Which one are you going to use on your next trip? Has anyone found a cheap/free way to maximise your money on the trips to LOS due to the low exchange rate and the 150 baht fee that the banks are now charging in LOS for you to get your money out.

Being a Brit I used to use the Nationwide that gave free transactions from ATM's but that has now stopped and now charged 1% or something like that, along with the Thai 150baht withdrawal fee for using ATM's its a bit expensive to use the accounts day to day.

Any suggestions recommended

Fussy

I am sorry to say FC that in a free market economy you have a choice as to who is going to screw you in these circumstances but a choice not to be screwed is not available....
You can bring travellers cheques. Has the advantage of security if you should lose. However, if you bring GBP you will get charged for them & probably screwed on the exchange rate when you exchange them here.
If you bring a foreign currency you will get for free, but screwed on exchange rate when you buy.
You can bring cash GBP (there are limits on cash, but I think it is something like 10,000 euro or equivalent) but you will get screwed on exchange rate here when you convert.
You could bring baht (noting limits above) but will certainly get screwed on exchange rate in UK - SAGA - the 'pensioners' club are well worth a look at if you are going this route, can see on line & do offer a far better rate (though still a rip off) than the big banks.
Credit cards are, as you noted, now being charged an extra premium by Thai Banks & are often at a shocking exchange rate.
Transfers to Thai Banks involve a fee to do (about 23 GBP a transaction) & can involve a **** exchange rate as well....

I do a transfer into my Kasikorn account which costs €15/£14/$20 per transaction. I suppose you are screwed anyway you do it... Just a matter of who has the smallest and least painless

Fussy, Assuming you don't have a Thai bank account over here (see below), into which you can transfer sterling, (- that would be best), I would bring sterling travellers cheques. That way you have the security of the TQ's as against cash, and you are also deferring the point at which you exchange the money, in the (maybe optimistic) hope that the exchange rate will improve.

As a guide the banks in LOS are likely to rip you off less on exchange rates than the UK banks.

If you don't have a bank account in LOS, you are welcome to transfer the funds into mine and collect them later (if you can find me )

I do a cash advance on my debt card (ATM with Master Card Logo), the money is withdrawn from my checking account in the States and I'm only charged a 1% conversion fee.

I normally get some baht in the UK or Hong Kong first, then when I run out get cash, get more from the ATM in LOS on my UK debit card...however when I was in Udon last month, I just got brought a load (well seemed like a load ) of sterling with me and changed it into Baht in Bangkok bank in Udon.

I'm sure it worked out better (if only very slightly) then getting baht in UK.

Slightly off topic, but my 'better half' is staying in udon at the moment and I sent some money using Western Union from UK to Thailand. Found it very expensive (~14% of transfer amount) compared to doing the same to Hong Kong (where we have been living for last couple of years) which used to cost about 2.5%. Was hoping to top up our funds in Thailand over next couple of months using Western Union but doesn't seem to be worth it

Any advice on cheapest way of getting smallish amounts of cash over to Thailand from UK?

deankham wrote:Any advice on cheapest way of getting smallish amounts of cash over to Thailand from UK?

I opened a Nationwide account in the UK and gave her the card for it, I deposit amounts in it and she takes it all out. It used to be free to take money out of ATM's using Nationwide but thats now stopped and will cost about £4.50 for every £200 sterling. Its cheaper than Western Union

if one has a bank account with hsbc in uk .u can open a bank acc. hsbc in bangkok. this can be done either in bangkok or the uk. it does not cost anything to transfer money to los.this is what i do.

Any advice on cheapest way of getting smallish amounts of cash over to Thailand from UK?

I opened a Nationwide account in the UK and gave her the card for it, I deposit amounts in it and she takes it all out.

Just a note to all:...Be careful when doing this....as they can draw out far more than what is actually in the account..!!

MALC wrote::D if one has a bank account with hsbc in uk .u can open a bank acc. hsbc in bangkok. this can be done either in bangkok or the uk. it does not cost anything to transfer money to los.this is what i do.

Is there an HSBC branch in Udon that you can use to draw from?

HSBC only has one branch in Thailand and that is the Bangkok one.