1 GBP gets 29 Baht

[gerefan2]

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 ).

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[Old git]

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..

[Nirish guy]

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

[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.

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

[Nirish guy]

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.

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!!!)

[gerefan2]

[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.

[goji]

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.

For fuck's sake, 41 is not almost the same as 43. Without even getting the calculator out, I can see this is almost a 5% loss.

Some people spend a long time on holiday & if we go through life pissing 5% of our money down the drain, when no extra effort is required to eliminate most of that waste, it has bad consequences.
For example, if you work 30 years, are you happy to defer retirement by 1.5 years to pay for all the 5% losses taken along the way ?

Incidentally, my total loss on forex for the last Thai trip was 0.4%, compared with XE mid market. I changed the whole lot into baht in the station under the airport, which is as convenient as it gets.

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

200 baht on a 10,000 baht whithdrawal = 2% loss.
Also, it's quite common for banks to charge a 2.75 or 3% loading on the forex.
Total loss 4.75%++. Much worse than changing cash (as little as 0.4% loss).

Even if you go to one of the very few cards which do not have this (at least in the UK), there is still the 200 baht fee.

[gerefan2]

For fuck's sake, 41 is not almost the same as 43. Without even getting the calculator out, I can see this is almost a 5% loss.

And for fucks sake read my post properly before going into one of you rants.

[Blacktouch]

* 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!!!)

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

[christianpfc]

A while ago I had a look at exchange rate in Berlin Tegel Airport, and the for EUR to USD the spread was about 30%.

When I go to Thailand, I bring a lot of cash (100 EUR notes) and use transferwise (which now almost matches exchange of cash) to send money to my Thai bank account.