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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 16:03:10 GMT 7
Yes, but then you pay fees twice, once when you change it into USD here and once again overseas when you change it into baht or dong or whatever.
The exchange rate is usually always better when you change money overseas but the trouble with taking cash AUD of course is that you may lose it or get robbed.
Personally I just carry the plastic these days.
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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 16:39:34 GMT 7
Yes, but then you pay fees twice, once when you change it into USD here and once again overseas when you change it into baht or dong or whatever. The exchange rate is usually always better when you change money overseas but the trouble with taking cash AUD of course is that you may lose it or get robbed. Personally I just carry the plastic these days. What plastic? Just your standard debit/cedit card? I just have a standard nab debit card, so should i take that overseas and when i get to my destination, use that to buy some of the local currency in cash and use that? |
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Post by Banjo on May 24, 2013 17:26:55 GMT 7
Just use in a bank ATM the same as you would here.
Some charge a fee, like most banks in Thailand have a $5 charge per transaction.
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Post by donnie1234 on May 24, 2013 21:19:37 GMT 7
Just use in a bank ATM the same as you would here. Some charge a fee, like most banks in Thailand have a $5 charge per transaction. you serious? its that simple? I can just use my normal nab bank debit card holding aud in a thai atm to withdraw baht? |
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Post by hypoman on May 24, 2013 21:36:52 GMT 7
sometimes I use a debit card abroad, only thing is the oz bank charges $15 and the forign bank $5 (varies). I think visa and mastercard would be the main ones accepted. just watch the local bank where your heading doesnt have a low withdraw limit. i found one that would only let you widtdraw $100 aussie a hit. most were about 250, then I found one that was 1000, (the aussie banks limit anyway)...
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Post by Banjo on May 25, 2013 3:35:44 GMT 7
I have a credit union account with a Visa card, the fees are more realistic, also in Thailand I use AEON ATMs, no $5 withdrawal charge.
AEON allows a 30,000 Baht withdrawal from foreign accounts a day, which is much the sames as the $1000 my Credit union allows.
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Post by Banker on May 25, 2013 8:27:47 GMT 7
Just use in a bank ATM the same as you would here. Some charge a fee, like most banks in Thailand have a $5 charge per transaction. you serious? its that simple? I can just use my normal nab bank debit card holding aud in a thai atm to withdraw baht? One of our members told me last week that National Bank have a card if you use overseas no charge.. Check it out. I use Westpac & they are just thieves. |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2013 8:57:36 GMT 7
you serious? its that simple? I can just use my normal nab bank debit card holding aud in a thai atm to withdraw baht? One of our members told me last week that National Bank have a card if you use overseas no charge.. Check it out. I use Westpac & they are just thieves. That's good news Banker Boss; I'll look into it also. And they also offer free travel insurance if you buy your tickets on a NAB credit/debit card I believe; so that's another offer worth looking into Team! The only reason I stayed with NAB is because years ago I remembered still having an account with them and so I reignited it; I think it was past 10 years in limbo, and they had never once deducted a penny from it, I think because it was under their minimum a/c charges:) Don't know what its like now with the government thieving all and sundry, but their a pretty good bank, as far as banks go. When you used a card overseas years ago and as long as it had the Cirus logo on it you were Ok to withdraw internationally; I think the same now applies with Visa/Master Card logos, because their all interlinked? |
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Post by zorro1 on May 25, 2013 9:19:55 GMT 7
Some great replies here, thanks. Can i get some more info on the plane trip. Would a flight at 11 at night be less crowded? I fugure if it is then i can definitely have an aisle seat and just stand up more often. I even heard if its really quiet I can lie accross all the seats. Also,when i get back from overseas, will centrelink not try and say "well you're well enough to travel, so you are well enough to work!" which perhaps is a fair assumption, but im also doing this out of desperation as i really need something unique and stimulating to break up my endlessly shit life. "Also,when i get back from overseas, will centrelink not try and say "well you're well enough to travel, so you are well enough to work!" which perhaps is a fair assumption" No not at all! every airport has a free wheel chair service and plenty of hotels are cheap and in the heart of the action so just go out of the lift and your in it, Walking st Pattaya comes to mind, lots of $15 -30 rooms and you will not get depressed there I promise... Unles of course you are accosted by a bunch of lady boys at 5am  lots of quiter areas further down the beach as well |
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Post by tablet on May 25, 2013 9:20:53 GMT 7
Hi Donny, If this is your first trip overseas, you might want to keep everything really simple. If you tell us where you will be flying from and what place you want to go to, then we can be a lot more help to you for suggesting airfares and places to stay. I can understand what your aiming for and offer a couple of tips. If you don't have any money, then you had better plan a bit more on the logistics, as things don't always work out the same in Asia as they do here. And when your in Asia and something goes wrong, there's no one there to help you. Firstly take a look at these two sites for picking up info on all things on travel- www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspaBefore you leave Australia, phone your bank to tell them where you are going and the dates. If you don't, and you try to use your card overseas, then they will stop all transactions, as they will think it is a fraud. That travel card you just obtained aren't recommended as it's just another way for banks to hit you for a lot of fee's plus bad exchange rates. Keep the $50us in it for an emergency, but read up on the conditions of use, fee's charged and reviews in the travel forums. Your NAB atm card, if it is a VISA debit card, will have charges of $4au + 2% of what you take out. In Thailand there is another charge to add on of 180bht [currently about $6.40au]. So it gets pretty expensive. If you do use that atm card, don't do lots of small withdrawals, but work out what you will need, and take out the maximum amount the atm will allow. I find that the AEON atm will let me have 20,000bht in one go. If you have any cash on you before leaving, take it and change that, as you won't be hit by all the atm fee's. If going to Thailand, change $100 at the airport for taxi and hotel first night. Ask them for some smaller notes for the taxi in 100bht notes. If you give the taxi driver a large note, he will definately say he has no change.Then when you get downtown, shop around the exchange booths for the best rate, as the airport is a little lower. When using atm's some will have something called dynamic exchange. Don't use those atm's as it is a bad exchange rate. And at your hotel, any money left in your room, could be missing when you return if you don't take very strict precautions. So have a look through those forums and ask back here also for any more info. 1960. |
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Post by tablet on May 25, 2013 9:47:19 GMT 7
Just an update on bank cards and fee's.
That NAB card that Banker mentioned was probably a NAB GOLD VISA DEBIT. I had one of those, but they dropped the no fee's for overseas transaction's last August 2012. Left a lot of people angry.
There are two other options.
Citibank Transaction Visa debit. I am using this now. No account fee, no exchange fee's, good Visa exchange rates, plus I use the AEON atm's so no Thailand based fee's. Yep, I am a bonafide, card carrying cheap charlie, who on the rare occasions I have a beer, is ordered before 9.30pm.
The one problem with this card, is dealing with the bank. From first application through to changes to their system, to any problems, they are a nightmare. The call centre is in the Phil's, and the staff are trained to be sugarly sweet like a MacDonald's server, but don't expect any constructive help.
The other card available with no overseas fee's is a 28 DEGREES Mastercard credit card. I don't have this but a lot of people use it, and are happy with it. Remember it is a credit card, but you can top it up to use your own money.
By the way, Thailands atm fee went up to 180bht this month. Just goes to show that Thai's do think like farang. Well the banker's do at least.
Cheetal, that free insurance I used for two trips, but I was never comfortable about having to use it if I got into serious medical trouble. Just the back up they were using plus the fact they didn't even supply a certificate to prove anything.
1960
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Post by Banjo on May 25, 2013 13:50:06 GMT 7
ATM in Thailand went up to 180B???... not funny at all eh?
I only use AEON now, I'm not sure about down in the big cities but in the north you usually only find them in a shopping center.
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Post by tablet on May 25, 2013 16:34:00 GMT 7
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Post by anotherdsp on May 25, 2013 19:08:24 GMT 7
to donnie,just take a bit of cash and keep the rest in your atm account,probably also a good idea is to get a debit card so if you do lose your atm card you can do a net transfer to the debit card and you are back in buisness plus it is also handy for buying tickets online and the money it saves you buy bokking online easily covers the bank fees each year!!
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Post by donnie1234 on May 26, 2013 0:39:04 GMT 7
Thats guys. Some really great advice. Ill work out my plans in more detail: airlines, times, locatjons, hotels etc., and post it here so I can get some specific, tailored advice for my situation. Thanks again, and keep it coming!
Oh, and if i can get a tad more input on choosing the right flight. I want to go at night to avoid as much crowding as possible; i want to be able to stand up frequently; and id like to be able to lie across the seats to sleep. I know getting this is probably a lottery, but any tips to better my chances of achiveing this (i.e airlines, times, dats etc) would be great
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