Best cash card for Thailand ?

swayzak

Hello

We are travelling to Thailand (Phuket) in a couple of weeks.

I have a (Thomas Cook !) Euro cash passport card, which I've found quite useful.

Is there an equivalent for loading with Thai Bhat ? If so any recommendations ?

Thanks

EveryWhere

No. It would not help you in any way regardless.
https://www.starlingbank.com/travel/
Withdraw cash over the counter in a bank if you can, to avoid the Thai banks' ridiculous 220 baht(£5.80) ATM fee. Alternatively use AEON ATM if you can find one, as they charge 150 baht(£3.95).

Best to take crisp £50 notes.if you want to avoid their greedy ATM fees, only to use the card for purchases.
https://www.phuket101.net/phuket-exchange-rates/

swayzak

Thanks

To clarify - if we want some local cash is it best to buy some Baht in UK or exchange GBP in Phuket ?

Bear in mind we are going to small island with a few hotels only (no towns / villages), so was intending to make most purchases with loaded cash card.

kazwookie

Take cash, exchange in Phuket, then split it between you to carry, and use the safes.


(Watch out for motorbike snatches / pickpocket bumping into you / sitting too close to you on the bht buses.)

eDicky

'Cash cards' are largely a con, especially the TC Cash Passport type, and there's never any need for them. Usually it's cheaper and certainly less hassle to just use your regular bank debit card overseas.

Take Everywhere's advice regarding Starling Bank, plus the recommended 'travel' credit cards, to keep your money in pounds until the time of transaction.

You will find good rates of exchange for cash pounds in Phuket, better than buying cash baht in UK.

EveryWhere

swayzak wrote: »

Thanks

To clarify - if we want some local cash is it best to buy some Baht in UK or exchange GBP in Phuket ?

Bear in mind we are going to small island with a few hotels only (no towns / villages), so was intending to make most purchases with loaded cash card.

You stated Phuket, so I gave advice for Phuket. Though going to another island doesn't change the advice. Koh Lipe? Koh Lanta? Koh Phi Phi?

swayzak

It's a small island immediately adjacent to Phuket (considered as part of same area I think) - Coconut Island.

EveryWhere

swayzak wrote: »

It's a small island immediately adjacent to Phuket (considered as part of same area I think) - Coconut Island.

Haven't been there. Don't know your itinerary and transport choices. If you are going to be ferried directly to Coconut Island, your choice may be to change your £50 notes at HKT.
Luckily for you, there is a very good choice at the airport; https://www.superrichthailand.com/#!/en/exchange

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Currency-Exchange/Superrich-Thailand-Phuket-International-Airport-407898939403974/

I would expect it's around 37.80 currently, for £50 notes.

Brexit chaos really hasn't done you, nor most of the general populace, any favours.

RS2OOO

kazwookie wrote: »

Take cash, exchange in Phuket, then split it between you to carry, and use the safes.

Have always found this to be the cheapest method of exchange.

As another poster said, just make sure your GBP notes are crisp and don't have any writing/scribbles on them as they tend to reject them at most exchange places.

Doshwaster

In Thailand cash is still king. Smaller places won't take cards and they have just about the most expensive ATMs in the world.

Take a card or two for backup and for hotels/flights but for day-to-day spending I would stick with cash as there are money changers everywhere. Just take enough with you for the day and leave the rest safely locked/hidden away.

Also watch out for some exchange rate shock. The Thai Bhat is currently one of the strongest currencies in the world and Sterling one of the weakest. Thailand isn't the cheap country it was 10-15 years ago, especially in the tourist hotspots such as Phuket.

Heliflyguy

Doshwaster wrote: »

A The Thai Bhat is currently one of the strongest currencies in the world and Sterling one of the weakest.

The Thai baht isnt strong as such rather its overvalued neither is sterling one of the weakest globally in fact today the Swiss franc is weaker against the USD.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/31/thai-baht-strength-sparks-concerns-with-thailand-economy-slowing.html

The Thai baht, New Zealand dollar and Brazilian real are currently the most overvalued currencies in the world, according to Deutsche Bank's currency valuation models.11 Feb 2019

Hopefully once the mess here is sorted and Thailand reign in their currency things will improve.

I would recommend a Transferwise account and card mostly for its ease of use.