Local Tip
Bring your original passport; Bangkok's licensed changers insist on it. Both SuperRich firms trade on or just off Ratchadamri Road, and Vasu Exchange on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1; at Suvarnabhumi, find the orange SuperRich booth on Level B.
Where to change money in Bangkok
Guides steer you away from hotel desks and arrivals-hall counters towards Bangkok's licensed changers, which all want your original passport however small the sum. Compare two boards before you queue.
- SuperRich Thailand (green), Ratchadamri Head office at 45 Rajdamri 1, a lane off Ratchadamri Road near BTS Chit Lom.
- SuperRich 1965 (orange), Ratchadamri and Silom A separate company despite the name, with offices on Ratchadamri Road across from CentralWorld and on Silom Road (491/5-491/7).
- Vasu Exchange, Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 133-133/1 Sukhumvit Road, a few minutes' walk from BTS Nana. Open 09:00-18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00-17:00 on Saturdays and public holidays; closed on Sundays.
Changing money at the airport
Suvarnabhumi (BKK) lists 24-hour Kasikornbank exchange counters, including in the Floor 2 arrivals area, and Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Krungthai and SCB ATMs on Floor 1. Guides rate the arrivals counters below city changers and send you two floors down to Level B, where the orange SuperRich booth beside the rail-link station opens daily at 05:30 and closes at 23:00 or 23:30 (guides differ). Don Mueang (DMK) lists 24-hour Krungthai and Bangkok Bank exchange counters in public areas.
ATMs and cards in Bangkok
Thai banks add a flat fee to every foreign-card withdrawal, on top of your own bank's charges. Many guides still say 220 baht, but Krungsri (since 11 March 2026) and Kasikornbank (schedule dated 22 September 2026) now ask 250 baht on a foreign Visa card and 350 baht on a foreign Mastercard, so it pays to make fewer, larger withdrawals. If a Bangkok ATM or shop terminal proposes converting to sterling on the spot, decline and stay in baht; your card provider's rate is usually better. The UK Foreign Office reports skimming and suggests ATMs inside banks. Malls, hotels and bigger restaurants take cards; street food, markets and small shops want cash.
Paying for transport in Bangkok
MRT Blue and Purple Line gates accept contactless credit cards on the Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay networks, including ones issued abroad; BEM lists debit cards only from certain Thai banks, so don't rely on a UK debit card. The Airport Rail Link has taken contactless credit and debit cards at every station since 8 November 2025 but hasn't said whether foreign ones work, so carry baht for a token. On the BTS Skytrain, buy a single-journey card from the station machines or a Rabbit card (120 baht, no deposit, top-ups from 100 baht at BTS ticket offices). Taxi meters start at 35 baht; make sure yours is running.
Good to know
- Big notes do better: many boards pay more for US$50 and US$100 notes than for smaller dollar bills.
- A stranger who says a temple is shut and steers you to a gem shop is running a well-known scam.
- Old MRT and MRT Plus stored-value cards stopped working on the MRT Blue and Purple Lines on 1 June 2026; ticket offices refund balances until 31 December 2027.
Key Areas in Bangkok
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Exchange bureaux, banks and cash machines, as mapped by OpenStreetMap. The map loads only when you ask for it.
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Bangkok travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Bangkok?
Guides favour Bangkok's licensed changers over hotel desks and the arrivals hall; names that come up include the two SuperRich companies around Ratchadamri Road and Vasu Exchange near BTS Nana. All ask for your passport.
Where can I get a better rate than the arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi?
Guides point to the orange SuperRich booth two floors down on Level B, open from 05:30 daily. The Floor 1 bank ATMs also give baht straight away, at the flat foreign-card fee.
Can I tap a UK card to pay for Bangkok's trains?
Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay credit cards work at MRT Blue and Purple Line gates, but only certain Thai debit cards do. The Airport Rail Link hasn't confirmed foreign cards, and the BTS needs a ticket or Rabbit card.
Checked September 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: Suvarnabhumi Airport (AOT) · Don Mueang International Airport (AOT) · THAIest · Thai.lt · Backpacklife · Always Fly Business
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