Why you shouldnt carry cash in Thailand

[Liverpool Lou]

58 minutes ago, Chris Daley said:

Most business don't want a record of their finances.

Garbage.

[ChrisP24]

57 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

Many banks don't offer Traveller’s cheques anymore and not sure if exchange places even accept them anymore either. It's a pretty antiquated form of bringing travel funds, odd that it's being recommended in the article.

 

Yep. With full respect to Karl Mulden, I haven't used travelers checks since before 1980.  It was kind of a racket, you give them cash, and they give you paper which never expires, but they have use of your cash until you spend them.  American Express stopped issuing travelers checks long ago, but they still honor any old ones floating around out there, and are happy if you continue delaying redeeming them, and especially happy if you lose them and forget about them and never redeem them at all. 

 

Also one of the many joys of traveling to SE Asia is changing western currency for that huge wad of local cash, I call it my "Gangsta Roll".  It stays in the hotel safe of course, with only enough cash on my person for my anticipated day's expenses.  And of course using cards for larger expenses such as hotel, air fare, etc.  

 

If I had local bills such as utilities, then I suppose a digital payment method would be the most convenient and reliable, with the added benefit of having a good audit trail.  

[worgeordie]

I am not Gen Z ,far from it , Worgeordie A.K.A. Johnny Cash , never leave home 

without it,my daughter goes everywhere without it, if I get her to buy something

for me ,I offer her cash as payment , does not want it , one day if everything goes

down ,those with apps,cards, alternative money are F***** , and I like to count cash......

 

regards Worgeordie

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Thailand J said:

I carry some cash just in case my phone run out of battery or mulfunctioned and unable to pay with QR code scan or True Wallet.

 

 

 

Exactly this...  Cashless payments are extremely convenient and something I use mostly these days...

 

But, Carrying some cash makes sense, just incase the the cashless option fails (I have not encountered this as yet though).

 

Also, cash is also more convenient for things such as flag-fall taxi's etc... 

 

 

 

[CanadaSam]

On 5/21/2024 at 9:37 PM, KhunBENQ said:

I am the one who always finds that queue

 

Me too, but not by people scanning for payment, it's the ones that stand there playing with their phone after everything is done, not allowing people to put their heavy beers on the counter, or the girl checking her messages whilst still standing at the counter, not bothering to pick her bags up and move out of the f****** way!

[mancub]

Next time the ice-cream van comes down our street I'll send the kids out with my credit card ..and see how that goes !

Most cases your phone is more valuable to you and a thief than a few notes in your wallet.

 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, mancub said:

Next time the ice-cream van comes down our street I'll send the kids out with my credit card ..and see how that goes !

Most cases your phone is more valuable to you and a thief than a few notes in your wallet.

 

 

Binary thinking on an either or level when the convenience of cash-vs-cashless is multifaceted.

 

Every 'pro-cash' comment, has an equally compelling 'pro-digital-payment' response and vice-versa.

 

[richard_smith237]

On 5/21/2024 at 11:04 PM, worgeordie said:

I am not Gen Z ,far from it , Worgeordie A.K.A. Johnny Cash , never leave home 

without it,my daughter goes everywhere without it, if I get her to buy something

for me ,I offer her cash as payment , does not want it , one day if everything goes

down ,those with apps,cards, alternative money are F****** , and I like to count cash......

 

regards Worgeordie

 

The 'one day if everything goes down' is flawed...   That has never happend. 

It's sometimes the case that single digital payment option is not working...  But, the incidence of that is less than going up to an ATM and finding that it is not working... 

 

& Lets face it...  getting cash from an ATM is still digital payment, you're just adding another step to the process by going to an ATM in the first place.

 

You mentioned you like to count cash...   Thats one of the very few 'anti-digital-payment' comments I'd agree with... Some people are personally attached to physical cash.... and thus, have their preference... but at least this argument doesn't rely on a flawed logic to justify a choice - its just admitting that emotion comes into the decision. 

 

 

 

 

 

[johng]

Once they have you in the digital currency Panopticon  there is no escape  resist it in every way possible.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, Ohyesuare said:

odd that it's being recommended in the article.

I didn't even read through the whole ad but traveler checks is a complete joke.

[Jingthing]

Traveller's checks?

From what museum?

Are they havin' a laff?

[Sticky Rice Balls]

i have a thai bank so i take out 500 bt each day and carry that as its more then i usually spend.....if i need more i go take another 500.......only real time  I take more if for visa exts and border runs,,,,has never been a problem.......but you do you

[Sticky Rice Balls]

1 hour ago, ChrisP24 said:

 

Yep. With full respect to Karl Mulden

i think his ghost is upset you spelled his name wrong...be ready for potential haunting over travelers checks

[worgeordie]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

The 'one day if everything goes down' is flawed...   That has never happend. 

I believe one day in Scotland that happened , people could not pay with cards apps,

could not use ATM , because things have never happened does not mean they cannot....

 

regards Worgeordie

[Crossy]

With no cash how to I buy the nice Thai policeman his "tea"??

 

Seriously, I'm >90% digital payments of various flavours, even the local Mom-n-Pop shop and food shed have PromptPay QR codes displayed.

 

But I always carry enough cash for a tank of diesel, just in case.

[richard_smith237]

36 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I believe one day in Scotland that happened , people could not pay with cards apps,

could not use ATM , because things have never happened does not mean they cannot....

 

regards Worgeordie

 

Agreed...   but then that could easily be countered with many reasons why carrying cash can be problematic too..

i.e. a shop not accepting £50...  Shops in England not accepting the Scottish £ (even though they are supposed to), unknowingly carrying counterfeit cash etc etc... 

 

There are pro's and cons surrounding each method - specifically avoiding the use of one or the other is flawed thinking IMO....   the issue is not binary....  there are a number of times when cash is better, and there are a number of times when digital payment is better.... 

[richard_smith237]

31 minutes ago, Crossy said:

With no cash how to I buy the nice Thai policeman his "tea"??

 

Seriously, I'm >90% digital payments of various flavours, even the local Mom-n-Pop shop and food shed have PromptPay QR codes displayed.

 

But I always carry enough cash for a tank of diesel, just in case.

 

Yup... I don't even know why I bother to carry a wallet anymore.. 

 

I could just put a 1000 baht note and ID card in my phone case, and thats sufficient, only carrying the phone...

 

 

If I did need more cash while out... I can use cardless ATM.... 

 

Edited May 22 by richard_smith237

[Jimjim1]

What a load of bunkum!

Put all your financial information on your telephone so that the next crim who steals it will in double quick time have full on access to one’s money.

Every criminal knows that the majority of people have weak passwords on their telephones and getting into them is the easiest thing in the world to do.

They also know that by simply placing a password generator that can run a billion combination in an hour on the phone will give access to any who think about and use a stronger PW

 

Yes you can shut down your banking app but in the time it takes to find someone with a phone who will let you call your bank in another country and wade through the incessant press this button and that button number the crims have emptied your account and are long gone, and for good measure have sold your phone to the local telephone shop for spares.

 

The OP has yet again come up with another trap for the uninitiated and should really be ashamed of himself for not only doing so but also for publishing it here.

Perhaps have published it he should now read the comments of most who disagree vehemently with him.

 

Cash is very much king

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, Jimjim1 said:

What a load of bunkum!

Put all your financial information on your telephone so that the next crim who steals it will in double quick time have full on access to one’s money.

Every criminal knows that the majority of people have weak passwords on their telephones and getting into them is the easiest thing in the world to do.

They also know that by simply placing a password generator that can run a billion combination in an hour on the phone will give access to any who think about and use a stronger PW

 

 

so you Don't know what two tier authentication is then ?

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, Jimjim1 said:

Yes you can shut down your banking app but in the time it takes to find someone with a phone who will let you call your bank in another country and wade through the incessant press this button and that button number the crims have emptied your account and are long gone, and for good measure have sold your phone to the local telephone shop for spares.

 

You don't know that you can wipe all data on your phone very quickly, not app by app.

 

I can log in on any device and erase my phone within 30 seconds... 

 

The caveat here is that it has to be connected to the internet, but then for crims to do anything, it also has to be connected to the internet.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, Jimjim1 said:

The OP has yet again come up with another trap for the uninitiated and should really be ashamed of himself for not only doing so but also for publishing it here.

Perhaps have published it he should now read the comments of most who disagree vehemently with him.

 

Cash is very much king

 

Tech has clearly passed you by and you are now responding out of paranoia.

 

There are risks with online digital systems - but you haven't addressed any of them in your comments. 

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You don't know that you can wipe all data on your phone very quickly, not app by app.

 

I can log in on any device and erase my phone within 30 seconds... 

 

The caveat here is that it has to be connected to the internet, but then for crims to do anything, it also has to be connected to the internet.

 

 

Or, I can just use cash. 5-20K baht at a time. from ATM. Don't see the problem. In the US visiting I use CC for most things. just so easy buying gas that way. In Thailand cash is king.

[CartagenaWarlock]

7 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Cash is king.

The expression "cash is king" only applies to investments because when the market is down, if you don't have cash, you can't take advantage of that. In all other cases, cash is the poor peasants' or criminals' mode of transaction. The credit card is the king because: 1. Fraud protection, 2. Cash back 3. Using other people's money. 

Edited May 22 by CartagenaWarlock

[EVENKEEL]

7 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

The expression "cash is king" only applies to investments because when the market is down, if you don't have cash, you can't take advantage of that. In all other cases, cash is the poor peasants' or criminals' mode of transaction. The credit card is the king because: 1. Fraud protection, 2. Cash back 3. Using other people's money. 

Guess I'm a poor peasant with a butt load of cash. Poor me.

[richard_smith237]

56 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Or, I can just use cash. 5-20K baht at a time. from ATM. Don't see the problem. In the US visiting I use CC for most things. just so easy buying gas that way. In Thailand cash is king.

 

We're nearly half way though the year... I think I've been to an ATM twice this year.... 

(a very rough calculations suggest cash accounts for approximately 2% of my spending in Thailand).

 

Thats all thats been needed - nearly all my transactions are 'cashless'... its just so much more convenient that way.

 

Cash is not king anymore, its nearly dead... 

 

 

That said - this is no criticism of you 'Cash is King' guys...  I'm happy you use cash...   Cash is needed, I'd hate to be in a situation where I can't use cash if I wanted to...   

 

I like the idea of having both cash and cash-less options available to me - I find cashless more convenient and disagree with the flawed arguments many people make against digital payment... but, I firmly believe both cash and cashless options should remain available to the customer. 

[connda]

7 hours ago, 2long said:

Therefore I didn't see any paragraphs that mentioned 'looking after the local businesses, such as Ma & Pa shops

I live out here in the Thai rice-field boondocks and most of the Mom&Pop stores have a QR Code taped near where they take money, but honestly, virtually no one uses anything but cash. 

🤔 Let see, I need some onions and some pakchee and this snack.  How much?
😁 20 baht.
🤔 Now let's see, should I take my phone out, log in, open my banking app, log in, screw around with the app until I've got the QR code scanner, and - dang, weak signal.  Screw it.  Here's 10, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20...baht (dumps change on the counter). 
😁 Kop Kun Kaa! 

[connda]

8 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

I feel the need to push a cashless agenda is an attempt to increase spending. If you lay down cash for your purchase you can regulate your spending better. 

No.

The government wants to keep track of how much you spend and on what so they can get tax you to death and throw you in jail if you buy the wrong stuff or don't give them enough of your money.
Corporations what to know how much you spend and on what so they can target you as a human commodity, sell your data, and market you to death.

Now if you use cash?  All of that wonderful data is lost to them.  So the corporations work with the government (Public-Private Partnerships) and will eventually have the government make cash illegal so that they CAN collect all of that information.  However?  Then a very rich and robust black market will develop to fill in the vacuum.  Watch!  In the meantime - use cash whenever you can as it make going cashless more of a PITA for both corporate and government entities. 

[Yagoda]

I'll go cashless when the girls in Thermae have card readers

Edited May 22 by Yagoda

[johng]

12 minutes ago, connda said:

The government wants to keep track of how much you spend and on what so they can get tax you to death and throw you in jail if you buy the wrong stuff or don't give them enough of your money.
Corporations what to know how much you spend and on what so they can target you as a human commodity, sell your data, and market you to death.

 Agree 100 %  

isn't this a definition of fascism  government and corporations working together in lockstep ?

anyway  whatever it's called it is not good for the everyday average citizen...carbon credits,social credit score,15 minute cities,CBDC's

eat ze bugs, I'm kinda glad I don't have much longer left  but what a future for the  kids.

Edited May 22 by johng

[johng]

2 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

All go cashless when the girls in Thermae have card readers

they kinda have a slot you can swipe things through   ewwww 😋

Edited May 22 by johng