If you are visiting Thailand, in addition to making flight and hotel reservations, you will need to familiarize yourself with the currency the country uses before leaving. The currency in Thailand is called Thai baht (pronounced baht ) and is usually represented by a capital “B” with a slash across it. When shopping in stores, you will see this on the price tags.
Dollar-baht exchange rate
You should check with a currency app or website to find the most up-to-date exchange rate with your home country’s money to help you understand the real price of accommodation, food, and any items you buy in Thailand. Over the past decade, the baht has fluctuated between 30 baht per dollar and 42 baht per dollar, but this is a general range and not necessarily predictive.
While you can use US dollars in some countries, they are not widely accepted in Thailand. You will have to change for the baht.
Coins and banknotes of Thailand
In Thailand, there are 1 baht, 2 baht, 5 baht, and 10 baht coins and 20 baht, 50 baht, 100 baht, and 1,000 baht bills. You may also occasionally see a 10 baht note, although they are no longer printed.
Baht is divided into satang, and there are 100 satang per baht. These days, there are only 25 satang coins and 50 satang coins. Satangs are no longer used for most transactions.
The most common currency in Thailand is 10 baht, and the most common note is 100 baht.
More about money in Thailand
Travelers should be relieved to learn that ATMs are not difficult to find in Thailand, and most accept all major credit cards. You can withdraw Thai baht from an ATM if you don’t change your money before you travel. However, you will likely have to pay a fee if you are using a foreign card, and there may be additional fees from your home bank.
Thai banks and foreign exchange companies also often accept traveler’s checks.
However, you don’t need cash for every purchase in Thailand. Many hotels, restaurants, businesses and the airport accept all major credit cards.
Before using your credit card in a foreign country, be sure to inform your bank and credit card company that you will be there on vacation and how long you plan to stay. Otherwise, the activity may be viewed as suspicious and your card may be temporarily blocked, making your money inaccessible. This can be scary and stressful for travelers, especially if you’ve never been to Thailand before.
To be safe, some travelers trade some money (a small emergency stash) before they leave (even if that doesn’t yield the best exchange rate – you will generally get a better exchange if you do it in Thailand) and stick with both bahts and dollars in them during the trip until they are situated. Change the rest of your cash on arrival or pick up what you want to use at the ATM. You can find currency exchange kiosks at the airport or make exchanges at many banks.
Also, be sure to take a photo or a copy of your credit card and leave the copy at home with someone safe, in case your card is stolen. This will make it easier to report the theft.
