US 100 dollar notes
 

I will be soon travelling Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and I wanted to carry some 100 USD notes as a backup to my ATM card. Any advice on what will be accepted by banks? I've read that the banks won't take torn, dirty or marked-up notes and that some years like 2003 or anything older won't be accepted. Can anyone tell me which years will be accepted at banks?

I can't remember what series of notes is not accepted because it was forged so much. But basically as notes last such a short time it is not a big issue. Because any note that old will almost certainly be rejected because it is too creased or dirty.

I would go to your local Bank and ask for some new notes. (in the UK I have not had a problem with this) and then I get totally brand new USD100 notes (just remember not to then fold them.

For VN, yep they don't like tears or marks. They don't have to be new. Creases are fine.

VN is a good place to use up any unwanted Yen, Euros, UK Pounds etc.

Unwanted??????:confused:

Send 'em to me. :D

Got to be the Washington "Big Heads" (not the old 100's style with the small George Washington portrait). Get 2006 or later notes. 2009 even better. No CB serial numbers. Notes should not be torn, marked, overly folded or creased, etc. A simple single fold or crease is usually OK. A tall order, but all over SE Asia, these more perfect notes are demanded. The only reliable way to get them is old fashioned manual effort. Inside a bank branch. Preferably when it's not too busy since the tellers may have to take a while to round up decent notes from different windows or from the back.

Unlike PI, where ALL denominations get the same exchange rate, in Thailand $50 and $100 bills get a better exchange rate.

No, you don't want to deal with banks other than their forex exchange windows, and yes, there is a series of $100 bills they won't take.

And no, I don't remember the sequence.

No, they won't take wrinkled, torn, ugly currency, but they will take folded bills.

Can't speak for other countries, but Imagine it's not much different.

EmailKid

Cambodia doesn't seem to have a fear of bills unless they are ripped. There's an expectation that higher denominations will be in better shape but the smaller bills are taken even if downright ratty.

Ben Franklin portraits is still the unofficial standard for exchanging money to local currency.

The new series with the big head is accepted. Older one or the new series with markings will definitely not be accepted universally. Creases, older/worn one's is dependent on the changers.

Many places in Asia will give two rates for US to local exchange, one for $100's and another one for <$100.

Thailand yes. Cambodia no.

IME, Thailand has a separate rate for $50 and $100, but I've even seen THREE rates: $50 and $100 and everything else. For Euro, not so much ...

In PI only saw one exchange rate, and IIRC even exchanged some $10 bills without a problem.

EmailKid

I managed to find a few clean, crisp Ben Franklin notes, all from 2006 - I had to visit three banks, searched through a lot of tatty notes and most are from 2003 - the year that no one outside of the US will accept. From searching the web, I have the impression that there are a lot of counterfeit 2003 notes out there.

2003 and some other prior years were indeed heavily counterfeited and passed outside the USA, especially in Asia. If you have time though, you can sort of put an "order" in and if you give the bank a couple of days, they can round up some more 100's for you.

Longshot: If you live near a casino, usually they have nicest, crispest, cleanest 100's to hand out, and they'll usually cash a check. I'm not suggesting that you need to play. :D

Thailand divides their rates into 1) $100/$50 2) $20/$10 and 3) $5/$1.

Cambodia does nothing of the sort.

:o

I exchanged some $100 bills at a Vietcombank that were in pretty bad shape (no tears though, just creased, soiled, one even a little faded)... the teller examined them closely, but took them without question.

There is picky, then there is Indonesia
 

Most Asian countries are picky about the banknotes, but it is at another level in Jakarta. They want mint condition notes, period. You know how many Asian moneychangers put their small rubber stamp on the back, so they have verified that they believe the note is not counterfeit? That makes the otherwise mint condition note unacceptable to many in Jakarta.

I have heard that they are picky about notes in Myanmar as well, but I have never been there so I can't compare.

Casino cash out strategy
 

Elaborating on what Jiejie said, if you see that the casino uses a ticket in ticket out system, which is the vast majority of casinos these days, you can stuff all your ratty bills into a machine and then hit cash out without playing a hand, receive a bar coded ticket, and take that ticket to the cashier. There you can explain to the cashier your need for all mint conditioned notes, and since you are such a high roller (your ticket will be much bigger than average) they should accommodate your request.

Most common counterfeit
 

The most common counterfeit is the color photocopy. If you learn to recognize these you will be fairly safe.

Moneychangers work on small margins. And if you don't look like a local, you are a more likely target. In my experience, they try to slip in just one fake bill.

It is an unbelievable hassle to round up $5000 or more in new bills. I have a stash right now, but I'm off to a dive place that wants cash (well they'll take cc but it's an extra 5%).

I'll have to check out the casino idea. It might be faster for me to drive 45 minutes to Tunica than to drive to banks all over Memphis. Last time I went to four or five banks.

Cash is less suspicious in the casino environment
 

A big wad of notes seems suspicious to the bankers in Memphis. But you have a built in reason to have lots of cash in a casino, so everything is OK.

Asked the receptionist at my guesthouse in Rangoon if it was OK to fold my crisp USD notes so I could keep them in my wallet. She said no and made me a container out of paper to keep the notes in (cardboard seems like the best solution). That was a stack of $5-$20 notes. I had no problems paying some entry fees with well used $1 bills though. For future record: they had no tears (well, maybe a microscopic one on one of them) or stains, but had been folded and one was even a bit faded. Hope someone will report back if they try to change or pay with larger notes in less-than-perfect condition.

There are different rates for different denominations of USD in Burma, but even $1 notes can be exchanged if you are willing to accept a slightly lower rate. At the time of writing, USD, EUR and SGD can be exchanged by official money changers, e.g. at Rangoon Airport.

Most things can also be paid in kyat nowadays. Some people even said they paid their accomodation in kyat. Several ATMs (dispensing kyat) that accept foreign cards have sprung up in Rangoon. Haven't tested any myself, but I have heard about people using them successfully when there is power. Better bring some USD in cash as backup for the time being.

I've always gotten the nicest 100's at the casinos down here at Vicksburg and the Pearl River Resort at the Choctaw Reservation! Surely Tunica would be similar.

Yes, Myanmar is worse than Indonesia, if that's possible. Mostly in Indonesia it's when dealing with banks. If dealing with exchanges, they're quite a bit better, but still no rips and marks is the best way to go.

I used to take high 4 figures to Asia a few times a year. I'd spend hours trying to get acceptable bills, and always come up a bit short. My bank, in particular said they couldn't get any new currency in. Too bad they have delayed the new $100 bill, as their would be lots more newer stuff out.

When I needed money in good condition for a trip to Argentina, I phoned a couple suburban bank branches to see where had just received some new currency. Then I went at a less busy time and they let me inspect and pick the notes I wanted.

This is a good strategy. Call ahead + less busy time + pick through notes. Near my family's USA home, there is a bank branch with a Filipino teller, and we always try to get her since she knows exactly why we need the pristine bills for Asia travel! :)

IME you can negotiate a better rate for your Filipino Piso with a stack of brand new B Franklin portraits.

Visiting the Bank
 

As long as you are headed to the bank for clean / crisp / fresh / new Hundreds, pick up some $2 bills (need not be clean / crisp / fresh) but many Asians believe them to be lucky. I carry several for tipping, and I am convinced they are more appreciated than a $10 or a $20 would be. Gifting them around CNY is especially appreciated.

Are there a lot of Asians in Utah?

I haven't seen any $2 bills for years. So I can request them from the bank?

Where are you tipping $10 or $20 in Asia? :confused::rolleyes:

Crazy, CNY clearly refers to Chinese New Year, not Moab UT

Not on FlyerTalk it doesn't. Anyways, I've never heard of anybody in my life abbreviating Chinese New Years like that.

Maybe in Omaha but not on the FT Asia Forum and rest of the world.

Maybe you are right, maybe you are wrong

If CNY was a major hub, perhaps. Seeing that it's in the Asia forum, I'd just slink off and admit defeat. Otherwise, you just seem foolish. :)

We brought a stack of them to VN. While they were clearly appreciated, I can't imaginge a crisp $10 or $20 would have been appreciated less. $2-bills carry a premium there, but not 5-10 times the value, unless you have uncirculated notes from specific in-demand years.

Personally, I would reserve the $2 bills for extra special service, otherwise that's overtipping in most cases.

Tough call. We stayed in high-end hotels that cost $200 a night. Yes, I know that's expensive for VN, but that level of accommodations would have cost double elsewhere. In the states, I tend to tip about 5% on the room cost, plus or minus depending. I personally think it would have been unkind to lower that rate simply because VN's average wage is lower. We left 2-3 $2-bills a day. We didn't do it in order to get better treatment, but I can tell you we certainly were treated better, from goodies left in our rooms, to explicit thank yous. That's where we used the $2s, for the housekeeping staff at the hotels we stayed at.

Different strokes, of course, but when we travel, trying not to "overtip" the people who clean our bathrooms isn't really a concern.

I don't think it is about "lowering the rate". What might be appropriate in the US might not be appropriate in VN.

Would you feel it fair if I didn't "raise the rate" I pay in Taiwan (zero) when visiting the US?

I think it should be - but frankly in my 20 years of bumping into US travellers in Asia, I know you are not alone in this approach.

I think there's some middle ground. Yes, one should do what is appropriate in the country where you're visiting...but that doesn't mean you leave your own culture's sense of fairness and decency at home when you travel. Tipping $2 or $4 on a $200+ room can hardly be described as inappropriate.

I think I know what you're getting at, but let's clarify. Are you implying that my "overtipping" the natives makes life difficult for those who follow because I've contributed to the expectation of higher tips? While this topic is larger than can be -- or should be -- dealt with here, let's just say that I take a very dim view of this argument. Who is the arbiter of how much I, as an American visiting Vietnam, "should" or "shoudldn't" tip? (Or whether I should tip at all.) I've been travelling for 20+ years myself, and in al honestly, I don't think being a generous tipper has caused egregious social harms.

I just have a problem with that. Fairness and decency might be universal, but the kind of behaviour that constitutes fair/decent in a particular culture will depend on that culture. Particular behaviours shouldn't be exported. I'm sure a US waiter would very much like me to leave my tipping behaviour at home when visiting his restaurant. But my sense of fairness and decency would cause me to want to treat him in the same way that locals would. What is a fair and decent tip in London wouldn't be acceptable in New York.

I think it does. But either way, I just don't think it appropriate.

My father used to drive for a cab company near Heathrow. Drivers would compete for the US flights because of heavy tipping by Americans. In the end the cab company increased their cut of US flights to try and rebalance things. My father used to refuse oversized tips, but in the end he had to take them because of the increased amounts he had to pay over. It did make him very unhappy.

I feel as an American in Vietnam you should follow local customs. But in the end, as you're holding the folding, it is your decision.

Probably not. I think the culture is fairly robust. Also the tourism sector is relatively small and the influence of western business travellers not as great as it was. So I'm not losing sleep over it. The VN are pragmatic and no doubt just take what they get and carry on as normal.

As I'm sure you know, Vietnam does have its own tipping culture - eg li xi type money around lunar new year. In my regular hotel I got to know the staff by name and this kind of thing wins people over. My rooms were always clean. No need for daily tips. I gave a small gift when one of the receptionists got married (not to me, sadly) and give to the staff more generally around new year.

And there is, of course, the grey area between tipping and bribery [though for the avoidance of doubt I don't think this applies here].

Think I'll leave it there as I'm taking the thread off topic.