Meet the BAHT, the Thai currency :
Thai Notes :
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20 Baht note |
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50 Baht note |
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100 Baht note |
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500 Baht note |
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1000 Baht note |
Thai Coins :
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10 Baht coin |
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5 Baht coin |
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2 Baht coin |
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1 Baht coin |
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0.5 Baht coin |
How much does it cost to Visit Bangkok ?
Bangkok is relatively a cheap tourist destination. All South East Asia countries give a very good value for your money (so enjoy while it lasts). Bangkok is a big city and accommodation is usually a little bit more expensive than other places in Thailand (the Thai islands can be more expensive).
Here is a list of common prices in Bangkok in year 2025 :
In Baht | In Dollars (Approx) |
|
Big Mac meal at Mac Donald’s | 200 Baht | 6 $ |
Pad-Thai to take away, from street vendor | 40 Baht | 1 $ |
Natural orange juice (small), from street vendor | 30 Baht | 1 $ |
Beer in a club | 150 Baht | 4 $ |
Beer at supermarket | 50 Baht | 1 $ |
Cappuccino in Starbucks (small) | 100 Baht | 3 $ |
Breakfast (Continental) | 200 Baht | 6 $ |
Individual room in a guest house with air condition and bathroom | 1000 Baht | 29 $ |
Individual room in a guest house with fan and no bathroom | 600 Baht | 17 $ |
Sim Card + Pre -Paid Internet 15 days | 500 Baht | 14 $ |
Bus in town (air-conditioned) | 20 Baht | 0.5 $ |
Bus in town (not air-conditioned) | 10 Baht | 0.5 $ |
Public boat on the river | 20 Baht | 0.5 $ |
Taxi in town – typical ride with taxi-meter | 100 Baht | 3 $ |
Night train (sleeping coach) to the north or south of Thailand | 1000 Baht | 29 $ |
One day organized trip out of Bangkok (floating market, Ayuttaya…) | 700 Baht | 20 $ |
Massage one hour | 300 Baht | 9 $ |
T-Shirts from street vendors | 250 Baht | 7 $ |
- You can use XE Currency Converter to get the prices in your local currency.
- You can use Numbeo to compare the cost of living between many cities in the world (from the menu “cost of living”, choose : “cost of living comparison”).
ATM in Bangkok
Look at the following picture. As you can see, you can choose the color of the ATM, they are just everywhere in town and they are very convenient in order to get cash.
With an international credit card you can get Thai baht from these machines.
The banks involved in the transactions (hopefully, just 2) will take commissions in the process : The Thai bank takes around 250 Baht.
Your bank in your own country will probably charge a fixed commission for each withdrawal and an exchange rate commission depending on the amount you withdraw (you will discover it only later, at home, when you will look at your bank report, but for now, continue enjoying Bangkok 🙂
I once calculated that for a typical withdrawal of 10000 baht, I was losing almost 7 % on commissions, but maybe it is just my bank, maybe yours is better (I doubt it, they all take a lot of commissions, because they can).
Currency Exchange in Bangkok
Also the currency exchange points are everywhere in town. They are in the malls and in the streets and everywhere that tourists use to go. At the airport it seems there is one booth beside each luggage belt.
The exchange rates are very good, I mean that the difference between buying and selling Baht is at a minimum (something like 2 %), there is a lot of competition between the banks. There is usually no commissions (unless you are very talented and you will find such a place). They give a slightly better price for big notes like 100 $ or 50 $. They will look very carefully at the quality of the paper in order to detect fraud, so you better bring new notes, they are less problematic.
In some south east countries like Myanmar, they just don’t accept old dollars.
You will receive better rates for a main world currency like Dollars, Euros, Pounds etc.
Use ATM or bring cash to Bangkok ?
You need to find an equilibrium between these two.
The ATM are very safe and convenient but the banks charge commissions for each withdrawal.
Bringing Dollars in cash (or other currencies) will leave you more of your money, but it is unsafe because of the risk of theft and loss.
Anyway, you need to bring some cash with you, as a backup, for any case.
Try to stay in hotels that have a safe box in the rooms or at the reception.
When you withdraw money from the ATM, do it for a medium or large sum because each withdrawal has a fixed commission.
Can I pay in Bangkok in foreign currency like with the Dollar ?
No. The expected currency is the Thai Baht. You can also pay by credit card.
The Rabbit Card – can be used as an electronic wallet
The Rabbit card is the Bangkok Skytrain Transport (BTS) card.
Instead of waiting in queues before each single journey, you can use this personal Rabbit card (that you have filled before with credit).
The nice thing is that this Rabbit card is also accepted in many commerces, like big supermarkets, it is like an electronic wallet.
So if you are staying in Bangkok for a few days, consider having this card, it is convenient to pay with it instead of using cash. The process of payment is much faster than with a credit card and you don’t have to deal with Thai notes that you may not be very familiar.
Here in the photo, a terminal for the Rabbit Card in a Mac Donald’s.
Note : The Fruit vendors in the street, don’t accept the Rabbit card 🙂
How to carry the cash during the trip
I recommend this type of Hidden Pocket
. You hang it vertically on your belt (yes, you need a belt) and inside your trousers. Nobody sees it and it is very comfortable because one side is made with a soft tissue. There are 2 strong loops, so it is very safe. I have two of these because sometimes I travel for a long period and it gets thick, so I divide the cash and put one pocket on each side. You can buy this hidden pocket on Amazon
, they ship it worldwide.
There is also an horizontal version of an hidden pocket, one that you don’t need a belt. But I personally prefer the vertical version.
More on Bangkok and Thailand :
- Where to Stay in Bangkok – Potential Zones for the Hotel
- How to book Trains, Buses, Flights, Hotels for Thailand
- What to Visit in Bangkok ? – The Tourist Attractions
- Bangkok Transport – Airport, Metro, Buses, Boats…
- To the Islands – Which Island to visit + Stay + Arrive
- To Chiang-Mai – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- To Pattaya city – What to Visit, Stay, Transport
- The Cost to Visit Bangkok – Common Prices
- The Nightlife of Bangkok – The animated zones
- Visa for Thailand- Basic rules and how to extend
- Internet in Thailand – Buying a local SIM
- Useful Products for the Trip to Thailand
- Maps of Bangkok – With places of interest and Transport
- Bangkok FAQ – Weather, Distances etc…
- Bangkok Shopping – The big Malls and the Markets
- The Khaosan Road Survival Guide – The famous Backpackers
- A Tour of Bangkok – An overview
- Taxi Scams in Bangkok – Common Scams of Taxi and Tuk-Tuks
- Go-Go Bar Scams in Bangkok – What to expect
- Vegetarian in Bangkok
Other Stuff :
- Info about 2 more cool cities: Barcelona and Tel-Aviv
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.