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lianeOffline
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Joined: July 19, 2006
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Post  Posted: Sep 29, 2006 - 02:00 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top
Post subject: Exchange RMB to USD/Vietnamese Dong in Vietnam?

ugh.

If anyone has travelled to Vietnam, can you tell me if you're able to exchange RMB to Dong/USD at the airport? If so, any advice/warnings in regards to that?

Am travelling to Vietnam from Shanghai SOON and I have a fistful of RMB, but no USD or Dong. Does anyone know how I can go about exchanging RMB into a foreign currency in a (preferably) legal and safe way?

I would prefer to not get stranded in Vietnam with RMB! I've got a Visa Card (that I've never tried using here, can't use it at an ABM cause I don't have a PIN but apparently can use it for transactions, and if I go to the bank can use it to get a cash advance. This is just anecdotally what people tell me I don't know if this actually works and my Visa customer service line is closed at the moment so I can't confirm), and some HKD and a little bit of Canadian Cash. Don't have any Traveller's cheques...

I have checked through these forums and am coming up empty for my particular situation. I'm a student, my school opened up a bank account for me at BOC, and before I came to China I transferred USD (I have a printout of this transaction, but not that official slip that the bank seems to require) into that account, with Exchange to RMB as a request.


Thanks!

sigh.

p.s- can I just assume you can't buy traveller's cheques in China?
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elizOffline
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Joined: Mar 06, 2005
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Post  Posted: Oct 02, 2006 - 11:30 PM  Reply with quote  Back to top

Sorry, I don't think you'll be able to change from RMB to any other currency in Vietnam. It doesn't seem that you're able to do it here legally, either.

I've been there a few times in the past year, and I would suggest that you get US dollars in cash to take there. It is basically their second currency, at least in Hanoi and Saigon, where I was. As far as I could tell, RMB will be worthless to you in Vietnam.

I dont' think you should rely on your Visa card. While it's true that you should be able to use the Visa in a lot of places, there are lots of places in Vietnam that will only take cash (USD or Dong). Relying on a cash advance sounds risky. A travel agent told me once that I should always take at least $100US in cash with me when I travel.

Is it a Chinese Visa or a Canadian one? The Chinese visa, if it's through a Chinese bank account, might not work at all.

Do you have a bank account in non-RMB somewhere? Maybe you can transfer the money to a foreign currency (ie USD) account in Shanghai.

Good luck to you, and reply or PM me if there's anything Vietnam you want to talk about. Sooo different from Shanghai! Smile

Elizabeth
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