It is very common to pay with cash in Thailand. Most small vendors and street markets operate in cash only. Keeping cash on you is essential to ensure that you are able to freely buy the things you need or want while travelling.
Keeping cash with you is necessary for certain activity’s that you will need to pay in cash. As Thailand is a smaller economy, vendors rely on cash payments and many don’t have card facilities available for customers to use.
Visiting markets across Thailand is a very popular tourist activity. Smaller street vendors are also more common and the majority of transport operates with cash only. It is also very common for food vendors to only accept cash. So what is everything you will need cash for?
What Would You Need Cash For?
Thailand has a smaller economy as a whole and it is easier to use cash while travelling. You can easily make purchases at smaller outlets or if you need to quickly get around Thailand. Another thing to keep in mind is that using a debit or credit card carries charges for each transaction.
It is common to use a songthaew to get around Thailand as they are cheap and easily accessible. They cost around 200 Baht for a one way trip, but they operate in predominantly in cash.
It is quicker to use cash to make purchases as not every vendor has the ability to accept card payments, and so you may be stuck if you do not have cash on you. Especially if you need to make an urgent purchase or would really like to buy a trinket from your travels.
Street food across Thailand is very common, and absolutely delicious. The majority of these vendors will only accept cash as they are more informal, smaller businesses. Eating local Thai food is highly recommended and it is worth going through the extra effort of keeping Baht’s on you.
Using cash also protects your digital security as scammers can copy your card information and potentially access your money. While it is safer to make use of international debit or credit cards while travelling, using cash is quicker and it protects you from potential fraudulent activities.
You can find incredible goods and local Thai products at markets across Thailand. A popular purchase is fruit soap at the Chatuchak Market, or Thai silk to create beautiful pieces. You can find everything from food, coconut oil, cough remedies to heat powder in the Thailand markets.
What Activities Does Thailand Offer
There are a number of museums, water sports, cultural sites and tours you can experience. The nightlife in Thailand is a draw to the country and is well known for an incredible party. Parties can be found on almost every street in Phuket or the Phi Phi islands.
You can jet ski at Pattaya Beach for approximately 700 Baht/$20 or snorkel with the fishes at Maya Beach. Maya Beach is the most visited beach in Thailand as it has beautiful coral reefs. The water is clear and the fish are incredibly colourful here.
If you are interested in nature then you should definitely visit Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and Cultural Village. It is intrinsically landscaped botanical gardens that has features from the European renaissance, French Gardens and Stonehenge. It costs 500 Baht per person to enter the gardens.
The Walking Street in Pattaya is a must visit for those who enjoy a good party. The street is at the end of Pattaya’s Beach Road and is closed to vehicles after 6pm. This is when it comes alive with parties and bars. You can dance the night away along in the vibrant clubs.
There is an abundance of activities to do in Thailand for the adrenaline junkie or for more relaxed travelers. Thailand is the perfect holiday destination for any vacationer.
How Much Cash Should You Carry
Before travelling to Thailand it is a good idea to put together a budget and keep in mind what kind of holiday you are planning on having. Typically, your accommodation can be paid for electronically, but all of your other daily expenses will require cash.
Food for a day in Thailand costs roughly $13 for midrange meals and can range to $40 per day for higher end meals. Western food can be found across the country but are more expensive.
Activities range from $20 per day, depending on what you’d like to do. Visiting waterfalls and nature parks typically cost $5 per person to enter, while water skiing at any of Thailand’s beautiful beaches costs $25.
You should budget for emergencies as well, and bear in mind the possibility of being scammed is a real possibility. Experts recommend budgeting $35 a day in the instance that something could go wrong.
Other factors that should play into your budget is your nightlife habits and if you plan to spend more money at a beach party. On average a local beer costs $2 and you can budget for a day of drinking midrange alcohol for about $10.
You will need to budget $100 a day if you are planning on having a midrange holiday. For a more luxurious holiday experience you should plan on spending $300 a day including accommodation, food, entertainment, and transport.
The majority of your budget will consist of accommodation and food costs. Cheap, good food is found across Thailand and is worth indulging in. As Thailand has become a tourist hotspot, the local food has adjusted to suit foreigners tastes as well.
Alternatives To Carrying Cash
Fortunately, there are a number of options to choose from when deciding how you’d like to keep your money with you in Thailand. Of course, you can set a budget and exchange all of your cash into Baht’s before leaving for Thailand but this is risky as you could misplace cash easily.
Carrying large amounts of cash also makes you a target for scams or criminals, and it is not recommended that you leave any valuables at your accommodation while you are out exploring Thailand.
The best alternative to carrying cash on you is to use a an internationally accepted credit or debit card at vendors that can accept card payments, as this will keep your money secure in your bank account back home.
Many international bank cards do enable you to claim back your transaction fees. Doing your research can save you money as you can find banks that offer zero transaction fee’s while you are in Thailand. This is especially true for big international banks that have branches in Thailand and your home country.
Another option is to get a prepaid travel card. This enables you to transfer the entirety of your budget into this card to use while you are travelling. This protects you as it keeps your normal account separate from your travel account.
In the instance that your prepaid card gets stolen or there is fraudulent activity on it, your main account will be protected from thieves or unauthorized activity.
Another good tip from experts is to withdraw money from ATMs across Thailand in order to keep track of how much money you are using as well as keep your cash safe. It ensures that you only need to carry a smaller amount of cash with you at a time as you have availability of Bahts across Thailand.
Making use of ATMs and prepaid travel cards also helps you avoid having to convert your home currency with you are in Thailand and ensures that you do not need to bring a large amount of your home currency with you to Thailand when you travel.
Tips On How To Budget In Thailand
Before leaving for Thailand it is a good idea to put together a budget of how much money you will need while you are travelling throughout Thailand. This will depend entirely on the type of vacation you’d like to have.
It is quite easy to have a budget vacation in Thailand as there is an abundance of hostels and cheap accommodation available, and street food is cheap and delicious. You can spend the day on the beach and not have to spend a dime outside of buying food and drinks.
More luxurious vacations also don’t have to break the bank. Many high end resorts have all inclusive options including travel to and from the airport, food, drinks and activities. This can save you in the long run as you have everything you need included in your package.
The best way to ensure you stick to your budget is to only carry the amount of money you’ve planned to spend for the day with you, and keeping your card close in case there is an emergency.
It is also recommended that you withdraw the maximum amount of money at a time from ATMs to minimize on your transactional fee’s, and also use cash where you can to avoid additional bank charges.
There are free cultural sites across Thailand such as Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi province. These are breathtaking to experience and a great way to spend your day. Staff at your accommodation and other travelers will be able to point you in the direction of some popular and free cultural sites.
Thailand is well known for its markets and shopping districts where you are able to haggle to get the best price. You should only bargain for items that you plan on buying, to do otherwise is seen as very disrespectful.
Thai shop owners respect a good haggle over their prices. If you come in lower and slowly raise your price, you can get a very good deal on products or even a discount on activities.
You don’t have to tip service providers, but it is recommended that you do if you enjoyed the service. This should also be included into your budget if you plan on tipping your service providers.
Sticking to your budget is important to ensure you have enough money for the duration of your trip, otherwise you could be left in a tight situation towards the end of your trip.
How To Protect Yourself When Carrying Cash
It is highly recommended that you don’t leave your values at your hotel room, so then what must you do with all the cash you have converted in Bahts? It is obviously more dangerous to carry a large amount of cash as risk being scammed, robbed or losing it.
It is better to convert your money into Bahts in smaller increments – but again if you are carrying large amounts of cash in your home currency you can be in even more suspectable to crime.
The safest alternative is to keep the majority of your money in a debit or credit card, or a prepaid travel card or to withdraw cash from ATMs across Thailand.
You should keep whatever money you are carrying with you in a safe pocket or bag locked with a zip that is difficult to reach.
There are an abundance of anti-theft bags available that you can take with you to Thailand. These have hidden zips that are harder to open that can keep your valuables safer. It is also advised that you put a lock on your bag to make it even more difficult for thieves to open.
You should always be cautious of scams. When booking boat trips or excursions, make sure that the equipment is not run down and in good working order. You should also ask other tourists who are getting off the pier what their experiences were with the guides they used.
This is a good indicator of who is scamming their clients and providing less than adequate experiences and who is worth going on an excursion with.
Be careful when you are drinking. It is common practice for thieves and scammers to prey on drunk tourists and take advantage of their state of mind. This is when thieves will steal money or overcharge tourists.
Avoid going into red light districts, where scammers and shady people are more common. The red light districts are more dangerous areas and are infamous for an increase in crime and scammers.
If someone offers you something on the streets of Thailand or offers to guide you, it is likely a scam and it is best to say no. If you need assistance it is best to ask other tourists or hotel guides for recommendations and advice.
Scammers will offer to take you to the best stores or tell you that temples are closed in order to offer you a ride and charge you for this, or take you to lower quality stores in order to get a kickback from the owner.
It is also best not to handle large amounts of public in cash. Try to budget how much you would need for the day and only handle a smaller amount of money when you are making purchases.
In Conclusion
Most vendors throughout Thailand only operate in cash, and so it is a necessity to carry cash with you while you are travelling throughout the country. It is best to only carry a smaller amount of cash and use alternative options to cash while you are travelling.
Exchanging cash or withdrawing cash from ATMs is easy to do throughout Thailand and this protects you from being robbed or scammed. Having cash makes it easier to quickly purchase food or pay for activities.
