Thailand

zagfles

zagfles wrote: »

Over there you'll get much better rates, but best it to use one of the best cards eg Halifax Clarity, MetroBank, and withdraw from ATMs, see the article on the main site and watch out for dynamic currency conversion.

I presume the £3000 includes paying for hotels etc, otherwise it seems a lot unless you're going for a couple of months...

The Clarity is a credit card, if you use it correctly (pay it off as soon as you get back) you should pay far less in interest than you'll be charged for most other methods of changing currency.

MetroBank is a debit card, but they only have branches in London. See the article on the main site.

yanto2134

Can I use my Santander Visa Debit card over there to either purchase goods, or draw cash from ATM's? If so what are the charges? Thanks again

stilltheone

zagfles wrote: »

The Clarity is a credit card, if you use it correctly (pay it off as soon as you get back) you should pay far less in interest than you'll be charged for most other methods of changing currency.

MetroBank is a debit card, but they only have branches in London. See the article on the main site.

You just don't seem to understand...even though I have already explained it here.

stilltheone

yanto2134 wrote: »

Can I use my Santander Visa Debit card over there to either purchase goods, or draw cash from ATM's? If so what are the charges? Thanks again

Don't do it.

Though if you have a Santander account, you can think about applying for their Zero credit card. You can use that for purchases and ATM withdrawals(don't forget the 150 baht charge) and then using online transfers, covering any spend direct from the current account.
Of course, if you just use it for purchases and hotel payments, that would be ideal as their would be no interest payment as long as you paid the full statement balance when presented.

There is some evidence that Thai ATMs may be using DCC in some instances, so be careful there too.
Large denomination AmEx Sterling TCs are not a bad idea there.

yanto2134

Thanks again but I dont use credit cards. Guess Im old fashioned!

Doshwaster

yanto2134 wrote: »

Thanks again but I dont use credit cards. Guess Im old fashioned!

And I haven't used Travellers Cheques in about 15 years. There really is no need these days as there are far easier ways of getting your hands on your own money.

Also, if you are going out of major cities you may find it hard to find somewhere that will change them.

I go to Thailand regularly and use a mixture of cash, pre-paid debit cards and normal credit cards.