Currency in Thailand THB - Things to know
Foreign exchange guide to Thailand and the Thai baht
What's in this Thailand currency guide?
What currency is used in Thailand?
The official currency of Thailand (country code: TH) is the Thai baht, with symbol ฿ and currency code THB.
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Things to know about the Thai baht
The Thai baht is termed an ‘exotic’ currency, which means that there is far less participation in the market for baht than in the market for more established currencies, such as euros or U.S. dollars. For this reason, the price paid to change your money into or from baht (the price being equivalent to the market bid-ask spread) is far higher relative to the amount of money being changed than it would otherwise be.
Thailand’s central bank manage the baht’s value under a ‘managed float’ regime, which means that the bank will intervene at times in the foreign exchange market to reduce what it sees as excessive volatility in the currency and to maintain national competitiveness, i.e. the bank will at times weaken the currency to boost demand for Thailand’s exports.
As an exotic currency, the baht is considered riskier than currencies from major developed nations, which means that its value will fall against the FX majors (especially JPY, USD, CHF, GBP and EUR) during periods of economic uncertainty or when global geopolitical risk is elevated, or during bouts of high market volatility.
Historically, the baht’s lowest valuation against the US dollar came in January 1998 when USD/THB reached 55.50. It's all-time high occurred in July 1981 when USD/THB fell to just 20.36. Since 2005, USD/THB has traded between 28.56 and 42.19.
The Thai baht banknotes and coins
The physical currency consists of coins and banknotes. The coins come in denominations of 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht, 2 baht, 5 baht, and 10 baht.
The banknotes come in denominations of 20 baht, 50 baht, 100 baht, 500 baht, and 1,000 baht. The banknotes feature images of famous Thai historical figures, such as King Rama I, King Rama V, and King Rama IX. The design of the currency is constantly being updated, so the physical appearance of the coins and banknotes may vary slightly over time.
Travel money for Thailand
Save money and time by Ordering your Thai baht online from Travelex, you get better rates and can pick up the THB cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.
Another popular option is to use a Pre-paid Travel Card. Your Debit/Credit Card provider will charge you 2% from market mid-rate, but your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash.
For card purchases if offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in Thai baht otherwise you may get much worst exchange rates.
Travel Ideas and Money Tips for Thailand
In between the busy cities and scattered towns of Thailand is the rural heartland, which is a mix of rice paddies, tropical forests and villages living the farming lifestyle. In the north, the forests surround tall blue mountains scattered with shining waterfalls. In the south, scraggy limestone cliffs rise up from the cultivated landscape like ancient towers.
Travel tips for Thailand.
The official currency of Thailand is the Thai BAHT (pronounced - baaht). ATMs are everywhere and usually reliable, most Thai banks now charge a 200 baht fee per withdrawal when you use their ATMs with a foreign card.
Thailand is a very popular and safe place to travel to, but still always use common sense. Depending on the type of hotel, try not to leave credit cards, passports, and other valuables lying around your room when you are not there. Instead use the room safe, or the hotel main safe. If you want to store your cards there while out shopping (shopping is considered a national pastime) you could get a Travel Card before flying in to ease your mind.
Another good reason to get a Prepaid Travel Card is that credit card fraud exists in Thailand, as in any other country. If you must pay by credit card, don't let your card out of your sight. Watch as its used, and double check the purchase amount and currency, before signing or entering your pin number.
Be prepared to pay more than locals for many tourist attractions have two rates, where there can often be a rate for locals and a larger rate for tourists. Many tourists head to Thailand for its lovely beaches, just know that Thai beaches do not have lifeguards so try to stay in sight on other people, check all the signs, and avoid swimming on deserted beaches. Drink bottled water, its cold and cheap and since it can be hot all the time in Thailand have some on you at all times to avoid dehydration.
How do I travel in Thailand?
Taxis are available everywhere, just when getting in make sure the meter is set to THB 35 to avoid being made to pay extra.Getting around in Tuc-Tuc's is part of the experience but can get annoying as the driver may often try to take you to shops on the way. Just negotiate a fare before jumping in, don't pay until you arrive, and be prepared to jump out and take another one if they go to a shop and refuse to leave until you check it out or buy something.
Trains and buses to get around the country in Thailand can be an experience, but due to the travel times and budget, many recommend flying everywhere. Flights within Thailand are relatively cheap, and it may not be worth spending valuable vacation days traveling by bus or train. By way of example, the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok is about 12 hours, and the train down to Phuket (close to Phuket, but then you have to take another bus) is another 8 hours, so it will take about 20 to 24 hours of travel time from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Or you can take a 2 hour direct flight on Thai Air Asia for less than $60.
USD/THB Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/THB change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Thailand?
The domestic currency in Thailand is the Thai baht.
What is the Thai baht currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Thai baht is THB — symbol is ฿.
Which countries use the Thai baht?
It is the domestic currency in Thailand.
Is the Thai baht a closed currency?
No, the Thai baht is freely available and convertible. See guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of USD and THB?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for USD to THB (US dollar to Thai baht)*.
*Converted at the current USDTHB interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Send Money to Thailand - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Thailand you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Thailand
When sending money to Thailand it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Thai baht amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted THB amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Thailand.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Thai baht deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!