luckyducky

I have a reservation at a Yangon hotel that does not accept advance payment by credit card. They require payment in Kyats on arrival. The problem is that to pay for my rather long stay I would need to carry in (and exchange) more than the allowed $2000. Any suggestions? I hesitate to call the hotel because I don't want to red flag my problem!

520

I believe you're allowed to bring in more than $2000, but you just have to declare it. check on the visa site.

filmwill

520 is correct. You're allowed to carry more than $2k in cash -- it just needs to be declared.

Kathie

The current currency limit has recently been increased to $10,000 per person. Above that amount, you just have to declare it. Hotels don't normally ask for payment in kyat, though some small guesthouses do. Hotels normally ask for payment in perfect US dollars.

luckyducky

Thanks everyone! My next Q is where have you had success in getting many pristine $100 bills? I live in the NYC area and four different banks have told me they no longer get new bills on any regular basis. I don't really believe this, but would welcome suggestions from those who have done it recently. Much appreciated!

520

I'm in NYC, has asked my Chase branch about two months ago how far in advance I needed to let them know for a substantial order of pristine 100s and was told two weeks. I went in as soon as my branch was again open after Sandy and was told the delivery of new bills would be this week, no problem. I called first thing yesterday to see if the bills had been delivered and was told that no, they hadn't been and wouldn't be until next week, and that because of Sandy, everything was off schedule, so to speak. I spoke to Chase Customer Service and they were very helpful and said they'd try to check what branches might have a large amount in new 100s, and on my own, I tried one of the upper East Side branches, that hadn't been affected directly by the storm--and scored with them.

So, long story long--Chase is still getting new bills, but I'm not sure on how regular a basis, as another branch that had been contacted by Chase Customer Service, called me to say they had some new bills, but couldn't guarantee when they'd be getting more.

I think you just have to keep calling.

luckyducky

Thanks 520--good luck with this!

shelleyk

If you are leaving after Christmas, ask your bank the beginning of Dec. to order new bills for you in the amount you need. My bank in MA said they always order new bills in Dec. because people use them for Christmas presents. I had no trouble getting $8000 in new bills in various denominations for our trip last Jan.

filmwill

520, I don't remember if you're leaving before me or not -- but we just wired the remainder of our balance to SM. It helped with not having to procure so many new bills from banks us and added to the relief of carrying a lot of cash ourselves during our travels.

520

Thanks, Will. We made the same decision, and wired the balance of our payment last Friday. I'm waiting for confirmation of receipt as I believe it was a Burmese holiday this past Monday (don't think it was Veteran's Day!! ).

Still several thousand bucks is a lot of cash to walk around with!

We leave on Thanksgiving Day--one week from tomorrow.

when are you leaving?

520

Lucky Ducky, good luck to you--we did get brand new bills yesterday from the Chase branch I called.

I do, also, keep getting mixed reports from others who have been there in the past year--that the bills don't have to be pristine, just clean, no folds, no tears--to MUST be pristine, etc.

Since we were able to get fresh off the press (we could still smell the ink) decided it's safer to go with newly minted ones.

Leslie_S

things are changing fast:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...m-Myanmar.html

I won't depend on ATM withdrawals for our trip at the end of this month but maybe in the not far off future that'll be a much easier option than seeking pristine $100s

filmwill

520, we leave on Dec. 19...which feels right around the corner. So much to do still!

Kathie

Visa, Mastercard and others (but not AmEx) have been advertising for months that they "will" be able to be used in Burma. It will be a while before it actually happens. A reliable source in Mandalay says that a rule has been published that the currency now only need to be clean, not torn or marked and not pristine. However, he found that despite the rule, only a few bank exchanges would accept less than perfect currency. So all of you are wise to take such reports with a large helping of salt (the report is based on advertising after all!)

luckyducky

Thanks to everyone! Very helpful.

Ladouca

We left Yangon yesterday after 22 days in Burma. Some hotels or shops will take the 100$ even though they may consider it not pristine but in return you will get an exchange of 700 instead of 844 at the airport. A travellor at our hotel got a first time cash advance at the bank on his matercard. Things are changing rapidly. Some hotels simply refused any flawed 100$.

Kathie

Ladouca - a cash advance at a bank? That is new. In the past, people have been able to get a cash advance eon a credit card from some high-end hotels, for a premium of 20%. Do you know what premium was charged?

I have read one reliable report of someone getting money from an ATM with a foreign card. Mastercard has been doing a lot of advertising that MC "is" (means will be) accepted in Burma, but have heard no reliable reports of people being able to use a credit card to pay for hotels, for instance, without a large (10-15%) fee.

Things are changing rapidly in Burma. I hope you had a wonderful trip!

Ladouca

Yes directly from the bank but I did not ask for the rate. It was a reliable source in my opinion. The gentlemen is a photographer that has been going to burma regularly for the past 5 years. All we saw was a picture he had taken at the bank with the cash in his hands. He was very proud to say that this was definitely a first time event!
We had a wonderful trip and partly because of both your and Shelleys trip report. Thankyou both.