Current exchange rates.

1 USD ($100 note) is worth 1265 Kyat.

(Smaller notes 1245 to 1250 Kyat).

(http://www.irrawaddy.org/ said 1230 Kyat).

1 Euro (large note(s)) is worth 1650 Kyat.

(Smaller notes 1645 Kyat).

1 Baht is worth 33 Kyat.

(http://www.irrawaddy.org/ said 35.45 Kyat)

Information curtecy of : ';moonloveshoreinburma';

and:

http://www.oanda.com

Monday, May 28, 2007

1 US Dollar = 0.74430 Euro

1 Euro (EUR) = 1.34355 US Dollar (USD)

1 US Dollar = 32.86000 Thai Baht

1 Thai Baht (THB) = 0.03043 US Dollar (USD)

1 Euro = 44.18191 Thai Baht

1 Thai Baht (THB) = 0.02263 Euro (EUR)

Remember that only about one third of your money need to be exchanged to Kyat... For the rest you need US Dollars!

For notes to exchange... $100.00 bills bring the best rate... for notes to pay transport, site tickets, hotels etc. it%26#39;s good idea to have plenty of smaller notes.... $1%26#39;s, $5%26#39;s etc.

Current exchange rates.

Thanks Mosegrisen,

I normally check on the Irrawaddy website. What do you mean by needing to change one third of the money to kyat? Potentially, it could be a lot and unnecessary. I understand they%26#39;d done away with compulsorily having to change USD 200 into their FECs (Burma dollars as they%26#39;d come to be known in Yangon) upon arrival at the airport.

Khayeethe

Current exchange rates.

Khayeethe.. Hello to you, and thanks for asking...

I didn%26#39;t explain this now so well:

What I meant to explain is this.... A lot of things, such as Airline tickets, train tickets, Tickets to the various sites.... a lot of hotels.... your exit tax... has to be paid with US dollars (cash).... All you really need local currency for (Kyat) is food, some of the smaller hotels (guesthouses).... your taxi and in some cases.. the car or guide you hire... (often even they will prefer USD)..

My point is... if you are staying in the better hotels... about one third of your hotel budget will need to be exchanged into Kyat.. If you are on a smaller budget and staying in the cheaper (read back packer type) guesthouses... as much a half share of your money may be exchanged into Kyat...

I was making this point as some people ask why they are not better off bringing Euro (or other currencies) to Myanmar... and the key is:

US dollars are always required... and if you don%26#39;t have any.... You will be exchanging your Euro into Kyat.. and then changing it back.. (at a rate of around 1500 Kyat to the USD).. (which means that you are paying one Euro for one USD).. so for most economical travels.... Bring US dollars.. in cash:-)

Simple?

Regards,

Ben.

sorry.... not:

about one third of your hotel budget

should read....TOTAL BUDGET... NOT hotel budget!....

Khayeethe.. on that note:

The FOCs actually still exists.... and it would pay visitors to Myanmar to know about them..... as they may still be handed out to unsuspecting (gullible) visitors.

As you wrote... you are no longer forced to buy the, I think it鈥檚 been about 3 years now, since that rules was abolished?....

The problem wasn鈥檛 so much that you had to buy them... it was the very poor exchange rate you got, that was painful.

Your other point about exchanging money to Kyat was that even one third might be too much (for some people)...

It鈥檚 a very valid point... for those on package tours where just about everything is prepaid.. you really don鈥檛 need much local currency.. just enough for a taxi here and there.. the odd cup of tea or a meal... and perhaps a little for tips along the way, so at what rate you buy the Kyat is not so important... your tour guide will most likely be able to assist in this... even one of the staff at the entrance to the ShweDagon wanted to ';buy'; some USD from us.. albeit at a pretty mean rate:-)..

Very good point.. thanks for bringing this up.

Many Thanks, Mosegrisen.

I would always advise anyone who ask me to take US Dollars if at all possible. USD 100 and 50 notes in mint conditions. As you say any other currency, and much is lost in the local transactions; i.e. converting them into USD and then back into Kyats. Then some in small notes in good conditions of US$ 1,5,10 or 20%26#39;s.

Khayeethe

Exchange rate as of last week was 1260/USD (for large notes); if you are changing a large amount, you may get slightly more.

FEC%26#39;s are rarely used anymore. I haven%26#39;t used one for at least three years, and I rarely run across them.

Also, for God%26#39;s sake, don%26#39;t take one of those package tours. First, your experience will be more generic (or at least more generic for Myanmar) than it would be if you get a freelance guide. And so much more of your money will go to people whom you do not want to get it. I am not one of those rabid nuts who thinks you should walk from Yangon to Mandalay to avoid giving the gov%26#39;t a chunk of the money you%26#39;d spend on an airline ticket. But you can do some things to help out individuals instead of the government and foreign owned companies. The well known tour companies are all foreign owned and ALL share their cash with the gov%26#39;t for the privilege of working in Myanmar.

As far as how much to change to kyats from USD: if you are buying handicrafts from markets (Bogyoke excepted) and other individual sellers, kyats are preferred. If you plan to make your purchases from shops, use USD. I personally find it much easier to bargain with kyats. As soon as you walk away from the commonly touristed areas, $$$ become less useful for purchases. I often have people selling dollars back to me because they cannot change them at a reasonable rate where they live. And remember, it is not legal for a citizen of Myanmar to possess foreign currency unless they are granted special permission. Of course, this rule is pretty much ignored, but think about it when you are doing your deals.

gloss