Currency, Credit Cards and Changing Money in Thailand (2024)

If you're planning aholiday in Thailand,this is what you need to know about currency, cash and credit cards.

Currency
The unit of currency in Thailand is the Baht. 1 Baht = 100 Satangs. Notes come in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50 and 20, and coins to the value of 10 and below.

Taking cash & cards to Thailand
Western currencies can easily be changed all over the country. We recommend that you change some money into Baht on arrival and it is advisable to carry local currency in small denominations (20, 50 and 100 Baht notes) for tipping and the purchase of small items.ATMs are appearing all over the country and are even found in small towns but please note that charges are made for withdrawals.

Best pre-paid cards for Thailand
Prepaid credit cards are now the safest way to travel with "cash", and are much more cost effective and convenient than Travellers Cheques which are now slowly becoming obsolete. We recommend the Caxton FX Global Traveller card which offers a fixed exchange rate at 2.75% below the prevailing interbank rate when spending overseas and withdrawing local currency from ATMs. Unlike credit cards the application process is straightforward, but you need to allow 7 days for delivery of the card.

If you have less time there is the Travelex Cash Passport which can be applied for up to 24 hours prior to departure, then picked up at branch in a number of airports (including London Heathrow, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, and Newcastle).

Using credit cards in Thailand
If you travel regularly it will pay to apply for one of the specialist credit cards for travellers that offer excellent rates of exchange and charge zero "load" fees when purchasing items, or withdrawing local currency from ATMs whilst abroad. For up to date information on the best specialist credit cards for travellers we suggest visiting one of the price comparison websites.