Pound Vs Dollar

[mattylad]

My travel agent wants me to get travellrs cheques in dollars, but the pound gets a better value according to my calculations. Is there a reason why she wants me to go for dollars or are they on the take? Thank you in advance

[davethailand]

all i can say is,

DO NOT COME WITH DOLLARS.

sterling only

[astral]

If you are going to the UK you need Pounds.

Elsewhere dollars should be fine.

Thailand is very America Oriented and I doubt you will buy Sterling Travellers cheques from the banks here. You could try Amercan Express in Bangkok,

they used to sell sterling cheques, but it was long time ago.

If you have an Amex card, you can buy sterling cheques in the UK using your own bank account and your Amex card as guarantee.

ALternatively just take money out of the ATM when you arrive, most foreign ATM cards have Cirrus and Maestro authorisation facilites.

[chonabot]

Ummm I think the lad is coming from the UK to los... not the other way round.

[davethailand]

the pound is strong in thailand and you will get alot more baht for your money.

[MadFrankie]

aye.. $ aint worth sh1t at the moment Even off a UK debit card im gettin 72 bat to the £ after charges at the moment

[mattylad]

I wonder why they insisted on dollar travellers cheques for thailand? They must make extra for the transfer. So i will be taking sterling travellers cheques. One last thought it could be for the denominations of the notes i.e max for pound is £50 where $ is i think 100. Sop it would save you in rebate charges per travel cheque. I think it is b33.75 charge. Well i hope it might help somebody else on a penny chasing holiday budget Thank for all the replys most friendly site so far.

[eric1000]

My travel agent wants me to get travellrs cheques in dollars, but the pound gets a better value according to my calculations. Is there a reason why she wants me to go for dollars or are they on the take? Thank you in advance

he's taking the p1ss , just get pound checks .they make profit on 2 conversions !

THOMAS COOK TRAVEL AGENTS have ZERO commision on checks right now !!

so thats the place to go ..pound checks

[jbaldwin]

I never use travellers cheques. You get good rates using your ATM card in machines here. I have a current account with Nationwide Building Society which has no foreign exchange charges on card transactions. If you travel a lot it might be worth opening an account with them

[Davidcharles]

I never use travellers cheques. You get good rates using your ATM card in machines here. I have a current account with Nationwide Building Society which has no foreign exchange charges on card transactions. If you travel a lot it might be worth opening an account with them

They make no charges as you say, but what exchange rates do they give?

Never found a Bank yet that did anything for NOTHING!

[chonabot]

71-72 baht per squid via atm at the moment.

[konangrit]

I never use travellers cheques.  You get good rates using your ATM card in machines here.  I have a current account with Nationwide Building Society which has no foreign exchange charges on card transactions.  If you travel a lot it might be worth opening an account with them

They make no charges as you say, but what exchange rates do they give?

Never found a Bank yet that did anything for NOTHING!

Nationwides rates are better than any other bank that I have used, the only UK bank which makes no charges on foreign withdraws from ATMs too.

As far as I'm aware the highest denomination sterling travellers cheque is 100 GBP, as you suggest you will save a few ฿ by getting all of your cheques at this value as there is a standard charge made per cheque for cashing.

Whilst I have seen many places that offer travellers cheques commision free, I have never found one that included Sterling travellers cheques. I would be surprised if Thomas Cook is any different in this respect. If anyone has actually bought Sterling TCs from Thomas Cook commision free please post here, would be very useful to know.

[Davidcharles]

I never use travellers cheques. You get good rates using your ATM card in machines here. I have a current account with Nationwide Building Society which has no foreign exchange charges on card transactions. If you travel a lot it might be worth opening an account with them

But what exchange rate do you get?

Nationwides or the Banks whose ATM you use?

I think Bangkok Bank give the best rates. 75.47bht to the Pound right now.....

[Khun ?]

Mastercard I have is .2% less from the bank to bank rate which is charged by the bank of ATM, plus whatever fee your own bank charges for transaction fees.

[Tornado]

I never use travellers cheques. You get good rates using your ATM card in machines here. I have a current account with Nationwide Building Society which has no foreign exchange charges on card transactions. If you travel a lot it might be worth opening an account with them

You are right, easier and a great rate......

[markt]

71-72 baht per squid via atm at the moment.

Much better than the 37 B we used to get.

[john b good]

I have acknowledged before that I am a bit slow but there is absolutely no difference unless you are holding wads of both curriencies i.e. you don't change dollars into pound just to get a percieved better rate.

If you have got wads of the folding stuff you would use the one that has the most attractive rate on the day.

Thats for here in the realm, but if you are travelling in almost any country in the world there is only one currency to have in your kick and, that is the greenback.

It is the only international currency full stop.

You can use it in Outer Mongolia or Afganistan, Croatia to Canada, Vietnam or Russia etc., and yes even in the states.

AND by the way, I am neither a pom or a yank.

[Davidcharles]

If anyone has actually bought Sterling TCs from Thomas Cook commision free please post here, would be very useful to know.

I buy all my Stirling TCs from Tesco in the UK. FREE of all charges accept special delivery which is £5 for £1000 worth.

And if you want to cash them in later. No charge again!. I never have any to cash in sadly.....

Incidentally, If you can't get an ATM to deliver, and you go into the branch and ask them to use your debit card to get cash from your UK bank. Do they charge you for this, and do you get the same rate of exchange as the ATM would have given....? I have always wondered about this........

[chonabot]

71-72 baht per squid via atm at the moment.

Much better than the 37 B we used to get.

Yep , I think 35 was the lowest I ever saw , about 1992? a few years later it was 100 to the squid , but the charges changed accordingly from 500 for LT to 1000

[astral]

71-72 baht per squid via atm at the moment.

Much better than the 37 B we used to get.

Yep , I think 35 was the lowest I ever saw , about 1992? a few years later it was 100 to the squid , but the charges changed accordingly from 500 for LT to 1000

In 1997 it hit 89 to the pound as the absolute maximum

Back in the 80's it was 25 to the $ and 34 to the pound.

Petrol was 8 baht a litre, relatively much about the same as today,

when everyone is moaning.

It is the baht that has gone down the drain

Edited June 20, 2004 by astral

[konangrit]

I buy all my Stirling TCs from Tesco in the UK. FREE of all charges accept  special delivery which is £5 for £1000 worth.

And if you want to cash them in later. No charge again!. I never have any to cash in sadly.....

Seems to be more places offering Sterling TCs commision free nowadays. After just checking my Lloyds TSB account I see that I can order upto 3000 GBP worth free of charge if collected from my branch, or delivered for a 5 GBP charge.

Don't know if it is possible to order multiple batches of 3000 pound orders, but if it is I shall definately be bringing a large amount of Sterling TCs with me to LoS. Has to be the best option to get the most out of my money when converting to THB.

[konangrit]

I have acknowledged before that I am a bit slow but there is absolutely no difference unless you are holding wads of both curriencies i.e. you don't change dollars into pound just to get a percieved better rate.

If you have got wads of the folding stuff you would use the one that has the most attractive rate on the day.

Thats for here in the realm, but if you are travelling in almost any country in the world  there is only one currency to have in your kick and, that is the greenback.

It is the only international currency full stop.

You can use it in Outer Mongolia or Afganistan, Croatia to Canada, Vietnam or Russia etc., and yes even in the states.

AND by the way, I am neither a pom or a yank.

I agree with that statement for developing countries, however in most of the developed world you will have trouble spending US$. Just try buying a croissant in Paris with the greenback

A few US$ can come in handy in some more out of the way places, South America springs to mind. Although I'll carry on using my ATM card when I'm in somewhere obscure.

[Up2U]

I agree with that statement for developing countries, however in most of the developed world you will have trouble spending US$. Just try buying a croissant in Paris with the greenback

A few US$ can come in handy in some more out of the way places, South America springs to mind. Although I'll carry on using my ATM card when I'm in somewhere obscure.

Who ever said that France was a developed country?

The only thing they've developed is a bad attitude to UK and US.

The word 'Chauvinism' come from which language?

And I wouldn't recommend the use of an ATM card in countries like Libya, or most of Saudi.

[welshchris]

Most travel agents will match prices from elsewhere just need proof i got 4000 quid changed at Bakers Dolphin by showing them a dodgy company off Internet who would change for free but 3 pond delivery charge.

If you change sterling into dollars for travellers cheques then into Baht will lose money on the exchange rates both ways!!!

Someone said earlier can only get 50 pound travellers cheques i got 100 pound ones easy enough!!!

[Rinrada]

I have £500 traveller Cheques and its still the same Bt.fee at the Exchange whatever amount per cheque.