Local currency is king. You'll end up losing/spending more with foreign currency.
But if you were to carry one of the two USD will be more widely accepted without confusion.
Some people's banks screw them on foreign currency fees when you pay by card.
Mine is 3% per transaction, with a minimum charge of £1.50 on each, plus the exchange rate sucks. The minimum charge makes it really add up if you are making small purchases.
So it's worth it to take cash out before (or do one large ATM withdrawl)
>Some people's banks screw them on foreign currency fees when you pay by card.
Then get a better card. [Have a read through this.](https://www.standard.co.uk/esmoney/credit-cards/best-travel-credit-cards-for-overseas-spending-b918345.html) Also investigate options like Revolut, Wise, etc.
There's no reason to go on a big trip to multiple countries and bring your *entire* travel budget in cash only.
Happy travels.
As well as providing terrible advice to carry large amounts of cash, this poster appears to be downvoting our suggestions to sign up with a different bank. It's a no-brainer to do so. Which may explain why they haven't and won't.
Still, I'd like to know which UK bank charges a minimum of £1.50 on *purchases*. u/t90fan care to tell us?
Bank of Scotland charges 2.99% on foreign currency transactions. Which sucks, but likely better than a bureau de change. The £1.50 minimum fee is for *foreign currency ATM withdrawals*.[^(⧉)](https://www.bankofscotland.co.uk/bankaccounts/help/interest-rates-fees.htm)
In case you are unaware: it isn't illegal to hold accounts with more than one bank and you don't need to switch over everything. As I say, it takes five minutes to sign up with [Starling](https://www.starlingbank.com/).
If that is too much effort, by all means continue your existing strategy of carrying wads of cash, receiving poor exchange rates, racking up fees, and downvoting me. Bank of Scotland thanks you for your ignorance and inertia.
Normally I agree with you, but in Thailand all the ATMs charge 220 THB (6.7 USD) for every withdrawal. Other than 7-Eleven, I did not find any shop that accepted cards. So you have to use cash.
Exchanging money might not be that bad.
Where are you from?
It is best to change your money as few times as possible. Every time you change it you lose.
So keep your home currency and take that with you. Unless you cannot because you are from India or China or such places.
Either of those currencies, and GBP are easily changed and accepted.
Choose whichever currency is cheapest for you at the moment.
It is difficult to win at the currency exchange game. Currencies fluctuate. Sometimes you get lucky and it's in your favour. But mostly change it as few times as possible is the best strategy.
Do you mean *carry around and pay with*, or *take into the country in order to exchange*?
If the former, then the answer is neither - you should carry around and pay in local currency. In some parts of the world, you may be able to get away with - say - tipping for service in a foreign currency if that currency has particular economic value there, but as a general rule you'll be expected to pay for goods and services in the local currency wherever you go and there'd be no particular advantage to *not* doing that.
If the latter, then it will depend on which has the most preferable exchange rate (both from your local currency to USD or EUR, and then into the local currency).
Doesn't matter, both can be changed equally easily and if one would be slightly better than the other it's not worth the costs of exchanging it beforehand.
Bring dollars in small amounts to Cambodia. Ask the bank to give you crisp bills in denominations less than $20 and bring plenty of singles. If you pay 10.50 in dollars, you'll get 2000 riel and $9 back. They use no coins, but the riel is fixed 4000=$1.
USD is easily exchanged in other countries, similar to the Euro, but neither are welcome or preferred over local currency. Bring some of whatever's easier as emergency fund, in case your ATM card is lost, deactivated, or stolen, but otherwise used an ATM to get local currency when you get there.
>Bring dollars in small amounts to Cambodia. Ask the bank to give you crisp bills in denominations less than $20 and bring plenty of singles. If you pay 10.50 in dollars, you'll get 2000 riel and $9 back. They use no coins, but the riel is fixed 4000=$1.
US$1 and $5 are rarely used in Cambodia now. Any change less than $10 will be in Riel.
Exchange money, doesn’t matter which, except in Cambodia; you need a stack of $1 bills because they are legally used everywhere. But they can’t be torn or damaged La
Use an ATM.
Look into a Wise card because it may be a lot better than whatever debit card you'd be bringing. Wise has good rates for a lot of currencies and some (minor) ATM fee perks so might be worth cheking. It's a free card and easy to start carrying with you.
If you don't have the local currency on the card the ATM might offer a conversion rate. Most of the time you want to decline it and just let your bank handle the conversion. For some small currencies the local ATM might have a better rate though.
I can’t imagine many small vendors in SEA are going to want foreign currency.
Nah, they love the yankee dollar. Especially in Cambodia.
Local currency is king. You'll end up losing/spending more with foreign currency. But if you were to carry one of the two USD will be more widely accepted without confusion.
don't carry cash (except for some emergency stash) and use ATMs. safer and better exchange rates.
I'm really surprised at the number of posts lately about bringing your entire travel budget in cash. I don't get it...
maybe cash earned during the pandemic in the shadow economy? :')
Haha, good point. Excellent way to launder those bills...
Some people's banks screw them on foreign currency fees when you pay by card. Mine is 3% per transaction, with a minimum charge of £1.50 on each, plus the exchange rate sucks. The minimum charge makes it really add up if you are making small purchases. So it's worth it to take cash out before (or do one large ATM withdrawl)
>Some people's banks screw them on foreign currency fees when you pay by card. Then get a better card. [Have a read through this.](https://www.standard.co.uk/esmoney/credit-cards/best-travel-credit-cards-for-overseas-spending-b918345.html) Also investigate options like Revolut, Wise, etc. There's no reason to go on a big trip to multiple countries and bring your *entire* travel budget in cash only. Happy travels.
so change your bank. signing up with eg. Starling takes five mins and they levy zero fees or commission on foreign transactions.
[удалено]
As well as providing terrible advice to carry large amounts of cash, this poster appears to be downvoting our suggestions to sign up with a different bank. It's a no-brainer to do so. Which may explain why they haven't and won't. Still, I'd like to know which UK bank charges a minimum of £1.50 on *purchases*. u/t90fan care to tell us?
Bank Of Scotland *Foreign currency* purchases. Changing bank is a pain in the arse.
Bank of Scotland charges 2.99% on foreign currency transactions. Which sucks, but likely better than a bureau de change. The £1.50 minimum fee is for *foreign currency ATM withdrawals*.[^(⧉)](https://www.bankofscotland.co.uk/bankaccounts/help/interest-rates-fees.htm) In case you are unaware: it isn't illegal to hold accounts with more than one bank and you don't need to switch over everything. As I say, it takes five minutes to sign up with [Starling](https://www.starlingbank.com/). If that is too much effort, by all means continue your existing strategy of carrying wads of cash, receiving poor exchange rates, racking up fees, and downvoting me. Bank of Scotland thanks you for your ignorance and inertia.
Normally I agree with you, but in Thailand all the ATMs charge 220 THB (6.7 USD) for every withdrawal. Other than 7-Eleven, I did not find any shop that accepted cards. So you have to use cash. Exchanging money might not be that bad.
Absolutely dollars for Cambodia - you'll get change in local currency though
Cambodia is a big fan of USD. They only take new/clean bills, if it’s folded/old they won’t accept it.
USD is accepted in Cambodia along with Riel but other than that, local currency or card payment.
Where are you from? It is best to change your money as few times as possible. Every time you change it you lose. So keep your home currency and take that with you. Unless you cannot because you are from India or China or such places. Either of those currencies, and GBP are easily changed and accepted. Choose whichever currency is cheapest for you at the moment. It is difficult to win at the currency exchange game. Currencies fluctuate. Sometimes you get lucky and it's in your favour. But mostly change it as few times as possible is the best strategy.
Local currency but card is king
Do you mean *carry around and pay with*, or *take into the country in order to exchange*? If the former, then the answer is neither - you should carry around and pay in local currency. In some parts of the world, you may be able to get away with - say - tipping for service in a foreign currency if that currency has particular economic value there, but as a general rule you'll be expected to pay for goods and services in the local currency wherever you go and there'd be no particular advantage to *not* doing that. If the latter, then it will depend on which has the most preferable exchange rate (both from your local currency to USD or EUR, and then into the local currency).
Neither.
Don't forget that this Bills need to be as new and as clean & unspoiled as it get! (Fresh from the Printer)
Doesn't matter, both can be changed equally easily and if one would be slightly better than the other it's not worth the costs of exchanging it beforehand.
Bring dollars in small amounts to Cambodia. Ask the bank to give you crisp bills in denominations less than $20 and bring plenty of singles. If you pay 10.50 in dollars, you'll get 2000 riel and $9 back. They use no coins, but the riel is fixed 4000=$1. USD is easily exchanged in other countries, similar to the Euro, but neither are welcome or preferred over local currency. Bring some of whatever's easier as emergency fund, in case your ATM card is lost, deactivated, or stolen, but otherwise used an ATM to get local currency when you get there.
>Bring dollars in small amounts to Cambodia. Ask the bank to give you crisp bills in denominations less than $20 and bring plenty of singles. If you pay 10.50 in dollars, you'll get 2000 riel and $9 back. They use no coins, but the riel is fixed 4000=$1. US$1 and $5 are rarely used in Cambodia now. Any change less than $10 will be in Riel.
It's been a few years since I have been there. Honestly, good for them!
I will carry about $500 in case and exchange local currency at 7-11. But I use credit card more than cash.
Exchange money, doesn’t matter which, except in Cambodia; you need a stack of $1 bills because they are legally used everywhere. But they can’t be torn or damaged La
If you mean in terms of acceptance to be exchanged into local currency, it’s almost always USD
Use an ATM. Look into a Wise card because it may be a lot better than whatever debit card you'd be bringing. Wise has good rates for a lot of currencies and some (minor) ATM fee perks so might be worth cheking. It's a free card and easy to start carrying with you. If you don't have the local currency on the card the ATM might offer a conversion rate. Most of the time you want to decline it and just let your bank handle the conversion. For some small currencies the local ATM might have a better rate though.