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
It is not widely known although this rule is not new. Since 1979, tourists entering the Kingdom must be able to prove that they have sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their stay in Thailand. The official text mentions 20,000 baht per person (around 500 euros) or 40,000 baht per family (around 1000 euros), ideally presented in cash when passing Immigration upon arrival in the country or otherwise through recent bank statements. Thai Immigration officers may carry out random checks and ask you to provide proof of your financial resources. It is very rare but be aware that it can happen, so be prepared just in case. In any case, it is more advantageous to arrive in Thailand with cash euros (preferably 50 and 100 € notes) and exchange them locally rather than making withdrawals which involve several types of fees (see below).WARNING: it is better to inform your bank about your trip to Thailand because otherwise withdrawals or payments in Thailand could be considered suspicious and your card could be blocked.
How to manage your money during your trip to Thailand?
The Thai currency is the baht (THB). Although its exchange rate fluctuates, it has ranged between 35 and 40 baht for 1 euro for several years. In Thailand, people pay a lot in cash (guesthouses, small hotels, taxis, restaurants...) and very little by bank card (in recent years, payment via smartphone apps has also become very widespread but is not really accessible to tourists who do not have an account in a Thai bank except through certain mobile apps with often rather unfavorable exchange rates). It is therefore better to always carry baht with you.With a Visa or Mastercard, you can easily withdraw money from the many ATMs across the country, with fixed fees for each withdrawal (latest information: 250 THB per withdrawal for VISA cards and 350 THB for Mastercard regardless of the amount withdrawn, usually limited to 20,000 THB per withdrawal). It is therefore more advantageous to come with euros in 100 or 50 € notes and exchange them rather than withdrawing cash from ATMs locally. There are online bank cards that charge no fees on payments and withdrawals abroad but ATM cash withdrawal fees in Thailand still apply regardless, only the other fees will be ''free'' with these cards. It seems possible to avoid these fees by withdrawing directly at a bank counter with your passport and bank card. It is slower and above all, you will need to insist because otherwise you may be redirected to the ATM.
WARNING: ATMs in Thailand dispense cash BEFORE returning the bank card. Be careful because by reflex, you may forget to retrieve it. In general, I recommend withdrawing money whenever possible from ATMs located in front of bank branches, it will be much easier to recover your card!
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Thai currency
Thai banknotes range from 20 THB to 1000 THB. Some hotels and restaurants accept euros or dollars but this is not the majority, unlike some neighboring countries (Cambodia, Myanmar...) which prefer dollars. In Thailand everything is paid in local currency. Withdraw or exchange your money into baht as soon as you arrive in the country (there are ATMs and exchange booths in the airport arrival hall but the best exchange offices are downstairs on the left of the metro entrance). Get into the habit of always carrying cash baht.Bank cards in Thailand
Most bank cards allowing international payments and withdrawals are accepted in Thailand whether Visa, Mastercard or American Express and except in the most remote rural areas and a few underdeveloped islands, you will easily find ATMs to withdraw cash. Be aware that there is a fixed commission for each withdrawal (excluding your bank fees) regardless of the amount withdrawn. Each withdrawal is limited to 15,000 or 20,000 THB depending on the banks. If possible, prefer an ATM attached to a bank branch, in case of a problem (such as a swallowed card), you will have staff available and it will be much easier. Also remember to travel with the phone number allowing you to block your bank card in case of loss or theft (although this is now also possible via banking smartphone apps).Important: inform your bank a few days before your departure for Thailand to avoid your card being blocked when seeing withdrawals in Thailand and suspecting fraud or theft of your bank card as sometimes happens.
You can generally pay by bank card in large hotels and restaurants, department stores and supermarkets. There are sometimes fees, generally around 3%. But always keep cash with you for everything else. Thai people pay a huge amount in cash.
Exchanging your euros into Thai baht
In major cities and very touristy destinations, you will have no trouble exchanging your euros or dollars into baht. For other currencies, except in Bangkok, it may be a little more complicated. Any serious exchange office will ask for your passport to perform the exchange (legal obligation) and even the place where you stay may ask for it. Only banknotes can be exchanged, coins are not accepted. And the banknotes must be in very good condition.Each office has an exchange rate for buying or selling a currency and they vary depending on the exchange office. In Thailand, Superrich is known for having the best rates but they do not have branches everywhere. They notably have an exchange office at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, all the way downstairs on the left along the Airport Rail Link entrance, Value+ just before also has good rates. I show the location of these most advantageous exchange offices to exchange your money as soon as you arrive in Thailand in my video When arriving at Bangkok airport. Exchanging money costs less than withdrawing cash but it forces you to carry a large amount of money with you which is not always easy to manage especially considering the risk of theft, admittedly not very high in Thailand, but not zero. The best solution may be to combine both.
Cost of living in Thailand
Because of the favorable exchange rate with Western currencies, the cost of living in Thailand is low for tourists. However, it has increased in recent years. You should no longer come to Thailand thinking everything is dirt cheap, this is no longer true! That said, you can eat, stay and even travel by train in Thailand for just a few euros. For example, even in Bangkok, you can eat a plate of the famous Pad Thai for less than one euro or find a more than decent hotel room for around twelve euros and a dormitory bed for even less. Trains and buses for traveling between cities are also very inexpensive. On the other hand, domestic flights, since COVID, are no longer as affordable as in the past. And if you want luxurious holidays without spending too much, Thailand has luxury establishments among the best in the world with a quality-price ratio found in very few countries. For a dream hotel room with spa, swimming pool, beach access etc... you will pay the price of a 2-star room in the center of Paris.Sending money to Thailand
Even though this concerns expatriates more than tourists, for useful purposes 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 while many other providers add margins on the exchange rate making the final fees higher. But be careful for WISE accounts linked to a residence address in Thailand, the rules will change and become less favorable during 2026.
