Getting $US
Getting $US
This may sound stupid, because I am, but...
How does one get a hold of a heap of low denomination US dollars???
Whilst I am sure I will run up a few $US100 bar tabs (not) It seems that most everything I will need to buy will cost less than $US20, and lots around $US5. I know that you can pay in $US and get change in riel, but surely we are not talking breaking a lazy 100...
I live in Australia, the next worse thing to the US, but we don't use the $US as legal tender (yet). Usually I just front up to the first ATM in the airport wherever I arrive and withdraw local currency there... I will be staying in BKK before my trip, and will have been in CB 6 or 7 days before I make it to PP, where the ATMs probably don't have international access anyway... Can I go into the foriegn exchange (here or BKK) and get 100 $US1 notes plus lots of twentys and fives???
See, I told you I was stupid... all advice appreciated.
Cheers,
Daewoo...
How does one get a hold of a heap of low denomination US dollars???
Whilst I am sure I will run up a few $US100 bar tabs (not) It seems that most everything I will need to buy will cost less than $US20, and lots around $US5. I know that you can pay in $US and get change in riel, but surely we are not talking breaking a lazy 100...
I live in Australia, the next worse thing to the US, but we don't use the $US as legal tender (yet). Usually I just front up to the first ATM in the airport wherever I arrive and withdraw local currency there... I will be staying in BKK before my trip, and will have been in CB 6 or 7 days before I make it to PP, where the ATMs probably don't have international access anyway... Can I go into the foriegn exchange (here or BKK) and get 100 $US1 notes plus lots of twentys and fives???
See, I told you I was stupid... all advice appreciated.
Cheers,
Daewoo...
Hello Daewoo,daewoo wrote:This may sound stupid, because I am, but...
How does one get a hold of a heap of low denomination US dollars???
Can I go into the foriegn exchange (here or BKK) and get 100 $US1 notes plus lots of twentys and fives???
Cheers,
Daewoo...
You can get small US denominations (some $1 and $5 notes) from any bank in Australia, provided you order them in advance. I don't know about one hundred $1 notes but you can certainly get twenty or something like that.
Once you are inside Cambodia and reach a town like Battambang or Siemreap, you can break a $100 note easily. You may even be able to get one hundred $1 notes but the money-changer may insist on your changing say $5 into riels at their rate (you need that for small change, anyway). The best rates would be at the Ly Huor and vicinity money-changers near the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.
But, let's face it, we are only talking about a difference of one or two dollars when you break a $100 note.
I don't know anything about changing money in Bangkok.
Maybe some other people could advise.
Please have a safe journey!
Not sure about the American money in Australia. Maybe you already know this but the Khmers hate dollars that are bent torn or otherwise not perfect. I know I have a bad habit of just wadding bills up in my pocket but I really try and not do that there. I always seem to take a few bills back with me that are not perfect. It keeps my Khmer friends happy and does not cost me anything.
As for small bills, my wife is getting ready to go to Phnom Penh in a couple of hours. I got her $200 in fives and $100 in ones. I know you don't really need to do this but it is always easier for me when I have small bills. Also if you are traveling in the provinces it might be hard to get someone to break a $20.
Anyway it looks like aussieman already answered you . Have a great trip.
As for small bills, my wife is getting ready to go to Phnom Penh in a couple of hours. I got her $200 in fives and $100 in ones. I know you don't really need to do this but it is always easier for me when I have small bills. Also if you are traveling in the provinces it might be hard to get someone to break a $20.
Anyway it looks like aussieman already answered you . Have a great trip.
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If youre in Oz, get the $$ now.. the exchange rate is quite good!
As a rule, I NEVER get currency exchanged at any airport, because they always give the worst rates in the world.
As advised above, make sure you only get great quality notes, as you dont want to have old notes.
I've always been able to get my notes from my money exchanger in all deominations, except one time I had to order 5's
As a rule, I NEVER get currency exchanged at any airport, because they always give the worst rates in the world.
As advised above, make sure you only get great quality notes, as you dont want to have old notes.
I've always been able to get my notes from my money exchanger in all deominations, except one time I had to order 5's
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meguro hillbilly wrote:
don't accept 2 dollar bills, they are an oddity in cambodia, and it is not unlikely that most people will refuse to accept them as payment! go for 1$ or 5$ and 10$ is usually no problem either, unless you are in a small village.However, if you specify $1 & $2s, they should obilge with no fuss
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I usuallly get at least 100 x $1 bills and 50-100 x $5 and 30 x $10 new bills from the bank (which bank you may ask and that is the answer) or from the Amex money exchange (you can buy the cash on credit card here - not amex) here in Melbourne before each trip.
Usually the bar will gobble up the $1 notes before I know it.
If you are going to be out in the provinces on your bike trip, then don't carry anything over a $20 note.
cheers,
LaudJohn
Usually the bar will gobble up the $1 notes before I know it.
If you are going to be out in the provinces on your bike trip, then don't carry anything over a $20 note.
cheers,
LaudJohn
I haven't really ever found it that difficult to change 50s in the provinces. I mean, you won't be able to change it at the sugar cane juice stand, but you can usually find a shop that will exchange part of it for riel.
I haven't really ventured out of Vengaz too much though...maybe Prey Veng has more money changers than other provinces.
I haven't really ventured out of Vengaz too much though...maybe Prey Veng has more money changers than other provinces.
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You are riding along that pot holed track that serves as a road from Kratie to Steung treng. The pothole in front of you covers the entire road and is deep enough to swallow a large water buffalo. Some young enterprising Khmer has put planks across the otherwise impassible mire. Their monthly income is around $30. They have a barrier aross the planks and normally get a couple of hundred reil for letting a vehicle across.....try getting change for $50.....Willem wrote: I haven't really ventured out of Vengaz too much though...maybe Prey Veng has more money changers than other provinces.
You are in the middle of nowhere and you are low on gas, you buy a few litres from a roadside vendor for $5....good luck getting change from a note they rarely ever see ($50).
Your $50 note looks a little old or they think it may be a forgery (even if it isn't) good luck using it, Khmers are paranoid about large counterfiet notes...
Yep maybe you need to get out into the provinces a bit more.
Remember Daewoo is planning a bike ride through Cambo. He will be in the provinces in places that see few barangs even if he is on the main roads.
Also, most barang bars get pissed off at receiving $50 notes for $1 beers, too many of them drains their change real fast.
cheers,
LaudJohn
In Bangkok, you can usually get small denomination USD at the Siam Bank branches. For example, there's one on Soi 11 near the corner of Sukhumvit which has ATMS and a window. If you go to the window, they will sell you whatever you want, provided they have it in stock, of course. Their sign even shows the buy/sell raters for $1 and $5 notes.
Whoooooah...
My list of Gentlemen on this forum has just grown from 2 to 7... or maybe my standards are sinking (how do you spell plummeting???)...
Thanks very much for all the great advice...
I might chase up a bank here and see what they will do...
Unfortunately I don't have a bank as I live in Sydney, and all of my banking is with Bank of Western Australia. It is all locked in with my typically f*cking huge Sydney mortgage... hence the need to travel by bicycle...
Thanks again for all your help, and keep the advice coming...
Cheers,
Daewoo
My list of Gentlemen on this forum has just grown from 2 to 7... or maybe my standards are sinking (how do you spell plummeting???)...
Thanks very much for all the great advice...
I might chase up a bank here and see what they will do...
Unfortunately I don't have a bank as I live in Sydney, and all of my banking is with Bank of Western Australia. It is all locked in with my typically f*cking huge Sydney mortgage... hence the need to travel by bicycle...
Thanks again for all your help, and keep the advice coming...
Cheers,
Daewoo
you don't need a bank account. You can walk into any reasonable size branch of any of the banks and buy US dollars. If they don't have enough $1 and $5 notes, just ask them to order and come back a few days later.daewoo wrote:
Unfortunately I don't have a bank as I live in Sydney, and all of my banking is with Bank of Western Australia. It is all locked in with my typically f*cking huge Sydney mortgage... hence the need to travel by bicycle...
Thanks again for all your help, and keep the advice coming...
Cheers,
Daewoo
Have a good trip!
Yes...but if you keep in mind the fact that you generally need small change to buy day to day things...and change some money for riel at money changers every time you're in a decent sized town, then you should be right.LaudJohn wrote: You are in the middle of nowhere and you are low on gas, you buy a few litres from a roadside vendor for $5....good luck getting change from a note they rarely ever see ($50).
Your $50 note looks a little old or they think it may be a forgery (even if it isn't) good luck using it, Khmers are paranoid about large counterfiet notes...
Yep maybe you need to get out into the provinces a bit more.
Remember Daewoo is planning a bike ride through Cambo. He will be in the provinces in places that see few barangs even if he is on the main roads.
I wasn't trying to say that you'll be fine if you're carrying only dirty old 50s everywhere you go...but if you're conscious of the fact that you need to have small notes, you can find a money changer often enough that changing your large notes won't be a problem. You'd be stupid to set out from Kratie to stung treng without a bunch of riel...and you'd have no trouble at all changing 50s into riel in Kratie.