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Using ATMs in Thailand: Everything You need to Know

 

 

This post is an excerpt of a longer article.

 

Will my debit or credit card from home work in ATMs in Thailand?

 

The short answer is ‘almost certainly, yes’. The overwhelming majority of cards now use Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus or Maestro as their service provider, all of which are accepted by Thai ATMs. Not sure which yours is? The logo will usually be shown very clearly on the card itself, or you can ask your card company or bank.

 

Why is using ATMs in Thailand a good choice?

 

It’s a sad reality of travel, but it doesn’t matter what method you use to get hold of foreign currency - one way or another, you’re going to lose a little bit of the value of your money. If you use a bureau de change, you’ll often get an unfavourable exchange rate - one below the actual rate - or you might have to pay a service fee. Or both.

 

If you’re really unlucky and go to a particularly unscrupulous exchanger, you might even fall victim to a scam, like the clerk “miscounting” when they give you your baht. One advantage of the Thai currency is that, as each note has a very distinctive colour (one disconcertingly close to the same colours used for Monopoly money), it’s a lot harder for the crooked clerk to hand you a 20 baht note and try to convince you that it’s really a 50. Even so, one of the big advantages of using ATMs in Thailand is the lack of a human element, making this already slim risk non-existent.

 

But back to how you’re going to lose value on your money - using an ATM will at least mean that the exchange rate is as good as it’s going to get. It might not be exactly the rate you’ll find on Google, but it’s the least bad rate available.

 

Where can I find ATMs in Thailand?

 

Another massive advantage to getting your baht from ATMs is that they can be found all over Thailand. Currency exchangers tend to be only available around the major tourism hubs, particularly in places like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Head out into the countryside and your chances of finding one are close to zero.

 

How do I use an ATM in Thailand?

 

You might be thinking that one ATM is very much like any other and, if you’ve managed to figure out how to use one in your home country, dealing with a Thai one can’t be too challenging. For the most part, you’re absolutely right. You might have to select a language you can understand in order to complete the transaction, but the process is usually self-evident. It is subtly different for each bank, but it’s not difficult to figure out.

 

However, there are a couple of things to be aware of that routinely catch out the overconfident. The most significant is the order in which your card and cash are disgorged by the machine. An ATM in the UK, for example, will always give you your card first, followed by your cash a few seconds later. If you’re so used to using UK ATMs that your brain tends to switch into autopilot and you're in a hurry, you may find yourself grabbing your cash from a Thai ATM and then walking off before collecting your card. In Thailand, the card is always the last thing to come out, so be sure to stick around until you’ve got it back.

 

How much money can I get from an ATM in Thailand?

 

The withdrawal limit for most Thai ATMs is set at 20,000 baht per day. Given the low cost of living in the country, that should be more than enough to last you for 24 hours, unless you’re really splashing out. In those cases, a couple of banks have a higher daily withdrawal limit. You can take up to 25,000 baht out from Bangkok Bank ATM or 30,000 baht from a Bank of Ayudhya machine.

 

What are the fees for using ATMs in Thailand?

 

Sadly, the first of the fees you have to contend with when using a Thai ATM is one imposed by the local bank whose machine you are using. Most will charge a 200 baht fee for using a foreign card, though Aeon Bank’s rate is a little lower at 150 baht. As this is a flat rate per transaction, it adds another reason for making a few big cash withdrawals instead of a lot of little ones.

 

Most bank and credit cards will also charge a fee for using the card overseas. These vary from card to card, though some cards particularly targeted at travellers have no fee.

 

How do I avoid paying too much when using ATMs in Thailand?

 

The first and most important thing to do if you’re planning to use your cards in Thailand is to set the card’s currency to baht, meaning that all of your transactions are completed in the local currency. This removes the dependence on DCC and ensures that the currency is converted using the mid-market rate - the fairest and most favourable rate possible. The downside is that you won’t know exactly how much money you’re taking out of your home bank account since the rate in your home currency is not given. It’s best to keep a record of your starting balance and how much you’re spending each time to make sure you don’t end up overdoing it.

 

This post is an excerpt of a longer article from DeeMoney, Thailand’s payment provider. Exchange and send money to 14 countries, register via our app, website or in store. 

 

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DeeMoney serves as a hybrid solution that’s similar to both Transferwise and Western Union, yet distinguishable from both. Whilst TransferWise offers only digital transfers, and WesternUnion mainly cash transfers, DeeMoney is Thailand’s only service to provide both means of transferring money.

[dddave]

Not included.  Standalone ATM's on streets and at convenience stores are vulnerable to "skimmers" being secretly installed, along with hidden cameras to record the pin, especially in popular tourist areas. 

It is always best, whenever you can to use ATM's at bank branches, either in their lobbies or directly outside.  ATM's at bank branches are much less likely to be tampered with.  Most major shopping malls have multiple bank branches within.

[unamazedloso]

some traps... atms dont upgrade there tranfer rates as quickly as should, only list USD in some cases, all require 220b plus per transactuon and some atms put limits on foreign withdrawals as low as 10k so with this, bad rate, fees and fees from home and such y'all getn screwed!! Guess thats pretty obvious though.

[Suradit69]

On December 16, 2019 at 7:29 PM, unamazedloso said:

some traps... atms dont upgrade there tranfer rates as quickly as should

I don't think each ATM stores rates separately. 

[rwill]

First thing to consider is your home banks policies.  They can charge a fee for a foriegn withdrawal and also a foriegn transaction fee(a percentage of the exchange rate)  Then the Thai banks charge a 220 baht fee no matter the amount of withdrawal.  TMB, Krungsri and some SCB ATM's allow up to 30,000 baht withdrawals, as long as your home bank also allows that much.  Charles Schwab has no fees or foreign transaction fee and also rebates most charges foreign banks charge giving you free withdrawals.  You may find some banks that also refund other banks fees but most put a limit on how much they will rebate per month.

 

Then never accept the exchange rate the ATM offers you.  It is much lower than the rate visa/mastercard give you, which is very close to the rate you see when looking them up.  Always choose the 'continue with no conversion option.

[petertucker48]

Set this up before leaving home:

https://transferwise.com

Good rates and Fast.

[NoshowJones]

28 minutes ago, petertucker48 said:

Set this up before leaving home:

https://transferwise.com

Good rates and Fast.

I would disagree with that, it took them a full week to get my money from my UK bank.

[NoshowJones]

15 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I would disagree with that, it took them a full week to get my money from my UK bank.

What's with the confused emotican? My post is plain enough, do you think I'm telling lies?

[Parsve]

They maybe also should have mention about the thai bank account. Thai banks are provincial, meaning that if you have a bank account for instance in Bangkok bank in Chiang Mai and goes to another province and use the ATM there you have to pay a fee, even if it is not shown on the slip.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Parsve
wrong spelling

[HHTel]

1.  Withdrawal limit is set by your home bank not Thai if using a foreign bank card.

2.  If using a Thai debit card, the 20,000 is per withdrawal.  You can stick your card back in and draw another 20,000.  A visit to the bank can upgrade this limit.  Mine is set at 50,000 baht.

3.  If using a foreign bank debit card, it's often required to inform the bank that you'll be using it in Thailand.  If the bank hasn't been informed, it may be rejected.

 

The above is from my personal experience.

[luckyluke]

42 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

What's with the confused emotican? My post is plain enough, do you think I'm telling lies?

 Not at all,

I am confused because that's not my experience and isn't of many others. 

So, I believe that, for one or another reason, you had a bad experience, however not relevant. 

 

[mylal]

5 hours ago, rwill said:

First thing to consider is your home banks policies.  They can charge a fee for a foriegn withdrawal and also a foriegn transaction fee(a percentage of the exchange rate)  Then the Thai banks charge a 220 baht fee no matter the amount of withdrawal.  TMB, Krungsri and some SCB ATM's allow up to 30,000 baht withdrawals, as long as your home bank also allows that much.  Charles Schwab has no fees or foreign transaction fee and also rebates most charges foreign banks charge giving you free withdrawals.  You may find some banks that also refund other banks fees but most put a limit on how much they will rebate per month.

 

Then never accept the exchange rate the ATM offers you.  It is much lower than the rate visa/mastercard give you, which is very close to the rate you see when looking them up.  Always choose the 'continue with no conversion option.

????visa mastercard charge 2-5 conversion rate on foreighn transaction....

[mylal]

call ur foreighn card ....i think some middle eastern card give cash rebate

[mylal]

open a thai bank account nocharges

[crazyk]

Up untill about 2 years ago you could use your home country card in banks & money exchanges for B30 fee,but not now as they're losing money due to online banking,i used to get my cash in hand wages put in my thai bank account & then when here keep putting B20000 in it from my uk account but then with the rumours of brexit i made weekly payments of B20000 which turned out to be a good choice,another thing i do is pay nationwide bank £15 a month to cover all atm fees,i was always working in different countrys & spending 5 months a year in thailand