I am clearly way too old or too sick or too twisted!!
If like me, you had been travelling to Asia and JKT ...every month... in early 1998 (and long after),
you would know it is a VERY BAD idea (for MANY reasons) to rely on Credit Cards!!
Business travellers from HK, especially Punters, BASIC ADVICE (anybody should know that)
ALWAYS keep at home in your safe (many of different kind to smoke SO!!) :
* CASH US$: US$1.00 (many for tips); US$10, US$20 (many), US$100,
* Local currency: ALWAYS refill at the AIRPORT when you leave the country, getting the other side of the spread (SAVING HALF THE SPREAD),
Make sure that you have the RELEVANT DENOMINATION
(In Mongolia, for strippers it was MNT 20,000 and MNT 10,000 (only available in UB) and do not assume that hotels have them WHEN you wish)
* Have several JUNK credit cards with low limits that can be BLOCKED with NO collateral damages!
Those are the BASIC principles I was practicing already in ...1998.
Punting + Risk Management
FYI, in 1998, if thinking outside the box, you would get 50% discount on ALL your flights to ...Europe!
Even after retiring, you could get 50% discount to top hotel rack rates.
Adding insults to injuries:
When, 10 years later, I was travelling to SE Asia:
* I had, hidden, in my office drawers, Prepaid SIM for all the SE Asian countries where I was going, + 2 spare BASIC burner,
* Extra sets of BLACK (less visible stains) casual clothes to go out EVERY NIGHT,...to get washed by maid fe days later (not visible to SO)
+ several white shirts (in case of liptick of lady client): DAILY Dry cleaning by hotel paid CASH, excluded from T&E bill,
* Maps and addresses (in Mongolian) of places of interests: Strip clubs!,
* Camouflage "passports + driving license",
* "Kangoroo pockets" to hid passports, 1 real credit card, US$ + local currency"...while tiny banknotes + expired credit card + junk in wallets in backpockets,
* Buy Condom Family Pack at HKIA Watson,
* Reload prepaid local SIM at hotel Business Center in cash,
* On Checkout, extract (Spilt in 2) EVERYTHING that is not 100% clean, pay cash and ask for a clean print of the rest for T&E.
Those are the BASICS!!
If travelling now, I would, at least, add several burner smartphones where batteries can be removed,
and leave normal phones in hotel...ONLINE (as if telemarketer had bugged me).
What a world! Relying on Credit Cards for that!!
I am way too old!
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Last edited by HK_Legend at 22-4-2025 16:40 ]
