When it comes down to banking, cash advance and money transfer pretty well cover it.
Before you leave your home country remember to put some money into a U.S. dollar account from which you can transfer funds to Thailand. Write down the name and e-mail of the official who setup the account for you and the SWIFT CODE. By having the account in place before you depart you are safe even if you lose your credit cards, or wallet/purse. Should an emergency occur you can easily email the bank official and ask for x dollars to be transferred to acct no., and swift code. You should receive the money within 2 business days and possibly the following day.
Before you leave you should look up Western Union on the internet and jot down their address in your destination city. This is the fastest way of obtaining money. Just phone a friend and ask them to transfer funds to you. In a matter of minutes by showing your passport the money is yours. Banks here will charge you anywhere between $8-12 U.S. for a money order and then you have to pay for the postage. So sending money to someone or receiving money from someone is best done by Western Union. It is the quickest way of sending/receiving cash, simple and also efficient.
I recently sent a money order to Canada and asked for it to be returned when I could not place an advertisement as I had planned. The magazine to which I sent the money unfortunately did not accept wire transfers, one of the few that did not so I had to send them a draft. Well to my surprise when the draft was taken to the bank where it was purchased I was told that there would be a fee of 1,000 baht or $25 US fee for cancelling the draft and giving me the money. So $11U.S. for the Canadian draft, $10 postage for registered mail, and then there was to be a fee of $25 for cancelling the draft.
My advice: when you need to send or receive money in a hurry use Western Union.
You can bring over money from your home country but in my case I was limited to bringing $10,000 Canadian. Well you can bring more but you have to declare it and Customs may want to see it, touch it, and count it which I had happen to me. Also on once occasion I had them count it just before my plane was about to take off. So best to keep your cash and that includes currency, travelers cheques, and drafts under the allowable limit.
The conversion rates will be identical when you compare one currency dealer with another at the airport. Best to convert some of your money over to Thai baht when you first arrive in Thailand U.S. dollars are accepted in many establishments but Thai currency is accepted in every establishment. If you want to buy goods and services more promptly and efficiently then use Thai baht. Best to have some smaller denominations such as 20, 50 and 100 baht notes on hand as you will find that it takes longer to get change for a 1,000 baht note (approx. $25 U.S.)
After you have lived here in Thailand for a while you may be in need of more money. Yes, that can happen even though prices are ridiculously cheap at times we find that we can spend money on one thing or another mainly because we do not know any better when we first arrive.
My advice is after you arrive in your destination city to open up an account with Bangkok Bank if you plan on staying any considerable time, or if you will be in need of money during your stay. I cannot remember exactly but I will estimate you will pay 200 baht or about $5 US to open the account. When you do that you will get a jacket or a nice bag worth that or more. There are other banks to choose from but Bangkok Bank seems to have branches conveniently placed at major malls, grocery stores, and shopping districts. My advice is to get two Bangkok Bank cards. Deposit money into the account and then withdraw Thai baht when required using the cards at ATM‘s. If your card is eaten up or kept by the ATM then you have another card you can use when you get the correct pin number. Best to use your Bangkok Bank card rather than your credit cards which will make money on the foreign exchange rate. The Bangkok Bank will pay you a very low interest rate on the funds in the account but guess what? That is exactly what the banks do back home.
I have read stories before I left Canada about the ATM’s here eating up credit cards and it did not elaborate. Well this is what happens if you want the facts. The ATM’s here are numerous and safe. The only difference being is that if you enter the wrong account number on three consecutive occasions which I did, it will keep your card. The pin number I entered I had written down elsewhere and I did not know of the machines keeping the cards should I enter the pin incorrectly three consecutive times. They will tell you that you can get the card back but I would not count on it.
Cash advances on credit cards are available here also. Directly from the ATM or by going to the bank and showing them your passport. Do not wait in line but go directly to a desk with F/Exchange or Wire Transfers written overhead. And the person at the desk will speak good English.
So things to write down
Before you leave home:
Bank officials name and e-mail address, Swift Code, telephone number of someone you can contact back home, and address of Western Union in your destination city.
After you arrive here:
Account number of bank in destination city
Where you are staying they will probably have a safe you can use and this information would best be kept in the safe.
Chances are you will have a great vacation and nothing will happen but if you want peace of mind then heed my advice. It will only take a few minutes of your time.
Of all the destinations that I have traveled, I consider this to be one of the safest. But all it takes is one undiscovered hole in one’s jacket or pant pockets to turn a memorable vacation into an unforgettable one.
Walking, cycling, motorbike, tuk tuk, red taxi, taxi, bicycle with small bench seating , and car rental. These are your choices.
Let's look at each individually:
Walking- good exercise, recommended for short distances, get good directions and make sure you know where you are going, and bring a bottle of water with you. Buy a large bottle for 5 baht or 13 cents US at 7-11.
Cycling- you can rent a plain ordinary bicycle but I won't get into the cost or where you should rent one out as I personally think this is dangerous especially for first time visitors to Chiang Mai.
Motorbike- this is the fastest, most economical, most common means of transportation in Chiang Mai. A motorbike can be rented for 150 baht/day and you can drive all week for 100 baht or $2.50 U.S. in diesel fuel. Again not for the faint hearted and not recommended for the first timers to the city.
Tuk Tuk- or Touk Touk. These are motorcycles converted to small taxi's. Three wheels, bench seating in the back for 3, noisy, stinky, with a canopy. A good choice if the destination is not far away but remember you will have to breathe the air, tolerate the heat and listen to the noise during the trip. But do try one out. It is fun. Always set the price before you get in.
Red Taxi- these are pick up trucks with a covered section in the back, two rows of bench seating, bars to hold on to, buttons to press when you want off. The price varies according to how far you are going. Give the driver or the passenger who may well be the wife of the driver the destination and you will get the price, then get in. After you get to your destination exit the vehicle and pay the driver or wife the agreed upon fee which is normally 10-20 baht if it is shared use. If the taxi does not have any passengers and if you are in a hurry or if the distance is longer then you may want to negotiate the price for your private use which will run you 40-60 baht for a 5-10 min. trip.
In the city these vehicles are normally red in color and are numerous. The colour designates the area it travels to. So you will see some other colours such as blue and green as well as red. If you share it may take longer as the driver knows where each person is going and drops them off one at a time which is not necessarily in a straight line. The price is very reasonable, more comfortable than the touk touk, quieter, safer, and you know what ... cheaper.
Taxi- it is rare to see a car with a taxi sign. You would normally see them at the airport and just occasionally in the city. Always get the price first.The price is actually given to you at the airport when you tell them your destination and it is very reasonable. From the airport to your hotel always take a taxi.
Bicycle for 2 or 3- this is a bicycle with a small bench seat in back and a canopy. It is very slow, holds up traffic, mainly used by the elderly. This was probably a popular means of getting around years back but not now. I think it is dangerous, and much too slow.
Car rental- Rent a car when you want to go out of town and only after you have spoken to someone who will provide you with what to do and what to expect.Trust me driving here is not the same as driving back home, unless you are from Manila.
Two separate items to discuss here. One is using the internet while you are in Chiang Mai and using internet when you reside here long term.
While in Chiang Mai you will find internet facilities conveniently situated throughout the city. The prices are very reasonable. One of my favorites is Buddy's Internet. They have about 20 computers, you can make long distance calls from a private booth there, buy a CD or disc which you may need, buy some refreshments, and also rent motorbikes. I mention Buddy's because it is directly across from the Central Mall on Kad Suan Kaew Road and it is popular with the tourists. Note: There are two large malls here. They are both Central Malls. One is close to the airport and the other is near the north-west corner of the moat. This is one I am referring to. It can be confusing initially unless you specify which one.
If you are bringing your laptop try to find an apartment or condo that has Hi-Speed internet connectivity in your room. They will markup the rate and it may end up costing you 500- 1,000 baht a month depending on the speed you select. Most accommodations now have an internet facility on site. If you plan on living in a house you should check to see if they have internet, if not then ask if they have a telephone line. A telephone line will cost you about 1,000 baht to install and take 2-4 weeks. After installation you have to ask for internet installation. That will take another 1-2 weeks. You will have to decide if you want Hi-Speed 256, 512 or 1 mb speed. I was advised to get 256 as the speed will end up being the same.
What I have found is that on weekends and at certain times of the day the speed is decidedly slower as I expect there are too many users per line. So if you have home internet then use it early in the morning or late at night for the fastest speeds. My cost is about 800 baht or $20 for the 256 speed and telephone included.
We offer suggestions to our clients on how to work with the internet provider to obtain better speeds.
When you live in Chiang Mai you often have to deal with the internet provider that you apartment complex or condo complex is using. So in otherwords if T.O.T. is the provider then you will have to put up with not having reliable connections. I have used T.O.T. as my internet provider in two different locations that I resided in Chiang Mai and they are aweful in terms of service and reliable connections.
As I am writing this addition to this page I am without internet for 4 consecutive days. Last month it was 7 straight days.
I had 3 technicians come here when I told them I did not have a connection. They spend about 10 hours here in total over 3 days and then told me that T.O.T. have had problems with their lines and that they should replace the modem.
After their second trip one individual after another sat at my computer and did not make progress at all. When they were about to leave I was told everything was ok. I sat down at my computer and quickly discovered that everything was not ok and called them back at which time they admitted that there were problems and the connection in the building was not working.
I now refer to these 3 representatives from T.O.T. as the 2 stooges.
I try to be patient when I deal with Thai services but 7 consecutive days of No Service is about all I can bear. I mentioned the T.O.T. situation to a friend who told me that T.O.T. had financial problems and they were being cut off and by being down for 3-4 days a month they saved money.
Whether this is the truth or not I do not know but it would not surprise me as on most ocassions when the service is down for more than day it always seems to start on Friday as the first day. In that way their offices are closed Saturday and Sunday and they can get away with not providing service for at least 3 consecutive days.
If you have a choice of internet providers Do Not Select T.O.T.
