Money & costs
Costs
Thailand is an inexpensive country to visit by almost any standards. Those on a budget should be able to get by on about 500B per day outside Bangkok and the major beach towns and islands. This amount covers basic food, guesthouse accommodation and local transport but excludes all-night beer binges, tours, long-distance transport or vehicle hire. Travellers with more money to spend will find that for around 600B to 1000B per day, life can be quite comfortable.
In Bangkok there’s almost no limit to the amount you could spend. Because there are so many hotel options, Bangkok is a good place to splurge for recovery from a long flight or as a reward for reentering ‘civilisation’. For under US$100 you can get a river-view room with all the starred trimmings; try finding that in London or New York. In the provinces, guesthouses tend to be better value than the midrange hotels (which are rarely well maintained). Guesthouses also have a built-in community of travellers and lots of tale swapping.
ATMs are widespread and are the easiest ways to get Thai baht. Have a supply of US dollars in cash on hand, just in case. Credit cards are accepted in big cities and resort hotels but not in family-run guesthouses or restaurants.
Tipping
Tipping is not generally expected in Thailand. The exception is loose change from a large restaurant bill; if a meal costs 488B and you pay with a 500B note, some Thais will leave the 12B change. It's not so much a tip as a way of saying 'I'm not so money grubbing as to grab every last baht'. On the other hand, change from a 50B note for a 44B bill will usually not be left behind.
At many hotel restaurants or other upmarket eateries, a 10% service charge will be added to your bill. When this is the case, tipping is not expected. Bangkok has adopted some standards of tipping, especially in restaurants frequented by foreigners.
Money
The basic unit of Thai currency is the baht. There are 100 satang in one baht; coins include 25-satang and 50-satang pieces and baht in 1B, 5B and 10B coins. Older coins have Thai numerals only, while newer coins have Thai and Arabic numerals.
Paper currency is issued in the following denominations: 10B (brown), 20B (green), 50B (blue), 100B (red), 500B (purple) and 1000B (beige). 10B bills are being phased out in favour of the 10B coin.
Changing money
Banks or the more rare private moneychangers offer the best foreign-exchange rates. When buying baht, US dollars are the most accepted currency, followed by British pounds and Euros. Most banks charge a commission and duty for each travellers cheque cashed.
Current exchange rates are printed in the Bangkok Post and the Nation every day, or you can walk into any Thai bank and ask to see a daily rate sheet.
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