Using Travelers Checks While Backpacking

Travelers Checks Thailand

It doesn’t hurt to have a few travelers checks along as well in case you cannot find a bank machine or something knocks out the bank network which is common in the islands. This will give you an option for cash in case something goes wrong with your card, account, or network back home.

Here are some tips for dealing with travelers checks Thailand:

American Express is the most widely accepted

You will be charged a fee per check, so cashing several large denomination checks is cheaper than many smaller denomination checks.

Always write down the serial numbers of your checks and keep it somewhere else (not with the checks!) It is a good idea to hide info like that in a free email account and leave copies in a folder at home.

When you cash your traveler’s checks at the window, always count your money in front of them. It doesn’t hurt to have a small calculator handy for doing the math on the exchange as well.

Restaurants, shops, and guest houses want cold, hard Baht. Don’t even try to pay with checks!

The signature matters. Don’t sign the checks like a doctor or quivering caffeine maniac. If they don’t match almost perfectly when you cash them the banker will question you – they see plenty of scams attempts.