During a vacation in Thailand, you will certainly encounter the need to exchange your currency for Thai Baht (THB). Thailand is a very progressive country, but you will be limited in possibilities of shopping and food if you do not have local cash with you. Therefore, currency exchange in Bangkok is the first action that you must perform after passing through passport control and baggage claim. In this short article you will find very useful information that will allow you to make a currency exchange in Bangkok at the best rate in Thailand. You will also find information on where to find the most profitable currency exchange points if you are in various areas of Bangkok.
Currency Exchange at Bangkok Airport (Suvarnabhumi)
Most foreigners arrives to Bangkok’s main airport – Suvarnabhumi. And immediately after passport control you are met by numerous currency exchange points. You can check all of them and make sure that the exchange rate is the same everywhere. A lot of tourists iun this situation begin to change the currency, because cash is needed to pay for the first purchases in Thailand (water or Thai beer in 7Eleven or Family Mart stores at the airport, food in the food courts, taxi, train or bus to the center of Bangkok or to Pattaya.
However, this is the main trap for tourists. The exchange rate at these exchange points is very disadvantageous for foreigners. And the notification that “no commission” at these exchange points sounds like a joke. In order not to be unfounded, I will give specific examples. In the photo you can see the exchange rates in the arrivals area of Suvarnabhumi Airport on 11/18/2018. The list of currencies is very large (in the photo only the first part of the list), but for an example I will take the most popular world currencies – USD, EURO and GBR.
So, for 1 USD you will receive 31.05 THB, for 1 EURO you will receive 34.82 THB, and for 1 GBR (British Pound) you will be given 39.36 THB. In reality, this is a bad, very bad exchange rate and even at the worst exchange points in Thai resorts you will find a more favorable exchange rate. But while you are at the Bangkok airport, you have the best solution: currency exchange points on the ground floor of the airport. To do this, you must follow the blue signs to Train to City and go down several escalators. On the lower (basement) floor of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport you will find a number of exchange offices with a good exchange rate.
As in the arrivals area, the exchange rate at all exchange points is the same or very similar. However, this is actually the best rate not only at the airport, but also one of the best in all of Thailand (with the exception of several exchange points in the center of Bangkok). Therefore, I advise you to change the currency to Thai cash only here (at least for the next few days). There are also no additional fees at these exchange points, so you make the exchange at the rate indicated on the bulletin board. Above on the page you can see two photos with currency exchange rates on the same day, 11/18/2018. In order for you to better see the difference in the exchange rate, I will give a few examples.
If you exchange 100 USD in the arrivals area, you will receive 3105 THB. And on the ground floor of the airport for the same 100 USD you get 3270 THB. Simple calculations show that the difference is 165 THB (more than 5 USD). This amount is enough for a train ride from the airport and back for two people. And this difference is only 100 USD. When you relax in Thailand together, you can exchange 500 USD on the lower floor of Suvanapum Airport and receive 25 USD more than when exchanging the same amount in the arrival area. And this amount is already enough to pay a decent hotel in Bangkok or in the resorts of Thailand.
Especially if you use the smart search from Hotellook and pre-compare the cost of rooms immediately in all the main hotel reservation systems. A similar situation with other currencies. The difference for every 100 Euro is 228 THB (6.15 EURO), and for every 100 GBR – 244 THB (more than 6 pounds). With all other currencies the situation is identical. Of course, exchange rates are constantly changing and at the time of your arrival in Thailand they will be different. But you can be sure that the difference between the courses in the arrivals area and in the train departure area to Bangkok will always be very noticeable. Therefore, use this opportunity and exchange money in the right place!
Best Currency Exchange in Bangkok (in the city)
Often there are situations when you need to make a currency exchange directly in Bangkok city. In the central areas of the capital of Thailand, you can see many street currency exchange points, a large number of banks. Currency exchange points can also be found in Bangkok’s malls. However, not everywhere the course will be the same and good for you. I advise you to pay attention not to traditional banking or hotel currency exchange points, but to network and independent exchange points. They are located in various areas of Bangkok and have different modes of operation.
As a rule, the most favorable exchange rate in Bangkok is not offered by banks, but by several specialized companies with branches in various areas of the Thai capital. For your convenience, I will post information on the location of such currency exchange points in Bangkok and their opening hours. Always remember that you must have a passport for currency exchange in Thailand (photocopies are often enough at resorts or you can persuade a cashier to exchange money without a passport).
VASU EXCHANGE – the best exchange office in Bangkok
This exchange office is located in the area of the Nana Station BTS Skytrain. This is the business center of the Sukhumvit district in Bangkok and nearby there are many hotels of various price categories. During my stay in Bangkok, I usually choose this area and visited the VASU EXCHANGE exchange office several times. According to my many years of observations, this exchange office offers the highest purchase rates for USD, so if you want to change a large amount of money, choose it. The EURO rate is also good, but the GBR exchange rate is not the most profitable. It is an independent exchange point and has no other branches in Bangkok.
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 7/1.
Opening hours: Monday-Friday from 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Closed: Sunday
The current exchange rate is always on the official website.
The exchange office is located on the ground floor of the building, located at the intersection of Sukhumvit Rd and 7/1 lane. If you arrived at the Nana station by train, you must go down via exit number 1. There you can easily find the building you need: on the brown facade are large gold letters VASU EXCHANGE and Chinese characters. This currency exchange in Bangkok is very popular and there may be a queue inside, especially immediately after opening in the morning. Currency exchange is somewhat intricate: the first employee will check for a passport and make a photocopy of it. After that, you will receive an electronic queue ticket with a currency exchange number.
Super Rich Thailand – The Best Exchange offices Network
This oldest network of currency exchange points in Bangkok has been operating for over 50 years and includes a head office and 14 branches in the city. Most branches offer a not very profitable exchange rate, the same as in traditional Thai banks. But there are branches of Super Rich Thailand with a very interesting course. In most exchange offices you have the opportunity to exchange 35-40 types of currencies for Thai Baht (including travelers checks). The brand color of the network is green. Below on the page I have listed three branches of SuperRich Bangkok with the best exchange rates.
Super Rich Thailand – Head Office at Soi Rajdamri 1
Address: 45 Rajdamri 1 Rajdamri Rd. Lumpini Patumwan Bangkok 10330
Opening hours: Monday-Friday from 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday and holidays from 09:30 to 17:00.
Closed: Sunday
Location on the map:
Super Rich Thailand – Branch Office at Vibhavadi 22
Address: 18/4 Vibhavadi 22 Vibhavadi – Rangsit Rd. Chompon Chatuchak Bangkok 10900
Opening hours: Monday-Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday and holidays from 10:00 to 16:00.
Closed: Sunday
Location on the map:
Super Rich Thailand – Jewelry Trade Center
Address: 919 1 Si Lom, Khwaeng Silom, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500 Jewelry Trade Center, 3rd Floor, Bangkok Fashion Outlet zone
Opening hours: Monday-Friday from 10:00 to 18:30, Saturday and holidays from 10:00 to 17:00.
Closed: Sunday
Location on the map:
SuperRich 1965 – the biggest network of exchange points in Bangkok
The largest network of currency exchange points in Bangkok, which has been operating since 1965. Currently, in various areas of Bangkok, you can find about 40 branches. The corporate color of the SuperRich 1965 is orange, so you will notice the stalls of this network from afar. On the official website of the company, you can choose any of the branches and see the current exchange rate and all currencies that you can change. Please note that the course is not the same everywhere. For example, at the time of this writing, the best exchange rate was 30.68 THB for 1 USD (Silom district), while the worst was 30.53 THB for 1 USD (at most metro stations, large hypermarkets and shopping centers).
In other words, not in every ofice of SuperRich 1965 currency exchange you will find the best exchange rate and it makes sense to initially choose the right branch. To see the current exchange rate, I advise you to visit the official website of SuperRich 1965 and choose the nearest currency exchange office of this company with a favorable rate. And to see the actual location of the currency exchange in the city, I advise you to go down to the bottom side of the official website and select it from the list. After it you will see map of bangkok with selected currency exchange office, which will be marked with a marker.
SIA Money Exchange
This company allows you to make a currency exchange in Bangkok at one of the best rates in the city. You can trust SIA MONEY EXCHANGE, because this company has been operating in the market for more than 30 years and is part of Golden Wall Travel Service Co. Having visited the main office of SIA MONEY EXCHANGE, you have the opportunity to exchange about 30 currencies (including travelers checks) for Thai cash. This currency exchange office is convenient to use if you live in Bangkok in the Makassan area (between Ratchaprarop and Makassan stations at the Bangkok Airport Railway Link).
Address: 1091 / 156-7 Soi Petchburi 33, New Petchburi Road, Makkasan, Rajthevee, Bangkok 10400
Opening hours: Monday-Saturday and holidays from 09:00 to 18:00.
Closed: Sunday
The current exchange rate is always on the official website.
Location on the map:
Thus, you can use the networks and private currency exchange offices located on the ground floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport and in various areas of the city for currency exchange in Bangkok. Of course, if you want to exchange only 50 or 100 USD or GBR, it does not make sense to go to the other end of the city to the best exchange point, because the difference will not pay off your expenses for city transport or taxi service in Bangkok. But if you live near exchange offices with a good exchange rate, it makes sense to contact them and save, therefore, your money. And, as you probably already understood from this article, it’s better not to change money in the arrival area of Suvarnabhumi airport, where the most unprofitable rate for all currencies.
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Thank you very much for the information. Why didn’t anyone tell me about this earlier?
I always exchanged money in the arrival hall at a bad rate 🙁
They sure that tourists do not know which exchange rate is good and that really there are exchange kiosks with a normal exchange rate below
Hands down the most complete post on the subject, ton of good spots. I usually skip the airport and go straight to Super Rich. Vasu is always a good option if you’re in the area but it’s a shame they only have one branch.
Great post, thank you so much
Enjoy your rest in Thailand and save money 🙂
Thanks for the information! I realize that I always lose a lot of money exchanging dollars in Bangkok.
Yes, almost every country has its own peculiarities of currency exchange, but not everywhere you can find a good exchange rate at the airport