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Dhahran
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Has anyone ever compared whether it is better to use your ATM card in LOS, or use your USA credit card or exchange $ cash or purchase TC in the US and cash them in LOS. All of these methods have certain fees associated with them. Any financial wizards out there?
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:07 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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BigDUSA
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I bring TC, ATM, credit cards and lets not forget cash. Fees are next to nothing compared to the risk of all cash. TC are the cheapest to cash.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 7:20 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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horntoad
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I used cash, ATM and credit cards. For some reason, there weren't any fees when I used the ATM. Also there wasn't commission when I changed my money at any bank. Big difference from europe where I got screwed exchanging for the euro and there were commisions from 7%-12%.
However, don't change money at the airport unless you have to. I think my friend said you get a better rate at the ATM even if they have surcharges.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:23 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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Blattsucker
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Hi Dharan, I'm not recommending it, but what I do is I bring cash. I calculate what I want to spend on everything and bring that amount with me. It has the advantage of you knowing exactly where you stand at any given point in time. So unless you have unlimited funds, this gives you an idea if you are on track with your budget.
To protect me from theft I always put it in the hotelsafe and carry only a 2 days worth of playing money with me. An other advantage is that you can exchange you money on every streetcorner, the biggest part of the day. And if the rate is high you exchange more then if the exchange rate is low.
You are in total control when you bring money. The only time something could happen to my money, it will happen to me also, like a planecrash. So I loose the money, but I don't think I will be bothered with that at that time. 
Checks I also did and are safer. But they are a lot of bother for a better exchangerate. A rate that goes straight down the drain because you pay a higher commission. They still can be stolen, so you treat them the same as money. They are insured, but how do you prove you did not nick them yourself?
I always bring my creditcard, but try not to use it. First it means I'm spending too much and secondly ATM's are not on every streetcorner (they are at every other streetcorner  )
Also you don't know if they use a good rate or not. There is an other reason why I don't like creditcards.
On my first trip I was in Pattaya with 500 baht in my pocket and 2 days left of my trip. It was sunday and banks were closed. So off to the ATM. And then my card was rejected! 
Several ATM's later I had no money, but a brown spot was forming in my pants. Visions of eating from trashbins and skipping on hotelbills flashed in front of my eyes. And there was nothing much I could do before the next day when the banks opened again. So I had to spend a quiet night, which I did not plan on doing.
Next day I went to an ATM before I went to the bank and suddenly money was pooring out of the machine like manna from heaven. 
These are things I don't want to experience more then once. So until somebody takes control of MY money I will bring cash.
I'm not saying you should do also. I just give my experience. You have to make up your own mind if you trust people more then machines, or the other way round.
On a side note. If you want to go to Cambodia you should take money, because ATM's don't exist there and banks are still in the stoneage, so they cann't read your card and check it. So you can only get small amouts of cash from your card from certain banks and hotels. Some except VISA others except Mastercard. And because US dollars are the local currency, why not bring your own?
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 9:35 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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BigDUSA
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They still can be stolen, so you treat them the same as money. They are insured, but how do you prove you did not nick them yourself?
When you cash a TC you need your passport or a copy. I had TC stolen in England and had no problem with American Express issuing replacements.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 10:38 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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The Machine
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Dhahran
If you live in Dhahran you can get TCs for no charge as there is no commission in Saudi for TCs.
They would be your best bet plus your ATM card and a little hard coin.
BTW I live in Khobar
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 10:43 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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Fanta4
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I like using credit cards with international pin number/cirus/plus etc. I put positive cash balances on my visa and master card. Then any bank or atm can spit out my cash and at a good wholesale exchange rate, but with a $3 transaction charge to the card however. I also blend that with a tight core of us$ ; new bills 20 50 100s.
works for me, might just work for ya'l to.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:06 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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Blattsucker
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Hi BigD, yes, but that is why I don't like checks. You need your passport. And that means it has to come out of the safe and risks being stolen or lost. I want to try to keep that to a minimum.
And to me the UK is a better place to have these things happen to you then thailand. I trust the police better and I know I speak their lingo. So I would feel much more relaxed there.
But as I said, it is just my way, and should certainly not been seen as the best way. It is just what makes you (the reader) feel comfortable. That sunday was a real bummer on my holiday, but having $1.000+ stolen from you is an even bigger bummer. 
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:26 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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Blattsucker
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Oh, reading Fanta4, maybe I was not very clear in my message. But what I meant to say was that it was a machine malfunction, not a cashflow problem. It did not even recognize my pincode. And because I heard more stories about malfuntions in thailand I think it happens more times then it will happen in our comfy western countries. So that is why I prefer the cash in hand over the gremlin infested machine.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:38 pm on Jan. 8, 2005
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Fanta4
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sorry wasnt refering to your personal cash situation. I wouldn't worry about gremlins so much, at least I never had problems with credit card method all over the international scene and for 8 months living between thailand and laos...
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:03 am on Jan. 9, 2005
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