Turkish Lira

[aphid]

Hello,

I am going on holiday to Turkey in a couple of weeks and need to get some Turkish Lira. I don't know why but none of the banks or foreign currency exchanges I have visited stock Turkish Lira. Does anyone know where I can obtain any within Bangkok? Any pointers would be appreciated.

Regards,

Aphid

[craigt3365]

How about we move this over to the banking forum?

As a side note, how about hitting an ATM at the airport when you land????

[muratremix]

The best exchange rate you'll get for Turkish lira is exchange offices other than Airport in Turkey. So, grab your dollars or euros, exchange very little that should be enough to cover your Taxi in airport. After check in, visit a local exchange office (Döviz - Doeviz) the rest of your money.

[IMA_FARANG]

Some years ago I worked in Turkey. You will have a problem finding any bank or exchange service here in Thailand that will sell you Turkish Lira. Possibly at a major bank headquarters location (Bangkok Bank on Silom Road Soi 5 comes to mind)you can find Turkish Lira. But even then the exchange rate will be very bad. This is because the TL (Turkish Lira) is a currency seldom used outside of Turkey or in that local area...so you in effect have to pay the bank for the time/effort/and expense of keeping the TL on hand here in Thailand with only a limited number of customer's who want to buy it (the law of supply and demand).

The best way to get TL is to change your Baht here in Thailand to a major international currency first. The U.K. pound, the U.S. dollar, or the Euro are what you want to buy here. When you get to Turkey they can be easily changed at the arrival airport for TL.

When you arrive in Turkey, at your arrival airport, change only what you think you will need for the taxi and such expenses that day. Most major hotels will happily accept any major credit cards so you won't usually need any more cash when you arrive than for taxi fare or tips. Or possibly for your baggage...the baggage carts in the airports used to be the type where you had to put a Turkish coin into a lock to release the baggage cart. I'm not sure if that is still true or not, but even if it is, there are exchange booths right there in the baggage area in the international arrivals area in most airports.

After you are in the hotel and your room is set, there will be many money exchange places in all Turkish cities. Change the bulk of you Pounds,Dollars, or Euro at one of these places. You will normally get a better exchange rate there than at the airport or your hotel.

Edited June 19, 2011 by IMA_FARANG

[Razzler1973]

Best bet is dollars or pounds and changing into Lira in Turkey.

If you want a bit before you arrive then forget the money changers and banks in Bangkok, they are hopeless when it comes to anything other than the 'main' currencies.

You can maybe try the Grace Hotel in Soi 3, Sukhumvit. They change Middle East currencies there at better rates than any bank and Turkey may well be a currency they

can assist you with too.

I have changed UAE Dirhams there on many occasions and noticed a few other currencies on their board, mostly Gulf Arab states though but no harm in

asking. You'll get mullered if you get it in a bank though, better off changing back to Euros or dollars and taking that if you have none left. I am sure taxi from

airport, etc they will be ok with small bill dollars anyway

[aphid]

Many thanks for your replies.

What I am anxious to avoid is wasting hard earned cash on commission, bank charges and the like.

Grace Hotel in Soi 3, Sukhumvit seems well worth a try. Thanks for that Razzler. Failing that I think i will have to buy Euros here in Thailand to take with me, though where I stay in Turkey is more remote and local shops, bars and restaurants favour Turkish Lira over Euros.

Ima_Farang: Yes they do still have the coin operated luggage trolleys. 1TL coin, which looks a bit like a 10 Baht coin.

Regards,

Aphid

[muratremix]

You need 2 coins to take trolley, 2 one lira coin.

[ianguygil]

Many thanks for your replies.

What I am anxious to avoid is wasting hard earned cash on commission, bank charges and the like.

Grace Hotel in Soi 3, Sukhumvit seems well worth a try. Thanks for that Razzler. Failing that I think i will have to buy Euros here in Thailand to take with me, though where I stay in Turkey is more remote and local shops, bars and restaurants favour Turkish Lira over Euros.

Ima_Farang: Yes they do still have the coin operated luggage trolleys. 1TL coin, which looks a bit like a 10 Baht coin.

Regards,

Aphid

I'd suggest changing from Lira to Euro as the EU is by far your leading trading partner, so you will get a better rate. Then change Euro to THB. As stated it is 2 conversions but given that the Lira and the THB are not widely traded it would almost definitely be the best, most cost effective route.

[CWMcMurray]

rather than changing currencies twice and paying the money changers for that service, wouldn't it just make more sense to get off the plane and hit up an ATM inside the airport before leaving?

I trust that Istanbul Airport has ATM's , correct?

Just check out the current fx rate so you don't accidentally pull out a ridiculously high or low amount...