Airport Services? Purchasing Cellphone & Changing Currency

[ladylazarus]

Hi all! I will be flying into Suvarnabhumi in late August, and then heading to Hua Hin by bus for a short vacation before moving on to Udon Thani to stay. I will not be hanging around Bangkok when I first arrive, so my question is this--are there shops/stalls in the airport where I can purchase a phone/sim card/top-up card as well as a place to redeem travellers checks for baht or change USD to baht? I would like to get a phone and be able to make calls soon after arriving, and have the baht in my pocket to spend for the Hua Hin vacation. Thanks for any information!

[Aachen]

SIM cards (several brands) and topups are sold at several Family Mart and 7-11 shops in the airport.

There are exchange boots for exchange money etc. ATM for credit cards are numerous throughout the country.

[lomatopo]

The three major mobile phone service providers: TrueMove, AIS and DTAC all have shops at Suvarnabhumi-Bangkok International Airport, on level 2 "Arrivals", just outside Customs, in the area of door #7. I honestly do not know if they sell mobile phones, but they do sell SIM cards. Is there any chance you already have an unlocked GSM phone? If you do not have a phone maybe just best to wait until you get to Hua Hin, then purchase a phone and SIM there?

There are currency exchange services, ATMs, TC cashing at the airport, again easily available throughout the airport including Level 2. Some say the rates at the airport are slightly poorer, so maybe consider just getting enough cash to cover your initial costs to get to Hua Hin, and then exchange more there?

[ladylazarus]

Thanks for the info!