Hello, we will arrive in Bangkok at the airport at 6am on Sunday a couple weeks from now. We spend three days there before going on to Burma.
We already have a stack of brand new US $100 and $50 bills, in anticipation of Burma, but we have no Thai bhat or Myanmar khat, so my questions are, for us being at the BKK airport early on a Sunday morning:
1) Shall we get Thai bhat from an ATM? I assume our ATM card will work there, or do we need to go to a currency exchange and would they be open? Any need to get some bhat in the US before we go?
2) Is it true that taking a cab that time of day will not get us snarled in the BKK traffic I keep hearing about? That it would cost only $10 from the airport to downtown BKK?
3) In Burma, what is the best currency to have to buy meals and souvenirs. I don't know if I can find brand new $5 and $10 bills, and don't know if we should get some Khat when we arrive at the Yangon airport.
Thanks so much!
Chris
Getting Bhat/Khat and a taxi very early on a Sunday...
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You can only get Kyat in Burma. Exchange your pristine US$100 bills at the official bank exchanges at the airport. Spend all of your kyat or exchange back to US dollars at the airport before you leave. The bills are worthless outside of Burma. You will want to have kyat to pay for meals (except in hotel restaurants) and to buy things from vendors. Exchange several hundred US dollars for kyat when you arrive in Yangon. The old info about exchanging on the black market is out of date, and you will get ripped off. Only use official exchanges or reputable shops to exchange money.
You can get Baht upon arrival at BKK. There are ATMS and an exchange window in the baggage claim area. The exchange window gives a rate less than what you will get in the city, but if you aren't changing much, it doesn't matter. You will need baht to pay your taxi fare into the city. The rate will be about 350 baht, about US $10. You will want the driver to take the expressway in, it will cost you about 70 baht. Note that you are arriving at 6 am on a Sunday. The traffic will be fine.
Note that it doesn't make economic sense to get foreign currency in your own country. You will get a terrible rate, and you will find exchange windows and ATMs aplenty once you arrive in Bangkok.
ATMs at bkk airport... Have some small bills for taxi...100's.... Cost...250 to 400... 70 for tolls... 50 airport fee payable to driver...
I would take 5, 10 , and 20 bills to...far more of them than the big bills...
Bob
Note that when you exchange money (in Bangkok as well as in Burma) you get a better exchange rate for $100 bills. You will need smaller bills for Burma to pay for admission fees, hotels and flights/trains.