Baht, ATMs
and the eSIM default
Withdraw big and rarely. Most Thai ATMs add a fee of ฿220 or more (~$7) to every foreign-card withdrawal, whatever the amount — some now show ฿250 or higher, and the screen tells you before you confirm — and always decline dynamic currency conversion: 'convert to your home currency?' means 'pay extra'. Carry ฿1,000–2,000 a day in cash, because the street runs on PromptPay QR and that does not accept foreign banking apps. Install an eSIM before you land: Grab, maps and your TDAC QR all start at the airport.
Baht, ATMs, and the eSIM default
The baht in 2026: about ฿33.6 per US dollar in early October. Exchange order of preference: SuperRich > Thai banks > airport booths. Most Thai ATMs add ฿220 or more (~$7) to each foreign-card withdrawal regardless of amount — some machines now show ฿250 or higher, and your own bank may charge on top — so withdraw big, rarely, and always decline dynamic currency conversion ('convert to your home currency?' means 'pay extra').
Cards vs cash: cards are fine in malls, hotels and chains, and a contactless card taps you through the MRT and Airport Rail Link gates (the BTS still wants a Rabbit card or a ticket) — but the street runs on PromptPay QR, which does not accept foreign banking apps. Carry ฿1,000–2,000 (~$30–60) per day in cash and keep small notes; a ฿1,000 bill at a ฿50 noodle stall is a social event.
Connectivity: an eSIM before you land is the default play — installed at your departure gate, working the moment you clear the jet bridge. That matters, because Grab, maps and your TDAC QR all start at the airport. Prefer physical? Airport counters sell tourist SIMs for a few hundred baht; the market is AIS vs True, and both are excellent in Bangkok.
No tourist entry fee — yet. The ฿300 'tourism fee' you may have read about was never collected. It has been replaced by a proposed flat ฿450 fee for foreign visitors, endorsed in draft in August 2026 and still awaiting a public hearing — 2027 at the earliest. Nothing is charged at the border today, so don't budget for it.
Bangkok money FAQ
How much cash should I carry in Bangkok?
฿1,000–2,000 (~$30–60) per day covers street food, boats, markets and massages; cards handle malls, hotels and the MRT gates. Street QR codes run on Thai PromptPay, which foreign banking apps cannot use. Withdraw large amounts rarely — most Thai ATMs add ฿220 or more per foreign-card withdrawal — or exchange at SuperRich, and always decline dynamic currency conversion.
Do I have to pay a tourist fee to enter Thailand?
No — not in 2026. A flat ฿450 fee for foreign visitors has been proposed (it replaced an older ฿300 plan), but it still needs a public hearing and could start in 2027 at the earliest. Visa rules and the free TDAC card are on TDAC and Thai visas.