Travelers Check Card and Traveler's Checks vs. Cash
 

In Bangkok, Chiangi Mai and Koh Samui do the very local shopkeepers know about the new Travelers Check card? If not, do 95% accept travelers checks rather than cash. We prefer not using our Visa card for in 4 weeks we will spend a fair amount of money and would like to avoid the 2-3% handling/transfer fee. We plan to buy some antiques that could cost $2-$3,000 each so it adds up?
I would welcome everyones exoerience in each area we are visiting if you have traveled there in the past 5-6 months.

We will also be taking day trips outside Bangkok and Chiangi Mai as well as when we go to Kuala Lumpur so what is the situation outside major cities/towns? Thanks.

In our experience, VISA, MC and AMEX are widely accepted cards in hotels, department stores and upscale restaurants. Street stalls, small restaurants, small shops seldom accept credit cards.

Though I've never even tried to pay for anything with a traveller's check, I don't think it would be possible for you. Though TC's are readily accepted and exchanged at exchange booths and banks (and often at a slightly better rate than cash), I wouldn't expect to use TC's to pay for purchases, even if they were issued in Thai Baht...and I don't believe you could get TC's in Thai Baht.

What we do is use credit cards for hotels and air, and exchange Japanese yen traveller's checks to baht for other purchases. Our Japan issued credit cards do not have a surcharge for overseas use, but our American issued ones do...so we always use the Japanese ones.

If the Travelers Check card is a VISA or AMEX or MC, then I would guess you could use it anywhere that takes credit cards just like any other card.

I always use credit cards for large purchases. While there is a fee for foreign exchange, the fee is on the wholesale rate of exchange (bank rate) so it's pretty much a wash. I figure I pay maybe 1% more, and since I get miles from my credit card that are worth more than 1 cent each, and I get a rebate on my Am Ex of 1-3%, I choose the convenience of a credit card. You can certainly exchange your travelers checks for Thai baht. As Kim says, the rate for TC is often slightly better, but there is a small charge for exchanging travelers checks at most exchange booths. If you pay nothing to get your travelers checks, you'll probably come out slightly ahead, but if you pay anything for the travelers checks, you're probably better of with a credit card.

I wouldn't opt for the Travelers check card. The ones I've seen are AmEx, which is only accepted at large hotels and such. Note than the smaller the city and the smaller the establishment, the less likely they are to take anything other than local cash.

Even on large amounts of money, I find the convenience of a credit card well worth it.

i too only use credit cards....i have taken trav cks to thailand but always changed them at money changers or banks....

most dealers in antiques might negiotate your checks for you or assist, but i bet the rate would not be good....

use your cards....also i assume you will be shipping things and if so not having paid cash might help if things are lost or stolen....

get a brooks brothers charge account....no overseas fees....

also some other charges only have 1%...

in samui and CM checks will be more difficult....except in banks and hotels

We had no trouble at all in CM exchanging our yen TC's to baht. There was no extra fee to do it, the rate was better than cash, and every exchange booth and bank did it for us without a problem. Even in Khao Lak, the yen TC's were no trouble. $ TC's couldn't be more troublesome than yen, and the yen weren't at all troublesome. For us, TC's are cheaper because we get them for no fee and exchange them for no fee...our Japanese ATM card has no fee to use outside of Japan, but the foreign bank machine does have a fee in most cases.

Cash from ATM's is easiest.
Traveller checks old fashioned still have a good 'back up worth', they last years or more and are a good 'reserve'.
Most shops want cash, it costs them about 3% every time someone uses a card, that may not sound much but if you are in business it's "off the bottom line". Fine for hotels, major restaurants.
When we travel around I take out perhaps 10,000 Baht (USD 250) at a time and use it up, honestly I can't remember ever loosing any, going out and about I dont mind loosing a little cash but wouldn't want to loose my cash/bank card.

Stan:

Just back yesterday from the bkk area and made most of our major purchases using our visa card. One day I forgot my visa at the hotel and used my atm cash/check card with a mc logo on it for a major puchase. Worked fine and was charged 1% of transaction by my bank on a $3450.00 purchase.
Aloha!

Thanks to All so far...I assume even if I pay a modest amount for traveler';s checks I should STAY AWAY from the TRAVELER'S CARD Card even though it is in fact the same as TC's. So, I should get say $5000 in TC's (hotels already paid for) and go to a bank in Bangkok, Chiangi Mai, Koh Samui, KL, etc. and convert portons os $500-$1,000 into BAHT's.Also, my VISA is is a 1% charge so on major purposes it is just easier to use he Visa vs. BAHT and will be able to get an even better price??
Have I got it right??

Since they have to pay a fee to VISA/MC/AMEX for processing, you will be able to negotiate a better price if you pay cash versus use a credit card.

Why not just use the ATM? Except for larger purchases, where a credit card would be handy.

Well, for me, I always need to know what my backup options are. Sure, an ATM is easiest, but I've often been to towns where there are no ATMs or only one and it's not working or doesn't take my card or whatever. Times like that, I like to know in advance what is going to work. Take Koh Lipe for example, I'm going there next month. There are no ATMs, but I've found out the name/location of the one guesthouse on the island that will cash traveler's checks. Without asking in advance, I may have ended up in a crumby situation trying to rely on credit cards on an island where they are only taken at a handfull of places.