How to organize you money for Thailand
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Exchange Money in Thailand
In Thailand is very easy to exchange money in every corner of the country. Even in the small bank agencies, out of the touristic routes, you can exchange the most used currencies ( Euro, US and Australian Dollars, Swiss Francs and many more ), travel cheques and get local cash with your credit card.You will get the best exchange rates when you change your money at the banks or small Exchange Agencies from the bank, located in every tourist location on Thailand.
It is possible also to exchange your value trough several travel agency or directly at the hotel, but here the exchange rate is not so good as the bank.
Credit Card in Thailand
If you like to use your credit card in Thailand, Visa, Master, American Express, Diners are accepted in many hotels, resorts, restaurant, luxury shops, gasoline stations, supermarkets, department stores, etc. You can use you credit card, or you debit card, in most Atm machines located everywhere in the country.If you like to use your credit card in Thailand, you should be aware of few dangers which are common here. Use your credit card only with people or institutions you trust. If you pay the bill of your resort, it is usually safe to use your credit card, if you want to get cash at the bank or bank exchange agency it is totally safe, if you use your card at the Atm machine it is safe, if you use your card in a luxury shop, should be safe too.
But if you don't want to risk that your credit card informations get stolen, you should avoid to use your credit card in a gasoline pump stations, small shops, small travel agencies, cheap hotels or hostels, cheap restaurants and any place which doesn't give you enough credibility. Also be aware when you get money from an Atm machine that nobody is looking your card informations and password.
In the last years Thailand has become the country in South East Asia with most credit card fraud.
When you pay with your credit card, the merchant take your card, pass it trough the machine and let you sign the receive; one copy of the receive goes to you and one copy remain with the merchant.
In the case of a not honest person, he/she will write down your security number ( written on the back of you credit card, next to your signature ) and together with the receive, he/she will have all the information for create a clone of your credit card ready to use.
Usually it is not the merchant itself which is cheating you. Think about at the gasoline station: the owner of the pump ( with is the merchant ) is never there, instead he have few boys doing the job, can you really trust this boys to deal with your credit card ???
Security and Safety Box in Thailand Hotels
During your holiday it is very important to keep safe your valuables. Most of the Hotels and Resorts offers a safety box service for their guests. Some hotel they have a large safety box at the reception, some more luxury place offer a safety box in the room.Some tourist has reported that some values was stolen from the safety box in their hotel room. The safety box in the hotels rooms have a digital numeric combination for open them. If you use one of them, make sure to insert a new password, if you are not sure how to do it, contact the hotel staff.
Any hotel in Thailand will NOT take any responsibility for any valuables lost or stolen from you rooms.
I don't want to scare you away. Thailand is very safe and easy country to travel. Every year thousands of tourists come back because of the feeling of safety and tranquility that Thailand offer.
You will see in Thailand people walking around with big chains of gold on their neck, you will notice that the local people never close the door of their home, the tourists feel the relaxed and safe atmosphere which make a good reason to come back every year.
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