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anton
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 46
Location: Taianan, Taiwan
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 Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: in Tainan and need some help! |
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| Hi guys...just arrived in Tainan and need to know if there is a western union transfer available in the city? Thanks for your help...Anton |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:41 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Western Union Agent locations/Addresses Phone Numbers
CATHAY UNITED BANK
395 SEC 1, LIN SEN ROAD, TAINAN
TAINAN ,
(886 ) (06 ) 2761166
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CATHAY UNITED BANK
62,SEC 1, MIN SHEN G RD. TAINAN
TAINAN , 100
(886 ) (06 ) 2280171
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http://www.westernunion.com/info/intlCountryInfoIndex.asp?country=TW
You need to keep in mind that bank or wire transfers are one of the most expensive ways to send relatively smaller amounts of money (under 10,000$)
The most cost effective way found for those in Taiwan to send and receive money from abroad is using international credit / debit card transfers payments.Try to avoid using Taiwanese banks as they tend to be problematic and archaic in terms of services and security.
Good luck.
A. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Something I should know the answer to having been here so long but can anyone answer the following questions:
1. Is it more expensive to exchange money into your home currency and carry it there in your pocket, or to send it via telegraphic transfer? I assume that the second is more expensive but am wondering how much more?
2. Assuming that you want to change NTD to your home currency, is it cheaper or do you get a better rate changing money:
a) in a bank locally
b) at the airport on the way out in Taiwan
c) at the airport upon arrival at your destination
d) at a bank back home |
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Pop Fly
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| clark.w.griswald wrote: |
Something I should know the answer to having been here so long but can anyone answer the following questions:
1. Is it more expensive to exchange money into your home currency and carry it there in your pocket, or to send it via telegraphic transfer? I assume that the second is more expensive but am wondering how much more?
2. Assuming that you want to change NTD to your home currency, is it cheaper or do you get a better rate changing money:
a) in a bank locally
b) at the airport on the way out in Taiwan
c) at the airport upon arrival at your destination
d) at a bank back home |
Hey Griz, I got some thoughts on this:
Never, ever travel with NT in your pocket. My friends went to Bali with some and really got taken to the cleaners.
One option may be to pull the money directly from your account here when you get to your home country. You could also send an ATM card to a trusted ally back home and they could do the banking for you.
I would (and do) exchange my NT for good ol' USAD via the black market in Hsi Men Ding. Then exhange it for Baht, Rupia or Loonies as the case warrants.
Aristotle, can you ever give out advice without some sort of Doomsday warning attached? |
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Ki
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 475
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 4:01 am Post subject: |
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One option may be to pull the money directly from your account here when you get to your home country. You could also send an ATM card to a trusted ally back home and they could do the banking for you.
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Be careful about this as some banks in Taiwan are not accessable from other countries. Try to make sure that they use a well known network like plus or cirrus.
How feasible would it be to get a bank cheque from a bank or a money order from the post office in your home currency and to then send it (to a trusted friend) back home through the mail? Any thoughts or possible ways to do this?
I generally try not to exchange money anywhere back home as they always charge a small fee. But I guess this is just psychological and shouldn't complain too vociferously about US$5. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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The best suggestion on how to send money back cheaply actually came from Aristotle a while back.
Something along the lines of setting up an American Express card before you come. You can pay off the card here in NTD, and a trusted family member back home can withdraw the money out of the account on the other end. All of this was without fees or somesuch. Great idea, but doesn't really suit my circumstances.
I guess what I was really wanting to know was about exchanging money. Should you do it at the bank before you go to the airport, or at the airport. Should you change NTD into home currency here in Taiwan or take the NTD home and change it over there. I know that there are financial principles behind the answer, but I have never really been interested enough to pay attention to these. |
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Pop Fly
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| clark.w.griswald wrote: |
The best suggestion on how to send money back cheaply actually came from Aristotle a while back.
Something along the lines of setting up an American Express card before you come. You can pay off the card here in NTD, and a trusted family member back home can withdraw the money out of the account on the other end. All of this was without fees or somesuch. Great idea, but doesn't really suit my circumstances.
I guess what I was really wanting to know was about exchanging money. Should you do it at the bank before you go to the airport, or at the airport. Should you change NTD into home currency here in Taiwan or take the NTD home and change it over there. I know that there are financial principles behind the answer, but I have never really been interested enough to pay attention to these. |
So, I guess you just didn't believe me when I said to never bring NT out of the country? I am truly hurt. 
Fine. I'll back up my reasoning as you are so fond of it. I love that about you BTW.
Reason #1: Vancouver. Robson Street Bank of Nova Scotia*. They were looking up pictures of NT in a manual. I got raked. This was 2001 when you could get a blue one for 50 Canuck Bucks. ( More like what, 42 now?)
I got 38 Can/blue.
Reason #2: Did I mention my buddies in Bali? Here's some math:
We pay 31 Blues for 1000US (Black market if you are still interested in my ideas there Clarkie). We change 500US for 5 million Rupia.
Our friends exchange 46, 000 NT for 10 million Rupia in Bali. And this is at the same place we exchanged our US.
So, they lost 5 million Rp or approx 500US DOLLARS. 
Do not leave this island with NT in your pocket!!!!!!
Now, to that Amex thing. I tought of that too, 5 years ago. At the time it was mei yo ban fa to pay overseas credit cards. Maybe Amex has recourse for such a transaction, I don't know. It's a great idea, to be sure.
The poor man's version of course, is the ATM way, same thing, gotta make sure you can use it overseas. I couldn't use my ChinaTrust card in Bali, but my pal could use his Fred's Bank from so far up-state, it may as well be Canadian card...no problem.
*Sorry, forgot you were a Kiwi for a sec. Even sorrier that I was actually mistaking you for another, ummm, Canadian that haunts this board. Robson Street is in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Some call it the Rodeo Drive of Canada (it's not), but more to the point, it looks more like BuxiBan Lu here in Taipei, as it is also awash with Language Schools. 9/10 Taiwanese that study in Van, do so on this street. To not know what NT was was ludicrous. In fact, there are also exchange booths up and down the street and they take NT without batting an eye. Come to think of it, not a bad exchange rate either.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Back to the pipe y'all. Happy 4/20. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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Your advice was sound and appreciated Popfly. It is not that I am against the ATM thing, but I am looking at taking a sum of cash out of the country. My concern with the ATM's is that I assume I would pay a conversion rate each time I withdrew money from my account here, using an ATM back home. Considering that there is a limit to how much I could take out each day, I was worried that it would end up costing me a pretty penny.
I wouldn't really consider actually carrying the cash for security reasons and will no doubt end up TT'ing it. My questions about whether it is better to exchange cash at the airport or at a bank relate to a friend who questioned me about this some time ago. I didn't know the answer and thought that this would be a good chance to kill two birds with one stone.
BTW. I'm not a Kiwi either |
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Pop Fly
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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| clark.w.griswald wrote: |
| BTW. I'm not a Kiwi either |
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