Visa Travelers checks

[shotover]

Are Visa travelers checks accepted as readily in Thailand (and other Asian countries) as are American Express TCs?

[elef]

I think so but TCs are not that popular any more, I think I used TCs last time 1980 or so...

[shotover]

I normally take TCs as a backup in case I lose or break my ATM card, or the card-issuing banks suspend use of their cards in certain countries due to general fraud activity. Last year, many USA banks suspended use of visa debit cards in Thailand and 3 other countries for about 4 months.

[elef]

For more than 20 years I had more than 200 hotel nights a year and as I said I used TCs, but not as back-up more as speculation, those years the dollar and pound went down all the time so TCs in german marks gave you some extra 10-15 %.

 

I stopped with TCs after that a bank in Canary Islands first declared that they took AMEX TCs and after me counter-signing they refused and told me that AMEX was on the stopping list as next bank to go bankruptcy. After that I got an AMEX credit card instead.

[samak]

traveler checks still exist?

used last time early 90's and spend as well around 200-250 nights a year in hotels in several countries in Asia. use Visa and Amex instead and always over 500 usd in cash (in several currencies) as reserve.

[elef]

For business travellers no, haven't seen any use for more than 10 years. But especially american tourists still use TCs and they lose a lot, in Sweden the banks charge for every TC they cash with a fee in SEK (not %) so I estimate they lose 5-10 % compared with using ATMs.

[Roger_Baby]

Yes they are.

[cavanami]

I have ben in Malaysia and the money changers would not take the Travelers checks (T/C)??? cash only!

 

China, the T/C, no problem.

 

Thailand, T/C, no problem.