i carry a wallet, a fake wallet, decoy wallet, an emergency wallet and i have unimpregnable steel socks which hide 10 baht for a phone call in case of emergencies.

i never use credit cards to prevent fraud and my atm card is kept in a hermetically-sealed, time-locked steel lockbox which is only openable for 15 mins every month when i need to pay my rent.

my rent is paid using an intermediary and i have the landlady provide 3 peices of ID and pass a retinal scan to ensure it is really her. the intemediary must go through the same procedure before i will hand over the money. Oh, i also retain custody of the intermediary's child to ensure he doesn't try to make off with the money.

you can be too safe. this is a very dangerous country, and the "average" thai makes about 50 baht a month and would happily killy you for one purple bill.

Post of the year.

Some unexpected comments here.

Take last night, I went into Buriram town for something to eat, meet some people and have a night out. I checked my money and had somewhere just over 10k so left the plastic at home. Had it been 5k, I would have taken the plastic with me.

I get Bt20,000 a time from the ATM and just keep it in my pocket until it is gone, then I get some more. No wallets, no rationale but I'd take a card to do the shopping.

Usual cash expenditure:

Fill truck - 2500 (was more )

Bits and bobs - small change

Market - 500-1000

Big C - on card

Boozing - take 10k as an average but usually come back with most of it.

Electric - 1500

UBC - 1500

Telephone - 750

Rent - 5000

Oh, and the missus often needs some money for something, just small change usually like going to the salon !

When doing business, it could be way north of 100k and that is just getting change.

I can get credit in Pattaya, Bangkok and Buriram but I don't feel comfortable without some decent cash on me. You never know when you might need some. I certainly could not walk around with only a grand on me, I'd feel naked.

...opps

In my wallet now (a typical day) is 10,700 baht. Three ATM cards, a credit card and my Amex.

Lets see in my wallet now is........hey <deleted>, where's my wallet??? I wondered why the wife was not at home when I arrived tonight.

I probably take anything from 500-1500, depends on where and what I'm doing.

...opps

Did you feel an need to edit (....opps) in your post?

Never more than 1K Baht, and given the state of the pound I now take a begging bowl and my 3.5 legged dog

Usually 1K to 2K. My partner pays the rent, buys groceries, etc. When I fill up the motorcycle, it only runs 250 baht at most (8 out of 10 liter gas tank). At first, I filled the tank 2 or 3 times a week, paid the bills from cash, etc. I used to carry 5K around but found it was not needed, unless I had to pay for something big. Tomorrow, 1020 baht for the US consulate. Next week, about 2K for immigration.

5k-10k baht

in BKK or pattaya only carry what you can afford to lose Up country in real Thailand no problem!!!!!