Paying in Bangkok: baht, currency exchange, cards, ATM fees and tipping

The baht: notes and coins in circulation

The Thai currency is the baht (THB, symbol ฿), divided into 100 satang. Notes are issued by the Bank of Thailand; the current series, the 17th, bears the portrait of King Rama X and has been in circulation since 2018. Earlier series, showing King Rama IX, remain legal tender and you will often receive them in your change.

• Notes: 20 baht (green), 50 baht (blue), 100 baht (red), 500 baht (purple) and 1,000 baht (grey-brown). There is also a polymer 20-baht note.
• Coins: 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht, plus small 25 and 50 satang coins that you will almost never be given.

The notes carry the King's image: do not crumple them in public, never step on them and never throw them away. Respect for the monarchy is taken very seriously in Thailand.

On the street, a 1,000-baht note is hard to break for a 60-baht dish. Always keep 20 and 100-baht notes: at the ATM, ask for an amount that is not a round number of thousands (for example 4,900 baht) to get some 100-baht notes.

Exchanging money: SuperRich, the airport and your passport

Exchanging euros or dollars in cash is still a good option in Bangkok, often cheaper than an ATM withdrawal once the fees are counted. Private money changers offer much better rates than bank counters. The best known are those of SuperRich: two separate companies use the name, one in orange (head office on Ratchadamri Road, in the Pathumwan district) and the other in green. Their rates are similar and displayed in real time on screens above the counter. Other independent changers can be found around Ratchadamri and in the large shopping malls.

A few rules to know:

• Your passport is required for any exchange, even a small amount. A photocopy is not always enough; bring the original.
• Clean notes: torn, stained or written-on notes may be refused or get a lower rate. Large notes often get a better rate than small ones.
• At the airport, the counters in the Suvarnabhumi arrivals hall offer poorer rates than in town. SuperRich has a counter on level B, near the Airport Rail Link station, with a rate slightly below its city branches but better than in the hall. Change just enough to reach your hotel, then the rest in town. Getting from the airport to the city is covered in our guide to Bangkok's airports.
• Count your notes at the counter and keep the receipt.

Withdrawing cash: 250 to 350 baht per withdrawal

ATMs are everywhere: outside bank branches, in shopping malls, BTS stations and convenience stores. The catch is elsewhere: with a card issued abroad, the Thai bank that owns the machine charges a fixed fee on every withdrawal, whatever the amount, on top of any fees from your own bank.

According to the fee schedules published by the banks in 2026:

• Kasikornbank (K-ATM, green): 250 baht per withdrawal with a Visa or UnionPay card, 350 baht with a Mastercard.
• Krungsri (yellow): since 11 March 2026, 250 baht with a Visa, UnionPay or JCB card, 350 baht with a Mastercard.

The other major banks, such as Bangkok Bank (dark blue) or SCB (purple), charge similar fees. The exact amount is shown on screen before you confirm: read it, and cancel if you do not accept it. The maximum per withdrawal depends on the machine and on your card; it shows in the list of amounts offered.

To keep costs down, withdraw less often but larger sums, within what you are comfortable carrying, and leave part of the money in the hotel safe. Preferably use an ATM inside a bank branch or a shopping mall, during opening hours: if the machine swallows your card, you can get it back at the counter.

Decline dynamic currency conversion

At the ATM and at a shop's card terminal alike, the screen may offer to charge the amount "in your currency", in euros or dollars, at a rate presented as guaranteed. This is dynamic currency conversion. Always decline and choose to pay in baht, or the "without conversion" option: the rate used by dynamic conversion is clearly less favourable than the Visa or Mastercard rate applied by your bank. In a restaurant or hotel, if the waiter comes back with a slip in your home currency, ask for the transaction to be run again in baht.

Bank cards and QR code payments

Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels, shopping malls such as those of Siam or Iconsiam, established restaurants, convenience stores and chain stores; UnionPay and JCB are also widely accepted. Contactless payment is common in these places. Some small shops set a minimum amount or add a surcharge for card payments: ask before you order.

Everywhere else, Thailand pays by QR code: a PromptPay code (the national instant payment system) is displayed on almost every stall, taxi and shophouse. You need an app that can read it, though:

• With a Thai bank: an account in Thailand, which most visitors do not have.
• With an app from certain countries: the Bank of Thailand has linked PromptPay to the payment systems of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and China (UnionPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay). Travellers from these countries can scan Thai QR codes with their usual app.
• For other visitors, including Europeans and North Americans: there is no direct link. The TAGTHAi Easy Pay tourist wallet, launched with Kasikornbank and backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, lets you scan Thai QR codes from a balance topped up in baht. Since August 2026, according to TAGTHAi, the PAY&TOUR prepaid card is no longer required to sign up; top-ups were until now made in foreign currency at Kasikornbank exchange booths: check the current arrangements in the app. A few multi-currency account apps offer this service too: check yours before you leave.

The QR code is a convenience, not a necessity: with cash, you can pay for everything.

Where cash is still essential

Carry notes for:

• Street food and markets: street stalls, night markets such as Jodd Fairs, Chatuchak Market or the stalls of Chinatown. Vendors often have only a QR code and some change.
• Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis: agree on the price before getting in, pay in cash.
• Metered taxis: many drivers only take cash and are short of change; carry 20 and 100-baht notes. Ride-hailing apps such as Grab, on the other hand, let you pay by card.
• Boats: the river express boat, canal boats and cross-river ferries are paid in cash, on board or at the pier ticket booth.
• Small temples, neighbourhood massage shops and small shops, as well as offerings and donations.

Public transport (BTS, MRT) and tips for getting around for less are covered in our guide to getting around Bangkok.

At the restaurant: service charge, VAT and "++" prices

In street restaurants, the price shown is the price you pay. In hotel restaurants and smarter places, the menu often shows prices followed by "++": you then add a 10% service charge, then 7% VAT, calculated on the total. A dish listed at 500 baht ++ therefore costs 588.50 baht. The reduced 7% VAT rate has been extended until 30 September 2027.

Read the bottom of the menu before ordering: the line "prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% VAT" means the bill will be almost 18% higher than the prices shown.

Tipping: appreciated, never compulsory

Tipping is not compulsory in Thailand, and nobody will ask you for a tip. It is still appreciated, as service staff wages are low. Common practice:

• Restaurant: if a 10% service charge appears on the bill, nothing more is expected. Otherwise, leave the small change or round up; at a street stall, people generally leave nothing.
• Taxi: round up to the next ten and tell the driver to keep the change.
• Massage: this is where tipping matters most, as masseuses receive a small share of the price. A tip of 50 to 100 baht per hour of massage is customary, handed directly to the person who gave the massage, including at the massage school of Wat Pho.
• Hotel: a 20-baht note for the porter, and a few notes left for housekeeping when you check out.
• Tour guide and driver: a tip at the end of the day if you enjoyed the service.

The VAT refund: getting the tax back when you leave

Foreign visitors can claim back VAT on their purchases through the Thai Revenue Department's "VAT Refund for Tourists" scheme. The official conditions:

• Buy from a shop displaying the VAT REFUND FOR TOURISTS sign, for at least 2,000 baht including VAT per shop per day.
• On the day of purchase, show your passport and ask for the P.P.10 form, together with the original tax invoice.
• Leave Thailand by air with the goods within 60 days of purchase, and claim on the day of departure at one of the 10 participating international airports, including Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.
• If your total purchases reach 20,000 baht, show the goods, forms and invoices to customs before checking in your luggage.
• Jewellery, watches, phones, laptops and bags worth 40,000 baht or more per item, or any item worth 100,000 baht or more taken in the cabin, are inspected at the VAT refund office after passport control.
• Refunds are paid in cash in baht, to a bank card or to Alipay or WeChat Pay up to 30,000 baht; above that, only to a bank card.

People living in Thailand or staying more than 180 days are not eligible, nor are goods and services consumed in the country (hotels, restaurants). At Suvarnabhumi, the VAT refund office is on the 4th floor of the main terminal, at entrance 10, open 24 hours a day. Some shopping malls also offer a refund in town, in cash, capped at 12,000 baht and only for departures within 14 days.

Summary: how to pay for what

Prices checked in October 2026.

Further reading

To estimate your daily budget and find good deals, read our guide to Bangkok on a budget. Money-related traps, from fake exchange rates to 20-baht tuk-tuk rides that end at a jeweller's, are described in our guide to scams to avoid in Bangkok. And to enjoy the city without spending, see our free things to do in Bangkok.