Changing funds for UK holiday USD or THB?

[Batty]

I appologise - I am a bit dyslexic when it comes to currency exchange.  I am off to the UK for a 2 week holiday. I have THB here in Thailand and also a US account (an actual account in the US) with USD in there.

 

When I am In England, I can either:

 

Use my American card to take GBP out of the ATM - So that would be USD to GBP at the ATM

 

Use my Thai card to take GBP put of the ATM - So that would be THB to GBP at the ATM

 

Take THB in cash with me and exchange in UK for GBP

 

Change THB to GBP in Thailand before I leave

 

Any ideas what is best?

 

Appreciate it, thanks!

 

 

 

 

[Naam]

14 minutes ago, Batty said:

Take THB in cash with me and exchange in UK for GBP

worst idea!

[stubuzz]

Change THB to GBP here.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Change THB to GBP here.

At least enough to survive a week or so if something does not work with the plastic.

After that I would probably use the US card.

Edited July 24, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[Batty]

Thanks guys, appreciate the pointers.  

[Batty]

21 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

At least enough to survive a week or so if something does not work with the plastic.

After that I would probably use the US card.

I should just say, the THB I have here came from the ATM using my US card.  So basicly I have pulled THB from my US based USD account - now I will be using that THB to change to USD here in Thailand.  Does that make any difference?

[helloagain]

On 7/24/2019 at 11:41 AM, stubuzz said:

Change THB to GBP here.

Agreed

[Tracyb]

I think it depends on whether or not your USA card charges international transaction fees were you to use it in the UK.  If your USA bank does NOT charge those fees....then get your GBP in the UK using US dollars on deposit in the USA.  When doing so, if the ATM in the UK allows you to proceed without using their conversion rate, do so.  You’ll probably find that your USA bank system will provide a better exchange rate.

 

If you convert your THB to GBP here... you’ll be losing value on those funds for the second time. If you’re planning to come back to Thailand, save the THB for your use when you return.

 

Thats my two cents!

Edited July 25, 2019 by Tracyb

[Batty]

5 hours ago, Tracyb said:

I think it depends on whether or not your USA card charges international transaction fees were you to use it in the UK.  If your USA bank does NOT charge those fees....then get your GBP in the UK using US dollars on deposit in the USA.  When doing so, if the ATM in the UK allows you to proceed without using their conversion rate, do so.  You’ll probably find that your USA bank system will provide a better exchange rate.

 

If you convert your THB to GBP here... you’ll be losing value on those funds for the second time. If you’re planning to come back to Thailand, save the THB for your use when you return.

 

Thats my two cents!

Thanks Tracyb.  Yes the US bank charges $5 PLUS whatever the UK bank ATM charges, if anything.  

 

I live in Thailand, just going back to the UK for a couple weeks.

 

So I guess the best thing to do is just use the ATM in UK as little as possible, see if I can take out a couple of thousand Dollars somewhere maybe and use that while I am there?  

[JamJar]

4 hours ago, Batty said:

Thanks Tracyb.  Yes the US bank charges $5 PLUS whatever the UK bank ATM charges, if anything.  

 

I live in Thailand, just going back to the UK for a couple weeks.

 

So I guess the best thing to do is just use the ATM in UK as little as possible, see if I can take out a couple of thousand Dollars somewhere maybe and use that while I am there?  

 

UK bank ATMs don't charge. Likely your US bank also shaves something off the exchange rate in addition to the US$5 charge. There may also be a limit to the amount that you can withdraw from a UK ATM, regardless of your card's limit; £500 I think.

Time to you to get some better plastic; https://transferwise.com/gb/borderless/#borderless-explainer-video

 

 

 

 

[sunnyboy2018]

On 7/24/2019 at 5:30 AM, Naam said:

worst idea!

would a thai card work in uk. UK pin number are four but Thailand 6 mumbers

[KittenKong]

9 hours ago, Batty said:

Yes the US bank charges $5 PLUS whatever the UK bank ATM charges, if anything. 

So I guess the best thing to do is just use the ATM in UK as little as possible, see if I can take out a couple of thousand Dollars somewhere maybe and use that while I am there?  

In the UK you can use cards for just about everything. So you should hardly need any cash at all.

 

If your bank charges some sort of exchange fee then you will lose out on that, but you wont be paying the USD5 ATM fee at least. Many people with US cards dont seem to be charged any exchange fee by their bank at all, and all my UK cards dont charge such exchange fees either.

[Fairynuff]

Cheapest possible option is buy GBP in Thailand. 

[Orac]

If changing THB to GBP in Thailand make sure they do not give it all in gbp.50 notes as these can be hard to change in the UK.

[peterpop]

If you have a friend in UK, borrow money as required for your holiday and then repay him using Transferwise.  Saves a lot of money and you only borrow what you need.

[wgdanson]

8 hours ago, JamJar said:

 

UK bank ATMs don't charge. Likely your US bank also shaves something off the exchange rate in addition to the US$5 charge. There may also be a limit to the amount that you can withdraw from a UK ATM, regardless of your card's limit; £500 I think.

Time to you to get some better plastic; https://transferwise.com/gb/borderless/#borderless-explainer-video

 

 

 

 

The Revolut card is a similar sort of thing.

[JamJar]

46 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

The Revolut card is a similar sort of thing.

 

Doesn't sound as if he has a UK bank account. 

[Naam]

10 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

would a thai card work in uk. UK pin number are four but Thailand 6 mumbers

there are no country specific PIN numbers, only card specific ones. Thai debit cards work worldwide but you have to inform your bank in advance.

[DJ54]

Or tell the ones your visiting to take care of you....  

 

Realtives come visit us free room and board all you can drink and 3,000 baht for the trip home.

 

True and the last bit puts me close or over the edge,,.. I say it but it’s never heard .. wifey ...tell them not to come next time. 

[sunnyboy2018]

9 hours ago, Orac said:

If changing THB to GBP in Thailand make sure they do not give it all in gbp.50 notes as these can be hard to change in the UK.

At a bank?

[sunnyboy2018]

4 hours ago, Naam said:

there are no country specific PIN numbers, only card specific ones. Thai debit cards work worldwide but you have to inform your bank in advance.

My thai bank card has a 6 pin number. UK ATMs only present a 4 number field.

[Naam]

27 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

My thai bank card has a 6 pin number. UK ATMs only present a 4 number field.

must be because of Brexit.

[Orac]

At a bank?

HSBC wouldn’t let me do it a few weeks back as they said it would need to be paid into an account. Put it in to a relatives account in the end who drew it straight back out for me.


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[Advocate]

Thai banks give better exchange rates than Australian, UK and US banks.

 

Change some cash to GBP at Thai airport and use Thai debit card in UK ATMs. Leftover GBP should be changed back to THB in Thailand, not the UK. Don't bring back UK coins.

[sunnyboy2018]

4 hours ago, Advocate said:

Thai banks give better exchange rates than Australian, UK and US banks.

 

Change some cash to GBP at Thai airport and use Thai debit card in UK ATMs. Leftover GBP should be changed back to THB in Thailand, not the UK. Don't bring back UK coins.

Thai debit cards have 6 numbers but UK ATMs only offer a 4 digit field.