Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [216]
Standard banking hours are 8.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday, though some banks close at 4pm or 4.30pm on Friday. It’s legal to open a foreign-currency account at any commercial bank in Thailand, though fees are relatively high. As long as the funds originate from abroad, there are no restrictions on their maintenance or withdrawal.
ATMs & Credit Cards
You won’t need a map to find an ATM in Bangkok – they’re everywhere. Bank branches, large hotels, transport hubs and the ubiquitous 7-Elevens are all kitted out with ATMs. Bank ATMs accept major international credit cards and many will also cough up cash (Thai baht only) if your card is affiliated with the Cirrus or Plus networks. You can withdraw up to 20,000B at a time from most ATMs, and 25,000B from some Bangkok Bank ATMs.
Credit cards as well as debit cards can be used for purchases at many shops and pretty much any hotel or restaurant where you might need credit, though you’ll have to pay cash for your pàt tai. The most commonly accepted cards are Visa and MasterCard, followed by Amex and JCB. To report a lost or stolen card, call the following numbers:
Amex ( 0 2273 5544)
MasterCard ( 001 800 11 887 0663)
Visa ( 001 800 11 535 0660, 0 2256 7324-29)
Changing Money
Banks or legal moneychangers offer the optimum foreign-exchange rates. When buying baht, US dollars and euros are the most readily accepted currencies and travellers cheques receive better rates than cash. British pounds, Australian dollars, Singapore dollars and Hong Kong dollars are also widely accepted. As banks often charge commission and duty for each travellers cheque cashed, you’ll save on commissions if you use larger cheque denominations.
Most banks can change foreign currency but it can sometimes take significantly more time than the specialty exchange places. In tourist areas, such as the Siam Sq shopping district and Th Khao San, you’ll often find small exchange counters outside banks; these can change cash and cheques in major currencies and are typically open from 8.30am to 8pm daily.
See the inside front cover for exchange rates at the time of research.
Tipping
Tipping is not a traditional part of Thai life and, except in big hotels and posh restaurants, tips are appreciated but not expected. That said, Thais who commonly deal with tourists become increasingly familiar with the practice so expect some hopeful, if not expectant, looks in higher end places. The one place where tipping is considered normal is in taxis, where drivers will usually round the price up to the nearest 10B and most people, including Thais, are happy to let them have the coins.
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NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
Bangkok has a well-established English-language media and has possibly the largest concentration of freelance journalists and photographers of any city on earth. The Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.net) is the major daily broadsheet, with local and international news as well as articles on culture, entertainment, dining and events; the Sunday edition has some good investigative journalism and longer reads, while Friday’s paper comes with Guru, a magazine for younger readers with entertainment listings and reviews for the weekend. The Nation (www.nationmultimedia.com) is now a business paper and comes with a giveaway tabloid called Daily Xpress. The International Herald Tribune (IHT) is widely available, as are all major international magazines.
For new restaurants, current happy hours, band dates and which DJs are in town, look for the independent, free and irreverent weekly BK Magazine (www.bkmagazine.com). For impartial reviews of places to see, eat, drink, dance, view art and sleep pick up a copy of the monthly Bangkok 101; it costs 100B in 7-Elevens. The publishers of Bangkok 101 also produce the excellent BAM (Bangkok Art Map), with listings, reviews and directions to galleries and exhibitions.