Do air side ATMs of Bangkok Airports yield the same rate as the land side ATMs?

[gastos]

Hi there, so in order to pay for the 2000-2200 THB visa on arrival at the Thai airport entry, I must withdraw some cash prior to entering Thailand at the airport. 

 

I was told there are several ATM machines that I can withdraw cash using my debit card at the air side, but are the air side ATMs yielding an inferior rate than the land side ATMs?

 

Or they are exactly the same as long as I use the debit card, both rates should be identical stipulated by Visa and MasterCard? Do air side ATMs at BKK charge more fees? 

 

Are there Krung Sri ATMs on the air side? Any other air side ATMs that can withdraw a lot of Baht? 

[BudRight]

If you use a foreign card, as long as you decline "dynamic currency conversion" your withdrawl will be in Thai baht and converted by Visa or Mastercard or Unionpay or whoever. 

 

If you use a Thai bank card, there is no conversion and I don't think there's an extra fee. Just maybe one if your account is in Bangkok since the airport is in Samut Prakan.

[chuang]

As how much can you make or loose....????

[Caldera]

An ATM withdrawal of such a small amount using a foreign card isn't economical, as there's a fixed fee of 220 or 250 baht.

 

Why not just use a currency exchange at the airport to change a small amount of cash, just what's needed immediately?

[OJAS]

11 hours ago, gastos said:

Hi there, so in order to pay for the 2000-2200 THB visa on arrival at the Thai airport entry, I must withdraw some cash prior to entering Thailand at the airport. 

 

I was told there are several ATM machines that I can withdraw cash using my debit card at the air side, but are the air side ATMs yielding an inferior rate than the land side ATMs?

My understanding, based on various reports on here over the years, is that there aren't any ATM's of any shape, size or description located airside at BKK Airport.

 

And don't forget that, in addition to the payment for your Visa On Arrival, you'll almost certainly need the equivalent of 20,000 THB in cash on you to show to the Immigration Officer who admits you into Thailand.

 

[Satcommlee]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

My understanding, based on various reports on here over the years, is that there aren't any ATM's of any shape, size or description located airside at BKK Airport.

 

And don't forget that, in addition to the payment for your Visa On Arrival, you'll almost certainly need the equivalent of 20,000 THB in cash on you to show to the Immigration Officer who admits you into Thailand.

 

This is my understanding too, due to in-transit ATM fraud.

[Elkski]

11 trips and never asked to show 20,000 bath.  

[treetops]

4 hours ago, Elkski said:

11 trips and never asked to show 20,000 bath.  

Your profile shows your location as USA so you probably have never arrived requiring a visa on arrival either.  Dodgier countries such as some of those on the VOA list may be more likely to get financial requirements checked.

[gastos]

Yes one of my friends (CN Passport) was asked to see if he has a bunch of Turkish Lira in cash before he was allowed to board the plane to Bangkok from Turkish Airlines. Another Caucasian individual in front of him was also asked whether he carries sufficient cash or not, and he said he doesn't and then he was FORCED to leave the queue and withdraw Turkish Liras at a nearby ATM and come back and then be allowed to board the TH bound plane. The boarding pass issuer checks this randomly, and my friend said there were a few check in counters and only that one counter of the total 3-4 countered checked for cash sufficiency. But it is real. But the exact amount of the foreign current wasn't checked in Istanbul, merely need to show a WAD of money. 

[shortstop2]

16 hours ago, Caldera said:

An ATM withdrawal of such a small amount using a foreign card isn't economical, as there's a fixed fee of 220 or 250 baht.

 

Why not just use a currency exchange at the airport to change a small amount of cash, just what's needed immediately?

Good idea.

 

Once you are through Immigration and have already paid the approx 2200 for the visa on arrival but wish to exchange even more cash for baht you can use the moneychangers in what is technically the Airport Link Train station which you enter by walking down an incline from the basement of the airport.  The rates there are quite good for major currencies. It depends what currency you are converting to baht.  These booths are not 24 hours though and close around 11 PM if my memory serves correctly.

[mtls2005]

Do air side ATMs of Bangkok Airports yield the same rate as the land side ATMs?

 

Yes.

 

 

The OP is definitely over-thinking this issue.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1257806-best-ways-to-withdraw-money-to-pay-for-visa-on-arrival/

 

 

But you may be required to display 20,000 THB or equivalent in cash paper money, so be prepared for the possibility.

 

You need a photo for the form, yes there is a photo booth.

 

 

22 hours ago, OJAS said:

My understanding, based on various reports on here over the years, is that there aren't any ATM's of any shape, size or description located airside at BKK Airport.

Your "understanding" is of course flawed. There are ATMs and an exchange booths airside. Both SCB and Kasikorn. They've been there, lurking from your view, "over the years".

 

 

How the heck would tens of thousands of tourists find the 2,000 cash, in THB only, to pass the VoA entry point?

 

 

 

 

 

[Chivas]

On 4/26/2022 at 3:22 AM, Caldera said:

 

 

Why not just use a currency exchange at the airport to change a small amount of cash, just what's needed immediately?

My immediate thought was is there an exchange facility pre immigration ??

[Caldera]

10 minutes ago, Chivas said:

My immediate thought was is there an exchange facility pre immigration ??

Yes, there are exchange booths. I think SCB if memory serves.

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Yes, there are exchange booths. I think SCB if memory serves.

Yes.

 

Kasikorn too. Exchange booth near gate D4, Arrivals Concourse level. Air-side.

 

 

 

 

[gastos]

That is solid! Definitely calms me down a lot! Here I come Bangkok!

[Sheryl]

Have you checked rates at m=oney changers in the country you will be departing from? =Depends on the country but it is often possible to get a much better exchange rate than you will in Thailand or would from your bank, since there is less demand for baht .

 

I know I can get a much better exchange rate buying baht in Cambodia than I can get in Thailand, or from my US banks.

[gastos]

43 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Have you checked rates at m=oney changers in the country you will be departing from? =Depends on the country but it is often possible to get a much better exchange rate than you will in Thailand or would from your bank, since there is less demand for baht .

 

I know I can get a much better exchange rate buying baht in Cambodia than I can get in Thailand, or from my US banks.

Very interesting, in my past experience it is nearly always a worse rate to buy foreign currency from a 3rd country than to buy it from the native country using foreign currency different from that native country...

[it is what it is]

14 minutes ago, gastos said:

Very interesting, in my past experience it is nearly always a worse rate to buy foreign currency from a 3rd country than to buy it from the native country using foreign currency different from that native country...

 

i've travelled a lot, as a rule of thumb i'd get enough currency for the first few hours/day before departure, never, ever, change in an airport. then do a bit of research once i'd arrived and change as required. unless i was traveling over a land border, depending where you are, it's often possible to get a good  rate with the black market money changers hanging around. and always do a bit of research before leaving home.

[mtls2005]

In other threads

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1256618-best-thai-banks-to-withdraw-cash-from-using-int-debit-cards-as-of-2022/

 

 

the OP has indicated that they have both a Schwab and a Fidelity Visa ATM debit card. As both reimburse the 220 baht local ATM fee, and give the mid-market daily Visa exchange rate...

 

https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

 

the OP should simply make an ATM withdrawal for as much THB is is possible (~ 17,000 THB, probably $500 given the daily or per transaction limits on the cards), and use 2,000 of that to pay the VoA fee. This assumes the OP has a requirement for that much cash. If they don't, get less.

 

No need to change money in IST or BKK, for the OP anyway.

 

 

 

 

[norbra]

23 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Yes.

 

Kasikorn too. Exchange booth near gate D4, Arrivals Concourse level. Air-side.

 

 

 

 

Gate D is not really "air side",as you must pass through immigration to get there

Edited April 28, 2022 by norbra

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, norbra said:

Gate D is not really "air side",as you must pass through immigration to get there

Yeah, I made a mistake, I meant to say "Concourse D, near Gate D-4".

 

For most people "Airside" means, either Arrival before Immigration, or Departure after Immigration.

 

No clue what it means to you.

 

I'll let you guess what "landside" means.