Bangkok Airport Tips?

[jayjo]

10 hours ago, mixedberrys said:

I usually change $200 just as I get out of customs. The rate isn't great but it's convenient. Then stop and get a SIM from which ever queue is shortest  then onwards to exit 3 to meet my taxi driver. Get a drink and a snack from 7/11 then into the taxi,  next stop my Pattaya hotel. It's easy and all on the arrivals level. The hardest thing tends to be spotting your driver with your name on their sign, it won't necessarily be spelt correctly. 

Have a great holiday and try not to fall in love. 

Never do this, go to the Groundfloor where the Trainstation is, when you walk the big corridor down there is a superrich with equal rates to Pattaya.

If you dont find it downstairs ask someone, its a bit tricky to find the first time imho.

[petehoax]

19 hours ago, SirL said:

Where you seem to be going wrong is you are using the booths on Level 2 Arrivals at the airport, well that's what your post seems to suggest.  For best rates use the Basement level booths at the airport.

if i specifically mention "superrich at the airport" three times, do you really think i'm talking about arrival level rates? (which offer like an 8% spread and are obviously terrible?)

yes, please compare superrich airport rates (from their website) with the best rates you get at TT (see https://get4x.com/en/thailand/pattaya/)

right now, all of them are closed. but here's the screenshot with the suvarnabhumi rates (from 2 hours ago): 
 

as you see, the spread is rather large. (for comparison, at the headquarter branch, they offer 41.65 buy & 41.85 sell)

here's the best TT offer. (to be fair: it's probably not from the exact same time, so it's not a 100% comparison. i also wouldn't trust the website info 100%, that's also true. but you can walk through pattaya and see that there are several TT branches that offer a tighter spread than superrich). 

[Whalley]

23 hours ago, petehoax said:

that's not correct. 
i even quoted the current spread that superrich offers at the airport. TT offers slightly better rates in pattaya most of the time. (but as i wrote, the difference is small enough that it really doesn't matter much. saving 100thb when you exchange 1000gbp should not really be a major factor). 

that's all to say: most of the time, it's not worth it to walk down to the basement with all your luggage and wait in line only to then get back up to arrival level again to meet your driver.

The exchange rate at the airport Super Rich Thai, is always-always higher than TT in Pattaya.  Easily confirmed on your phone when at a TT booth.

If you need baht when you arrive, then it does make sense to go down to B-level with bags on a cart but use the elevator.  It's two floors down from arrivals and takes only a minute when using the elevator.

The alternative of changing a small amount at the rip-off rates on the arrivals level just to make it to Pattaya, then later finding a street TT booth to change more, makes absolutely no sense.

Both time and money are wasted changing money twice to get started on your holiday.