How Much Baht?

[jc14all]

I am moving to Thailand (Chiang Mai) next month for the first time ever, and know already from reading on this forum that setting up a bank for money transfer and exchange may take a little more time than having immediate access to cash. I plan on staying in a hotel (maybe 1 week or 2 at the most) until I can find an apartment or rental .

I understand that most apartments or rentals are but a shell of a dwelling and everything must be bought and installed/set up. My question as a newbie to Thailand is how much cash in baht should I have on hand upon my arrival in Chiang Mai?

Some of my immediate needs may be...deposit for a single bedroom w/maid's quarter, a bed, bed linen, hot water heater, a water cooler for bottled water, curtains, a wardrobe, a safe, a table with a couple chairs and enough to eat on for about one month.

If I have forgotten or over looked an essential basic need for the first time set up please be aware that I have never been to Thailand so help me out with some good practical advise, mainly how much baht I should have on me before finding a bank there. Thanks in advance.

[elektrified]

I think legally you are allowed to bring the USD equivalent of $10,000.00 in cash on your person (without declaring it).

Once you get to Thailand it takes all of about 15 minutes to open a bank account. All you need is your passport and an address and telephone number. You can use your hotel address and change it later.

[tb86]

I am moving to Thailand (Chiang Mai) next month for the first time ever, and know already from reading on this forum that setting up a bank for money transfer and exchange may take a little more time than having immediate access to cash. I plan on staying in a hotel (maybe 1 week or 2 at the most) until I can find an apartment or rental .

I understand that most apartments or rentals are but a shell of a dwelling and everything must be bought and installed/set up. My question as a newbie to Thailand is how much cash in baht should I have on hand upon my arrival in Chiang Mai?

Some of my immediate needs may be...deposit for a single bedroom w/maid's quarter, a bed, bed linen, hot water heater, a water cooler for bottled water, curtains, a wardrobe, a safe, a table with a couple chairs and enough to eat on for about one month.

If I have forgotten or over looked an essential basic need for the first time set up please be aware that I have never been to Thailand so help me out with some good practical advise, mainly how much baht I should have on me before finding a bank there. Thanks in advance.

500k give or take should be fine depending on how nice you want the things your planning on buying to be, but you could get by on less, I dont know that your going to find a 1 br with maids quarters, but for a 1 br do you really need a maid?

[jpolten]

I don't know if this is your first time traveling to thailand or your first permanent move?

I wouldn't bring large amounts of cash with me...too dangerous....use your ATM until your get settled,open an account and transfer your money(safer)

Google apartments for rent in chiang mai.....lots of them pricing from 3000+TB

[iainiain101]

I am moving to Thailand (Chiang Mai) next month for the first time ever, and know already from reading on this forum that setting up a bank for money transfer and exchange may take a little more time than having immediate access to cash. I plan on staying in a hotel (maybe 1 week or 2 at the most) until I can find an apartment or rental .

I understand that most apartments or rentals are but a shell of a dwelling and everything must be bought and installed/set up. My question as a newbie to Thailand is how much cash in baht should I have on hand upon my arrival in Chiang Mai?

Some of my immediate needs may be...deposit for a single bedroom w/maid's quarter, a bed, bed linen, hot water heater, a water cooler for bottled water, curtains, a wardrobe, a safe, a table with a couple chairs and enough to eat on for about one month.

If I have forgotten or over looked an essential basic need for the first time set up please be aware that I have never been to Thailand so help me out with some good practical advise, mainly how much baht I should have on me before finding a bank there. Thanks in advance.

Not sure where you understand this from. I rented a condo at the Riverside 2 years ago and literally really only needed to move in with a suitcase. It had everything from sheets, pots, pans, dvd, tv, kettle etc.

There are perfectly good condos available for long or short term rent that are well fitted out.

Iain

[NancyL]

Yup, just show up with your few personal items in a suitcase and a Visa or MasterCard with a credit limit of a few thousand dollars. Don't worry about securing much actual Thai currency before you get here. Just a few hundred baht to pay the taxi fare from the airport and some 20s to tip people and you'll be just fine.

It's very helpful to be able to access your bank account in your home country via the internet. I called up our credit union's customer service center to tell them what we're doing and learned they have just 6 women working there. Now when I call and say my name they say "Good morning, or rather should we say, Good evening Nancy! How are things in Thailand?". We find it helpful to have two credit cards and to let them know what we're doing with our lives. Their customer service centers are larger than the one at our credit union, but they do have something on their screens that tells them we're in Thailand for an "extended visit".

We've never been at a loss for funds and can monitor all our accounts and credit cards on line. It's really amazing how Hubby can charge something on the Visa card (like at KSK) and I can see it on-line before he gets home (just across from KSK)!

[MisterBean]

You can get baht at the airport when you arrive in BKK. If you are flying direct to Chiang Mai there are a pile of ATMs and probably a currency exchange counter although I can't remember for sure. I would bring high denomination travelers cheques. I don't know what country you are coming from but in Canada I can get $500 USD Amex checks free of service charges. There is a charge per check to cash them in Thailand so that is why I say bring large denomination cheques as the fee is the same for all cheques regardless of denomination, about $1USD.

Many apartments have all the basics, bed, wardrobe, desk, and a fan on the wall. Chiang Mai is a very inexpensive city. If you have never been to Thailand before maybe you should get a hotel for a few weeks and see how you like the place and get the lay of the land before you commit to something long term.

[elektrified]

Yup, just show up with your few personal items in a suitcase and a Visa or MasterCard with a credit limit of a few thousand dollars. Don't worry about securing much actual Thai currency before you get here. Just a few hundred baht to pay the taxi fare from the airport and some 20s to tip people and you'll be just fine.

It's very helpful to be able to access your bank account in your home country via the internet. I called up our credit union's customer service center to tell them what we're doing and learned they have just 6 women working there. Now when I call and say my name they say "Good morning, or rather should we say, Good evening Nancy! How are things in Thailand?". We find it helpful to have two credit cards and to let them know what we're doing with our lives. Their customer service centers are larger than the one at our credit union, but they do have something on their screens that tells them we're in Thailand for an "extended visit".

We've never been at a loss for funds and can monitor all our accounts and credit cards on line. It's really amazing how Hubby can charge something on the Visa card (like at KSK) and I can see it on-line before he gets home (just across from KSK)!

I'm sorry Nancy but I don't see how a Visa or MasterCard is going to pay the 2 month deposit and first month rent on a place to live. He/she also wants to employ a maid as well and they don't take credit cards either. I would never show up in a foreign country without some cash. Bring enough to at least be able to purchase 250,000-300,000 THB. You can always stick some in the bank if you are concerned about having too much cash on hand. It takes 15 minutes to open an account.

[MisterBean]

I'm sorry Nancy but I don't see how a Visa or MasterCard is going to pay the 2 month deposit and first month rent on a place to live. He/she also wants to employ a maid as well and they don't take credit cards either. I would never show up in a foreign country without some cash. Bring enough to at least be able to purchase 250,000-300,000 THB. You can always stick some in the bank if you are concerned about having too much cash on hand. It takes 15 minutes to open an account.

Many people have credit cards and ATM cards which allow for large ATM withdrawls. I am sure that I am not the only one who could access this kind of money quite easily with their cards albeit not in one day, due to daily maximums. I do think it would require having more than just one Visa or MasterCard. I have several cards that I can withdraw 30,000 baht per day. As Nancy suggested, I can pay the card statements online from my bank in my home country as well. The only downside for me is the service charges on foreign withdrawls which is why I suggested travelers cheques. I would be very leery about carrying around $10K in cash from the moment I arrived.

While it does take 15 minutes to open an account, it may require being told no at a couple of banks before you find one that will, depending on what kind of visa (if any) you have.

[jpolten]

I'm sorry Nancy but I don't see how a Visa or MasterCard is going to pay the 2 month deposit and first month rent on a place to live. He/she also wants to employ a maid as well and they don't take credit cards either. I would never show up in a foreign country without some cash. Bring enough to at least be able to purchase 250,000-300,000 THB. You can always stick some in the bank if you are concerned about having too much cash on hand. It takes 15 minutes to open an account.

Many people have credit cards and ATM cards which allow for large ATM withdrawls. I am sure that I am not the only one who could access this kind of money quite easily with their cards albeit not in one day, due to daily maximums. I do think it would require having more than just one Visa or MasterCard. I have several cards that I can withdraw 30,000 baht per day. As Nancy suggested, I can pay the card statements online from my bank in my home country as well. The only downside for me is the service charges on foreign withdrawls which is why I suggested travelers cheques. I would be very leery about carrying around $10K in cash from the moment I arrived.

While it does take 15 minutes to open an account, it may require being told no at a couple of banks before you find one that will, depending on what kind of visa (if any) you have.

I have a normal ATM card that allows me to take out 20k per day,also have a credit card which i only use for emergencies!!

ATM fees,plus bank fees is enough and what credit cards charge for cash withdrawls is too much!

OP....i wouldn't bring a lot of cash,use you ATM....find your way around.....after settling,and if you like what you see.....open an account and transfer....

you could rent a studio for as little as 3000tb ( furnished)

[jc14all]

You can get baht at the airport when you arrive in BKK. If you are flying direct to Chiang Mai there are a pile of ATMs and probably a currency exchange counter although I can't remember for sure. I would bring high denomination travelers cheques. I don't know what country you are coming from but in Canada I can get $500 USD Amex checks free of service charges. There is a charge per check to cash them in Thailand so that is why I say bring large denomination cheques as the fee is the same for all cheques regardless of denomination, about $1USD.

Many apartments have all the basics, bed, wardrobe, desk, and a fan on the wall. Chiang Mai is a very inexpensive city. If you have never been to Thailand before maybe you should get a hotel for a few weeks and see how you like the place and get the lay of the land before you commit to something long term.

I will be coming from USA. A friend that was there in Thailand about 3 years ago told me the the apartments where empty without the basic essentials, so maybe his information is out dated or isolated to a single area where he once lived? But thank you everyone for easing my mind on the expectations. Large denominations of travelers cheques with a few hundred in cash seems reasonable to bring.

I will be banking online so finding a good bank will be my first action once I get a hotel room. I'll arrive in Bangkok and catch a flight to Chiang Mai. I already have an multiple entry O-A visa, so using a hotel address sounds like a great idea. I have in mind to go with Bank of Bangkok there in Chiang Mai to establish an account to link with my bank here in the states.

So, knowing that apartments have the basics is a big relief. Traveling abroad isn't my first time, just travel to Thailand is a first. I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter. But with all the helpful information you guys have provided I believe I can sort things out better now in my mind and get a good start. Looking forward to meet some of you soon. Thanks again!

[RPETER65]

You can get baht at the airport when you arrive in BKK. If you are flying direct to Chiang Mai there are a pile of ATMs and probably a currency exchange counter although I can't remember for sure. I would bring high denomination travelers cheques. I don't know what country you are coming from but in Canada I can get $500 USD Amex checks free of service charges. There is a charge per check to cash them in Thailand so that is why I say bring large denomination cheques as the fee is the same for all cheques regardless of denomination, about $1USD.

Many apartments have all the basics, bed, wardrobe, desk, and a fan on the wall. Chiang Mai is a very inexpensive city. If you have never been to Thailand before maybe you should get a hotel for a few weeks and see how you like the place and get the lay of the land before you commit to something long term.

I will be coming from USA. A friend that was there in Thailand about 3 years ago told me the the apartments where empty without the basic essentials, so maybe his information is out dated or isolated to a single area where he once lived? But thank you everyone for easing my mind on the expectations. Large denominations of travelers cheques with a few hundred in cash seems reasonable to bring.

I will be banking online so finding a good bank will be my first action once I get a hotel room. I'll arrive in Bangkok and catch a flight to Chiang Mai. I already have an multiple entry O-A visa, so using a hotel address sounds like a great idea. I have in mind to go with Bank of Bangkok there in Chiang Mai to establish an account to link with my bank here in the states.

So, knowing that apartments have the basics is a big relief. Traveling abroad isn't my first time, just travel to Thailand is a first. I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter. But with all the helpful information you guys have provided I believe I can sort things out better now in my mind and get a good start. Looking forward to meet some of you soon. Thanks again!

Don,t forget to let your bank know you will be living in Thailand for an extended period, the first year I moved to Thailand I didn,t do this, my card was canceled do to suspission os theft. Not fun to be out of money in Thailand.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun JC14all,

Welcome to Chiang Mai !

First, let me give you some "strong" advice : arrive here with as little cash on you as possible; on arrival Bangkok, go to an ATM machine, and withdraw a modest amount in baht, or change a small amount of your own currency for baht, pay for your air-tickets or whatever by your credit card. Travel here with as little cash on you as possible. Keep your credit cards, driver's license, etc. in a separate secure place rather than in your "wallet."

Further, until you've been here awhile, like several months, don't move any significant amount of money into this country. If you are lucky enough to get a safe deposit box at your bank, put your expensive watch if any, any gold, etc. in the safe deposit box.

Further, be sure and maintain any records indicating the amount of your financial resources outside the country secure, guarded, and not on your person. Under no circumstances share this information with anyone in this country, farang or Thai. When you get an atm slp that shows the balance in your account, destroy it.

and know already from reading on this forum that setting up a bank for money transfer and exchange may take a little more time than having immediate access to cash. I plan on staying in a hotel (maybe 1 week or 2 at the most) until I can find an apartment or rental

Setting up a bank account here is easy and requires no large initial deposit; I recommend Bangkok Bank, Pratu Chiang Mai Gate Branch, because Khun Sombat there speaks excellent English, and is a great person to deal with. Money exchange you can do anywhere. Transfer is another story : you will have to have money wired from your bank to here (or you can pay Western Union a ridiculous fee, and get it that way).

The easiest way is just, as other people have already noted, use your ATM, and do notify your credit-card company you are "visiting" Thailand before you go (I would not disclose to them that you are "moving" to Thailand since that could trigger an internal audit : some people living here have had their American credit card limits reduced in the last year simply because they are living here : I have this from direct first-person accounts; it's not a rumor.

You can set up, if you wish, a US $ or Euro, or Yen account with a bank like Bangkok Bank; money must be wired into that account which (in the case of Bangkok Bank) is located in Bangkok, and to withdraw money directly in person you will have to be in Bangkok : to withdraw from that account here in Chiang Mai, you'll have to fill out some forms, have them faxed to Bangkok, then the money can be transferred into your local baht account here. Sometimes there are snags in this process, but, in general, my experience with Bangkok Bank has been fine. Your dollar or Euro account will stay in dollars or Euro until you withdraw it, thus protecting you from any variations in Thai currency (I was here when very suddenly the baht went up to 53 baht to the dollar, and stayed above 40 for a while).

I understand that most apartments or rentals are but a shell of a dwelling and everything must be bought and installed/set up. My question as a newbie to Thailand is how much cash in baht should I have on hand upon my arrival in Chiang Mai?

Every type of rental under the sun is available here from furnished to unfurnished.

Some of my immediate needs may be...deposit for a single bedroom w/maid's quarter, a bed, bed linen, hot water heater, a water cooler for bottled water, curtains, a wardrobe, a safe, a table with a couple chairs and enough to eat on for about one month. ... If I have forgotten or over looked an essential basic need for the first time set up please be aware that I have never been to Thailand so help me out with some good practical advise, mainly how much baht I should have on me before finding a bank there.

You are not arriving in the "third world" Don't worry about things like that. All the basic amenities are here.

I think if you give yourself six months to get "oriented" (perhaps it would be better to say "orientalized") here before making major decisions about where you live, stay in a nice guest house, join a good fitness center like the one in the Centara/Duangtawan Hotel which will let you pay by the month, take time to explore the city, and get a sense of where you'd like to live, what lifestyle you're looking for; allow serendipity's magic to connect you with some new friends, take some Thai language classes, or cooking classes ...

You'll be "ripe" then to make the bigger choices in my humble opinion (I've been here over ten years in two "installments" separated by five years back in "Corporate Occupied Mallburgerland" [America]). I've seen some real tragedies involving farangs who came here for "too much, too soon," and some wonderful outcomes among those who "took it one day at a time."

best, ~o:37;

Edited September 8, 2009 by orang37

[MisterBean]

I am not sure what kind of lifestyle you are used too, I live a fairly simple life here. If I were looking for a place with maid's quarters I would just rent the apartment next door for the maid!

Good advice on the safe deposit box. I like to travel while I am here so I keep US and other currency there for my travels. I also keep half of my credit and ATM cards there. A smal box costs $30 a year. It is also good if you are leaving your home for any length of time to lock up any valuables. Ask if they have any before you open the account.

Everyone here has a favorite bank, I use the main branch of SCB here in Chiang Mai. I can bank online and I was able to get a safe deposit box. I don't even have to go to a teller, there is a row of people at desks when you walk in who are used to dealing with foreigners, if they are all busy you just have a seat and wait for one of them to call you over and sit down and do whatever business you need too including withdrawing cash. I can transfer money from my account in Canada and they will convert the money into baht and deposit it into my account. The fee my bank in Canada charges is higher than SCB. What I like most is that it is the only bank that you can pay for AirAsia tickets for anyone, online directly from the account, which means nothing if you don't intend to travel much or if you are an AirAsia Hater.

Depending on the amount of money you will have here having a USD account is also very good advice. The currency can fluctuate quite a bit at times.

The first time I came here I used my ATM card and after seeing the fees I was charged I stopped using it. I know some people get a certain number of free international transactions, but I don't. Travelers checks and cash are the way to go to get started.

orang37's advice to keep your financial affairs to yourself is spot on, don't trust anyone.

[jackr]

Some of my immediate needs may be...deposit for a single bedroom w/maid's quarter, a bed, bed linen, hot water heater, a water cooler for bottled water, curtains, a wardrobe, a safe, a table with a couple chairs and enough to eat on for about one month.

The majority of apartments/condos in the areas foreigners would want to be will generally come with all of that - ie fridge, wardrobe (bureau), curtains (drapes), air con, shower, TV, WiFi, etc etc - and certainly any place in the 10k range, with the possible exception of some private rentals. Don't know where your buddy was staying but he/she fed you misinformation. Btw, some places will also come with cleaning, or have a service you can pay for...

As others have said, bring little cash. The ATMs work just as well here as anywhere and are all over, including Bangkok and CM airports. Perhaps bring couple hundred bucks travelers checks (American Express) if you are worried, but I'd think about banks later on and get a feel for the place first, you may hate it.

Scan and email your travel docs to yourself

[chiangmaibruce]

I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter.

This comment plus your lack of knowledge of Thailand sends up a red flag. Can we assume that you have never met this "Thai national" other than via the internet? Just be careful that the "customs" they show you are the good/legitimate ones, and not the ones about helping the foreigner empty his/her wallet. Do yourself a big favour and read as much as you can before you arrive, not only in thaivisa but in other grittier expat forums, so that you get some idea of exactly what can sometimes happen to naiive newbies. For example research the average wage here in Thailand before you settle on terms for your helper.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

One bedroom with a full time maid, don't know what she would do with their time. Shouldn't take over a couple of hours a day to keep the place spotless and do all the laundry.

Consider having one come by for a couple of hours a day and see how it goes. Cheaper and you will have some privacy. The place you are staying may have maids available for a reasonable price.

Thailands a great place, enjoy it.

[elektrified]

I completely disagree with anyone and everyone who tells someone traveling to a foreign country to NOT bring cash with them. What if an ATM in the destination country or a country that they layover in eats their card? Can it happen? Yes it sure can because it happened to me in Prague. I went to a Citibank ATM and put in my card and all of a sudden the ATM failed and it swallowed my card. I went to that branch the following morning and the manager told me that they had received 3 reports already of ATM cards in the machine from the night before. I thought - oh simple, they will retrieve the card for me. Not so. The manager told me that Citibank in the Czech Republic contracts with a company in Slovakia to maintain and service the ATM machines and that they would be there in 2-3 days! I called Citibank USA and they agreed to cancel the card and send me another; FedEx at their expense. Long story short, after clearing customs, the driver not being able to find my place, holiday weekend, etc. etc. it was 10 days before I had the replacement card! If I didn't have some cash with me I would have been sleeping in the street!

As far as American Express traveler checks, they are worthless in today's age also. I remember being in Europe one summer about 4 years ago and running out of money thinking I was O.K. because I had USD $2500 in travelers checks. After making numerous calls, I learned that only one bank about 400 km from where I was in the mountains accepted American Express travelers checks. Just as we got there, the overloaded circuits from all the A/C units took down the electricity. I had to wait for close to 5 hours for the electricity to come back and for the banks computers to go back on line.

CASH IS KING!!! Don't leave home without it.

[elektrified]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun JC14all,

Welcome to Chiang Mai !

Further, until you've been here awhile, like several months, don't move any significant amount of money into this country. If you are lucky enough to get a safe deposit box at your bank, put your expensive watch if any, any gold, etc. in the safe deposit box.

Further, be sure and maintain any records indicating the amount of your financial resources outside the country secure, guarded, and not on your person. Under no circumstances share this information with anyone in this country, farang or Thai. When you get an atm slp that shows the balance in your account, destroy it.

The easiest way is just, as other people have already noted, use your ATM, and do notify your credit-card company you are "visiting" Thailand before you go (I would not disclose to them that you are "moving" to Thailand since that could trigger an internal audit : some people living here have had their American credit card limits reduced in the last year simply because they are living here : I have this from direct first-person accounts; it's not a rumor.

best, ~o:37;

When I told American Express that I moved to Thailand, they immediately reduced one of my lines of credit with them from $25,000.00 to $2500.00 USD.

[Steve2UK]

Plenty of useful advice so far - some of it slightly conflicting according to people's preferences. I agree that having a sensible reserve of convertible cash is prudent - just don't flash it around. Traveller's cheques if you insist, but I'd advise ensuring that at least one of your "ATM" cards is a Debit card - so that you will be able to go into just about any Thai bank and use it to make an over-the-counter withdrawal of funds (in baht) from your home country account (useful short/medium/long tern) - subject only to the Thai bank's per day branch limit and the funds available in your home country account. Note that this does not work with ATM cards that are simply "cashcards". Much more information (and almost certainly more than you want) in the long-running thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Banks-S...it-t255263.html

From that same thread, you will learn that most Thai banks now levy a charge of 150 baht per ATM transaction when a foreign card is used. Current exceptions are ATMs of 1] Aeon and 2] Government Savings Bank.

There are many things to learn and I doubt anyone here could/would provide a fully comprehensive starter kit of information to protect the newly-arrived from absolutely everything (and, speaking personally, I wouldn't want that). That said, most things turn out to be relatively easy to deal with - but it clearly pays to get your information from more than just one source with his/her apparently very limited experience (e.g. the person who said/implied that most if not all Thai rental accommodation comes as just a shell).

As others have said here and previously, get yourself started in a well-equipped and serviced place (there are many to choose from) and then set about learning the ropes and looking around for what may suit you better as you grow into living here. Good luck and welcome.

[changnaam]

I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter.

This comment plus your lack of knowledge of Thailand sends up a red flag. Can we assume that you have never met this "Thai national" other than via the internet? Just be careful that the "customs" they show you are the good/legitimate ones, and not the ones about helping the foreigner empty his/her wallet. Do yourself a big favour and read as much as you can before you arrive, not only in thaivisa but in other grittier expat forums, so that you get some idea of exactly what can sometimes happen to naiive newbies. For example research the average wage here in Thailand before you settle on terms for your helper.

Totally agree with this, by sharing that comment you might just save yourself a lot of heartache, or maybe "wallet ache" in the future. Seriously though it has happened so many times be careful what help you start to offer as it may not stop, especially when you have not been here before. It may sound a cynical view but make sure the smiles and the kind gestures do not have hidden agendas before you make any major purchases.

[jackr]

Bring enough to at least be able to purchase 250,000-300,000 THB. You can always stick some in the bank if you are concerned about having too much cash on hand. It takes 15 minutes to open an account.

I completely disagree with anyone and everyone who tells someone traveling to a foreign country to NOT bring cash with them.

I'm sorry, but the first quote is really bad advice. Bring some cash, yes, that goes without saying, but perhaps just a few hundred bucks. Carrying several hundred thousand baht through an airport (especially here) just to put it in a bank account, or, god forbid, under your mattress. Surely common sense would dictate opening an account and transfering online, no? You can have it over in a couple of days with SWIFT and would sure beat any baht rate bought in home countries.

Best to have a bit of cash, perhaps traveler's checks (although I never use them), and major CC/debit cards for ATM withdrawals/backup. Anyone who's ever travelled would know this... especially the way things are today with tourists being targetted.

[jc14all]

I believe I am going to like Chiang Mai very much. Thank you all for your feedback. I will exercise caution as you all have so well advised. Staying in a guest house until I am familiar with my surroundings sounds like excellent advice. I will use SWIFT to wire cash, obtain a safe deposit box for my valuables and maybe experiment with a online transfer just for the experience to get an understanding what works best. Trial and error will be the teacher but asking questions and this forum has been a refreshing relief. Cheers to all in LOS from the other side of the time line.

[blue eyes]

I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter.

This comment plus your lack of knowledge of Thailand sends up a red flag. Can we assume that you have never met this "Thai national" other than via the internet? Just be careful that the "customs" they show you are the good/legitimate ones, and not the ones about helping the foreigner empty his/her wallet. Do yourself a big favour and read as much as you can before you arrive, not only in thaivisa but in other grittier expat forums, so that you get some idea of exactly what can sometimes happen to naiive newbies. For example research the average wage here in Thailand before you settle on terms for your helper.

BIG BIG red flag!!!!!!!!!!!

Be very carefull with this!

How did you find this person?Why do they need to live with you?Do they not already have a place to live?This in it self makes me think you should think even more about what you are doing.Yes you are doing the right thing by asking questions but think very hard about all of the "answers" that you recive.And then rethink them again.This is Thailand!!And do not evre forget that!

[noise]

I will be coming from USA. A friend that was there in Thailand about 3 years ago told me the the apartments where empty without the basic essentials, so maybe his information is out dated or isolated to a single area where he once lived? But thank you everyone for easing my mind on the expectations. Large denominations of travelers cheques with a few hundred in cash seems reasonable to bring.

I will be banking online so finding a good bank will be my first action once I get a hotel room. I'll arrive in Bangkok and catch a flight to Chiang Mai. I already have an multiple entry O-A visa, so using a hotel address sounds like a great idea. I have in mind to go with Bank of Bangkok there in Chiang Mai to establish an account to link with my bank here in the states.

I have a Thai national that I will be helping in exchange for teaching me the language and customs that is the reason I asked about a maid's quarter.

I skimmed down past you reply and saw all kinds of good input, so quit reading. But I do want to make two suggestions/comments.

1. For immigration and other dealings that require bank certified statements of deposits and for setting up on line access, etc.,, it is frequently required that you get the statements/approvals from the bank at which you hold your account. So if you do use the Bangkok Bank Chiangmai Gate branch, which I do like, it may turn out to be very inconvenient to go there when you move 20 kilometers away diagonally across the city. So if you do set up a bank account immediately and plan on having money wired in every month, you might want to think about holding off setting up the wire transfers until you find a permanent place of residence and see if you would prefer banking near home. You can easily transfer an account to the branch near by and then set up the repetitive monthly wires.

2. Maid quarters are usually only slightly larger than single bed, dark and dank, and only have a rudimentary bathroom. Would you feel uncomfortable "using him/her/them", living well in airconditioned comfort while making them sleep in the maid's room? They might be offended, depending upon their back ground, and specially if they are someone you met overseas.