How to handle large expenses in Thailand?

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all your great tips! Now for expenses: should we pay "big expenses" by card, the rest in cash, or exchange a large sum at the airport (with the risks that involves)? We’re staying for a month, mostly in the countryside rather than the city. Thanks a bunch!

Hi, Check what fees your bank will charge you in France for withdrawals here. Keep in mind that each ATM will charge you 220 baht in fees, which is about 6 €. From what I recall, you can only withdraw 25,000 baht per week—can someone confirm this?

Personally, when I used to come here on vacation, I’d bring 200 € bills and exchange them as needed, with my bank card as a backup. I never had any issues with the safes provided in hotels.

Hi,

I’ve never had any problems with the safes provided in hotels.

Not all accommodations offer safes—far from it. After 40 trips there, I’ve still never seen one.

Personally, I exchange large bills as I go during the trip and use a credit card as a backup.

Hi,

where to exchange a large sum at the airport, with the risks that entails.

If you're talking about flights, Thailand isn’t a country where you risk getting robbed everywhere—just take the same basic precautions you would in France, no more than that. For cash reserves, your card, and documents, a neck pouch hidden under your T-shirt that I only take out in the room has always been enough for me. Nothing groundbreaking, really.

Hi there,

Exchanging money as you go is still the best deal, especially at SuperRich exchange counters, which offer excellent rates. Avoid withdrawing from ATMs, as they charge 6 € per transaction regardless of the amount. After that, paying everything by card is the best way for me—I don’t pay any fees with my bank. I usually travel with 500 € in cash, no more, for a one-month trip, and I always have some left over when I return.

Hi,

Yeah, I agree with what’s been said. I’ve been traveling around Asia for 40 years and always use cash. Never had any theft issues so far—just one buddy who got his money stolen on an overnight bus.

I can confirm the 220 baht withdrawal fee.

I’ve only withdrawn cash from an ATM once in 10 trips to Thailand. For a month-long stay with two people, we’d bring 2000 to 3000 €, knowing that flights and hotels were prepaid. Apart from duty-free on the way back, I don’t remember using my debit card—but it’s definitely reassuring to have it on hand as a backup.

Be careful: always use bills that aren’t torn, scribbled on, or too worn out.

My wife kept her stash in her wallet, tucked into her bag, which at least one of us always kept an eye on. I had my wads of cash in one of the pockets of my pants or adventure shorts 😉

It’s probably a bit trickier for those who do a lot of physical activities or spend a lot of time in the water, especially at the beach.

I'm surprised, but I don’t doubt what you're saying. Everywhere we went, they were available. Our nightly budget was between 500-800 THB, sometimes with a negotiated price when we stayed for weeks.

Hi there,

What would you do with 2,000 €–3,000 in cash just for one month, with transport and hotels already paid for? Lol! I’ve been to Thailand 35 times now, and these days I pay for everything by card since there are no fees. I only bring 500 € in cash for small expenses, and since transport and hotels (including breakfast) are already covered, I’ll just withdraw once from an ATM if I need to.

Oh yeah, it was more like 1,000 to 2,000 baht, and we’d come back with enough for the next year.

We’d often take taxis or private drivers to see more things. It’s pricier than the free bikes the guesthouse provides.

As for credit cards, fair enough—we stuck to our old habits. We thought it was risky to use them everywhere abroad. You might find that funny until the day you run into a problem.

Hi, If you have insurance with your credit card, I pay 0.99 € per month for insurance that covers me up to 15,000 € in case of fraud. I’ve had it for 8 years and never had any issues, but it can happen—just like having your money stolen in a hotel or outside, which is unfortunately pretty common in Thailand. It happened to me in Malaysia at a Hilton hotel about a dozen years ago, just saying.