1 GBP gets 29 Baht

Yes the new exchange rate.

But before you all have a coronary this is the actual exchange rate I saw today passing through Stansted Airport on the way to Pattaya. I even asked the lady behind the counter if it was a mistake. The predictable reply was that she didnt make up the rates.

So newbies DONT EVER get your Baht at a UK Airport unless you don’t mind getting about 33% less than the going rate.

Has anyone seen a worse rip off anywhere? Makes the rate at Swampy (another rip off) look positively inviting.

Rant over!

PS I should add that according to XE Currency the going rate right now is 43.8 (although you never actually get that ).

The other great con springing up all over the place are ATMs in airport arrival halls that charge rip off conversion fees.

Make sure you use a regular bank ATM - not a 'specialist' one..

For those wishing to check one source that shows the in country rates for Thailand before travelling TravellerJom posted a handy link a while back ( below) for superrich, I actually used it yesterday myself and it shows Superrich at Swampy giving 43.9 which isn't too shabby at all these days ( whether they're ACTUALLY giving that I cant confirm). I checked here in the UK yesterday also and M&S were giving 41.25 ( if you're one of their M&S card holders).

As I'm travelling to three different Countries out fo sheer laziness I was going to change all of my money at once here but on doing a quick count and knowing that my blow out money total will soon add up then bollick to them, there's still just too much of a difference NOT to simply fire a wad of old fashioned cash in my carry on bag and just change it in each location still rather than give them money literally for "nothing".





https://www.superrichthailand.com/#!...perrichTH-rate

All exchange places at Airports give very bad rates. If you have to change money, just change very little to get you to your hotel etc, the exchange the rest once in your area of holiday.

The UK exchange places are the worse, and the lowest ever.

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Originally Posted by Blacktouch

All exchange places at Airports give very bad rates. If you have to change money, just change very little to get you to your hotel etc, the exchange the rest once in your area of holiday.

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Whilst I generally would have held the same view ( certainly re here in the UK) I believe that several members have reported that some of the booths in Swampy are actually giving at least just a good as rate ( if not better) than some of the booths in silom etc !?

Personally I've found a small back of shop type chinese exchange booth place up one of the streets beside in Patpong market who seem to give exceptional rates and so I intend to keep using them. To be honest I actually wondered ( feared) exactly HOW they were managing to give the rates they did that was worried about counterfeit money etc being used perhaps, but so far so good and no one has refused any notes they've given me to date and on talking to a few locals about it they simply said he was playing the long game and going for study business rather than the quick kill of some of the main street booths, who can be an absolute rip off if you're not on your toes.

So, as you say I now change enough for the first day or two to tide me over and then pop along to them when needed and so far so good.

* Oh I should add if ever in Bali NEVER do that and ONLY use the formal exchange places and not the local shops as those fuckers will skim and scam you every single time ( I know from sore experience and having to have some serious words with said shop keeper to get him to return my scammed money!!!)

[QUOTE=Nirish guy;245324I believe that several members have reported that some of the booths in Swampy are actually giving at least just a good as rate ( if not better) than some of the booths in silom etc !?
!!!)[/QUOTE]

Def NOT when I passed through this evening. All give the same rate which was 41 baht per GBP. TT in Pattaya gives almost the same as XE currency which is 43.

Whoever said avoid the Specialists is dead right. That's exactly what the outfit at Standted called themselves.

Apparently there are booths on the lowest level of the airport at the entrance to the rail link which give considerably better rates than the major bank booths in the arrivals area. Here is a link to a YouTube video that shows them and where to find them (it's not complicated). One caveat: the video is from August 2016--I don't know if things have changed since then (the rates have, obviously).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI3X_rU6vCs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gerefan2

So newbies DONT EVER get your Baht at a UK Airport unless you don’t mind getting about 33% less than the going rate.

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I'll second this. Don't ever change money at UK airports with the walk up rate.

However, in a lot of cases, if you actually reserve your airport cash in advance, they will give you a quite respectable rate, comparable with some of the better delivery options.

However, for Thailand, the way to do it is arrive at BKK and head down to the airport rail link.
There you find at least 8 exchange rate booths with very competitive exchange rates. I didn't see a better rate in Bangkok. I also checked the rate on line before boarding in Heathrow & as I was flying on a Saturday, the forex rates don't move when in the air, so I knew it was a good rate as soon as arriving. This was verified later, when checking against mid-market rates.

As for UK airports, the useless ****s at the OFT should look at this, instead of investigating current accounts or supermarkets for the umpteenth time -any fool can see we have choice with these, but get completely screwed at the airports, on a variety of services. Once they have done that, move onto motorway service stations.

You guys do know that banks off ATM cards now, right? And they magically work in basically every ATM machine in the world.

I guess you get dinged 200 baht, but just pull out the maxium, and it's probably cheaper and definitely a lot easier than screwing around with
exchange booths.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nirish guy

* Oh I should add if ever in Bali NEVER do that and ONLY use the formal exchange places and not the local shops as those fuckers will skim and scam you every single time ( I know from sore experience and having to have some serious words with said shop keeper to get him to return my scammed money!!!)

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Thanks for the info. Yes I will avoid those places once in Bali next year February.