thai baht rate update

[XX26]

Originally Posted by ca1vin

Bros,

today's exchange rate for thai baht is 23.5

which money changer provide this rate?

[84gunner]

Originally Posted by Zhou Shihai

Walao act high class is it?

no lah, these currencies are directly related to my salary, but I'm working (travelling) & staying in AsiaPac region, wif occasional travel to Europe.

Juz 2 give u a little more details, my current salary was negotiated in USD, but juz at the point of penning things down in black & white, the coy requested if they can pay in EUR instead. I am fine wif tat, and used the USD vs EUR exchange rate at tat time (v early tis year), so my salary in my contract is in EUR. I am v happy now, cos USD dropped a hell lot!!! If the coy din request or if I din agree 2 use EUR as my salary payment currency, I'd have indirectly suffered a pay-cut! My salary bank acct is in a country / currency tat is directly pegged to USD.

If u were me, would u monitor exchange rates of EUR, USD & several AsiaPac currencies?

[vmtech]

Originally Posted by 84gunner

no lah, these currencies are directly related to my salary, but I'm working (travelling) & staying in AsiaPac region, wif occasional travel to Europe.

Juz 2 give u a little more details, my current salary was negotiated in USD, but juz at the point of penning things down in black & white, the coy requested if they can pay in EUR instead. I am fine wif tat, and used the USD vs EUR exchange rate at tat time (v early tis year), so my salary in my contract is in EUR. I am v happy now, cos USD dropped a hell lot!!! If the coy din request or if I din agree 2 use EUR as my salary payment currency, I'd have indirectly suffered a pay-cut! My salary bank acct is in a country / currency tat is directly pegged to USD.

If u were me, would u monitor exchange rates of EUR, USD & several AsiaPac currencies?

good post here

[totti79]

Not very good news for people who frequent bkk regularly and convert large amounts i guess. Todays exchange rate 21.5 when i looked at mustafa forex website . They have competitive rates for any currency. You go to golden mile and change baht also can't be much diff. Apparently some events in the financial market this morning i guess. Something i have no background to comprehend but hope this thing changes soon enough. I guess samsters like 84gunner who may have more knowledge in this may kindly enlighten us if they have the time.

Cheers

[dan0526]

Originally Posted by totti79

Not very good news for people who frequent bkk regularly and convert large amounts i guess. Todays exchange rate 21.5 when i looked at mustafa forex websiteThey have competitive rates for any currency.

Cheers

errr..just changed thai baht at Toa Payoh today leh, rate is 23 . And I didn change much, just few hundred SGD

[totti79]

Hi,
Thanks for the toa payoh info. Had a shock when i saw the mustafa rate today. was 23.09 yesterday there too. http://www.mustafa.com.sg/forex.asp Then i went to see news if anything funny happen, then i was led to this from googles news site : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_d... 6&con_type=1 I think i better change my money today too, since someone says theres 1 is to 23 somewhere. Still got some hope.

Thanks.

[84gunner]

Originally Posted by totti79

Not very good news for people who frequent bkk regularly and convert large amounts i guess. Todays exchange rate 21.5 when i looked at mustafa forex website . They have competitive rates for any currency. You go to golden mile and change baht also can't be much diff. Apparently some events in the financial market this morning i guess. Something i have no background to comprehend but hope this thing changes soon enough. I guess samsters like 84gunner who may have more knowledge in this may kindly enlighten us if they have the time.

Cheers

tat rate at mustafa is damn cut-throat!!! It could have been a typo error. Did u check the banks' websites? I juz went 2 ATM 2 withdraw THB cash ytd afternoon in BKK, havent check my bank acct yet. Din hear any big news either, except few days ago's trading, there was abit of hooha in the market, there was quite some "spread" between the offshore & onshore markets, n BoT kinda stepped in 2 try 2 mitigate.

Basically, planning 2 change currencies a few days earlier or later, is same as playing the stock market. +++ about tat, many pple would straight away jump 2 shares market, aka as securities. This was seen in my postings in another thread, when I mentioned the economy & financial markets, some pple jumped straight 2 say they have some blue-film, oops, blue-chip shares, hahaha. Mebbe these pple only know got securities (aka stock) market, tat's all.

There are many different objects, or instruments, which are traded in the financial markets. The most commonly known is of course the securities market, oso commonly known as stock market, where some members here have some blue-film shares. Other more commonly known markets are commodities, currencies, futures, bonds, treasury, etc etc.

+++ about currencies trading market, there are several trading centers in various parts of the world; in AsiaPac, they are traded in Sydney, +++yo, SGP. From time zone difference, the furthest behind is USA. So, the currencies markets are actually trading round the clock, starting from Monday morning Sydney time till Friday afternoon USA time. Tat is why sometimes u hear some "stock market" traders say they have 2 monitor the market, even when it's SGP nite time (or even midnite), when SGP market close trading 4 the day liao.

U wont know whether the market is going up or down. U look at the rates now, it looks going down, u wanna change now, a few days earlier b4 yr trip, b4 it drops further, so u get better rates now. But then, often, the markets can juz U-turn within seconds! So, wat happens if juz after u change the currencies, the markets U-turn, then u squeeze balls, dampen yr mood 4 the trip?

Currencies trade in 4 decimal places, and fluctuating by 1 cent (2 decimal places) is quite alot oredi!!! So, if u are changing 100 SGD, the difference is how much, change 1000 SGD, difference is how much? Mebbe when u gain abit at the exchange rate, u feel shiok, but I'll say it's juz the ego feeling, like as if u kio-tio some discount, better bargain at the same product than other pple. Even if u change several thousand SGD, the difference may not even be able 2 cover the taxi fare from airport to town!!!

Tat's why, 4 me, I'd rather save the time & transport fares travelling 2 the money-changer. If I wanna speculate the exchange rates, I'll speculate in the financial (currency) market. The amount of miscellaneous cash needed 2 spend on the streets is really 2 little, compared 2 trading in the markets, 2 waste my time & efforts 2 bother about. I'd rather save the time & effort 2 tink of or do something I feel is more productive. The savings, or difference, dunno whether enuf 4 a taxi trip anot.

haha, if everyone tinks & do like me, all the money-changers on SGP streets can close-door liao. But then, how many times a year I go SGP? less than 5% of my time in a year. hee hee, another whack at SGP businesses.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by 84gunner

tat rate at mustafa is damn cut-throat!!! It could have been a typo error ...savings, or difference, dunno whether enuf 4 a taxi trip anot. ...how many times a year I go SGP? less than 5% of my time in a year. hee hee, another whack at SGP businesses.

Such a 2 pt change to 21 is not likely to go unoticed, and there's been no earth shaking circumstance over the last week. Agree, for us ordinary folks it's simply not worthwhile to sweat over choice of money changer -save for hotels and airports which are worse places to change (maybe emergency). Destiny of $$ rates is not in your hands (except for puyings hehehe), only big players in money markets.

Btw, you are blessed as an expat in overseas posting. No offence to your (sometimes hard hitting bias) stand, but surely there are some SG plusses too? We are seeing a new breed of SG expats to region over recent years, eg Vietnam. There must be some redeeming factors from our system -education, infrastructure, instituitions etc.

[84gunner]

Originally Posted by yinyang

Btw, you are blessed as an expat in overseas posting. No offence to your (sometimes hard hitting bias) stand, but surely there are some SG plusses too? We are seeing a new breed of SG expats to region over recent years, eg Vietnam. There must be some redeeming factors from our system -education, infrastructure, instituitions etc.

I admit, I am damn fxxking biased & prejudiced, &, I wish 2 clarify, I'm not an expat in overseas posting.

I am not employed by any coy in SG & then posted overseas. I am directly employed by companies outside SG, where the coy doesnt even have an office nor any operations in SG. Therefore, no CPF, no income tax in SG.

Anyway, I oso find the CPF system crap. It's juz another name game, the $$ is in yr acct, under yr name, but u cant touch it. How much u can withdraw / touch when u are at the eligible age is a billion-dollar question!!! Use it 2 buy property, who sells HDB flat 2 u? Use it 2 buy medical insurance, who sells the insurance 2 u?

In another forum, I mentioned tat by looking at another point of view, CPF may be viewed as another form of tax, juz tat the name & way of administering is different from the conventional way. The $$ is deducted from yr monthly salary, it is held in yr name, under yr acct. Whether u can get it back anot is a billion-dollar question. The main difference is, pple are not so upset becos it's in their name, they still feel it "belongs" 2 them, they "own" it, rather than paying it straight 2 the gahmen & say goodbye 2 it! It's a psychological game. When u view it as a form of tax, then all working SGPeans are paying a basic tax of 20%, the other tax tat u declare & file every April is additional, 4 those who's salary is higher & needs 2 pay "income tax"! On top of tat, yr employer is oso paying tax on a portion of yr salary!

Wat does the gahmen do wif these $$ ? buy expensive toys (military equipments, ships, planes, etc), "invest" overseas. When the investment makes $$, they get the credit. When it loses $$, nvm, it's not their own $$, juz give some excuses, & shut the pple's mouths up.

After a series of coy-close-down & retrenchments, I'd had enuf, decided 2 call it quits. Best part is, those days, SG head hunters call me up wif job offers, wanna cut my salary by at least 20%, then can tell me my coy is closing down, I should be happy & thankful got job offer, still wanna bargain 4 same salary???

Therefore, when job hunting, I'd reject all SG jobs. Eventually, accepted a China job offer wif an MNC. Little did I know tat the top Mgr & snr mgmt personnel of China office is SGPeans. The offer was semi-local terms, ie. higher salary than many locals, but then no expat benefits such as accomodation, fly-back air tickets, etc etc. We were managed in similar style as in SG (the mgmt even tried 2 apply SG law to us even though it's in China). About slightly more than a year after joining the coy, I led a labor strike, most of us (80% of employees) left the coy and the top mgmt was replaced shortly after.

Ever since quitting SG, I had been directly employed overseas, ie, paid in foreign currency, employment permit, pay tax overseas, no CPF crap, rent my own apartment, no fly-back air ticket nor home leave, etc etc.

U have oredi said, I'm biased, I dun see any pluses in SG except there's no natural disasters! I'm used 2 typhoon strikes, earthquakes (Taiwan & China), labor strikes, protests / demonstrations, (Govt) revolution, terrorist bombings, etc etc. Well, if u tink u prefer the "stable & safe" life in SG w/o those, there's nothing wrong wif tat, juz tat I find these events / occurences as being in the real world, in reality, not the artificial world / life in SG. At least I wont be a suaku, being shocked until dunno wat 2 do except mebbe juz screaming.

Despite the "stable & safe" environment in SG, u hear SGPeans complain more than most, if not all, other pple in the world!

Talk about the education system, look at the spoilt brats / young kids nowadays, no respect 4 elders, no manners, rude, selfish, self-centred, arrogant, etc etc. All's in their eyes is only academic & job / career advancement, the paper chase, the rat race. End up, u see plenty of wood blocks wif impressive paper qualifications, high ranks, etc, but how effective & productive?

Not 2 mention, many so-called Chinese cant even speak Chinese properly (not to mention their own dialects), if at all, yet they still dare 2 call themselves Chinese? Tat's being a shame on their ancestors, shame on Chinese culture! If the education system dont teach their mother's tongue at all, tat's still forgivable. I'd seen other nationals, either their country's education system does not teach Chinese, or Chinese language is banned & illegal, but their elders somehow still insists they know the language, & teach them or make them learn, by hook or by crook. The simple reason is, as a Chinese, u must know Chinese. My ang moh associates told me, if u dunno yr own language & culture (unless legal reasons), how do u expect others 2 respect yr culture / roots when u dun even know nuts about it? Many mainland Chinese & Taiwanese are mocking those SGPeans when they said they know / can speak Chinese v well, yet more often than not, cant write the correct words, mixing wif other dialects, not 2 mention other languages, etc. The more outspoken ones oso said it's an insult 2 Chinese culture!!!

U go read SG local news, u see all sorts of policies & new policies, complains & more complains. SGPeans are demanding 4 perfection, everything in perfect accordance 2 their opinions & wishes. I thot I mistook it; demanding 4 perfection in life?

U see all sorts of taxi surcharges & price increments, promising a "better" service quality after the increments, yet, u get even more complains of taxis "hiding" away, touting & refusing 2 turn on the meter, etc etc. In the service industry, shouldnt service quality be a top priority, regardless of the $$ charged? Recently, I'd even personally seen taxi drivers touting inside Changi Airport's passenger terminals, until the touts quarrelled (fighting 4 business), almost started fighting. Tat time, I thot I was in another country!!! Whether I was in China, Taiwan, Thailand or several other countries, where there's no such thing as midnite charge or watever crap surcharges, I still have no problems getting any taxi at any hour, round the clock! In some cities, I can even negotiate a discount off the meter!!! Note tat it's not negotiating a fixed price b4 travelling, but negotiate a discount, turn on the meter, then travel!!! If the taxi driver is hardworking, he drives more, he's likely 2 earn more. Those who're lazy, naturally earns lesser! With more rules & policies & surcharges, tat'll only indirectly encourage more of such crap!!!

If this is the "civilised", "well-educated" 1st World so claimed, then I cant imagine wat it's like in the 3rd Worlds!!!

Wat is it about the new breed of expats 2 Vietnam?

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by 84gunner

I admit, I am damn fxxking biased & prejudice.. If this is the "civilised", "well-educated" 1st World so claimed, then I cant imagine wat it's like in the 3rd Worlds!!!

Okie, hear you LOUD and clear. Phew, touched a sore point. Err, let's not digress too much from this baht thread

[Nismo_boy]

Hi Bros,

Anyone knows the updated sin to thai exchange rate . Will be going bangkok in 1-4 march. Will appreciate if bros can also state down the best exchange location. Thanks in advance.

[totti79]

The rate over the past 2 weeks at Arcade in raffles place was about 23.00 to 23.15, always up and down ard there. Not sure how the rates elsewhere in sg is, but arcade is a place with a lot of money changers and tons of singaporeans work in raffles place/ tanjong pagar.

[jinrenhe]

sorry dun rely understand ... how come the rate is so good at s$1= 23 baht?

the rate posted at DBS is only s$1= 21.22 baht (converted from 100 bahts=$4.7120)

the internet FX convertor also shows $1= 21.80 baht

i tod money changer would usually offer a less attractive rate? (jus asking out of curiosity)

[justl00king]

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+B...s/FX+Rates.htm

[apui]

bro, i juz change at golden mile yesterday..
its 1 to 23