What is the best place to exchange USD for Baht in Bangkok?

Vasu - Soi Sukhumvit

Stock answer as asked frequently.

You’ll usually get a better exchange rate here in Thailand rather than your home country. Airports (and banks) usually offer the worst rates (except BKK -see below), so if you need some local Baht for your taxi or food then change a small amount that you’d need at the airport and head out of the building. If you are going to one of the main tourist spots like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, etc you’ll find money exchangers everywhere on the streets.

Shop around to find the best rate, but they’ll generally be very similar. You might save a few pennies or cents here or there, but it won’t be a huge difference. I often see people post "go to ABC shop in xyz plaza" but if it's going to cost you 400 baht for a taxi there you'd better be certain the rates there will be better than a 200m stroll down the road. Google and see if there's a Super Rich exchange place nearby. They often have the best rates. You can check what they're offering by downloading the SuperrichTH app on your phone to get daily updates on rates for all major currencies. If you are landing in Suvarnabhumi (BKK) there is a Superrich exchange on the bottom floor near where you get the trains.

You'll sometimes get a slightly better rate on larger bills like £50 notes or $100 bills. Make sure they are pristine with no writing or marks or tears on them as they may not be accepted. If you’re from the UK then be aware that very few places will accept Scottish or Northern Irish notes. Best to bring pristine Bank of England ones.

If you are not happy carrying large amounts of cash there are ATM’s everywhere. Almost all will accept foreign Visa or MasterCard debit/ATM cards. Many have a limit of baht per day but the Krungsri bank (yellow ones) and SCB (purple ones) allow up to 30,000 There is a 220 baht fee per transaction imposed at the ATM. That’s a 1.1% transaction fee (for 20K). A small price to pay for peace of mind for not loosing too much cash. Robbery is rare here but it does happen.

If you don’t have a debit card or cashpoint card, then as a LAST resort use a credit card to withdraw cash. The fees the card companies impose are huge and added on to the fee for the local bank transaction.

If the ATM (or a card machine in a shop) asks you if you want “instant conversion” to your home currency always say no. The rate will be horrific. Let your home bank do the conversion at whatever the interbank rate is.

A number of banks or finance institutions do special cards these days with little or no charge on foreign spending. You might want to ask around who has the best card deals before you leave. You’ll still be hit with the ATM fee but at least you know exactly what you’ve been charged.

I've read some banks offer to refund ATM fees. I believe Charles Schwab in America and ING in Australia do so but other countries' banks might offer a similar deal.