Where to change money at good rate in Suvarnabhumi

[LOG54]

Hello

We go "for good" from Thailand in June.

I will obviously close the accounts etc but will then need to keep a reasonable amount of cash for the last week. I never paid attention to change booth in the airport.. can anybody confirm it is possible to change bahts into dollars and where these change booths are located (I imagine should be around arrivals more than departures).. If anyone had an experience is there a company offering better rates or are they all approximately the same.

Thanks a lot.

Have a good weekend 

[soi3eddie]

Head down to the basement by the City Line train station - many exchange booths there that give much better rates than the bank booths in arrivals.

 

[ukrules]

Yeah, there are booths near the food court in the basement - saw it on a youtube video.

What accounts are you closing? Are you going to be carrying a large amount of cash with you?

 

[Briggsy]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

Head down to the basement by the City Line train station - many exchange booths there that give much better rates than the bank booths in arrivals.

 

This.

 

I previously jacked Thailand, sold and gave everything away. This was where I changed my remaining baht into pounds. The rates were surprisingly good.

 

(Then I came back)

[treetops]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Yeah, there are booths near the food court in the basement - saw it on a youtube video.

 

The "good" booths are on the basement level.  The food court is on the ground level.

[LOG54]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

Yeah, there are booths near the food court in the basement - saw it on a youtube video.

What accounts are you closing? Are you going to be carrying a large amount of cash with you?

 

Hello..

No.. I send the balance of my accounts 1 week before leaving but as I will keep cash for 1 week with "security" margin should be equivalent to a few hundred dollars

Have a good weekend 

[Magictoad]

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

This.

 

I previously jacked Thailand, sold and gave everything away. This was where I changed my remaining baht into pounds. The rates were surprisingly good.

 

(Then I came back)

"jacked"? What does that mean?

[Hummin]

6 hours ago, LOG54 said:

Hello

We go "for good" from Thailand in June.

I will obviously close the accounts etc but will then need to keep a reasonable amount of cash for the last week. I never paid attention to change booth in the airport.. can anybody confirm it is possible to change bahts into dollars and where these change booths are located (I imagine should be around arrivals more than departures).. If anyone had an experience is there a company offering better rates or are they all approximately the same.

Thanks a lot.

Have a good weekend 

If you got a credit card without transaction fees, that could be an better option. 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

This.

 

I previously jacked Thailand, sold and gave everything away. This was where I changed my remaining baht into pounds. The rates were surprisingly good.

 

(Then I came back)

"jacked"? What does that mean?

 

Context is obviously key...   Jacked...     gave up on....   Jacked it in... 

 

 

 

 

[gargamon]

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Context is obviously key...   Jacked...     gave up on....   Jacked it in... 

 

 

 

 

Probably off.

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, gargamon said:

Probably off.

Quite the accomplishment - was that Gottfird under a pseudonym? 🫣🍆👌

[Briggsy]

14 hours ago, Magictoad said:

"jacked"? What does that mean?

left / discarded (metaphorically) / binned

[Briggsy]

14 hours ago, Hummin said:

If you got a credit card without transaction fees, that could be an better option. 

Whilst this could work, you need to beware if you do this. Why? Well, I will tell you.

 

1. Most credit cards charge exhorbitant fees for foreign currency transactions.

2. However, Hummin did caveat this by referring to cards without transaction fees. But even for those cards, e.g. the UK Halifax Clarity, any transaction which can be classed as a cash transaction or quasi-cash transaction immediately has interest charged at an exhorbitant rate from the date of the transaction AND may apply fees to cash transactions.

3. You will still suffer a small exchange rate loss, usually 0.5% - 1%

 

So be very wary doing this using a credit card. It can go wrong, expensively wrong.

 

Exchanging cash at the airport downstairs by the train station is a better idea.

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Whilst this could work, you need to beware if you do this. Why? Well, I will tell you.

 

1. Most credit cards charge exhorbitant fees for foreign currency transactions.

2. However, Hummin did caveat this by referring to cards without transaction fees. But even for those cards, e.g. the UK Halifax Clarity, any transaction which can be classed as a cash transaction or quasi-cash transaction immediately has interest charged at an exhorbitant rate from the date of the transaction AND may apply fees to cash transactions.

3. You will still suffer a small exchange rate loss, usually 0.5% - 1%

 

So be very wary doing this using a credit card. It can go wrong, expensively wrong.

 

Exchanging cash at the airport downstairs by the train station is a better idea.

Myy Visa card gives me close to bank to bank transfer rate, and with no transaction or cash withdrawal fees, I’m left to each bank withdrawal fees, on top of that, up to 45 days interest free transaction. 
 

Withdraw 30k on your Visa card at atm, check the actual cost in your credit card statement, and check bank to bank exchange rate minus your local bank fees. Yesterday, my Visa card would be brake even with my Visa card. 

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/personal/other-services/view-rates/foreign-exchange-rates

 

 

[treetops]

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

But even for those cards, e.g. the UK Halifax Clarity, any transaction which can be classed as a cash transaction or quasi-cash transaction immediately has interest charged at an exhorbitant rate from the date of the transaction AND may apply fees to cash transactions.

 

Halifax Clarity does charge interest, as you say, but if paid off immediately the transaction shows it would be minimal.  No further charges apply.  If he had the Barclaycard Rewards CC he wouldn't even have any interest on cash advances to worry about if he pays the statement in full by the due date.

 

Without knowing how much he'd spend and on what it's all guesswork, but a CC (or the right DC) could be a practical solution.

[sandyf]

On 5/9/2025 at 10:38 PM, LOG54 said:

Hello..

No.. I send the balance of my accounts 1 week before leaving but as I will keep cash for 1 week with "security" margin should be equivalent to a few hundred dollars

Have a good weekend 

You need to bear in mind that getting a foreign currency at the airport  is a bit hit and miss unless ordered. Although USD is probably the easiest there is still a risk, they only have a certain amount on hand at any given time and the person in front may well take the last, particularly if a later flight.

Personally I would look the other way round, buy the dollar for cash at the best rate you can before going to  the airport, just keeping what you think you may need in baht. If necessary you can then just change back what may be needed as required, a much easier transaction.

[fredwiggy]

Do you have any relatives or friends where you're moving to that you can transfer bank to bank to? Would be better than carrying a lot of cash.

[LOG54]

Thanks for advice..I plan to keep the minimum amount in cash with me..but as I want some "guarantee" you re surely right and I should organize myself to change in the afternoon.. Any idea about a good place between Najomtien and Pattaya ?

Have a good day

[LOG54]

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Do you have any relatives or friends where you're moving to that you can transfer bank to bank to? Would be better than carrying a lot of cash.

Hello

I will transfer from my account here to my account abroad before closing my account.. I don't know if they will allow me to close the account the same day I transfer.. will see.. but still for one week and with account closed here I need to keep cash .. but surely I won't have to change more than  equivalent to 2 or 300 dollars in the airport

Have a good day

[Nick Carter icp]

11 minutes ago, LOG54 said:

Hello

I will transfer from my account here to my account abroad before closing my account.. I don't know if they will allow me to close the account the same day I transfer.. will see.. but still for one week and with account closed here I need to keep cash .. but surely I won't have to change more than  equivalent to 2 or 300 dollars in the airport

Have a good day

 

   Don't worry too much about it , the difference will just be a few hundred Baht , not worth being so concerned about 

[Keeps]

I appreciate you say you are 'going for good' but I would be tempted to keep an account open. It seems to be incredibly difficult to open a new account these days.

 

You never know what is 'around the corner'. Do you plan to return for holidays? Would you possibly need to transfer money in the future to somebody else's Thai account?

 

I personally would leave an account open with a few thousand baht in it (to cover any fees that may be charged) until you know 100% that you will never need a Thai bank account in the future. 

[Bday Prang]

On 5/9/2025 at 10:44 PM, Magictoad said:

"jacked"? What does that mean?

not a word I am familiar with ,but  come on, its pretty obvious what it means in the context of his post

[LOG54]

21 hours ago, Keeps said:

I appreciate you say you are 'going for good' but I would be tempted to keep an account open. It seems to be incredibly difficult to open a new account these days.

 

You never know what is 'around the corner'. Do you plan to return for holidays? Would you possibly need to transfer money in the future to somebody else's Thai account?

 

I personally would leave an account open with a few thousand baht in it (to cover any fees that may be charged) until you know 100% that you will never need a Thai bank account in the future. 

Thanks for input.. but we won't come back even for holidays.. we are above 70 and decided it is wiser to go and live close to the kids at nearly 20.000 Kms from here.. Getting older and having health concerns will be easier to manage, having some support.. and going when we can still travel on such a long distance has been taken into account in our decision.

Should we be 20 years younger your advice would definitely have been followed.

All the best to all

[Keeps]

12 minutes ago, LOG54 said:

Thanks for input.. but we won't come back even for holidays.. we are above 70 and decided it is wiser to go and live close to the kids at nearly 20.000 Kms from here.. Getting older and having health concerns will be easier to manage, having some support.. and going when we can still travel on such a long distance has been taken into account in our decision.

Should we be 20 years younger your advice would definitely have been followed.

All the best to all

Good luck to you all for your next chapter in life.

 

 

[LOG54]

8 minutes ago, Keeps said:

Good luck to you all for your next chapter in life.

 

 

Next and last..😀 Thank you and have a nice evening