Travelling to Thailand

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Stacey26

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Hi guys,

I am leaving for Thailand in 2 weeks, could you please advise which would be the cheapest option travelling abroad. I have an account with FNB and would like to know which route is the most affordable to use? I am considering Capitec bank as an option as well -
Bidvest is a bit expensive.

I would appreciate your input

Thank you :)
 
Go to FNB and ask them to activate international roaming on your credit/debit card, just to make them aware that you'll be using those cards internationally. Their fees are reasonable. Some other advice once you're in Thailand:

When you pick up a bar girl, make sure it's a girl.
Go for bottled water, the tap water tasted metallic to me.
Don't get pissed at a bar, there's opportunists hanging around.
I found it cheaper to convert USD to Baht in Thailand, rather than ZAR to Baht.
Always negotiate with the tuk-tuk driver. They will rip you off.
Don't eat food from street vendors if you cannot tell what the food is.
Be prepared for a lot of offers for sex. Prostitution is not frowned upon there.
Don't shop at the main tourist attractions. Prices are halved in the outlying areas.
 
Shaun108 said:
Some other advice once you're in Thailand:

When you pick up a bar girl, make sure it's a girl.
Don't eat food from street vendors if you cannot tell what the food is.
Be prepared for a lot of offers for sex. Prostitution is not frowned upon there.
Click to expand...

You can safely ignore these points. One life - live it!

:laugh:
 
Compare all the banks but drawing cash there is generally the cheapest. I used Capitec and changed USD's there
 
Going there for Honeymoon in November, so will keep my eye on this thread for sure!
 
Make sure your bank knows you're going to Thailand. FNB blocked my card while I was in Singapore last year and would have screwed me over if I was alone.
 
Capitec - they have no fees on international card purchases, R50 withdrawal fee, and no spreads on currency conversion. I'm going to open an account soon for travelling
 
I noticed that South Africa has made it onto the watch list in Thailand. So be prepared for a bit of a grilling with immigration and make sure you have cash on you (20000 Baht or equivalent in Dollars) as it is sometimes asked for.
 
If you want to change money, do it in Phuket or Bangkok. The rates there are good.

If you get stuck on an island or a more remote part of Thailand, you really have to hunt for decent exchange rates.

If you trust yourself to ride a scooter, I hired one for 200-300 baht per day. Best decision I ever made. I do this on all Island holidays now. You save thousands in taxi fares. DO NOT hire a scooter to drive around Phuket unless you are an experienced rider. It's a death trap.
 
Norrad said:
I noticed that South Africa has made it onto the watch list in Thailand. So be prepared for a bit of a grilling with immigration and make sure you have cash on you (20000 Baht or equivalent in Dollars) as it is sometimes asked for.
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Source?

And what would they want 20000 Baht for?? Are you saying they want to ensure that you have access to at least 20000 Baht? I go to Thailand at least a couple of times every year and this is news to me.
 
@garp Channel 7 News Thailand with an English translation here on South Africa being the only problem country listed:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/10...faster-and-more-watertight-immigration-rules/

Then for the 20K Thai Baht is being requested more often nowadays and you can see more about it on the Thai Visa Advice Facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1395920320731833/

And more posts can be found on:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/forum/1-thai-visas-residency-and-work-permits/

If you get stopped and asked to show the 20K Thai Baht it must be in cash. Cards and Bank Statements etc. are not acceptable. It's becoming a daily request now and loads of people are being turned away and held in detention until their flights out.

I've lived in Thailand for nearly 10 years and go back every few months for family visits. It's getting tougher now and I'm lucky I have a multiple entry Non-O visa, but I'm noticing a lot more scrutiny of my passport lately.

I'm attaching a few of the posts from the Facebook group:
 

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20000 THB? Jeepers that's a lot of cash. Would possibly put me off going to the country again
 
jman said:
20000 THB? Jeepers that's a lot of cash. Would possibly put me off going to the country again
Click to expand...
Yeah it's a lot to carry on you in cash, but best to have it. You never know if they will ask you to show it and with our worsening reputation it's a strong possibility.
 
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