Two things you need within 30 minutes of landing in Bangkok: money and data. Get both wrong and you’ll overpay for the entire trip. Get both right and you’ll save hundreds of baht before you even leave the airport.
Here’s the no-nonsense guide to Thai money and connectivity.
Money: The Exchange Rate Game
The Airport Trap
The exchange booths in Suvarnabhumi arrivals hall give you 5–10% worse rates than city exchange offices. That’s a guaranteed loss of ฿500–1,000 on every $200 exchanged.
What to do: Exchange only ฿1,000–2,000 at the airport (enough for a taxi, SIM card, and first meal). Exchange the rest in the city.
Where to Exchange in the City
SuperRich (green or orange branches) — The gold standard. Consistently the best rates in Bangkok. Multiple locations: Pratunam (flagship), Siam, Asok, Silom. Check rates on their website before going.
Vasu Exchange — Strong competitor to SuperRich, sometimes better for certain currencies. Sukhumvit Soi 7.
K79 Exchange — Excellent rates, less crowded than SuperRich. Multiple locations.
What to bring: Clean, undamaged bills. Seriously — a crease is fine, but torn or heavily marked bills get rejected. USD $100 bills get the best rate. Smaller denominations ($20, $50) get slightly worse rates.
ATMs: The ฿220 Trap
Every Thai ATM charges a ฿220 fee (~$6) per withdrawal, on top of whatever your home bank charges. This is not negotiable and applies to all foreign cards.
How to minimize the damage:
- Withdraw large amounts (฿10,000–20,000) to reduce the per-transaction fee impact
- Aeon ATMs (inside AEON stores and some malls) occasionally waive the ฿220 fee — worth checking
- Use exchange offices instead of ATMs whenever possible. Cash exchange has no per-transaction fee
- Wise/Revolut cards: These fintech cards often have better exchange rates and lower fees than traditional bank cards. Set up before your trip
Cash vs. Cards
Cash is still king in Bangkok for street food, markets, small restaurants, and taxis. Budget ฿1,000–2,000 in cash per day for these.
Cards work at malls, chain restaurants, hotels, and some upscale bars. Visa and Mastercard accepted widely. Amex is hit or miss.
QR payments: Thailand’s PromptPay QR system is everywhere, but it requires a Thai bank account. Tourists can’t use it unless they open a local account (possible but not worth it for short trips).
SIM Cards: Get Connected at the Airport
Buy at the Airport — Yes, Really
This is the one thing worth buying at the airport despite the markup. You need data immediately for Grab, Google Maps, and Google Translate. The ฿50–100 premium over city prices is worth the convenience.
The Three Carriers
| Carrier | Coverage | Tourist SIM Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIS | Best overall | ฿299–599 | Most tourists (recommended) |
| True | Strong in cities | ฿299–499 | Budget option |
| dtac | Good coverage | ฿299–599 | Similar to AIS |
AIS has the best network coverage, especially outside Bangkok. If you’re going to islands or northern Thailand, AIS is the safe choice.
What You Get
A typical ฿299 tourist SIM includes:
- 15–30 days validity
- 15–30 GB high-speed data (more than enough for 1–2 weeks)
- Some free calling minutes (you probably won’t use these)
How to Buy
- Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang
- Clear immigration and grab your bags
- Walk to the arrivals hall — AIS, True, and dtac booths are immediately visible, open 24 hours
- Show your passport (required for SIM registration by Thai law)
- Staff will install and activate the SIM for you — takes 2 minutes
- Pay cash or card
eSIM Alternative
If your phone supports eSIM (iPhone XS or newer, most recent Android flagships), you can skip the physical SIM entirely:
- Buy an eSIM online before your flight (Airalo, Holafly, etc.)
- Activate it when you land
- No booth, no waiting, no passport photo
- Slightly more expensive but maximum convenience
Quick Reference
| Item | Where | Cost | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport exchange | Arrivals hall | Bad rates | Exchange minimum only |
| City exchange | SuperRich, Vasu, K79 | Best rates | Bring clean USD $100 bills |
| ATM withdrawal | Any ATM | ฿220 fee + bank fee | Withdraw ฿10,000+ at once |
| Tourist SIM | Airport booth | ฿299–599 | AIS recommended |
| eSIM | Online (Airalo etc.) | $8–15 | Buy before flying |
Day-One Checklist
- At the airport: Buy tourist SIM (฿299, AIS booth). Exchange ฿1,500 at airport booth (taxi + food money)
- Day 1 in city: Find nearest SuperRich. Exchange main travel budget at city rates
- ATM backup: One large withdrawal (฿10,000+) from Bangkok Bank or Kasikorn ATM if needed
- Set up Grab: Link credit card or add cash balance. You’ll use this daily
Common Mistakes
Exchanging all your money at the airport. You lose 5–10% immediately. Exchange the minimum and find SuperRich.
Making multiple small ATM withdrawals. ฿220 × 5 withdrawals = ฿1,100 in fees. One large withdrawal instead.
Not bringing USD. Thai exchange offices give the best rates for US dollars. If your home currency isn’t USD, consider converting to USD first — the two-step exchange often nets better rates than direct conversion.
Forgetting to tell your bank. Some banks still block foreign transactions. A quick call or app notification before departure prevents card freezes at the worst possible moment.
For more practical Bangkok tips, see our Transportation Guide and Tipping Guide.
