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9913&start=10

I had not opened the Boots Muffles Wax Earplugs packet, but did so on reading the comments by fountainhall. Photos of the front and back of the “Instructions For Use” are below, but members will note there is no warning not to use on an airplane. And on their website, https://www.boots.com/boots-muffle-wax-earplugs-5-pairs-10114104 they say, “They are ideal for use when sleeping, working, travelling or swimming.”

9062 9063

It doesn’t specifically say, do not use them while on an airplane, but then again, it does not expressly say they can be used on an airplane. As there is some doubt, bearing in mind the advice from fountainhall and not wanting to take the risk of damaging my hearing, I have decided against using them during my flight to Thailand.

There is however specific earplugs for use on airplanes, so I think I shall play it safe and buy one of the following brands recommended on the allearplugs website:
https://www.allearplugs.com/collections/flying-travel-ear-plugs?utm_campaign=06-Travel&utm_content=Flying&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_term=best%20%2Bearplugs%20for%20%2Bflying

Or, perhaps I might even splash out on the more expensive brand recommended by NIrish-guy.

Lastly, if fountainhall happens to read this post, may I take this opportunity to thank him for taking the time to post his advice on Gaybutton Thai forum, which I have quoted above.

[Moses]

Many air-companies offers earplugs on-board by request. They have a lot of stuff for free and don't advertise it, you need to ask... for example besides earplugs many have plasters with nicotine on longhoul flights.

[goji]

Be very wary of ATMs at airports around the world - some look quite innocent but when you get your statement you find an outrageously bad exchange rate has been applied.

Only use ATMs from mainstream banks in the country you are visiting. IIRC there are some of these outside in the bus taxi area at BKK (for years I've always taken home enough spare baht to not need to use airport facilities)

I recommend getting an account with Bangkok Bank if you're a regular visitor - the other banks are a bit fussy about giving an account to farangs, but BB just want a passport and a Thai address (which can be a guest house - anywhere) and you'll be issued with a debit card on the spot.

I use a specialist currency converter (not a main bank) to buy Baht and get it transferred in a large lump to my Thai account. Bangkok bank charges about 450 baht for receiving it, but after that there are no ATM charges at all.

1 Many ATMS offer you the option of having your account debited in the foreign currency or your "home currency". As the latter is at a horrendous rate, you always need to decline this & have your account debited in the currency you are withdrawing (THB in Thailand).

2 Your home bank may screw you with a 3% forex fee. That's if you have been careless in your choice of bank. This is often avoidable by shopping around and choosing a competitive bank.

3 The cheapest ways of getting money from GBP to THB are (i) To take a fat wad of cash and change it downstairs at the airport rail station.
or (ii) Move it to your Thai bank account with Transferwise.

Incidentally, we need to watch forex wherever we go.
I have just been to a fairly popular tourist destination in eastern Europe. I changed cash for a loss of 0.62% v mid market. Had I just picked a random money changer, it would have cost about 22% !