Tip · SuperRich (orange or green) consistently offers some of the best rates in Bangkok. Avoid exchanging at the airport if you can wait until you reach the city.
Most tourists exchange money at the airport. That's a mistake. I used to do it myself out of habit, until I did the maths on one trip and realised the airport rate had cost me around 600 baht on a single 20,000 baht exchange, compared to what SuperRich in the city would have given me. That's a couple of good dinners handed to a currency booth for nothing.
Thailand uses the Thai Baht (THB), and plenty of places are still cash-only: markets, street food stalls, smaller guesthouses. So you do need some cash. The question is just where you turn your money into baht, and the answer is almost never the arrivals hall.
My actual setup: a Revolut card for day-to-day spending anywhere that takes cards, and a modest amount of cash exchanged at SuperRich for markets, street food, and tuk-tuks.
Airport exchange booths
Every major Thai airport has currency exchange counters in arrivals. They are convenient but offer noticeably worse rates than in the city. If you only need a small amount to cover transport and the first night, exchanging a little at the airport is fine. For larger amounts, wait until you reach your destination.
SuperRich: Bangkok's best-known exchange
SuperRich is a chain of exchange booths that consistently offers some of the best baht rates in Bangkok. There are two separate companies that share the name:
- SuperRich (orange): more locations, competitive rates.
- SuperRich (green): slightly different branches, similarly good rates.
Both have counters in major shopping malls and tourist areas. Look for queues. A busy booth is usually a sign the rate is good.
ATMs
ATMs are everywhere in Thailand. The downside is a fixed foreign transaction fee of 220 THB (around 6–7 USD) per withdrawal, charged by the Thai bank regardless of your home bank's fees.
To minimise this cost:
- Withdraw larger amounts less frequently rather than small amounts often. The fee is fixed, so it makes sense to withdraw as much as you're comfortable carrying.
- Use a travel card (see below) that reimburses ATM fees.
- Always choose to be charged in Thai Baht when the ATM asks. Declining the dynamic currency conversion (DCC) option saves you money every single time.
Revolut and Wise
Both apps let you spend in Thai Baht at the real exchange rate with no foreign transaction fees, which makes them excellent travel companions.
Revolut works well for day-to-day spending on card. Free plans include a limited amount of fee-free ATM withdrawals per month. Paid plans include more.
Wise is slightly better for transferring money internationally or paying someone in Thailand directly. It also has a debit card that works at Thai ATMs, though the same 220 THB fee from the Thai bank still applies.
The practical setup most travellers use: pay by Revolut or Wise card wherever cards are accepted, and keep a moderate amount of cash for markets and street food.
Pay by card wherever possible
Thailand is increasingly card-friendly, especially in Bangkok. Restaurants, shops, malls, and most accommodation accept Visa and Mastercard. Paying by card (ideally with Revolut or Wise at the real exchange rate) avoids the ATM withdrawal fee entirely.
Keep cash for the places that need it: street food stalls, local markets, tuk-tuks, and smaller guesthouses. For everything else, default to card.
What to avoid
- Dynamic currency conversion (DCC): when an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency instead of baht, always decline. The rate used is significantly worse, and it is presented as a "convenience."
- Hotel reception exchange: convenient but rates are typically poor.
- Exchanging at home: rates outside Thailand are usually much worse than rates in-country.
- Airport booths for large amounts: a small exchange for the taxi and first night is fine. Anything beyond that, wait until you reach the city.