Help please is it best to take a £sterling currency card to malaysia and thailand????

busy_izzy123

Hi there,

I am due to go on my honeymoon in less than two weeks. We are not sure of what the best way to take currency would be.

We are doing 3 night in various places in Malaysia (Borneo and Kuala Lumphur and 11 nights Koh Samui.

We are looking at taking roughly £800 for the 14 nights.

I have looked into the £ Sterling currency cards but wasnt sure of A) how they work or what kind of exchange rate would we be getting (better or worse than taking cash or using our own debit cards).

The three i have seen that seem the best are the:
1) my Travel Cash Multi-Currency
2) FairFX Anywhere Card
3) ICE Travellers Cashcard

I anyone can help, recommend any others or give me the pros and cons i would very much appreciate it.

Izzy

Obviously_the_best

FairFX would be my choice. The way to get the best rate is to take a Halifax clarity credit card or a Metro bank debit card.

gb2cv

Hi - I am sure you will have an amazing time. I went to Thailand last year and took about £500 of Thai Baht in cash which I pre-ordered to pick up at airport. This gets you one of the best rates. I would not worry too much about the cash amount as there will be 2 of you so you can spread it out between you. Using debit and credit cards is great but beware - I notified my banks that I was going to Thailand and they still messed up and I could not use one of my cards when I really needed some extra to pay for an excursion. It does depend where you are going as not everywhere is set up for card payments out of the main towns and cities.

I also took prepaid currency card for travelling to Australia afterwards and this worked a dream, only needing to use it like a normal debit card and to draw cash. They are a great idea and again saves hassle with banks letting you down.

NiftyDigits

You haven't told us which debit cards you hold, so how can we make a comparison?
Prepaid card would be worse than taking cash for Thailand. By cash I mean British Pounds. Forget about taking baht.
Thai ATMs also have an 180 baht ATM charge and Prepaid cards often charge extra for being used over the counter. So not the best idea.
FairFx Anywhere? No. Take cash out of an ATM and you get hit with three separate charges in Thailand.

Think about free Sterling Travellers cheques from Lloyds for Thailand, if you order via phone or online and pickup in branch.

http://www.lloydstsb.com/travel/travel-money.asp

gmac9i

Hi, my wife has just returned from Borneo, take a sterling pre paid card and take all the stress out of it. Easy to use and you get 2 in case you lose one.

CountryGoose

If you don't have, or can't get in time, a Clarity or Metro card and are only taking £800, then I would simply take the cash. You'll get a better rate in Thailand and it's easier to change than cheques.

Split between two it's only £400 each and you can leave it in a hotel safe (nb hotel, not room) to prevent loss. Most travel policies will cover you for some cash and the chances of getting robbed are comparatively low.

Use a couple of money belts or hidden wallets when you're between hotels or on the flight.

busy_izzy123

NiftyDigits wrote: »

You haven't told us which debit cards you hold, so how can we make a comparison?

I hadnt told you as this wasnt relevant to my question. I am not taking my debit or credit cards with me.

Gloomendoom

busy_izzy123 wrote: »

NiftyDigits wrote: »

You haven't told us which debit cards you hold, so how can we make a comparison?

I hadnt told you as this wasnt relevant to my question. I am not taking my debit or credit cards with me.

I would say it was very relevant. If you have the right cards, they could be cheaper to use than a pre-paid card.

Also, it might be a good idea to take your usual debit and credit cards for use in emergencies. Relying on a pre-paid card, or any single card (if, indeed, you are) is risky.

NiftyDigits

busy_izzy123 wrote: »

NiftyDigits wrote: »

You haven't told us which debit cards you hold, so how can we make a comparison?

I hadnt told you as this wasnt relevant to my question. I am not taking my debit or credit cards with me.

what kind of exchange rate would we be getting (better or worse than taking cash or using our own debit cards)

Good luck to your husband.

Obviously_the_best

busy_izzy123 wrote: »

I am not taking my debit or credit cards with me.

Don't do that!!! Take them with you. If all else fails, they're one of the most reliable things. Almost guaranteed to work, and easy to cancel if you lose them.

When travelling abroad you should always have a plan a, b, c, d, e ... for money.

Doshwaster

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

Don't do that!!! Take them with you. If all else fails, they're one of the most reliable things. Almost guaranteed to work, and easy to cancel if you lose them.

When travelling abroad you should always have a plan a, b, c, d, e ... for money.

Good advice. Taking all of your spending on one card is dangerous. Even if your usual debit/credit card is a "card from hell", still take it with you and hide it somewhere separate from your main cards and money. I always keep a card in a waterproof bag in my toiletry bag. If it's an emergency then the fact that the card could cost your £5 for a transaction will be the least of your worries.