Currency exchange - optics - clothing
Currency Exchange
One of the first questions the traveler asks himself is how and where to change Euros into Thai Baht.
There is one recommendation that gives you significantly more for your money than any other type of exchange:
Open a permanently free Wise (formerly Transfer Wise) account in your home country and then order the permanently free Wise Visa card . You can save any currency on this debit card with NFC payment option and exchange it with one another at a sensationally good foreign exchange rate. For example, you can save EUR and exchange it online on the card for THB at the exchange rate of, for example, 1 EUR = 35 THB. You can then pay contactlessly or with a PIN in the supermarket or hotel.
You can get the worst rate in the hotel.
The easiest way is to exchange cash free of charge in the exchange office. Compared to the above you would get about 35 THB / EUR. But be careful, the rates are different, it's worth comparing. As far as we know, the exchange office with the best exchange rate is the one when you turn to the beach at the traffic lights in Bang Niang and drive to the next intersection. The blue exchange office directly at the Pizzeria Pinocchio usually offers 0.4 baht more per EUR. The rate is even better than the one in the bank. Not every bank changes currencies. Certainly the purple SCB and the dark blue Bangkok Bank.
You can also get baht with a German bank card or credit card at the ATM machines. Attention, some banks block non-European countries for security; if you want to be on the safe side, the card can be activated worldwide beforehand. The German banks charge EUR 0-6, depending on the bank, per transaction. For this you get a better rate than in the exchange office. So it depends on the amount and the fees of the German banks where it is best to get Thai baht. The ATM is best for large amounts, but for small amounts you can change free of charge at the exchange office, but at a worse rate.
Optics
Bespoke clothing
Is it worth buying glasses in Thailand? Yes, it's worth it. Glasses are one of the few products that can be purchased inexpensively for excellent quality. The computer vision test only takes a second - ultra-modern! Two shops with several branches dominate: the light blue TOP Charoen optics and the green KT optics. Charoen Optik is significantly cheaper with a good selection, the clearly expensive top brands are available from KT Optik. You have to wait about 4 days from ordering to collection. The price is about 50% lower than at home.
You don't need to waste your vacation days in Bangkok for tailor-made clothing, as Khao Lak also has excellent tailors. Countless tailors have now settled in Khao Lak.
Many of these businesses with Thai owners of Indian descent have been around for many years. They all deliver good quality based on many years of experience. Sewing is then mostly done at night in small tailor shops in Khao Lak. The price is less than 50% of the European price.