Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Wisco Kid]

Here is the situation:

I get my salary deposited into my bank account, and from my experience it has always been accessable from an ATM when the bank opens the morning after payday. My last day on the job is the 15th, and this is also my payday. I have a flight booked to leave Korea for good on the 16th at 9am from Gimhae airport in Busan, flying to Bangkok .

My lonely planet book says that currency exchange counters open at 8:30 am in the international terminal.
I won't have time to withdraw my money before get to the airport. My question is would it be practical to withdraw all my money from an ATM at the airport after I check in, and then quick hit up the exchange counter to change all my won into dollars or baht and then run off to the departure gate?
My ATM card is a KB International. So my other thought was just to wait till I get to Bangkok and take all my money out of an ATM in local currency. This seems like the simpler option, but I'm just .001% paranoid of all my money getting stuck in Korea somehow.
Also, which option would give me a better exchange rate? Or would it not matter?

[Manner of Speaking]

If you exchange money at the bank or exchange booth, you're going to get a service charge, and a slightly less than favorable exchange rate. This could add up to a lot of money if you're taking a large amount out of the country.

If you use the ATM in Thailand, all you get is the ATM service charge (as far as I know). The latter is definitely a better and easier option.

[bucheon bum]

uh so are you just going on vacation? Or are you leaving Korea for good?

If the former, just take it out in Thailand.

If the latter, see if your boss can just pay you in cash for the last pay-day (that's what mine did). If he bitches, say you are closing your account and have to do it before he deposits the money. If that doesn't work, just take out all the money you have in it now, exchange it for t/cs, and in thailand, withdraw cash from your last paycheck using your KB card.

Whatever you do, it seems silly to take it all out of the ATM at the airport, then exchange it for baht or whatever other currency you want. You might also be limited in how much cash you can withdraw from the ATM. I know I had that problem a couple times (i could only withdraw like 1.4 million won at one machine).

[littlefish_bighook]

Get it in cash, then there's no mucking around. Or, ask your boss politely if it could be done a day earlier. Either way, leaving it until the airport is a risky idea and not one I would agree with - and most ATMs have a per withdrawal limit too, so you'd be standing there stuffing money into a bag for about 3 withdrawals or something. God (or Allah) bless the 10,000 won note.

[hellofaniceguy]

Gesh...I can't believe I was reading something so.... so....
I don't know.
You're leaving the country...payday is the "X" and you fly out the following morning.
Is it just me...
I'd be talking to the school owner and arrange to get my money THAT day! You should have been planning for this LONG before now!
If you and the school owner have no problems, get along, then he/she will pay you in cash the day you finish.

[TJ]

I'm a little more cautious. Each time I've left Korea I have booked my flight out at least two business days after my last payday. This allows some time to sort out any problems that may arise. Fortunately no problems have come up yet (touch wood)