Your Travel Guide to Thailand
All information & tips to prepare your trip in Thailand
Managing your money during your trip to Thailand
Before leaving for Thailand
Few people know it, although the rule is not new: since 1979, tourists entering the Kingdom must be able to prove that they have enough money to cover their stay in Thailand. The official text mentions 20,000 baht per person (around 500 euros / 550 US dollars) or 40,000 baht per family, ideally in cash when you go through immigration on arrival, or otherwise with recent bank statements. Thai immigration officers may carry out random checks and ask you for proof of funds. It is very rare, but it can happen, so be prepared. In any case, it is cheaper to arrive in Thailand with cash (euros, US dollars or pounds sterling, preferably in large notes) and exchange it locally than to withdraw cash, which involves several kinds of fees (see below).WARNING: it is best to tell your bank about your trip to Thailand, otherwise withdrawals or payments in Thailand may look suspicious and your card could be blocked.
Currency converter: euro, dollar & more to Thai baht
- 1 EUR = 37.68 THB
- 1 USD = 33.73 THB
- 100 INR = 35.52 THB
European Central Bank reference rates, for information only: exchange offices and banks apply their own, slightly less favorable rates. Rates of 30/10/2026.
How to manage your money during your trip to Thailand?
The Thai currency is the baht (THB). Although the exchange rate fluctuates, it has been between 35 and 40 baht to the euro (roughly 32 to 36 baht to the US dollar) for several years. In Thailand, people pay a lot in cash (guesthouses, small hotels, taxis, restaurants...) and very little by card (in recent years, payment by smartphone app has also become very common, but it isn't really accessible to tourists without a Thai bank account, except through certain apps with often rather unfavorable exchange rates). So it's best to always carry some baht with you.With a Visa or Mastercard, you can easily withdraw cash from the many ATMs across the country, but there is a fixed fee for each withdrawal (latest information: 250 THB per withdrawal with VISA cards and 350 THB with Mastercard, whatever the amount, usually with a limit of 20,000 THB per withdrawal). It is therefore cheaper to bring cash in large notes and exchange it rather than withdraw money from ATMs. Some online banks charge no fees for payments and withdrawals abroad, but the Thai ATM fee still applies: only the other fees are waived with these cards. It seems possible to avoid this fee by withdrawing cash at a bank counter with your passport and card. It takes longer and, above all, you will need to insist, otherwise you may be sent back to the ATM.
WARNING: ATMs in Thailand dispense the cash BEFORE returning your card. Be careful, as you may forget to take it out of habit. In general, I recommend using ATMs located at bank branches whenever possible: if the machine keeps your card, it will be much easier to get it back!
Thai currency
Thai banknotes range from 20 THB to 1,000 THB. Some hotels and restaurants accept euros or dollars, but they are a minority, unlike some neighboring countries (Cambodia, Myanmar...) where dollars are preferred. In Thailand, everything is paid in the local currency. Withdraw or exchange money into baht as soon as you arrive (there are ATMs and exchange booths in the airport arrivals hall, but the best exchange offices are downstairs, to the left of the Airport Rail Link entrance). Get into the habit of always carrying some cash in baht.Two series of banknotes and coins circulate at the same time: the one featuring King Rama IX (Bhumibol), and the one featuring King Rama X (Vajiralongkorn), issued since 2018. Both are accepted everywhere. All coins show the king's portrait on the front. Over the past few years, banknotes have gradually switched to polymer, a plastic material that is more durable and harder to counterfeit: the 20 baht note since 2022, and the 50 and 100 baht notes since November 2025. The designs are unchanged and the old paper notes remain valid.
20 baht banknoteGreen note, made of polymer since 2022. Rama X series: on the front, King Vajiralongkorn in Royal Thai Air Force uniform; on the back, King Rama I with the Grand Palace and King Rama II. Rama IX series: on the back, King Ram Khamhaeng, credited with inventing the Thai script, and his famous stele. |
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50 baht banknoteBlue note. Rama X series: on the back, King Rama III with a Chinese junk, a symbol of trade with China, and King Rama IV (Mongkut) with the Khao Wang palace in Phetchaburi. Rama IX series: on the back, King Naresuan on his war elephant and the great chedi of Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon in Ayutthaya. |
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100 baht banknoteRed note. Rama X series: on the back, King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) and his 1907 trip to Norway, and King Rama VI (Vajiravudh), founder of the Thai Boy Scouts. Rama IX series: on the back, King Taksin, his statue at the Wongwian Yai roundabout and the Wichai Prasit fortress in Thonburi. |
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500 baht banknotePurple note. Rama X series: on the back, King Rama VII (Prajadhipok) and the country's first constitution, and King Rama VIII (Ananda Mahidol) visiting the Sampheng Chinese quarter. Rama IX series: on the back, King Rama I, founder of Bangkok, the chedis of Wat Pho and Phra Sumen fort. |
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1000 baht banknoteBrown note, the largest note in circulation. Rama X series: on the back, King Rama IX (Bhumibol) visiting Nakhon Phanom and King Rama X meeting people in the provinces. Rama IX series: on the back, King Rama V (Chulalongkorn), his equestrian statue at the Royal Plaza, the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall and the abolition of slavery. |
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| Ø 16 mm | 25 satang coinSmall copper-coloured coin (a quarter of a baht), mostly given as change in convenience stores. Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat. |
| Ø 18 mm | 50 satang coinCopper-coloured coin (half a baht). Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the temple overlooking Chiang Mai. |
| Ø 20 mm | 1 baht coinSmall silver-coloured coin. Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok's Grand Palace. |
| Ø 21,75 mm | 2 baht coinGold-coloured coin, not to be confused with the 1 baht coin, which is almost the same size. Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: the Golden Mount of Wat Saket in Bangkok. |
| Ø 24 mm | 5 baht coinLarge, thick silver-coloured coin. Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: Wat Benchamabophit, Bangkok's Marble Temple. |
| Ø 26 mm | 10 baht coinBimetallic coin with a gold-coloured centre and a silver-coloured ring, the largest coin in everyday use. Rama X series: the royal monogram of King Vajiralongkorn. Rama IX series: Wat Arun seen from the Chao Phraya River. |
Bank cards in Thailand
Most cards that allow international payments and withdrawals are accepted in Thailand, whether Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and except in the most remote rural areas and on a few undeveloped islands, you will easily find ATMs to withdraw cash. Be aware that each withdrawal incurs a fixed fee (on top of your own bank's fees), whatever the amount. Each withdrawal is limited to 15,000 or 20,000 THB depending on the bank. If possible, use an ATM at a bank branch: in case of a problem (such as a swallowed card), there will be staff to help and everything will be much easier. Also remember to travel with the phone number to block your card in case of loss or theft (although this can now also be done via banking apps).Important: tell your bank a few days before leaving for Thailand so that your card is not blocked when withdrawals in Thailand are flagged as possible fraud or theft, as sometimes happens.
You can usually pay by card in large hotels and restaurants, department stores and supermarkets, sometimes with a fee of around 3%. But always carry cash for everything else: Thais pay for a great deal in cash.
Exchanging your money into Thai baht
In major cities and very touristy destinations, you will have no trouble exchanging euros, US dollars or pounds into baht. For other currencies, it may be a little more complicated outside Bangkok. Any reputable exchange office will ask for your passport (it is a legal requirement) and sometimes the address where you are staying. Only banknotes can be exchanged, not coins, and they must be in very good condition.Each exchange office has its own buying and selling rates, which vary from one office to another. In Thailand, Superrich is known for having the best rates, but they don't have branches everywhere. They have an office at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, downstairs on the left along the Airport Rail Link entrance, and Value+, just before it, also has good rates. I show where these best-value exchange offices are, so you can change money as soon as you arrive in Thailand, in my video Arriving at Bangkok airport. Exchanging cash costs less than withdrawing it, but it means carrying larger amounts of money, which isn't always easy to manage given the risk of theft – admittedly low in Thailand, but not zero. The best solution may be to combine both.
Cost of living in Thailand
Thanks to the favorable exchange rate with Western currencies, the cost of living in Thailand is low for tourists. However, it has risen in recent years: don't come to Thailand thinking everything is dirt cheap – that is no longer true! That said, you can eat, sleep and even travel by train in Thailand for just a few dollars. Even in Bangkok, for example, you can eat a plate of the famous Pad Thai for about a dollar, find a more than decent hotel room for around 12-15 dollars, and a dorm bed for even less. Trains and buses between cities are also very cheap. Domestic flights, on the other hand, are no longer as cheap as they used to be. And if you want a luxury holiday without spending too much, Thailand has some of the best luxury hotels in the world, with value for money found in very few countries: for a dream room with spa, pool, beach access, etc., you will pay the price of a 2-star room in the center of a major Western city.Sending money to Thailand
Although this concerns expats more than tourists: if you want to transfer money to Thailand, the service I use is WISE, for its transaction fees, which are among the lowest, and for its real exchange rate, whereas many other providers add a margin on the exchange rate, making the final cost higher. But be careful: for WISE accounts with a residential address in Thailand, the rules will change and become less favorable during 2026.
