Money For Sinsod

[Ollie]

Travelling soon to get married. Sinsod is all agreed (so no comments about that please)!

But a very practical problem for a baht six figure sum thats just occurred to me, whats the best way of getting it to LOS? I don't have a bank acct there although my UK bank does have a "partner" bank there.

Shall I just let my bank know that I'll be withdrawing x amounts in chunks when I'm there until I reach the amount?

Shall I take travellers cheques?

Can I, should I, take sufficient cash (don't like that idea much!)?

Shall I send it to my fiancees account?

What did others do?

Are there better ways than any of the above?

I'd appreciate advice on this.

Thanks.

[donx]

Travelling soon to get married. Sinsod is all agreed (so no comments about that please)!

But a very practical problem for a baht six figure sum thats just occurred to me, whats the best way of getting it to LOS? I don't have a bank acct there although my UK bank does have a "partner" bank there.

Shall I just let my bank know that I'll be withdrawing x amounts in chunks when I'm there until I reach the amount?

Shall I take travellers cheques?

Can I, should I, take sufficient cash (don't like that idea much!)?

Shall I send it to my fiancees account?

What did others do?

Are there better ways than any of the above?

I'd appreciate advice on this.

Thanks.

When I did it some 6 years ago, I brought it in using travelers checks. As an AAA member, there was no charge and no problems. I went to my bank in the US, withdrew the amount I needed and immediately proceeded to the AAA office to buy the travelers checks. Once in Thailand, I had to go to a large bank in Hat Yai to convert the travelers checks to Thai baht since even the capitol city in Phatthalung province was too small to handle a conversion of the size I needed to do.

EDIT - By the way, chances are good that you will actually have to show real Thai baht at the ceremony. Thai's want to see the real thing. In fact it is more important to be able to show the money than it is to actually being the one providing the money, so be prepared to have it all available as a big stack of cash to be blessed by the monks (assuming you are having a Buddhist ceremony).

Edited April 26, 2006 by donx

[Ollie]

When I did it some 6 years ago, I brought it in using travelers checks. As an AAA member, there was no charge and no problems. I went to my bank in the US, withdrew the amount I needed and immediately proceeded to the AAA office to buy the travelers checks. Once in Thailand, I had to go to a large bank in Hat Yai to convert the travelers checks to Thai baht since even the capitol city in Phatthalung province was too small to handle a conversion of the size I needed to do.

EDIT - By the way, chances are good that you will actually have to show real Thai baht at the ceremony. Thai's want to see the real thing. In fact it is more important to be able to show the money than it is to actually being the one providing the money, so be prepared to have it all available as a big stack of cash to be blessed by the monks (assuming you are having a Buddhist ceremony).

Thanks Donx,

Not quite sure what the AAA is? I'm from the UK, but will explore the travellers cheque route in any case!

Yup, I know the stash of cash is the thing! And gold. Having a Buddhsit ceremony, just quite can't work out why it all starts so early? Be the first time I stay at the village house as well!! All new experiences - literally!

Got bitten to crap last time I was there, probably insects - any ideas on preventing that again anyone?

Ollie

[Heng]

It doesn't have to be just cash... a lot of folks nowadays, at least in the morning Thai-Thai wedding ceremonies I've attended, will also put down stock certificates, title deeds (this looks especially good when they are in the groom's name or are really old family deeds.... cash can be borrowed, deeds cannot), Omsin bonds, TSQ bonds, etc. From the falang standpoint, it's a lot safer than actual cash as well.

[raro]

Just got married recently and it would have been 100% ok to produce the pay-in slip for the dowry. It was me who insisted on "cash payment", reminding the old folks what a nice tradition it is...

I would either transfer the money into your bride's account or bring cash from abroad and change it here as you usually ge a better rate inside Thailand.

[Morden]

I took cash, Sterling, tucked away in various pockets in the cargo trousers that I was wearing for the journey. In BKK I went to a small money changing business where I got an extra Baht to the £.

[donx]

Ollie, the AAA (often referred to as the tripple 'A') stands for American Automobile Association. Besides offering roadside assistance, they provide various travel oriented services including free travelers checks, free road maps, and standard travel agency services. Obviously these services aren't available in the UK.

My wedding was in rural Southern Thailand. The ceremony started around 9:00 AM with me drinking Thai whiskey at my wife's aunt's house which represented my family's house. Someone gave me a revolver to shoot bullets into the air to scare away the evil spirits. Then we paraded down the road 1 km to my in-laws house. Have fun!

[Ollie]

Thanks everyone, for the suggestions, ideas and sharing experiences. I guess it wil be money transfer or cash.

I'll look into the bonds but I think the wow factor of cash is going to be a factor here!

I don't suppose a UK land registry document will cut too much ice!!!

[Heng]

I don't suppose a UK land registry document will cut too much ice!!!

Contraire. Looks pretty good. Sure it looks best when complemented by land holdings in several places, but still better than nothing. For sure it beats those folks who think writing silly amounts (like 100 million US$) on personal checks means anything.

[Ollie]

I don't suppose a UK land registry document will cut too much ice!!!

Contraire. Looks pretty good. Sure it looks best when complemented by land holdings in several places, but still better than nothing. For sure it beats those folks who think writing silly amounts (like 100 million US$) on personal checks means anything.

Thanks Heng - sadly, because of the place in the UK,. I can't afford land holdings elsewhere! And its mine and I'm keeping it!!

Should have enough for a place in LOS though.

[Maigo6]

I have never done it , but I would use Cash to show, I can't see how bonds and House deeds or Land deeds from overseas can be of any use at all, if they are and you don't have them, just print some out yourself.

Cash and Gold, can't go wrong.

[fisherd3]

So what is the significance of putting Chanutes on the table, just to indicate you are a person of substance, or does it have deeper meaning of committing them in some way, after all the original sinsot is supposed to be a gift to the parents, not just a display of wealth.

[rainman]

i wonder how long it takes until they start accepting credit cards for the sinsot..

[khall64au]

i wonder how long it takes until they start accepting credit cards for the sinsot..

.... or Frequent Flyers points?

Seriously, I did a bit of research on Thai weddings and seems that sinsod payments are a bit passe these days? Or is that just Thai-Thai weddings?

[skippybangkok]

May need to consult some people, I think I agree it might be a bit passe.........

I am getting married early next year, and da misses comes from a decent family, and she has a decent education / job. We are doing the tradition, but her parents are very clear they want no part of the cash / goods, and will return everything through the back door to us. Its more of a face / tradtiional type thing.

[rainman]

May need to consult some people, I think I agree it might be a bit passe.........

I am getting married early next year, and da misses comes from a decent family, and she has a decent education / job. We are doing the tradition, but her parents are very clear they want no part of the cash / goods, and will return everything through the back door to us. Its more of a face / tradtiional type thing.

same thing happened at my wedding. counted only rougly but i think nothing was missing.

[Heng]

So what is the significance of putting Chanutes on the table, just to indicate you are a person of substance, or does it have deeper meaning of committing them in some way, after all the original sinsot is supposed to be a gift to the parents, not just a display of wealth.

For one, it shows that you didn't just borrow some funds @ 1% interest per day to put on the tray. Nowadays many families don't consider it a gift (or remuneration for raising one's daughter.... or whatever reason people say is "tradition") but rather a small demonstration that one has a solid family foundation based on businesses, properties (again older the better), ... and yes, a little cash is nice. And it's not just the tray that is the focal point. A lot of folks bring out old family silk, rings, seashells, and antiques to use as part of the ceremonies too. It all adds to the atmosphere.

Again, one's mileage may vary (especially if you're marrying into a family that expects to cash in on everything on the tray). They may tell you that only cash is acceptable, and only small bills if possible because it makes for more convenient betting amounts in pok deng.

[Heng]

I have never done it , but I would use Cash to show, I can't see how bonds and House deeds or Land deeds from overseas can be of any use at all, if they are and you don't have them, just print some out yourself.

Cash and Gold, can't go wrong.

Again, if you discuss it with your spouse to be, whatever you both decide is best... you can't go wrong with that. Even with gold and cash, folks will often mix in foreign currencies (some recent Thai weddings I've seen used 'only Yen' and another 'only US$'), nuggets, bars, in addition to the traditional greys and purples and necklace/bracelet/ring sets.

When you attend a lot of weddings, for my extended group of friends and family it's an average of about half a dozen to a dozen per year every year, folks will often try to differentiate their ceremony.... and that's all aspects of it, not just the sinsod portion of the ceremony, but yes, even what's on the tray you'll see the kids nowadays (and from what I've seen for many years now) mixing it up quite a bit, finding their own balance between form, substance, and tradition.

Printing out deeds or stock certs yourself would be the equivalent of using Monopoly money and might be a little heavy on the form side / light on the substance side (of course if that's the theme you're going for... and the spouse agrees, then you can't go wrong either!).

Edited April 30, 2006 by Heng