Exchange RMB to USD/Vietnamese Dong in Vietnam?

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liane

Lurker

Joined: July 19, 2006
Posts: 35

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 29, 2006 - 02:00 PM
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?

eliz

Newbie

Joined: Mar 06, 2005
Posts: 2

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 02, 2006 - 11:30 PM

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