Do I need cash in Thailand, or can I use cards?

Thailand is modernising fast, but it is still a cash-first country where it matters most to travelers: street food, night markets, taxis and tuk-tuks, temple entry and small shops are cash-only or strongly prefer it. Cards, Visa and Mastercard, are reliable at hotels, shopping malls, chain restaurants, supermarkets and tour operators, with Amex accepted less often. Contactless is spreading in Bangkok but assume nothing outside the cities.

Thailand's own QR system, PromptPay, is what locals scan for everything, but it needs a Thai bank account, so tourists cannot use it. You will pay cash or card while everyone around you taps a phone.

This is the Thailand money quirk to plan around. Every Thai bank ATM charges a flat fee per foreign-card withdrawal, regardless of how much you take out. For years it was 220 baht; in 2026 many machines now show 250 baht for Visa and up to 350 for Mastercard, and that is on top of your home bank's fees. Because it is flat, the fix is simple: withdraw the maximum (around 20,000 to 30,000 baht) as rarely as you can, not small amounts often.

Two more habits: always decline the ATM's offer to charge you in dollars and choose baht (the machine's conversion is far worse), and use ATMs attached to a bank branch during the day rather than standalone machines, so if one swallows your card you can walk in and retrieve it.

Here is the trick experienced visitors use. Because of that flat ATM fee, bringing clean US dollar notes and exchanging them at a city exchange booth often beats the ATM, and it beats airport and hotel rates by a wide margin. The well-known chains are SuperRich, Vasu and K79, with rates you can check online before you go. Change only a little at the airport for your taxi and SIM, then the bulk in the city.

One practical note on notes: ATMs tend to spit out 1,000 baht bills, which street vendors and taxis struggle to break. Withdraw an odd amount (say 19,900 rather than 20,000) to force out smaller notes, and keep a stack of 20s, 50s and 100s for daily spending.

Tipping is not traditionally expected in Thailand, though rounding up a taxi fare or leaving small change is appreciated, and smarter restaurants may add a 10% service charge to the bill. Do not feel obliged beyond that.

For the fuller money picture, what things cost and how to carry it, see the Thailand money guide.

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