Where Is The Best Place For Currency Exchange?

[DeathbyDurian]

The title says it all.

I'm going to Cambodia and need lots of $1 bills since they use them as the main currency over there.

Where is my best bet to get $1 bills and a good exchange rate?

Or is it pretty much just the same everywhere and I should just do it right before my flight at Don Muang?

Thanks!

[jbaldwin]

The Exchange Rate at all the banks at hte airport is worse than in town but not by a big margin

[bkkexplorer]

The place that I've found giving the best rates is a money exchange called superrich. It's located opposite the world trade near to Big C. It's in one of the alleyways in the back. Either walk around to find it or let me know if you want specific directions. Actually, I'll give it now anyways just in case. Walk past Big C in the same direction as the traffic (towards petcchburi). After passing two small soi's make a right. Less then 100 meters make a left, you'll see touts asking if you need money changed, you've found it.

Don't know about $1 bills though.

[Florin]

I've always had a good experience with the Chinese jewelry store/exchange center opposite to World Trade, next to Narai Phand...they seem to have a good stock of many kinds of foreign currency, so you might find the 1s you're looking for there...

[taxout]

No need to go overboard on the $1 bills. US currency rules in Cambodia for much everything beyond the dollar or two purchase, but you won't have problems making change for $5s, $10s and $20s unless you're really in the sticks.

You'll get small change in local currency and then use that for dollar or two purchases.

[britmaveric]

Thai Military Bank seems to have most competitive rates from what I can see.

[DeathbyDurian]

Thanks for all the good info!

Now that I know some places to go, it is worthwhile to take the 100B taxi ride to the World Trade (and back) to change my money?

Or is the difference in savings so small that I should just do it at the airport? I'll be changing about 10K baht.

[asanee]

1.rates are worse at airpt for TAKE farang money, but not really for SELL farang money. you want the latter (remember, its the perspective of thai banks)

2.10.000B= about 250 US$. The gain may be perhaps1% and thats much: thats 2,50-3.00US$. Is there really, really only a taxi going to WTC? Some 40+ buslines and skytrain come near.

3.agree with Khmerland and the US$, no need to be so out on 1$ bills, plus even at airpt they wont stock such a lot of them! Nor at those exchange either, given the slightly better RoEx for 20/50 bills.

depending on WHERE in Kampuchea, even the good baht is now taken at many places and changes even better: 1US%$=40 bt=4000riel, or rather today 39/3900, its always 100 riel to the baht and that even seems to be more stable as the US/THB rates

[Khun Bob]

Have heard that super rich - very close to bankok city inn and open tiil 6am bar at the end of rajdamri spa - is a bit of a shady operation - still was told they give the best rates - would be an idea to go there in the knowledge of the rates offered by bkk bak and thai farmers bank - both of these banks have branches very close to superrich - also in big c there is an scb as well

[dannishgung]

If you only want to get 1 dollar bill, you probably have to collect them in many banks. The rate won't different much for you. I usually change at Super Rich but usually a few thousand US or Euro into Thai bahts at once.

They have good rate for big amount changing both ways. I am sure they won't have many 1 dollar bill to give you, because no body go there to get 1 dollar bills. Lots of Thai people and Thai companies go there to buy dollars in huge amount.