Always have credit cards on you. No matter what!

[ladislav]

It is very helpful - or even crucial- to have some credit cards from your country with you- with a decent credit limit. Let it be at least some $3K - $5K and with a PIN number so that you could get a cash advance on those at ATMs. Even $1K is somewhat OK. Just charge something small on them every two months or so to keep them active, and pay them online. Use some relative's address back home to send the renewed ones to.
These are "iron rations" and you should not let anyone know about their existence.
Once I got into a pinch in Thailand. I was hired by a company, they promised a visa, but then they went belly up, I did not get the visa and they stopped paying me. Shit happens.
I used the credit card to get food, pay rent and then get the ticket out.
And you'd better have at least three of those. And let them know that you are overseas. And for no reason, some always seem block them.
Yes, expensive cash advance fees, but who cares?

[MrMan]

It is very helpful - or even crucial- to have some credit cards from your country with you- with a decent credit limit. Let it be at least some $3K - $5K and with a PIN number so that you could get a cash advance on those at ATMs. Even $1K is somewhat OK. Just charge something small on them every two months or so to keep them active, and pay them online. Use some relative's address back home to send the renewed ones to.
These are "iron rations" and you should not let anyone know about their existence.
Once I got into a pinch in Thailand. I was hired by a company, they promised a visa, but then they went belly up, I did not get the visa and they stopped paying me. Shit happens.
I used the credit card to get food, pay rent and then get the ticket out.
And you'd better have at least three of those. And let them know that you are overseas. And for no reason, some always seem block them.
Yes, expensive cash advance fees, but who cares?

I spent a year in South Korea and about 12 years in Indonesia and I do not recall ever making a local purchase with an American credit card. I used Indonesian debit cards, and for a while I used an Indonesian credit card when I worked for a bank and had my credit card paid off automatically from my bank account each month. I'd use the card for deals at certain restaurants if they had promos with the credit card, mainly.

I tried to buy tickets from a Delta partner with a Delta Skymiles card, but I do not think I have ever been able to use an American Express card in Indonesia. I had to use another card.

I did use Citibank virtual account numbers to buy various things online within the US. For birthdays, I'd send my parents cards at steakhouses or whatever and other stuff like that. I would pay off the card from my bank account.

Why would we have to use credit cards ever so often? I have probably gone years without using one and it was still active. You have to have somewhere to send new cards ever so often. They can expire if you are overseas for a long time. I had parents collecting my mail and giving it to me every year or two when I went home.

[Yohan]

In Japan we use debit cards - you can access your account from any overseas ATM to withdraw some cash with them.
I have also some creditcards, which I use widely in Japan for any shopping, restaurant, gas station, even for small payments.
I hardly use cash money now.

[zboy1]

I agree with Ladislav. When you're abroad, it's always wise to carry at least one or two credit cards just in case of an emergency. Yes, most Asian countries will only require you to have a debit card or like in some parts of Asia, people will use digital money such as Alipay or Wechat, but carrying a credit card comes in handy.

[ladislav]

I am renting a box with UPS store. My new cards arrive there and then, they send them over to me when they expire. It is some $115 per shipment to any country in the world.

[lisapull]

Well, you have to learn how to use these maps first if you don't know how to use them, too bad! But if you know how, then it can be good, sometimes even very good. However, there are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about the use of credit cards. For crooks, credit cards are the best thing because they give credit without any documents.

[MrMan]

It is very helpful - or even crucial- to have some credit cards from your country with you- with a decent credit limit. Let it be at least some $3K - $5K and with a PIN number so that you could get a cash advance on those at ATMs. Even $1K is somewhat OK. Just charge something small on them every two months or so to keep them active, and pay them online. Use some relative's address back home to send the renewed ones to.
These are "iron rations" and you should not let anyone know about their existence.
Once I got into a pinch in Thailand. I was hired by a company, they promised a visa, but then they went belly up, I did not get the visa and they stopped paying me. Shit happens.
I used the credit card to get food, pay rent and then get the ticket out.
And you'd better have at least three of those. And let them know that you are overseas. And for no reason, some always seem block them.
Yes, expensive cash advance fees, but who cares?

I don't think I've ever been overseas without at least having a credit card, but I don't believe I've ever gotten a cash advance with one in my life. I haven't had the problem of a credit card being blocked after not using it for two months. I think I have some active cards I haven't used for years. I read this long T&C agreement, then they gave me another long agreement to use the online account. I retaliated by not using the card. I just got it for the interest-free balance transfer when I was between jobs.

Bank accounts might charge if the account is inactive for too long.

The only time I remember using my US credit card overseas was when I needed to pay for some extra baggage. I was going to use my Delta Sky Miles card on bags on a Delta partner flight, but they wouldn't take American Express.

Visa and Mastercard seem widespread. I don't think you can use American Express in Indonesia, at least. The name 'American Express' limits who would want to take it. I'd go with Visa or Mastercard over discover, also.