Money, Money

I was reading a post of "10 things I wish I knew before I went to Thailand." One of these was to have lots of small bills. I definitely learned this the first time I was in Thailand and it is the same in Nepal. Both have a highly cash economy and many people are poor enough whereby giving them a 1000 rupee note ($10.00) or a 1000 Baht note ($32.00) can cause hardship or even problems.

In Nepal, 1 rupee = 1 cent. They do have 1 and 2 rupee coins, but few people use them. Most just round to the nearest 5 rupees, which is their smallest bill. They have bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 rupees.

This may seem like a lot of money, but it is only about $200. From the bottom you can see 5 (red), 10 (white), 20 (red), 50 (blue), 100 (green, and 1000 (white) notes. I have no 500 rupee notes as they are not used much. The 1000 rupee notes are "the reserve" and the rest is spending cash.

Now, if I go to a big place, a restaurant, a big store, or a western coffee shop, I always break a 1000 rupee bill. That saves the smaller bills for all the tiny stores, Foodmandu, and taxi drivers.

In Thailand the situation is pretty similar. I made the mistake of converting all my Thai Baht to Nepali rupees when I arrived the first time. So, I had to start over collecting small bills when I arrived. That was one reason it was a mistake. The other reason is that foreign money is a treasure in Nepal. It is illegal to take cash out of the country. So, if you do, it is useless as no bank or currency exchange will exchange it for you. My US reserve has been decreasing. So, I plan to take back an extra $2000 - $3000 in Thai Baht to Nepal. Although not as good as US money, any foreign money is coveted by Nepalis and makes them happy and agreeable.

(20, 100, 500, 1000 Baht bills)

In Thailand they have 1, 2, 5, and 10 Baht coins. Bills start at 20 and go 50, 100, 500, 1000 baht. 1 Baht = 3 cents. Again, the 500 baht is seldom used and the 1000 baht note is your cash reserve. Whenever I go to a restaurant, a big store, or a 7-11, I break a 1000 baht bill and accumulate change. The change is needed for small stores, street vendors, and taxis. A taxi ride is usually 70 to 150 baht. If you hand them a 1000 baht note, they will tell you they don't have change and thank you for the tip. Of course, you tell them you want your change. They will happily explain they don't have change and walk with you all over Thailand looking for change. They don't really expect the money. But, they enjoy wasting 30-60 minutes of your time to teach you rich westerner a lesson. So, always have change!

Namaste from the Land Of Smiles (Thailand)