I'm from the Philippines and it's my first time visiting Bangkok. Help me. :)

[peeyaj]

5 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

To get back to the OPs travel plan.

I think it's way too much to visit Grand Palace/Wat Po in just one afternoon.

Arrive, relax and walk around Khaosan.

 

 

Will do! Probably on the 6th or 7th.

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

 

ATM's are everywhere, but there rates are the poorest.  Do you have money changers in the Philippines (I don't mean the bank)? A non-bank money changer will give you the best rate. I suggest bring 15-20k baht exchanged in the Philippines and then finding a non-bank exchanger in Bangkok for additional funds. I know there is one in the Pratunam Market and another on Sukhumvit Soi 3 a half a block from the Sukhumvit intersection (west side).

 

IMO, an ATM should be your last resort for exchanging cash.

The worst rate he can get will be in the Philippines.  It's been proven ATMs offer the best rates.  Especially in countries like Thailand.  Myanmar is another story.

 

Plus, you have to find a good money changer and make sure you don't get scammed.  Which happens all the time to jet lagged tourists. Myself included!  Stick to the ATM.  Unless of course your bank has high fees.  I have 2 cards.  One with zero fees and another with 1%.  Pretty good.

 

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/money-and-insurance/get-the-best-exchange-rate

Quote

Use Credit and ATM Cards
You will almost always get the best interbank exchange rate when buying foreign currency with either ATM cards or credit cards, which will usually be 2 to 7 percent better than the rates you'll get when exchanging cash or traveler's checks.

 

[skatewash]

1 hour ago, peeyaj said:

 

Really helpful! I will use your computation for the exchange. I called my bank and they told me that they are charging 150 Pesos ( 106 baht, 3 USD) for every withdrawal  transaction abroad. So, correct me if I'm wrong, 200 baht (Thailand bank's fee) + 106 baht (Philippine bank fee) = 306 baht for every transaction, which is a good meal itself in Bangkok. So, I'm leaning to Superich! Any Superich branches near Suvarnabhumi ? :D

That's a good way to think about it.  Using the exchange rates given earlier and assuming your cost to use an ATM is 306 Baht (combination of Thai and home fees), then if you were to exchange enough PHP to get 15,000 THB you would need 21,455 PHP if you used an ATM, and only 20,690 PHP if you used a Super Rich.  In other words, you would save 756 Pesos if you used the Super Rich rather than an ATM, which is a little over 540 Baht.  So, yes you could get a pretty nice meal for that in Bangkok.  On the other hand, locations/addresses can be pretty challenging to find in Thailand.  So, you're back to balancing the time, effort, and expense getting to and from a Super Rich versus the convenience of using almost any ATM.   I don't think there are any Super Rich outlets within easy walking distance of Khao San Rd.   But if you do find a Super Rich you would have an extra 540 Baht in your pocket if you had the Pesos on hand.

[MoonUnit]

2 hours ago, skatewash said:

The exchange rate is basically the same at all ATMs on a particular day in Thailand (depending on whether it's Visa or MasterCard, I believe Visa usually offers a more favorable one).

 

Apologies for correcting you, but MasterCard invariably have the upper hand on exchange rates, albeit negligible if the consumer is changing up small amounts. 

[skatewash]

9 minutes ago, MoonUnit said:

 

Apologies for correcting you, but MasterCard invariably have the upper hand on exchange rates, albeit negligible if the consumer is changing up small amounts. 

It does seem that MasterCard would give a better rate in this case: 1 THB = 1.395712 PHP  (at https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/get-support/convert-currency.html versus 1.401101 for Visa).  If that's usually true, then he would be better off using a MasterCard than a Visa.  If he were withdrawing 15,000 Baht the savings would be about 115 Baht.  Assuming the fees were the same in both cases that's reason enough to prefer a MasterCard ATM Card over a Visa one.

[peeyaj]

24 minutes ago, skatewash said:

  I don't think there are any Super Rich outlets within easy walking distance of Khao San Rd.   But if you do find a Super Rich you would have an extra 540 Baht in your pocket if you had the Pesos on hand.

There's a Superich branch near Platinum Mall. From Suvarnabhumi, how can I go there via train? 

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, peeyaj said:

 

Really helpful! I will use your computation for the exchange. I called my bank and they told me that they are charging 150 Pesos ( 106 baht, 3 USD) for every withdrawal  transaction abroad. So, correct me if I'm wrong, 200 baht (Thailand bank's fee) + 106 baht (Philippine bank fee) = 306 baht for every transaction, which is a good meal itself in Bangkok. So, I'm leaning to Superich! Any Superich branches near Suvarnabhumi ? :D

Don't forget you'll be walking around with a fair amount of cash on you.  In Thailand and Cambodia.  Something I try to avoid.

 

Getting to Platinum mall from KSR is a major PAIN! LOL

[MoonUnit]

6 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Assuming the fees were the same in both cases that's reason enough to prefer a MasterCard ATM Card over a Visa one.

 

It's more to do with the card you are using rather than the machine, i.e. you won't get the MasterCard rate with a Visa card.

[skatewash]

3 minutes ago, MoonUnit said:

 

It's more to do with the card you are using rather than the machine, i.e. you won't get the MasterCard rate with a Visa card.

Well, yes it has everything to do with the card rather than the machine, but I don't see how my statement you quoted says any differently ;-)

[MoonUnit]

1 hour ago, peeyaj said:

Any Superich branches near Suvarnabhumi ? :D

 

There's a Super Rich booth on the lower level of Swampy, down by the Airport Rail Link.  Do check the opening times, though.

[MoonUnit]

1 minute ago, skatewash said:

Well, yes it has everything to do with the card rather than the machine, but I don't see how my statement you quoted says any differently ;-)

 

I should have made myself clear, it doesn't matter what the machine's affiliation is, you'll get your host card's rate so no need to go off in search of a MasterCard machine.  As long as the machine accepts Visa and MasterCard, which the majority do, then the consumer will be fine.

[MoonUnit]

Apologies for any confusion, skatewash. 

[geisha]

I would add some common advice on security. Careful on Khao San rd for a start. Lots of the small shops there acting as travel agencies are nothing but rip off artists.You would  be better off spending a few dollars more and going to a good agency, you can check it all out on TripAdvisor  travel to Siem reap forum. Careful where you put your cash and credit card ! If travelling, or keeping your money on your person, use an inside money belt which you wear inside your trousers ! Don't accept drinks on buses, or anywhere else, buy your own bottled drinks. Don't put any valuables in your bag that goes in the boot of the bus either. Also, watch out for fellow travellers. It's not unknown that they rob when they can to boost their own funds. Have a great time !!!

[dddave]

I think the OP is vastly underestimating the amount of time spent travelling place to place..no matter how much time a plane or bus or train takes for the actual trip, between checking out and into hotels, getting to stations, getting orientated at destinations and finding acommodations, you nearly always loose a full day.  The way I see it, you will be doing pretty much a dash tour...similar to "The Amazing Race"...going to many places, dashing around and seeing very little and experiencing nothing of the genuine local culture.

Picture a first time tourist in the Philippines trying to do the same you are attempting in Thailand...how much would they really see?

Almost every place on your itinerary deserves 2 days touring time....I would say, completely re-do it in a realistic way.

[MoonUnit]

3 minutes ago, geisha said:

Careful on Khao San rd for a start. Lots of the small shops there acting as travel agencies are nothing but rip off artists.

 

Good post.  I should further add that anyone with a pulse on Khao San Road, Thai, foreigner or falang, has the potential to rip you off sooner than look at you. 

 

Not really the place I'd stay personally, but then I'm not a youngster anymore.

[skatewash]

37 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Don't forget you'll be walking around with a fair amount of cash on you.  In Thailand and Cambodia.  Something I try to avoid.

 

Getting to Platinum mall from KSR is a major PAIN! LOL

 

Khao San Road is not known for its easy access to the BST (Sky Train) or MRT subway.  I think you'll find that Palladium Mall is half an hour away from KSR by bus or taxi.  It sounds like your best bet is to hit the SuperRich at the Suvarnabhumi Airport as suggested by MoonUnit earlier.

[skatewash]

By the way, you can use Google Map directions to plan your trips around Bangkok.  Just use the public transport tab to see what's available where you want to go.  That said, taxis are really a bargain in Bangkok, if you can convey to the driver where you want to go and realize that due to traffic congestion some trips can take a long time ;-)

If I'm taking visitors on a quick tour of the highlights of Bangkok I generally take them to what I think of as the big three sites (which also happen to be relatively close together): Grand Palace, Wat Po (featuring the Reclining Buddha), and Wat Arun (the main prang of which you can climb for amazing views if it's not undergoing maintenance).  Wat Po is next door to and within walking distance of the Grand Palace and after Wat Po it is possible to walk toward the nearby Chao Phraya River to Pier #8 (Tha Tien).  Right next door to Pier #8 you can catch a cross-river ferry (very inexpensive at 3 Baht) that will take you across the river (worth doing for its own sake, I think) and let you off at Wat Arun.  Then reverse the process to get back across the river from Wat Arun.  This itinerary could take all day if you do it at a somewhat relaxed pace and enjoy what you're seeing and stop for lunch.  

You'll make your life easier if you simply wear long pants which are absolutely required to visit the Grand Palace (you can rent long pants there for a refundable deposit but it takes extra time waiting in lines).  The Grand Palace will be crowded and because of activities related to the recent passing of the greatly respected King Bhumibol you can expect much larger crowds at the Grand Palace than there would normally be, and there are normally large crowds.  Wearing black to mourn the passing of the King is very common and would be a nice gesture for you to do too, if possible.

[peeyaj]

1 hour ago, MoonUnit said:

 

There's a Super Rich booth on the lower level of Swampy, down by the Airport Rail Link.  Do check the opening times, though.

Thanks. By the way, Airport Link is in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport right? 

 

 

[peeyaj]

Thanks for everyone's advice! Manila is as hectic and as scam-friendly as Bangkok, methinks. Divisoria and Quiapo in Manila is teeming with snatchers, pickpockets galore, so I think, I'll be pretty cautious as it is not new to me. I'll be extra careful. And I think being Southeast  Asian has its own advantages compared to other nationalities. 

[MoonUnit]

2 minutes ago, peeyaj said:

Thanks. By the way, Airport Link is in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport right?

 

Yes, pretty much in the basement of the airport.  Check the opening times, though.

[peeyaj]

5 minutes ago, MoonUnit said:

 

Yes, pretty much in the basement of the airport.  Check the opening times, though.

Perfect. It's open 7 days a week. 

Address :Booth No. SVB RC29. Bangna-Trad Rd., Rachathewa Sub_Dist, Bangplee Dist, Samut Prakarn.
We are on Basement, near ARL Express Line.
 

Open : Daily : Monday - Sunday 
06.00 am - 11.00 pm. 

Contact : Tel 095-568-9009 

 

By the way, how's the language barrier? I speak decent English and can write fluently, how can I talk to them? 

[skatewash]

28 minutes ago, peeyaj said:

Perfect. It's open 7 days a week. 

Address :Booth No. SVB RC29. Bangna-Trad Rd., Rachathewa Sub_Dist, Bangplee Dist, Samut Prakarn.
We are on Basement, near ARL Express Line.
 

Open : Daily : Monday - Sunday 
06.00 am - 11.00 pm. 

Contact : Tel 095-568-9009 

 

By the way, how's the language barrier? I speak decent English and can write fluently, how can I talk to them? 

 

At the Super Rich?  Should be no problem at all.  The cashiers there spend their whole day dealing with foreigners mostly speaking English (some fluently, some less so ;-).  Also, the currency exchange transaction is one of those where very little needs to be said.  The exchange rate will be shown on a display monitor in English.  You could calculate exactly how many Baht you will receive from that information as there is no commission or fee.  They will most likely want to see your passport.  Tell them how many Pesos you want to exchange, give them the Pesos, and they'll give you the Baht and a receipt detailing the transaction.  You can ask for some smaller denominations, otherwise you will likely be given mostly 1,000 Baht bills.  They may pass a calculator back and forth if there are any communication problems, which there rarely are.

A good tip is to always have small change (100 Baht or smaller) with you as many smaller businesses including taxis will claim (sometimes truthfully) not to have change for your 1,000 Baht bill.  I always pay for anything I buy from a convenience store (7-11, Family Mart, etc.) with a 1,000 Baht bill simply to get change as I typically am issued mostly 1,000 Baht bills from the ATM.

Most of the people you will come into contact with in the tourist areas will speak English.  Taxi drivers can be hit or miss, but you can assess that by talking to them.  Random Thai people you meet on the street can be hit or miss in regards to speaking English.  Be patient and you will find someone who can understand you as long as you're not after something too complicated.  Try to keep it simple and you'll have no real problems.  The level of English speaking ability in the general Thai population is the weakest of any of the ASEAN member states.  That said, given the nature of your visit (tourism) you will likely be encountering Thai people with a reasonable (sometimes excellent) level of English.

Edited November 21, 2016 by skatewash
spelling

[connda]

Next time come to Chiang Mai.  Sorta like Bagio but different.  Have fun. 

[MoonUnit]

36 minutes ago, peeyaj said:

Perfect. It's open 7 days a week. 

Address :Booth No. SVB RC29. Bangna-Trad Rd., Rachathewa Sub_Dist, Bangplee Dist, Samut Prakarn.
We are on Basement, near ARL Express Line.
 

Open : Daily : Monday - Sunday 
06.00 am - 11.00 pm. 

Contact : Tel 095-568-9009 

 

By the way, how's the language barrier? I speak decent English and can write fluently, how can I talk to them? 

 

Excellent.  Then if your flight arrives at 3am then you know to wait until 6am.  Good luck.

[balo]

50 minutes ago, peeyaj said:

Manila is as hectic and as scam-friendly as Bangkok, methinks. Divisoria and Quiapo in Manila is teeming with snatchers, pickpockets galore, so I think, I'll be pretty cautious as it is not new to me. I'll be extra careful.

 

I think you will find Bangkok a safer city than Manila , despite what other people think . If you act normal and avoid confrontations , Bangkok is one of the safest places to live in. I walked around late at night alone and never felt threatened, 

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, balo said:

 

I think you will find Bangkok a safer city than Manila , despite what other people think . If you act normal and avoid confrontations , Bangkok is one of the safest places to live in. I walked around late at night alone and never felt threatened, 

His biggest safety issue will be on KSR! LOL

[peeyaj]

31 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

His biggest safety issue will be on KSR! LOL

I can change my hostel and avoid KSR. I have booked in Oasis Hostel and will pay once I got there. Should I avoid Khao San and book a room near Mo Chit 2 bus station? I'm honestly need your opinion. I'll be staying in Silom on December 5-8.

[peeyaj]

55 minutes ago, skatewash said:

 

At the Super Rich?  Should be no problem at all.  The cashiers there spend their whole day dealing with foreigners mostly speaking English (some fluently, some less so ;-).  Also, the currency exchange transaction is one of those where very little needs to be said.  The exchange rate will be shown on a display monitor in English.  You could calculate exactly how many Baht you will receive from that information as there is no commission or fee.  They will most likely want to see your passport.  Tell them how many Pesos you want to exchange, give them the Pesos, and they'll give you the Baht and a receipt detailing the transaction.  You can ask for some smaller denominations, otherwise you will likely be given mostly 1,000 Baht bills.  They may pass a calculator back and forth if there are any communication problems, which there rarely are.

A good tip is to always have small change (100 Baht or smaller) with you as many smaller businesses including taxis will claim (sometimes truthfully) not to have change for your 1,000 Baht bill.  I always pay for anything I buy from a convenience store (7-11, Family Mart, etc.) with a 1,000 Baht bill simply to get change as I typically am issued mostly 1,000 Baht bills from the ATM.

Most of the people you will come into contact with in the tourist areas will speak English.  Taxi drivers can be hit or miss, but you can assess that by talking to them.  Random Thai people you meet on the street can be hit or miss in regards to speaking English.  Be patient and you will find someone who can understand you as long as you're not after something too complicated.  Try to keep it simple and you'll have no real problems.  The level of English speaking ability in the general Thai population is the weakest of any of the ASEAN member states.  That said, given the nature of your visit (tourism) you will likely be encountering Thai people with a reasonable (sometimes excellent) level of English.

Great read. Will keep it in mind. 

[craigt3365]

13 minutes ago, peeyaj said:

I can change my hostel and avoid KSR. I have booked in Oasis Hostel and will pay once I got there. Should I avoid Khao San and book a room near Mo Chit 2 bus station? I'm honestly need your opinion. I'll be staying in Silom on December 5-8.

Don't change!  It's a place you have to experience.  You'll love it!  Just be careful.  Scams abound, but you're use to that.  Have fun and enjoy!

[skatewash]

Sort of a funny story that I was reminded of when I noticed the OP planned to visit the Grand Palace on December 5th:

It's quite common around tourist areas especially to be asked: "Where are you going?"  by various touts or other interested parties seeking to make a profit off of you somehow.  A famous scam in Bangkok is the Grand Palace is closed scam.  In a nutshell, sometimes people near the Grand Palace, when they find out you are planning to go to the Grand Palace, will try to convince you that it's not open for you to visit, when it really is.  Then, they will suggest going someplace else which usually involves them receiving some sort of kickback, although how that works exactly may not be obvious to you at the time.

I've visited the Grand Palace many times.  It is truly amazing!  The first time I was in the company of my Thai girlfriend so no one tried to pull the scam on me.  When I'm with Thai friends the scam is almost never played, I've noticed.  On other occasions I visited it by myself.  One time, sure enough, walking from the Chao Phraya River to the Grand Palace I was approached by people telling me that because of such and such the Grand Palace is closed.  "The Grand Palace is shut today for a private celebration."  "The Grand Palace is closed for renovations," etc.  Always some bogus reason or other.  "So sorry you came all this way!"  But it so happens that they know a very nice place to visit instead and if I will only get into the waiting tuk tuk they will take me there for some ridiculously small amount of money.  Having heard of this scam before I have always respectfully, but firmly, declined the offer and continued on my way to the Grand Palace, which not terribly surprisingly has always been open after all.  After this has happened a number of times you don't even bother responding to the people who ask you where you're going ;-)

As I've said before, I like to take first-time visitors to Bangkok on a tour of the Grand Palace, Wat Po, and Wat Arun.  So on this particular occasion, my friend and I arrive on a water taxi to the pier by the Grand Palace.  "Watch this," I tell her, "people will ask where we're going and when we answer Grand Palace they will tell us it's closed today.  Don't believe them!  The Grand Palace is always open every day, they just tell us that so that we will go on their tour instead.  Don't get mad, but understand that they are flat out lying to you in order to get your business.  Don't stop to engage in conversation with them.  I know where we're going, just follow me."  So, sure enough, we're approached by the touts.  "Where are we going?"  I don't answer but my friend right on cue says "Grand Palace."  Then the spiel starts:  "the Grand Palace is closed. Sir."  This time because it's the King's birthday.  "That's OK, we'll just walk around outside," I say as I'm trying to get my friend to keep walking.  After we pass them, I tell her:  "See, it's just like I said.  They do that all the time!  Of course, the Grand Palace is open today," I say with confidence.

Shortly after that we get to the entrance to the Grand Palace... but, what's this?!?  People don't seem to be going in but rather standing outside and waiting.  We join the line uncertain as to what's going on.  Well, it turns out the Grand Palace is indeed temporarily closed because of the King's birthday, as that day happened to be December 5th.  There was some sort of private ceremony going on in the morning and it was closed to the public.  We are told it will reopen in the afternoon and the public will be allowed in starting at 1 PM.  So, we changed the order of the tour, doing Wat Po first, then Wat Arun, and finally back to the Grand Palace in the afternoon after it had reopened.  Apparently, the Grand Palace is never closed except for certain occasions of state, and the king's birthday was one of those occasions.  So it turned out the touts had been right (for once) but I'll bet they still would have tried to get us to take their tour if we had risen to the bait ;-)

I don't know what the situation will be this December 5th, but in the past the Grand Palace has been closed, at least part of the day, because of the king's birthday celebration.  There's always Wat Po and Wat Arun nearby if that should happen this year.  The other concern this year is that there are many people wishing to visit the Grand Palace to pay their respects to the late king, so it may or may not be feasible to visit the Grand Palace given the sheer number of people desiring to do so.