Taking english pounds over to Phils and where to change for the best rate

[CebuSteve]

Hello, I've been to the Phils once before, about 8 years ago. And I am set to spend December there.
Usually when I travel to Thailand I take sterling over there with me and exchange to thai baht when I am there in the banks.

Is this a recommended and suitable way of going about things in Philippines?

thank you

[Igorotak]

Hello, I've been to the Phils once before, about 8 years ago. And I am set to spend December there.
Usually when I travel to Thailand I take sterling over there with me and exchange to thai baht when I am there in the banks.

Is this a recommended and suitable way of going about things in Philippines?

thank you

You arrive at 2am. Chances are that the money changers at the airport are closed. Your taxi driver only understands cash.
So get some pesos before you depart. The next day you go to the money changers, you find them everywhere. To be safe you can go to a money changer at any shopping mall.
Don't change too much at once, and don't carry too much cash on you.

[iamjames]

Why would anyone carry cash in this day and age? Why not just use your ATM card here?

[bigrod]

Why would anyone carry cash in this day and age? Why not just use your ATM card here?

So you are not paying ATM surcharges, home bank charges and conversion fees!

Chuck

[David690]

Each to their own, but for me those charges are well worth the security of not having to carry large wads of cash.  If Steve is going to be there for a month, that's a lot of cash to carry over on your person and by the sounds of it, he is not going to be staying in a hotel with a security box.  Guess he could always stash the cash under his mattress, OK as long as the guys he's gonna be sharing with don't sniff it out.

[bigrod]

Each to their own, but for me those charges are well worth the security of not having to carry large wads of cash.  If Steve is going to be there for a month, that's a lot of cash to carry over on your person and by the sounds of it, he is not going to be staying in a hotel with a security box.  Guess he could always stash the cash under his mattress, OK as long as the guys he's gonna be sharing with don't sniff it out.

I will not try to assume whether he is going to live the whole month on the Sterling he brings over or if it is for just the first few days or a week.  The down side to using ATM/CC is it cost you money to use them.  Since CebuSteve has been here before and to Thailand which he has taken Sterling to, I would feel he knows how to secure his money.  Since he will be here during the holiday season he may find many ATMs will not have any cash due to the locals withdrawing funds for the holidays and 13th month pay.  Just my opinion, you are entitled to your own.

Chuck

[David690]

I agree Chuck and as I said in my post........"Each to their own, but for me...."

[BudM]

He is on a budget looking for 600 peso rooms so the last thing he probably wants to have to worry about dealing with is ATM fees.

[David690]

Disagree.  The last thing he needs to worry about is having all of the cash that he has brought for the trip, stolen.  Then he is really in the .........!!

[bigrod]

Disagree.  The last thing he needs to worry about is having all of the cash that he has brought for the trip, stolen.  Then he is really in the .........!!

Well at almost 69 years old and having lived overseas for 17+ years, I have never had money stolen from me(knock on wood).  If you use your head there should be no problem.  You never carry all your money with you at one time, just enough for your use at the time.  Even when traveling my money is in different bags/pockets etc. I also do not stay in a 600 php establishment.  Even here living in the Philippines I seldom carry more than a couple thousand peso at a time.

Chuck

[David690]

Chuck, I really don't want to labour this point but....  OP said in his original post that he will spend December in Philippines.  To me that means he needs money to cover expenses for a month.  If he is to avoid ATM's and only use cash, that is a lot of cash to arrive with and carry around, especially as he is arriving at 2am and taking a supposedly dangerous taxi ride through an alleged war zone, to his cheapo hotel in a dodgy location!!
I am also 69 years of age and have travelled, lived and worked overseas my entire adult life.  I have also been pretty fortunate and only had cash stolen a couple of times.  Luckily it was never a lot, because I avoid carrying large amounts of cash around for that very reason.  Having said that, it doesn't mean it doesn't happen or won't happen to the OP, especially staying a "cheapo" hotel in a dodgy location, with no security or even probably a reception desk.  If he is to avoid carrying all his cash around, where is he safely gonna stash a months worth of cash?  Of course there is a chance of an ATM not working or having run out of cash for a few days, but I don't think that should present a problem so long as he has enough cash for just a few days whilst the banks might be closed.
As I said in my post, my own personal opinion and choice would be to avoid taking the risk of carrying all my cash around even if its distributed in different pockets, and use ATM's.  Each to their own.

[Lee2]

I have had to carry a lot of money at times over the past years, I wore a money belt and wore the belt to sleep while in the plane and hotels, thankfully I never got robbed, so while carrying large amounts of cash is usually not advisable while in a poor country, it can be done safely within reason if caution and precautions are taken.