Phuket Money Exchange:
Foreign Currency Exchange
in Thailand and Phuket

ATM's, Traveler's Checks, Cash?  How to get the best exchange rate and avoid fees on Phuket?

People often wonder the best way to handle their finances when visiting Phuket and Thailand.  Everyone has a preferred method, sometimes firmly held against all reason.

Count your change carefully and in front of the clerk, keep the money on the counter where it is visible to the camera that all banks have.  You can be shorted by a clerk hoping the stack of money will prove too daunting to count - by what she or he thinks is a jet-lagged foreigner. 

For most people, their ATM card will give them the most advantageous exchange rates and if you take out larger amounts of cash each time you will minimize the fees charged by your bank.  ATMs are almost everywhere and only rarely out of order.  Thailand's tourist destinations will always have ATMs in handy locations, while in some rural small towns you'll have to find them at their respective banks.

Traveler's checks are becoming relics of the past and are actually a bit of a nuisance.  The larger denominations people typically carry are difficult for smaller businesses to cash and many smaller businesses don't cash them anyway.  They are quite useful, however, if you are unsure of your ATM card or if you are transporting large amounts for the purpose of resettling in Phuket or Thailand. 

Thailand and Phuket are usually safer than most Western countries and you have less to fear about robbery.  That said, be safe and use the lock boxes provided by most hotels and always be aware of your wallet when in close quarters or crowds.