Travel Matters: Currency Exchange/Rates

[Andy@Tokyo]

There are many many sites but...

Here are some ;

DBS Currency exchange Site

Caculation Links:

Site 1

Site 2

I always go chinatown and change when i am in singapore.. where do u all change ur money?

Also, if u are thinking of traveling to japan, it is best to change ur $$ in Singapore. the rates in Japan sucks :yuk: . i think coz' the banks in japan monopolize the currency exchange rate market.

[worldangel]

One of the few Money Changer which has good exchange rate is called "People's Corner" at The Arcade, #02-07. The shop is easily recognised by a long queue of people.

[erection day]

Starting to monitor the baht again as I will be going again next month.

Quite low leh. At Bishan only 22.22, AMK Hub 22.1. :yuk:

The last time I went in March the baht was 22.8

[worldangel]

Starting to monitor the baht again as I will be going again next month.

Quite low leh. At Bishan only 22.22, AMK Hub 22.1. :yuk:

The last time I went in March the baht was 22.8

This afternoon, I saw the Baht exchange rate in Jurong East money changer 22.27.

[worldangel]

One of the few Money Changer which has good exchange rate is called "People's Corner" at The Arcade, #02-07. The shop is easily recognised by a long queue of people.

This afternoon passed-by the money changer 'People's Corner' at Arcadia and the exchange rate was 22.27.

[erection day]

Peeped at the rate this morning at J8. only 22.17. faint

[TopChinese]

Change in BKK even worse, S$1 = Bh 21.77

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank+Th...es/FX+Rates.htm

Where got money for GSM now?

[erection day]

At Lucky Plaza today, low low exchange rate of 21.80 :yuk:

[bukitpanjang]

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?...&submit=Convert

[erection day]

Thanks for the graph, mr bukitpanjang. Scary just looking at the downswing. :yuk:

[akated]

hmmm... i can understand the need to take note of the rates in different countries in andy's case, since the rate may differ by quite a bit in different countries; but surely within singapore there's no need to shop around so much, especially if you're changing just a bit of money?

for example, by using the example of 22.80 vs 22.10 vs 21.77, changing S$500,

1. 22.80*500 = bh11400

2. 22.10*500 = bh11050

3. 21.77*500 = bh10885

as one may see, the savings are not even substantial between the best and worst rates; in fact, the difference between the first and third barely covers the airport tax at suvarnabhumi

nowadays i just check the rate online (i typically use xe.com) and make sure that the rate at the money changer you visit doesn't deviate too far from it. of course, don't change money at airports, banks etc if you can help it.

[erection day]

I normally change around $1500, so the difference is no small change.

[tic-toc]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Well said. That is the spirit of travelling.

One of the reason of travelling is to relax oneself. I do not support throwing money but we shouldn't be too uptight in spending.

If we have a very tight budget, it is better not to go travelling.

eg : In Venice, I encountered a Singapore U grats couple on back pack. His girl friend was hungry but he said not to buy the Chinese fried rice because it cost 2.5 euro (about SGD$5.00) There is something wrong in the logic of travelling. Travelling doesn't need to be suffering.

Just like some people bought a car but found the parking fees too expensive in town. So they keep their cars in their parking lot and take the mrt. (not because of the green movement)

[akated]

hmmm... if you note my example, i used very extreme figures - 21.77 rate in bkk now and your 22.8 rate then. even so you'd only save S$60 using these two figures; the savings will be even lower if you are merely comparing rates at different money changers at any particular point in time.

i used to shop around for the "best" rate last time; this year, because i travelled quite a bit, i decided to just work out the sums for myself; turns out the "savings" are not substantial at all, and i find that rather than trying to "predict" the best rate, i'll just wing it at any money changer as long as the rate is close to what is on xe...

[akated]

tic-toc,

if they were backpackers, maybe they'd think they had to have suffered in order to have "travelled"... hahaha...

no offence to any backpackers here hor

2.5 euros and he didn't let her eat ah... i don't think any of my meals were less than 5 euros the few times i was there... hahaha...

[erection day]

so you'd only save S$60 using these two figures

$60 can get me two good traditional massages. To each his own lah. I am not a backpacker but I am not Donald Trump either.

Dont worry Akated, we are not tearing our hair out over the exchange rate.

[akated]

heh... $60 cannot get me a good dinner sometimes, so...

hahahahahhahaa

good to hear; as tic-toc says, travel must be happy and relaxed...

[tic-toc]

2.5 euros and he didn't let her eat ah... i don't think any of my meals were less than 5 euros the few times i was there... hahaha...

got. Chinese restaurant lor. They are cheap in most European countries, well except in Switzerland.

But the standard of food is mostly very low one hor.

[Guest fm am]

Just saw the news that the Thai baht is at a high-year high!!! And the ministers there want to do something to cool it.

[erection day]

Finally change my money for the miserable rate of 21.83- the worst rate I have ever changed. :yuk: Que sera sera.... just have to make do loh. Maybe I will pick up some thai baht on the streets. haha.

[tic-toc]

strange. With all the political tension in Thailand, I thought it will weaken their currency. Turn out that it is on the contrary.

[erection day]

The rise of Thai baht is bad news for lots of people. See news below:

'Almost 5,000 Thai textile workers protested outside factories Wednesday after they were laid off by a company that closed due a drop in orders blamed on the strong Thai currency, labour officials said.

The workers showed up for their jobs early Wednesday only find a notice saying that their employer, the Thai Silp South East Asia Export and Import Co Ltd, had gone out of business. The workers spent the day protesting on the road outside the factories to demand that labour authorities step in, said Suthep Aunsamai, deputy head of the government's Labour Protection and Welfare agency.

"There are a total of 4,950 workers from its three plants laid off this morning. Most are women," Suthep said.

The company produced brand name clothes for export, but said that it had closed after orders dropped due to the baht's rapid rise against the dollar this year, another Labour Ministry official said.

"They said they had suffered a cumulative loss after their orders dropped due to the strong baht," the official said.

Suthep said he was in contact with the factory's Thai owner to negotiate compensation for the laidoff workers, who will receive government help to find other jobs.

The Thailand Textile Institute, an industry group, said that the rising baht along with increased regional competition were squeezing the kingdom's garment businesses.

"Higher production costs than regional rivals -- mainly India and China -- couple with other factors like the strong baht mean not all of the companies will be able to survive," the group's executive director Virat Tandaechanurat told AFP.

Chen Namchaisiri, president of the Thai Synthetic Fiber Manufacturers Association, said aside from the closure Wednesday, three major textile operators have already shut down as orders dropped in part because of the strong Thai baht.

"The baht keeps rising with no end in sight, while the cost of material has also jumped. At the same time, we can not increase prices of the final products because of stiff competition in the international market," he told AFP.

The comments came as the Thai currency reached a new 10-year high against the dollar, trading around 33.10 to the greenback around mid-day Wednesday, against Tuesday's close of 33.48-50 Tuesday.

The Thai unit has appreciated by seven percent since the begining of this year, following a 12 percent gain in 2006.' yahoo finance news

[erection day]

Good to know that the baht is slowly weakening. Saw at Funan- 22.30

Anyway, now the thai election is fixed on 23 Dec, those going around xmas period please take note.

[alex_skylover]

2.5euro for a fried rice is very very reasonable in europe.. I can't even recall seeing any main course at that price

Unless they r freaking tight on budget.. I think she should dump his bf.. Lousy bf!

[Guest Guest]

thai baht is strong. saw the rate now still 22.20. when will the bahts drop???

[TopChinese]

Baht was 22 when I was there for National Day. Could barely afford my stay at the Four Seasons Hotel.

[Guest Guest]

saw at a money changer in Yishun. Thai Bahts now 22.3

[Guest fm am]

A friend just came back from BKK. Told me exchange rate in BKK is about 22.9 to 23.

[Guest guest_chen]

Yesterday i went to Golden Mile to ask for Thai Baht rate

the stall is beside sri maju....rate given to me was S$1 = 23.10 baht

[Lookingood]

Siam City Bank (the yellow and red banner bank) gives 23.17 to the S$ this morning

[Guest fm am]

Lookingood, u are there in BKK now? Enjoying yourself?

[Lookingood]

Yes, I am in Thailand but not in Bkk.. in another province (Saraburi) with some thai friends.. relaxing in a resort bungalow.. very peaceful, tranquil and a great way to unwind from the pressures of work. Even visited a vineyard and winery, and bought some local wine

[erection day]

I was asking about the Thai baht exchange rate and it's now 23.15 at one Chinatown branch.

[Guest fm am]

Went specially to The Arcade to change Thai bahts. Was surprised that my favourite changer, and also the one with the longest queue, has run out of bahts. Faint. So walk three shops down to Hassan & Sons to change (son quite cute) and managed to change 23.04- one of the better rates around that area. Very busy during lunch time but you can gawk at many cute guys in office wear there. Time well spent!

[erection day]

My god, the baht has gone up again and at a 10-year high level. Those going to BKK during the CNY will have to monitor the rate from now in order to get a favourable exchange.

'The baht appreciated to another 10-year high in Monday trading sessions, as exporters continued dump the US dollar upon concerns that the baht will continue to strengthen.

Dealers said the baht hovered at around 33.03-33.05 to the dollar, the strongest in the decade, due to a continued dumping of the greenback by the exporters, who viewed the US government-initiated measures to cope with the sub-prime lending crisis failed to draw positive response in the market. Last Friday, the US government revealed its rescue package that would count on up to US$145-150 billion to ease impacts of the persistent sub-prime mortgage woes. But the move failed to draw the market response since the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued a free fall on Friday night.

Analysts said the baht had strengthened to 33.03 to the dollar, but weakened slightly to 33.09 later due to an intervention by the Bank of Thailand.

Unless the central bank intervened in the baht movement, the currency would definitely move below the level of 33 to the dollar for now. The bank did not want to see the baht strengthen more than that level, they said'- Bangkok Post

[TopChinese]

The Baht and the SGD are both strengthening against the US$.

Right now, Bangkok Bank here reports SGD1 = 22.45 Bh

Still a good deal compared to some of the money changers here.

[Andy@Tokyo]

if anyone got passby Chinatown.. can see for me exchange rate of Yen to sing greatly appreciated!

[erection day]

Did glance at the exchange board in Bugis Junction yesterday. While checking out the thai bahts (and also at the same checking out the rather cute guy at the counter), I noted that the Yen exchange rate was- buying 1302, selling 1365. Hope this is useful, Andy.

[Andy@Tokyo]

Thanks ED

[Guest Fly me to the thailand]

Now is the time to change your thai currency. Read that it has gone down to 24.3!!! Wonder if it will further slide down to 25? hehe

[erection day]

Just read in hardwarezone that the baht is down to 24.4 today. A very rate to change. I think I will make a trip to the Arcade very soon to change.