Cash or Card? Countries where you still need cash.

[SeaWolf]

I'm in Thailand at the moment and was in coughet now in Chiang Mai. You can almost get away without cash here, but not quite. When I went out to the Phi Phi Islands from coughet some of the small shops there only took cash. In Chiang Mai some of the temples charge a small entry fee for tourists (20-50 baht) and, so far, they've all required cash or the Thai bank's QR code payment system. The little coffee place that gave me a respite from the ferocious Chiang Mai heat today also only accepted cash.

All of the ATM's around have large stickers on the sides of them declaring "Get Thai Baht Here!" with the various credit card logos at the bottom, but charge you a whopper fee for it. Unless you're drawing a very large amount of cash you're better off with the money changers. The one I used charged a spread of about 1% compared to the Mastercard exchange rate, so for changing AU$150 that was a far better deal than the ATM.

 

[Seat0B]

I’ll now add Zimbabwe to the countries where you can do most things by card but small USD bills are essential for tipping. Be absolutely sure you bring them with you as it is IMPOSSIBLE to get them once there. No one has small notes ($1 and $5). Not if you buy something to get change - they simply do not give you change. And they just shrug and give you back your $20 if you insist on getting change. The hotel reception also refused point blank to provide change.
I know this because Seat Friend (very naively and wilfully stupidly in my view) did not bring any USD at all with her for various philosophical reasons despite knowing it was the currency in use there - “I don’t believe in tipping, employers should pay proper wages”, “they should have their own currency” and “I will not support the Trump regime in any way.” Her plan was to use card for everything. Well of course that did not work and she was subjected to some considerable porter disdain after they lugged her bags on and off shuttle buses from the airport for no tip. Then she realised that she also had to tip for drinks and meals, and all the activity guides. I am astonished at her naivety after 2 weeks in Africa, and she is well travelled - although usually on all inclusive guided tours where she obviously has not been in the habit of tipping.

By second morning, she asked us to stake her $20 for tips - it was the weekend so banks were closed, and she could not find a bureau de change that would change less than USD100 - so she did that and they gave her 2 x $50s. So she rejected the transaction to more tut tutting and annoyances - fair enough on their part. We only had 2 x $10 that we were willing to spare her and she really struggled to break those. In the end, many staff were not tipped by her and I felt very conflicted about it all.

Everything, and I do mean absolutely everything, in Zimbabwe is done in USD. Our guides and drivers etc (age range 20s to 50s) all said they had never, ever seen Zim currency. The “new” Zimbabwe currency (Zimbabwe Gold) is a virtual currency only and only available to Zim residents (not tourists) and “not very useful to anyone.”

The use of USD makes Zim (well Victoria Falls anyway) a rather expensive destination for Aussies.

Edit: When we checked out I paid in cash including 4x$1 bills. The receptionist was really grateful and described small notes as “better than actual gold”

 

[SYD]

I’ll now add Zimbabwe to the countries where you can do most things by card but small USD bills are essential for tipping. Be absolutely sure you bring them with you as it is IMPOSSIBLE to get them once there. No one has small notes ($1 and $5). Not if you buy something to get change - they simply do not give you change. And they just shrug and give you back your $20 if you insist on getting change. The hotel reception also refused point blank to provide change.
I know this because Seat Friend (very naively and wilfully stupidly in my view) did not bring any USD at all with her for various philosophical reasons despite knowing it was the currency in use there - “I don’t believe in tipping, employers should pay proper wages”, “they should have their own currency” and “I will not support the Trump regime in any way.” Her plan was to use card for everything. Well of course that did not work and she was subjected to some considerable porter disdain after they lugged her bags on and off shuttle buses from the airport for no tip. Then she realised that she also had to tip for drinks and meals, and all the activity guides. I am astonished at her naivety after 2 weeks in Africa, and she is well travelled - although usually on all inclusive guided tours where she obviously has not been in the habit of tipping.

By second morning, she asked us to stake her $20 for tips - it was the weekend so banks were closed, and she could not find a bureau de change that would change less than USD100 - so she did that and they gave her 2 x $50s. So she rejected the transaction to more tut tutting and announce - fair enough on their part. We only had 2 x $10 that we were willing to spare her and she really struggled to break those. In the end, many staff were not tipped by her and I felt very conflicted about it all.

Everything, and I do mean absolutely everything, in Zimbabwe is done in USD. Our guides and drivers etc (age range 20s to 50s) all said they had never, ever seen Zim currency. The “new” Zimbabwe currency (Zimbabwe Gold) is a virtual currency only and only available to Zim residents (not tourists) and “not very useful to anyone.”

The use of USD makes Zim (well Victoria Falls anyway) a rather expensive destination for Aussies.

Edit: When we checked out I paid in cash including 4x$1 bills. The receptionist was really grateful and described small notes as “better than actual gold”

We got some of the grottiest $1 bills back as change when we were there pre Covid and made sure they stayed behind!

They’ve obviously now disintegrated….

At least we knew to take USD but I don’t recall it being too expensive? Especially having popped up from Sth Africa - which was cheap!

 

[Seat0B]

By expensive, I mean in comparison to South Africa and Namibia.

For example, for a delicious chicken mayo toastie we typically paid ZAR60 (a bit over AUD 5) in South Africa and similar in Namibia. This was USD10 in Vic Falls. A Coke Zero was typically about AUD2.50 elsewhere but was USD3.50 or even USD4 in Vic Falls. Bistro style dinner in SA and Namibia was about ZAR175-250 = AUD $15-21. In Vic Falls USD 20-25 = AUD 28-35. Scenic helicopter ride USD 200 per person for 10 mins in Vic Falls. A similar flight on the equally touristy Gold Coast is $190 - in Aussie dollars though, so quite a bit cheaper here. Tipping expected USD 1 (AUD 1.40) per bag in Zim but only ZAR10 (AUD 85c).