No more Travellers Checks.

[geisha]

Hi, just thought I'd post some info . My intentions this morning was to buy some travellers checks for use at immigration in case asked proof of 20 000 Baht. I've seen this posted lately a good few times on TV. Well, I was told that travellers checks no longer exist, that Amex had finished printing them for good. ( at the moment I'm in France ) but I was assured it was world wide. So it looks as if plain old cash will have to do in future. A question, as I will have already left France for over a month, will a Bank statement from my bank in France sent by email be ok ? Of course I'll have the 20000 B cash as well . ( I spend 3 and a half months in Thailand and do not have a bank account there) . Thanks.

 

[Crossy]

Interesting, Post Office Money are still offering USD AmEx Traveller's Cheques to order here:-

 

https://postoffice.travelmoneyonline.co.uk/foreign-currency-converter#

 

Sterling cheques are not available.

 

[scubascuba3]

A question, as I will have already left France for over a month, will a Bank statement from my bank in France sent by email be ok ? .
 

Be ok for what? You have 20,000 baht in cash so that's fine

[lamyai3]

I'm interested in this too, I have some old AMEX sterling traveller's cheques. Can they still be cashed as normal, or returned to the UK bank for cash? 

[MJCM]

Also interested to know as I still have 2400 Euro (approx 90k+/- THB) worth off TC Cheques

[overherebc]

6 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Also interested to know as I still have 2400 Euro (approx 90k+/- THB) worth off TC Cheques

Pretty sure they will still be honoured by the issuer. Similar to out of date/old banknotes in UK.

[Here It Is]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Pretty sure they will still be honoured by the issuer. Similar to out of date/old banknotes in UK.

Still, the way banking is moving to increasingly online, then probably a good time to get shot of them.

[maimeepom]

Bangkok Bank-Central Festival, was the place the only place that would cash my Amex traveller's cheques last year.

[MJCM]

Pretty sure they will still be honoured by the issuer. Similar to out of date/old banknotes in UK.

Thx.

Issuer was a bank in Europe (but no “identifying marks” on the cheques (but still have the receipt)), will contact them and ask them how to proceed.

[ubonjoe]

Their website still shows that they are still available. https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/prepaid/travelers-cheques/service-center.html

[observer90210]

Would the Amex travellers cheque receipt (at purchase)  be considered as proof of having funds from abroad for a 6 month stay to avoid any eventual suspicion of earnings in Thailand ?

[gk10002000]

30 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Would the Amex travellers cheque receipt (at purchase)  be considered as proof of having funds from abroad for a 6 month stay to avoid any eventual suspicion of earnings in Thailand ?

I would not think so.  Just because you have proof that you bought the cheques, that doesn't mean you still have the cheques.  You could have already cashed them

[Danielsiam]

The best is to keep with the travel document a 500 euros notes and 100 euros note and never use them, ( so it will not take alot of space ) and keep it as proof in case of being asked by IO

[observer90210]

Ok thanks for the responses. I guess I did not formulate the initial post more clearly....The issue was not when entering Thailand but I was wondering for say at the 60 or 90 day report, if challenged by the IO to justify the origin of funds from abroad would the purchase receipt be enough (as well as the cash naturally)

[phetphet]

I bought some early last year in £200 denominations to reduce the bank charges of THB153/cheque. I was told then that they were going to stop doing them.

 

I still have quite a few left, and changed some only last week at Bangkok Bank.

 

I'm sure the young girl hates to see me coming as they have introduced even more paperwork to change them. She had to print off forms for each cheue. It's now even more of a pain the a***

than it was before.

Even if they stop doing them, I'm pretty sure Amex will still honour those that are already out in issue.

 

[geisha]

I'll  be going to another big currency exchange Amex in Cannes , tomorrow probably. Will post what they tell me, although I do believe my usual exchange office where I often do business, why would they make something up ? 

[tonray]

Travelers checks are a vestige of a time before ATMs and electronic banking existed. I remember the first 'International' trip I ever took to Bermuda, I had dutifully purchased a bunch of Travelers Checks from Amex and was all ready for my safe and secure trip. The problem was, most vendors and certainly all small businesses wanted nothing to do with them and waved me off. Never bothered after that.

[BritTim]

Kasikorn Bank's exchange rate page (https://www.kasikornbank.com/en/rate/Pages/Foreign-Exchange.aspx) implies that they still buy and sell travelers' cheques. Bangkok Bank does also. I must admit that it is a very long time since I had any. It may well be that you need to go to a big branch to successfully negotiate travelers' cheque transactions.

 

EDIT: See also https://www.kasikornbank.com/en/personal/services/foreign-currency/Pages/traveler-cheque.aspx

[Mattd]

The following link is where you can apparently cash Amex travellers cheques in Cannes, with luck they may also sell them.

http://www.aetclocator.com/TCLocator/maps.do?scountry=FR&scity=Cannes

 

Several stories available on the web that suggest travellers cheques are not exactly popular in France.

[geisha]

Hi all, thanks Mattd. I called the three Cannes  numbers, and no, Amex do not do travellers checks anymore, finished for good they said. I asked why some banks in Asia still cash them, and they said because TC are valid for a long time , they can still be cashed in, but not bought.

maybe the Thai banks still sell them , Will just resort to carrying cash with me when needed. 

[JackThompson]

12 hours ago, tonray said:

Travelers checks are a vestige of a time before ATMs and electronic banking existed.

Yes - so is carrying wads of cash.  But the issue is, Thai Immigration has denied entry to many people with valid-visas simply for not carrying one or the other.  At airports, they refused to let these persons go to an ATM and withdraw the cash to show - literally locked them up in detention and booted them for not knowing that Thai immigration-checkpoints enforce 1970s rules on unsuspecting travelers.

 

If you lose / get robbed of travelers checks, at least you can get your money back.  I'm keeping mine unless/until they say "cash in now or else" - since they have no expiration date.  After that, I guess it's on to the sweaty "money belt" - another relic from the olden-days.

[StayinThailand2much]

Have you tried Thomas Cook for travellers checks?

[Here It Is]

10 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Have you tried Thomas Cook for travellers checks?

Seriously, why would anyone bother with TCs?  Blimey.

 

Get shot of them and move on.  

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

I have not bothered with TC’s in about 20 years. Looking online seems they are still available according to the AMEX site I use?


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