Thailand's unit
of
currency
is the baht (abbreviated
to "B"), which
is divided into
100 satang.
Notes come in
B10, B20, B50,
B100, B500 and
B1000
denominations.
At the time of
writing, the
exchange rate
was B40 to US$1
and B60 to £1.
Banking hours
are Monday to
Friday
8.30am-3.30pm,
but exchange
kiosks in the
main tourist
centres are
often open till
10pm, and
upmarket hotels
will change
money 24 hours a
day. The Don
Muang airport
exchange
counters also
operate 24 hours,
so there's
little point
arranging to buy
baht before you
arrive. If you
have a PIN
number for your
credit/debit
card, you should
also be able to
withdraw cash
from hundreds of
24-hour
cashpoint
machines
around the
country.
In a country
where the daily
minimum wage is
under B150 a
day, it's hardly
surprising that
Western tourists
find Thailand an
extremely cheap
place to travel.
At the bottom of
the scale, you
could manage on
a daily
budget of
about B300-400
if you're
willing to opt
for basic
accommodation
and eat, drink
and travel as
the locals do,
spending B80-120
for a room (less
if you share),
around B100-150
on three meals,
and the rest on
travel and
incidentals.
With extras like
air conditioning
in rooms and on
buses, taking
tuk-tuks rather
than buses for
cross-town
journeys, and a
meal and a
couple of beers
in a more
touristy
restaurant, a
day's outlay
will rise to a
minimum of B800.
Staying in
expensive hotels
and eating in
the more
exclusive
restaurants, you
should be able
to live in
extreme comfort
for around B2000
a day.
If you need
money wired
to you in
Thailand
, you can pick
it up from the
following agents
in Bangkok:
American Express
at Bangkok Bank,
33 Tha Silom,
Bangkok (tel
02/236 8970);
any Bangkok
branch of Siam
Commercial Bank,
including the
centrally
located one at
1060 Tha
Phetchaburi,
Bangkok (tel
02/256 1220);
Thomas Cook at
Bangkok Bank, 33
Tha Silom,
Bangkok (tel
02/236 8970);
Western Union at
any Bangkok
branch of the
Metropolitan
Bank - call
02/224 3727 for
addresses.
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