Has Your Wallet Got Fatter In Thailand?

[lannarebirth]

Cargo shorts take care of what I need.. I've seen some people who wear one of those fishermen's vest kinda things with lots of pockets, but I think they're usually carrying photo equipment. I'd have to need to be carrying some emergency medical supplies before I'd go the man bag route.

[uptheos]

I know one guy who always takes his wallet out of his pocket and sits it on the bar in front of himself, it must be about an inch and a half thick stuffed with notes. If you take a good sneaky peek at it they are all twenty baht notes with maybe a couple of 1000's. Always pays with the 1000 note and stuffs the change in his pocket.

Really don't know what it's all about.

Maybe he's trying to be more hansum?

[Gsxrnz]

My wallet contains a photocopy of my passport and visa page, cash, one credit card, one ATM card, 3 emergency phone numbers in case I lose my phone. Wallet Goes in the front pocket and is the smallest one I could buy.<br /><br />DL's stay in the car and bike. Never put extraneous bits of paper/receipts in my wallet. If walking in dubious areas I always have my hand on my pocket/wallet so the Ladyboys can have their fun but they ain't getting the goods.<br /><br />Keep 4x20 baht notes in a back pocket so they get their hands on the paper and don't know how much it is, but once they have something in their hand they soon bugger off. An old timer told me that trick and I've had it happen twice - funny to watch them as they jog away in the heels and then glance over their shoulder in disgust at the 80 baht they scored from you.<br /><br />Bum bags and the like are just beacons saying "here's everything I have of value, come and get it." Heard so many stories of these bags being lifted or opened without the guy even knowing it's missing or been tampered with.

[Scully]

Keep cards at home when I have enough money, so just cash, keys, licence and phone. I take a picture of passport stamp and picture on my smart phone. I write down all my passwords and credit card numbers for anything in a code form and telephone numbers in a book. Also have spares for all keys.

Yes I have lost my wallet and phone before, a right pain in the backside.

[impulse]

It's a struggle finding shorts with enough zip pockets in but I've managed to acquire enough over the years to deal with cash, keys, smokes and, at a push, shades or glasses.

Bum bags and man bags are just a no-no.

Had a bum bag (worn backwards) save my "vitals" from getting chewed when a local dog bit into the bag for keeps- and then hung from the bag for about 10 seconds. If I hadn't been wearing it, I think I'd be a soprano now.

Still, I don't wear it except when it's absolutely necessary to carry everything I think I'll need that day.

[NanLaew]

I carry nothing but a picture of my Chinese-Thai Hi-So wife,a copy of my bank statement proving I'm a multi-millionaire and my Special Forces ID card.Anyone who doesn't carry the same really has no business posting on Thai Visa!

I just show my special forces tattoo.

I didn't know they had a team called 'muppet'?

Men Under Pressure Pentagon Exotic Team (but mines much superior)

Aha! I salute you sir.

Rather special being in the A-muppet team versus those B-muppet wannabe's!

[mogandave]

I've carried a wallet in my hip pocket my whole life, lost it once back in the '70s.

I think the trick is keeping it cleaned out. I carry a minimum of cash, a US credit card, a Thai credit card, CA driver license, Thai driver license, passport card (keep the book at home) a couple discount cards, medical insurance card and a picture of the wife and kid. less than an inch thick and I have everything I need to go most anywhere. I buy pants with a button on the wallet pocket. If I need to carry a lot of cash, I just fold it and carry it in my front pockets.

[Morakot]

I carry nothing but a picture of my Chinese-Thai Hi-So wife,a copy of my bank statement proving I'm a multi-millionaire and my Special Forces ID card.Anyone who doesn't carry the same really has no business posting on Thai Visa!

I just show my special forces tattoo.

Yep, here's mine:

Edited May 17, 2013 by Morakot

[kblaze]

reminds me of Seinfeld:

Jerry Seinfeld: Your back hurts because of your wallet. Its huge.

George Costanza: This isn’t just my wallet. It’s an organizer, a secretary...and an old friend.
Jerry Seinfeld: Well, your friend is morbidly obese.
George Costanza: Well, at least I don’t carry a purse.

Jerry Seinfeld: It’s not a purse, it’s European.

[khunPer]

I carry folded baht notes in my pocket, together with an ATM card (just in case I need extra cash), my Thai drivers license and my PA/health inssurance card (in case of an accident). Tesco, Macro, HomePro and other loayalty cards are in a folder in my car, ready when needed for shopping. Yes, I carry little more than in my homecountry – namely the inssurance card – and a little more cash notes. Drivers license were needed, where I come from, and an ATM/Plastic-money card is always handy – I think the Thai word for that is “handsome”.

[frankiebaby]

Why not get a back pack?

[Gerald14]

I carry a wallet, need to carry my cc cards and driver licenses. The only way

[how241]

Put it in your front pocket then no pain in the arse

+1

[kjhbigv]

I don't carry a wallet. Just some cash and drivers license does me fine.

You don't think in an emergency you might need to get a large sum of money fast?

I am sure you would get the opportunity of going to an ATM that gives instant access to THB50k, Enough to start to oil the wheels in an emergency? I only carry driving licences, cash, ATM card and keys.

Edited May 17, 2013 by kjhbigv

[RedBullHorn]

Only carry the wallet if i drive to town, in the village i go on the IOU spree. A bottle of Lao Khao here a bottle of Chang there, ice here and there and potatoes chips snack next door south Cokes and Redbull shop up north..... tell the wife later and she handle the rest.

[winstonc]

i thought a thai wife looked after all valuables,,why have a wallet,,

[somtampet]

myWallet is fatter with money from 9 years ago,when i first lived here,now thats a mracle lol lol

[aalek85th]

If I stuff money to my pocket they usually get wet because I'm sweating like a pig. In May at least.

[NoshowJones]

Put it in your front pocket then no pain in the arse

No, but you may get a pain somewhere else.

[MrWorldwide]

Anyone familiar with the saga of French criminal 'Papillon' knows exactly where to keep their money. Can be a real hassle when you need change for the Skytrain, though ....

[Gsxrnz]

Anyone familiar with the saga of French criminal 'Papillon' knows exactly where to keep their money. Can be a real hassle when you need change for the Skytrain, though ....

A ladyboy would still get his/her hands on Papillon's cigar tube, me thinks!

[Jaybonnaza]

Leave everything in the car and the wife carries the money

[Postmaster]

Don't carry your passport around with you. At some point you are bound to lose it (or get it taken). Get a laminated reduced size copy of the picture page on one side and your current visa on the other. Make an A4 copy of your passport picture page and visa page also. Keep them in separate storage from your passport. Carry only the laminate with you along with your (Thai) driving licence and an accident Insurance Card (if you have that).

[GuyL]

I carry nothing but a picture of my Chinese-Thai Hi-So wife,a copy of my bank statement proving I'm a multi-millionaire and my Special Forces ID card.Anyone who doesn't carry the same really has no business posting on Thai Visa!

I am a multimillionaire too. The only problem is that the currency used then is Lao Kip.

[tragickingdom]

But nobody forces you to carry a Makro card, just tell them you have no card and they still will take your payment, spot and other cards are not for me either. Unless you want the occasional pamper promotion when you have stopped using buying condoms of course.

90% of the cards that people are using are unnecessary and only serve the issuer who collect data.

[super22k]

If youve got a pain in your arse youll need your Ram hospital card.

[marell]

I carry nothing but a picture of my Chinese-Thai Hi-So wife,a copy of my bank statement proving I'm a multi-millionaire and my Special Forces ID card.Anyone who doesn't carry the same really has no business posting on Thai Visa!

I just show my special forces tattoo.

The ID cards are cheaper, less painful and can be picked up from a variety of easily accessed internet businesses.

[impulse]

Slightly off topic (well, okay a lot)

I have had the same nylon wallet for 30 years. I've washed it at least 100 times. It's getting a little worn.

Leather ones go bad and start stinking on me in a few weeks (yeah, I sweat that badly)

Is there anywhere in Bangkok to buy a nylon wallet? All I ever see is leather.

[hellodolly]

My Bad......looking at the topic of the thread, stupidly I was thinking of cash making one's wallet fatter.

My nanosecond response would've been a resounding NO!

Sorry, time for bed.

Cheers.

I took it to be money and of course coming from North America a $100 bill American or Canadian is easy to carry in your wallet almost no space needed.

Converted to Thai money it takes up 30 times as much space,

[AjarnMartin]

Why do you carry your UK cards/licenses in Thailand ?

Thanks for this tip, Spoonman. Like an idiot, I've been carrying mine around for years - :-)