Money, Safety & eSIM in Thailand
Thailand's currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿) — carry cash for street food, markets, and taxis; cards work fine at hotels, malls, and chain restaurants. ATM withdrawals carry a foreign-transaction fee (roughly 220 baht per withdrawal), so take out larger amounts less often. Thailand is very safe overall for tourists; the real risk is scooter accidents, not crime — confirm your travel insurance actually covers riding one.
The practical questions that actually matter once you land: how to handle cash, what the real safety risks are (spoiler: it's not what most people worry about), and how to get connected without paying international roaming rates.
Money and ATMs
The Thai baht (THB, ฿) is the currency everywhere. Exchange rates move, so check a live rate before your trip rather than relying on an old figure — as a rough planning anchor, $1 has recently traded in the low-to-mid 30s in baht. Most ATMs charge a foreign-transaction fee of around 220 baht per withdrawal regardless of amount, so it's cheaper to withdraw a larger sum less often than small amounts repeatedly.
| Payment method | Where it works best |
|---|---|
| Cash (baht) | Street food, local markets, taxis, small guesthouses |
| Credit/debit card | Hotels, malls, chain restaurants, larger shops |
| Mobile payment apps (PromptPay, etc.) | Increasingly common, but usually requires a Thai bank account |
Is Thailand safe?
Very safe by regional standards — violent crime against tourists is rare. The real, statistically significant risk is scooter and motorbike accidents. Always wear a helmet, and check your travel insurance policy specifically for scooter coverage — many standard policies exclude it unless you add it or hold the right motorcycle license.
The lower-stakes stuff worth knowing about: overpriced 'gem tours' pushed by tuk-tuk drivers working on commission, unmetered taxis that quote you a fare with a straight face and a 3x markup (always ask for the meter, or just use Grab), and pickpocketing in the more crowded tourist strips. None of this is unique to Thailand — knowing it exists is basically the whole defense.
eSIM and staying connected
eSIM works well and is the easiest option if your phone supports it — providers like Airalo and Holafly sell data-only plans from around $5–15 for 7–15 days, activated before you even land. A physical local SIM (AIS, TrueMove, or DTAC, sold at any 7-Eleven) costs roughly $6–15 for two weeks of largely unlimited data and is just as easy to set up on arrival.
Water and food safety basics
- Don't drink tap water directly — bottled water is cheap (roughly 20–30 cents) and sold everywhere, including nearly every 7-Eleven.
- Ice at busy, established restaurants is normally fine (it's typically factory-made from filtered water), but be more cautious at very informal roadside stalls.
- See our street food guide for how to eat safely without missing out on the best part of the trip.