Manila

[Avoloz]

Schwab is great! Just a couple of caveats, .....

One of them is you have to be a US citizen or I think they call it a 'alien resident'. If you are neither, you will be out of luck with Schwab.

[Pinaypounder]

I send money to one of my staff using Iremit. Their exchange rate is good and their fees are low, I can send about 200 K for 10 bucks then I have my staff meet me and give me the money and we have a lunch meeting anyways.

By far the bst bank I have worked with there is the Citibank I would gladly do and advertisement for them.

"To fuck more girls for your money use CITIBANK More Ho for your Dough!

Citibank, we care about your pleasure!

Citibank please use your penis safely, only rela ho were used in this commercial, we know you can't do this at home.

[JusRide]

My last trip I knew I was running short of pesos on me but I had USD on me. The waitress just had the money exchanged for me at a decent rate and I never had to leave. They wanted my business and I tip reasonably well.

Speaking of Pasay, I popped into a money changer just a block away from EDSA Entertainment Plaza and he tried to charge me something ridiculous. Luckily I didn't need the money, I was just checking rates. I can imagine some punter buying a few drink rounds and then realizing he doesn't have enough for the barfine. Where's the nearest money changer!?

Manila has better rates than AC. I regularly use a place near the Rothman Hotel, which is near Robinsons Mall, but on the Malate side of the street.

AC money changers down toward the jeepney terminal consistently have (slightly) better rates than on Walking Street.

I don't live in the Philippines, but exchange rates seem to be less favorable on weekends. Buy your pesos on Friday.

[SaltyPete]

Schwab is great! Just a couple of caveats, though. Make sure you give yourself enough leeway in opening an account. Since it is linked with a brokerage account, they will run a credit check on you. It takes about 3-5 business days, if I recall correctly, and then they send you the ATM card. Also, they take 3 business days to transfer funds from your bank to theirs, so plan ahead.

But they reimburse both International transaction fees and ATM surcharges. Honestly, I don't know what's in it for them.

I like having an active account separate from my main accounts, to limit the damage if I fall victim to an ATM scanner or get mugged and forced to give up my PIN.

I don't sweat the difference in exchange rates between ATM and cash exchangers (if any). I'll take a hit for the convenience of using any ATM any time for free, and not having to carry a butt load of cash on me after exchanging money, or getting scammed.

Oh, and call them before you travel to allow international use of the card, or it will be locked out. You can also do it on their website.

[Lefeu]

Looks like I might need to open an account with Charles Schwab then. WestCoast1, how does the ATM exchange rate compare to the money exchange places?

I have been using mine for quite a few years now. I checked the Schwab rate a couple of times over the years, and it was always close to the internation bank rate, I. E. Pretty good. However, I have not checked lately, in over a year.

[Alpope23]

Thanks BD! Sorry won't be heading to AC. But I might just change my mind once I reach the Philippines.

So one of my goals for my trip to Manila would be to take multiple girls back to my hotel room (I'm sure that I am not the only person who shares this goal). I'm not talking about just 2 girls but 3+. Just want to try and experience that in life. Any pros out there who have experienced this willing to share their experience and how to achieve this goal? Any problems with the hotels and you bringing more than one "guest". I understand that one guest is OK but would they deny the other girls?

Thanks in advance!

I met a girl in LA Cafe. I put her to work for me. I need 2 more girls. Pretty, short and thin, over 20, and willing to play with each other before I join in. She made some calls, showed me pics on her phone and about 45 minutes later they showed up. Took a cab to the hotel and partied for 4 hours for 2 k apiece.

Next day my partner was waiting in the lobby with 2 new girls, even better and more to my tastes than the first pair. Bought them lunch then upstairs for the same. 1 had to take off but the other 2 stayed the night for another 2 k each and breakfast. I showed them some magic tricks and they thought I was the devil for a while.

[Red Kilt]

I don't live in the Philippines, but exchange rates seem to be less favorable on weekends. Buy your pesos on Friday.

I think some guys get carried away by the forex values and invest an extraordinary amount of effort in order to get the "best" rate.

It's almost as though they cannot bear to think of getting (say) 46.40 php to the dollar and then seeing another place offering 46.58 somewhere else.

One guy reported on here sometime ago how he traipsed to Malate from Makati just to get a better rate of 0. 5 percentage points.

It's all a matter of perspective.

If you're exchanging 500 - 1000 usd then a difference of 1 peso in the rate might be seen as obviously significant, but when guys are quibbling over 0. 1 - 0. 5 php difference to change 200 usd then to my mind it's hardly worth the hassle. I think it's more important to find a reputable money changer where you know you are not going to be scammed with a fake note inserted in the stack.

FWIW, I travel a lot for work all around SE Asia and I use my ATM card to access money wherever I go (I don't pay any fees). I am convinced that when I do my sums on my return the ATM rate is at least equal to if not better than the rates that I see with money changers but, for me personally, I prefer the convenience of the ATM with clear records of all transactions.

[X Man]

Speaking of Pasay, I popped into a money changer just a block away from EDSA Entertainment Plaza and he tried to charge me something ridiculous. Luckily I didn't need the money, I was just checking rates. I can imagine some punter buying a few drink rounds and then realizing he doesn't have enough for the barfine. Where's the nearest money changer!?

Manila has better rates than AC. I regularly use a place near the Rothman Hotel, which is near Robinsons Mall, but on the Malate side of the street.

AC money changers down toward the jeepney terminal consistently have (slightly) better rates than on Walking Street.

I don't live in the Philippines, but exchange rates seem to be less favorable on weekends. Buy your pesos on Friday.

I agree that money changers in businesses along the street give better rates than ATMs, banks back home, and (especially) captive audience currency exchanges in Narita, Incheon, Detroit, and other international airports. But on one recent trip I got better prices at the money exchanges at NAIA airport than at street exchanges elsewhere in Pasay. Difference wasn't big, $46.00 on the street, $46.20 at the airport. I think the reason NAIA exchanges are competitive is because they are not captive audience: they are beyond immigration and luggage pickup, so customers have several competitors, or can even wait and do business at streetside exchanges. Even when the exchanges at NAIA are a tad higher than streetside vendors, they are still relatively competitive, and in my recent arrivals they have been open well past midnight.

[WestCoast1]

Looks like I might need to open an account with Charles Schwab then. WestCoast1, how does the ATM exchange rate compare to the money exchange places?

From my recent Schwab bank statement:

07/ xx /2016 ATMREBATE ATM Fee Rebate $xx. Xx.

[Soapy Smith]

You always get the best exchange rage at a street money changer in phils.

I agree that money changers in businesses along the street give better rates than ATMs, banks back home, and (especially) captive audience currency exchanges in Narita, Incheon, Detroit, and other international airports. But on one recent trip I got better prices at the money exchanges at NAIA airport than at street exchanges elsewhere in Pasay. Difference wasn't big, $46.00 on the street, $46.20 at the airport. I think the reason NAIA exchanges are competitive is because they are not captive audience: they are beyond immigration and luggage pickup, so customers have several competitors, or can even wait and do business at streetside exchanges. Even when the exchanges at NAIA are a tad higher than streetside vendors, they are still relatively competitive, and in my recent arrivals they have been open well past midnight.

[Sammon]

Does anybody have any thoughts on the Bayview and if they allow overnight guests? Clean and comfy? Etc thanks, Rusty.

If you mean Bayview park hotel opp you US embassy, it is a comfortable cheaper hotel. Best price is on Asiatravel.com.

I have stayed there few times. It is girl friendly if you book for two people. This hotel caters to mostly Philippine families.

Breakfast is included and is ok. I have taken two girls sometimes without any issues. Generally if you take a girl after 11 pm they will keep her I. D and may check and see if your room is booked for two people.

Nowadays I do have couple of girl friends in Manila stay with me. During daytime girls can come up to your room with no problem.

Location is good. Rooms are basic but bathrooms have a tub. Wi fi is free. If you are going to Angeles by swagman bus or southern cross it is right around the corner.

[WestCoast1]

Looks like I might need to open an account with Charles Schwab then. WestCoast1, how does the ATM exchange rate compare to the money exchange places?

You always get the best exchange rage at a street money changer in phils. While the phils money changers are giving in the 47-1 USD range, your bank will be giving you 43-45-ish on your ATM withdrawal (and most include out-of-network fees of $5 also). The Schwab thing simply saves me the $5 fee, and also the machine's p200 fee. Even worse is if you try to exchange your American dollars for phils pesos while at your local branch in the US. The local branch may have to order the pesos from headquarters, and either way they will give you 35-41 pesos per USD (a terrible rate).

[RustyIsReady]

Does anybody have any thoughts on the Bayview and if they allow overnight guests? Clean and comfy? Etc thanks, Rusty.

[DreamCarnarvon]

I have been using the Schwab Visa ATM card for less than a year. I got one based on the recommendation of a board member here. They really *do* reimburse me all fees related to my out-of-network card use at the end of each month, so that the only thing deducted (after the reimburse) is the amount of money that I withdrew from the account.

Looks like I might need to open an account with Charles Schwab then. WestCoast1, how does the ATM exchange rate compare to the money exchange places?

[WestCoast1]

I have been using the Schwab Visa ATM card for years. They reimburse me all fees, typically at the end of the month.

I have been using the Schwab Visa ATM card for less than a year. I got one based on the recommendation of a board member here. They really *do* reimburse me all fees related to my out-of-network card use at the end of each month, so that the only thing deducted (after the reimburse) is the amount of money that I withdrew from the account.