Thread: Exchange rate with £

Hi

Where's the best place to sell british £ for thai baht, and whats the going rate? (If anyone knows).

Thanks

just trying to decide whether is better to change the majority of my money before i leave the UK or when i get to Thailand. Lloyds quoted me 45.5 baht per £

I bring lots of money across all the time and have learnt the hard way. First, don't bother with any cash or travellers cheques before you come, just stick your card into an ATM at the airport the moment to arrive, bring maybe 100 quid in cash from Heathrow to be safe. But, avoid too much cash advance, it costs about 3-5% when you add up all the charges, it's fine for smaller amounts while settling in. Here's what to do;

make sure your online banking is set up and has international transfers available (usually between accounts of the same name).
set up an account here when you arrive, which is straight forward but might require a bit of paper work (like a long stay visa)
go online when you need to and do a transfer which can take 24 hours or 5 days depending if you're willing to pay a £40 express fee. Might need to call the bank for the original set up, with swift code etc.
Or, use phone banking to instruct your bank to transfer money. These two methods save you lots in fees, and you pay a once off £25, instead of being nailed for a commission at both ends.

And 45 baht to the £ is a terrible rate, it's more like 48.

Well, I disagree about travelles cheques. I get a better rate than using ATM, but I do get mine free of charge with my Visa card.