Passport? Good.
ENKOFRESJA

Thailand

Money

PromptPay QR, ATM fees, and what to carry for a day out.

A row of bank ATMs in the arrivals area at Phuket Airport

Do you need cash in Thailand?

Some. Malls and hotels take cards, but stalls, markets and shared vans want cash — and locals mostly pay each other by QR.

Bank of Thailand
Diagram: 2,000 baht minimum per store per day, and up to 30,000 baht refunded in cash

Can you get a tax refund on shopping?

Yes — 2,000 baht per day per store, a P.P.10 form issued at the till against your passport, and customs inspection at the airport before you check in.

Revenue Department — VAT refund for tourists
Diagram: a national park charges a foreign adult 200 baht against a Thai adult's 20 — a published rate, not a decision at the window

Why is the price for foreigners different?

Because it is the published rate, not something decided at the window. A national park charges a foreign adult 200 baht against a Thai adult's 20; the Grand Palace is 500 baht for foreign visitors and free for Thai nationals. It is printed, it is set nationally, and there is nothing to negotiate.

Royal Thai Government — National park entrance fees and advance booking
Diagram: 50,000 baht is the cap on taking baht out; foreign notes above US$15,000 must be declared

Is there a limit on how much cash I can carry in or out?

Bringing baht in is unlimited. Taking it out is capped — 50,000 baht per person for most destinations, two million for Thailand’s immediate neighbours. Foreign banknotes move freely both ways, but anything above USD 15,000 has to be declared. You will still see 20,000 printed in older official guidance; the central bank’s figure is the one that governs.

Bank of Thailand — Exchange Control Regulation

Sort the practical stuff before you fly.

eSIMs, rail passes, and airport transfers — the things worth booking before you land.

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