-
Yeah, most times you end up paying some kind of premium on cash withdrawals on credit cards as opposed to ATMs, but that all depends on your card and your payment strategy. It truly pays to find out the rules for your particular card. That's actually related to my earlier question -- on one of my cards I will pay a higher interest percentage and also a percentage fee on cash withdrawals. If, however, I go inside the bank and ask them to advance me the cash instead of using the ATM, I will only pay the higher interest fee. So no penalty or cost if I just pay things off quickly, other than sometimes a low local bank fee. On another one I pay the same percentage rate for cash advances or purchases, but they'll charge me the percentage fee regardless of whether I withdraw in the bank or at the ATM. That's why I tend to go with the ATM card for cash, credit cards for purchases (meaning hotels, travel, and such) and TC's for backup. Just like to have a flexible portfolio of cash-flow options when I'm far from home :) so I don't get stuck like our pal in Pattaya. (I once had my bank unexpectedly expire my card while I was in Africa, as they went to a new system, and it was a good thing I had backup.)
And XP really isn't that bad -- you can do the same thing you want, Freeler, via Windows Explorer. I've found it to be far more stable than 98SE, and I've got a system crammed with stuff that's pretty well choked on every previous version but Win2000. Same thing for OfficeXP -- it's got its quirks and bloats, but overall is decent enough and has a few nice advances.
You're right, Skinless, that the Pantip guys will just tell you anything, but by this point the real open versions ought to be floating around (hell, they're all over the net) and your investment is fairly minimal in any case.
-
This one is a computer error. I tried to delete my message but it said I wasn't authorized so I deleted the words but couldn't get out until I wrote something so "The quick brown fox, etc."
-
I lost my ATM card the day before I left for Europe so I had to go with my credit card cash advances. My charged me different fees on each card. The lowest was 5% or minimum of $5 on each transaction. They also charged me an exchange fee. The $.85 Euros cost me in excess of $1.05. They also charge a higher APR on cash advances, about double, than on purchases. Fortunately, I had enough in my, inaccessible over there, checking account to pay these off immediately when I got back here to my new ATM card. I figure the whole business raised my travel costs about 10%.
I am now desolated because my favorite and very first card, NextCard went out of business. It was 9.9 APR and enabled me to build my credit rating. Now I have others but can pick which ever one that offers peripheral services that I want such as the AAA Visa card that gave me free car rental collision insurance.
By the way, I have ME and like it pretty much.
-
Freeler,
Thanks for the credit card tip. My credit card co. does not have any hiiden charges when traveling abroad.
I've read on this board that the best exchange rate is with TC's.
do the exchange booths charge service charge to convert tc's to BHT? If not that would be the way to go for me as I get TC's at no cost. I've also read when using ATM's the exchange rate is done by your bank in your home country which is not as good as Tailand. Is this true?
-
I bought an MP3 disc in Bangkok (Thai pop songs) but my comp will not recognize the files. Does anyone know how to fix this problem?
-
The problem is that the file names appear as underlines in Windows Explorer. Maybe the file names are in Thai. I tried Thai fonts but does not work -- still underlines. Cannot even get to subdirectories. Check of the CD "properties" tells me there are MP3 files on the disc.
-
I see "______.mp3" for file names but I cannot rename or copy the files. Subdirectory names with underlines in them will not open. WinAmp does not play the underlined mp3's. The files are about 2 to 6 megs each. The entire CD-rom has 695 megs on it. There must be a way to hear these songs!
-
Thanks again Freeler, I'll check with my Bank on the ATM's, but my primary will be TC.
Does anyone plan A trip in the middle of august?
-
Hukster, Me and a friend of mine will be in LOS from 12 to 28 August.
Happy to have a beer together, if it will be possible...
IOTR.
-
hukster,
I'll be there from Aug.28th till Sept 26th.......when do you leave the Kingdom?
-
Chikan,
I'll be in Bankok on 8-17-02, pattaya on 8-21-02, back in bkk on 8-28-02 or 8-31-02, and leave on 9-8-02.
IOTR,
WHAT IS YOUR ITENARY? iF POSSIBLE WE CAN GET TOGETHER FOR a BEER
-
Hukster,
I'll be in BKK on 8-28-02 (arriving around midnight..grrr), and will be staying in BKK till the 30th where I'll head off to most likely CM (5 days) ChiangRai (1 or 2 days), and MaeSai( 1 day) and then back...the remainder will be spent in Pattaya I guess....I'm in Thailand for only 2.5 wks from the original 1 month...maybe the 3 of us can link up in Bkk for a drink! I'll drop you guys a line when I land.
-
Chikan,
Thats A good Idea. Maybe we can get together on Pattaya, as I will be there from 8-21 to maybe 9-1-02.
-
I want to try Thailand, but maybe a scene that's less busy than Bangkok. Any recommendations for where outside of Bangkok (or outside of the usual scene in Bangkok) to start?
-
Where can I buy Viagra in Bangkok, and how much do they cost ?
Also, what about these Russian hookers that are supposed to be wandering around the streets of Bangkok ? Are they worth bothering with ?