Do any of the Phnom Penh banks sell traveller checks? Thomas Cook or American Express, etc....

I haven't heard of traveller's checks in about 20 years. Do they still issue them? I'd imagine it could be grief trying to cash them these days.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed May 09, 2018 9:25 pm I haven't heard of traveller's checks in about 20 years. Do they still issue them? I'd imagine it could be grief trying to cash them these days.

I haven't used traveler's checks since the '80's, I had the impression that they had more or less been largely phased out.

Financial Travel Tip #114: Don’t Use Travelers Cheques
The Decline of Travelers Cheques. According to Wiki, travelers cheques have been going steadily out of favour since the 1990s, with alternatives like credit cards, debit cards, and ATMs becoming more common, convenient, and cost-effective.

They also pose security risks for retailers, who would rather fork out commissions to accept credit cards instead. Now travelers cheques (as my reader above discovered) are difficult to cash, even at banks. And travelers cheques aren’t even all that secure for travelers either. At one point in time, they were a viable alternative to carrying large amounts of cash. But these days, your cash is best left in your bank account (or travel savings account), and accessed when you need it via credit card or debit card.https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/fin ... s-cheques/

money / cash cards have replaced them. they should be free issue online but usually pay in the bank.

Most if not all banks in Vietnam won't touch them.

Actually I even wonder why they existed ? Credit cards are not so old ?!

Back in the not-so-distant past, like the 1990s, you could travel to many places and find many banks but they were not connected together too well, even within Europe. So ATM cards were useless. The first time I visited Laos and Cambodia there was one machine in Vientiane and zero in Phnom Penh! So you could either carry hard currency/ cash or traveller's checks which were sort of seen as an international money back then. There were so many scams associated with them, travelers would sell them and report them stolen a few days later and get replacements. I never indulged in these scams myself even though there was obviously easy money to be made. My fear of Asian prisons usually overrides my desire for quick pay-outs. Word up.

Used to love the American express commercials way back when
Karl Malden would tell you when you returned home to just save them in ur drawer for ur next trip, ( give American express interest free money)

Dont leave home without them

I understand the need for travellers cheques back in the day but why on earth would you want them now.

I'll Give my cash that I can exchange pretty much anywhere and get back something that I can only exchange in a limited amount of locations. About as useful as gift cards.

There are some great bank accounts available these days that reduce ATM fees (for US citizens Charles Schwab refunds ATM Fees), UK citizens both Monzo, Atom & Sterling give spot value rate exchanges & no ATM fees on their side, I am sure other countries have similar.

Thanks for all of the commentary, but no one has answered my question yet. Do any of the banks in Phnom Penh sell traveller checks?