Can someone please post some 'easy to apply' applications to the ongoing currency moves and their practical effect on expats.

For example, when the baht strengthens do I have a better exchange for my Euro or USD, or X ? Where should we expect the corner ATM's exchange rate to be short term or 3mo or 6mo, etc. If this is already available, sorry as I could not find.

Moved to currency forum.

when the baht strengthens do I have a better exchange for my Euro or USD, or X ?

changing into what? som tam? cowrie shells? Singha?

When you hear the baht has strengthened (appreciated) in relation to another currency such as the EUR/USD that means the baht has got more valuable in relation to the other currency which means you get less baht when buying baht with that other currency.

Or from the perspective of a person who has USD/EUR which he wants to exchange into baht when the baht strengthens against any of these currencies he will receive fewer baht for his USD/EUR. Or, if the USD/EUR weakens in relation to the baht you once again get fewer baht for your USD/EUR/etc.

Whether a currency pair has strengthened or weakened is all relative depending on how you want to look at it. But when you hear the baht has "strengthened" against the EUR/USD that means exchange rate has went down from the point of view of a EUR/USD holder because they now get fewer baht for their EUR/USD.

Over recent months some "other" currencies, especially the EUR, have weakened against most all currencies to include the baht which makes the baht look like it's getting stronger when in fact the baht's fundamentals have changed very little.

Visa/Mastercard exchange rates will be a little lower (approx 0.4% lower) than the forex rate you see on forex websites like XE.com (not to imply 0.4% is not a lot especially on high amount money exchanges...0.4% turns into significant money fast). That approx 0.4% spread is profit for Visa/Mastercard. Ditto for the TT Buying Rate at Thai banks for incoming wire transfers. Now Visa/Mastercad exchange rates will lag the forex rates by one or two business days...forex rates are pretty much changing every minute of the day but Visa/Mastercard set their exchange rates to usually last an entire 24 hour period (or longer for weekends). Now I'm talking the 0% foreign transaction fee Visa/Mastercard exchange rate....if your "card-issuing" bank charges a foreign transaction fee (1 to 3% is common), well, blame that on your card-issuing bank and deduct that percentage to get your effective exchange rate.

I watch the baht against USD daily. I notice when the SET is open, the baht appreciates a bit. As the London exchanges open, the baht is a bit lower. But, when I wake up and US markets have opened and closed, the baht is lower yet. I'm not talking much movement - 10th of % or so. But the same pattern occurs nearly daily. Is the BOT manipulating value a bit every day?

when the baht strengthens do I have a better exchange for my Euro or USD, or X ?

changing into what? som tam? cowrie shells? Singha?

Som tam, obviously....jeez

I watch the baht against USD daily. I notice when the SET is open, the baht appreciates a bit. As the London exchanges open, the baht is a bit lower. But, when I wake up and US markets have opened and closed, the baht is lower yet. I'm not talking much movement - 10th of % or so. But the same pattern occurs nearly daily. Is the BOT manipulating value a bit every day?

It's called "trading"...entities (individuals, banks, companies, governments, etc) buying and selling at different prices at different times...probably more intense sometimes at opening and closing market times in various parts of the world...of course the exchange rate is going to vary with all this trading underway.

If you watch any type of trading "real time" you see small price changes occurring continuously (way less than every second)....but usually free sites are just updating the price change every 10 minutes or so...like looking at charts on xe.com where the chart time increments are every 10 minutes....but pay for their premium service and you can get real time rates.

No doubt BOT jumps in sometimes if the baht is going a direction they don't like, but I expect it's only in extreme cases or when a trend they don't like seems to be developing....how long does that "trend" have to be before they might jump in....one hour , one day, three days, a week, who knows...I sure many factors would be involved.

when the baht strengthens do I have a better exchange for my Euro or USD, or X ?

changing into what? som tam? cowrie shells? Singha?

Som tam, obviously....jeez

to me it looks more like lao khao

Use these links..http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi?template=crm1&Amount=1&From=USD&To=THB&s=0 and http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=THB&view=1M

Just read and pay Whelen post on TV. All you prayers and answers await you!