Money, Currency and Cards in Thailand
Local Currency
Baht (THB)
General Advice
Most major international hard currencies can usually be changed with ease in larger towns and cities and ATM machines are widely available in such centres too. General advice is to travel with a mix of cash and debit and credit cards, avoiding travellers’ cheques wherever possible as commission fees are high.
Money Exchange
Money exchange is usually a simple affair with many banks offering a bureau de change service. Many people are now travelling with their debit cards with a back up of cash for unforeseen circumstances.
ATM Availability
Widely available in most larger towns. For more information check the Visa ATM locator, the MasterCard ATM locator or the American Express ATM locator for the addresses of ATMs around the world.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are accepted by larger hotels and restaurants and an increasing number of shops accept credit cards. They are a useful back up in case of emergency.
Travellers Cheques
Travellers’ cheques should be avoided as commission is charged per cheque and this makes repeated smaller money changes expensive.
Other Information
Thai Baht (THB), nominally subdivided into 100 satang. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 baht (฿). Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, satang and 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht.
