Travelling round S. E. Asia....

Miss_J_25

I'm travelling round SE Asia at the end of the year and am at a loss as to how to get the most out of my spending money. I usually like to work with cash lifting it every few days or when my tour permits. My travel guide says that US dollars are accepted in many places. Ideally I'd just like to be able to lift cash in each of the countries I'm visiting and then be able to check on line my balance etc. I'm visiting Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I'd really like to bring a card that has my spends already loaded onto it or a bank account that doesn't charge an arm and a leg to lift the money. I would also like to bring a credit card for emergencies which again is best value. Any information anyone has on this would be greatly appreciated as my mind boggles everytime I think about it. Thanks

Bob_the_Saver

How would you plan to get your US dollars?

NiftyDigits

Metro Bank debit and credit card(not open to you unless you can get to London). Failing that N&P Gold Light or Classic Debit.

Credit + ATM use: Halifax Clarity for all round usage. Metro Bank Credit is nearly identical.

Purchase Credit: Post Office Platinum, Saga Platinum..

Prepaid Mastercard: Kalixa Pay with their Promo code to waive the initial card fee, ICE International GBP £ Travellers Cashcard, Caxton Global Traveller(VISA)..

150 baht fee to use ATMs in Thailand, so best to have a card from the top two lists in order to withdraw over the counter.

Use Telebank ATMs in Vietnam to avoid ATM charges. AEON ATMs in Thailand.

Cambodian ATMs can and do dispense US$. Don't know if there is a levy attached.

If you can't get an N&P account, then your best bet will be the Clarity, with one of the Prepaid cards as a backup card.

Doshwaster

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Cambodian ATMs can and do dispense US$. Don't know if there is a levy attached.

I can't remember any ATM fees in Cambodia.

However, cash machines are a lot less common than they are in Thailand (where they are literally on every corner) so it would be wise to have a supply of dollars in small denominations, especially one dollar bills, before arriving. You'll need $20 in cash anyway if you do the Visa on Arrival.

In the tourist areas of Cambodia, everything is priced in dollars but you will typically get your change in Riels. These are worthless outside the country so make sure your spend (or donate) them before leaving.

Miss_J_25

Thanks for all this useful information. I will look into all the cards mentioned and see which suits.

Glad I've still got a few months to get it all sorted :j