Useful Bangkok Financial Tips (Updated 2021)

Are you going to Bangkok for your vacation for the first time? Have you had a thorough plan of what you’re going to do or where you’re going to visit? That would be great if you keep in mind these financial tips. They will make your trip easier and more memorable.

1. Financial tips: How and where to exchange your money to Thai baht (THB) in Bangkok?

As you may know, the Thai government only accepts “baht” in almost everyday trade and activities so it’s compulsory for you to have some THB when traveling there. US dollar is used on price tags at some stores but in general, baht is more widely and easily used.

• If you are outside Thailand, you can exchange your money at the jewelry stores which have been granted by the authority for buying and selling foreign currency. Exchanging at the airport can be another choice, but the rates at the airport are usually lower than banks in Thailand so you’d better exchange just a little amount.
• When you enter Thailand, if you haven’t had any baht or USD yet, it’s wise to exchange some at the airport before going to the city. If you’ve already had some on hand, it’s better to go to some exchanging offices or banks around Bangkok.

Below are some good suggestions:

#1: Super Rich International Exchange

This is perhaps the most money exchange company in Bangkok and they are almost guaranteed to have the best rates. There are several branches spread out across the city Here are some suggestions:

Location:

• Headquarter: 67,69 Ratchadamri Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok.
• BTS Siam Square: inside the station, Exit 3 to Exit 4
• BTS Mo Chit: N8-8, BTS Skytrain to Mo Chit station, Phaholyothin Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok

You can check the nearest Super Rich Exchange for your convenience.

#2: Vasu Exchange Bangkok

Vasu Exchange is another big name when changing money in Bangkok for its competitive conversions. Usually, it is guaranteed to have better exchange rates than many Thai and international banks.

Location:  

• 133-133/1 Sukhumvit Road Soi 7/1
• BTS Nana

Keep updated with their daily exchange rates.

#3: SIA Money Exchange

This company has 30 years of experience in this field and its success based on their good service and good rates. SIA Exchange offers one of the best rates in the city every now and then.

Location:  

• Head office: 1091/156-7 Soi Petchburi 33, New Petchburi Road, Makkasan, Rajthevee, Bangkok.
• Good Rate Exchange & Travel Service: 14/30 Soi Petchburi 19 (Soi Juldis), Phayathai, Rajthevee, Bangkok.

2. Booking tickets tips: How to book a cheap flight to Bangkok?

Bangkok has several international airports so travelers often choose to take a flight to this city for the best experience and best time traveling. When searching for a flight ticket, you should keep in mind these things:

• Using online tools and engines to search for flights: Nowadays, tourists tend to use online searching engines to check for available flights as well as to compare different flights from different airlines for the best one. Some common engines that are widely used are Google Flights, Skyscanner, JetRadar, Kiwi.com, etc.
• Keep your searches secret: Usually, you don’t care about this so much, right? There are so many times you frustratedly realizes that a flight price has changed just after a few minutes searching. Actually, the prices do increase when a particular route is searched repeatedly. Many people were scared and try to book as quickly as possible in case the price increase even higher. But there is a way to avoid this: Always search for flights which are in incognito or private browsing mode to see the lowest prices. And remember to close all the private tabs before opening a new one.
• Student airfares: If you are a student, mention it when booking flights. Most airlines offer a good price for students and they cost much cheaper than normal. So if you still go to school, make use of this student airfare.
• Error fares (mistake fares): The error fares are a hugely reduced flight ticket because of a mistake. The mistake can be human error, currency conversion mishaps or omitting fuel surcharges and fees, etc. But this error fares can be a godsend to travelers especially those who are with a big dream but small wallets. You can even have a chance to find a flight error fare 10 times cheaper than the original through one of the best source out there for worldwide pricing errors Secretflying.com. They update current mistake fares every day and also the tickets that are sold out or become defunct. Check out this website every day and maybe you’ll get a big deal!

3. Accommodation tips: Best areas in Bangkok to stay for your budget

If you still don’t have the idea of where to stay in Bangkok for cheap accommodation, keep reading. Here are some useful tips that can help you a lot when choosing a place to stay during your vacation:

#1: Cheap areas to stay: Silom, Chinatown and Old City.

• Silom is a small area where you can buy almost everything at a reasonable price.
• Looking for hotels in Chinatown if you are an independent traveler with a narrow budget or a family wants to save money as much as possible. Hotels in     Chinatown is may not be as numerous as in other areas of Bangkok, but you still have choices between budget hotels and more exclusive boutique ones.
• Old City is perhaps the number one choice for independent travelers who are looking for cheap hotels to stay. There are a lot of hostels, hotels, guesthouses and even luxurious accommodation for tourists. Also, this area is the home of many tourist attractions so it’s easier and cheaper to get around here.

Find our comparison among different area in Bangkok to find our your best stay.
Tired of regular hotels? You also may want to discover some cool and unique hotels in the center of Bangkok.

#2: Using online engines to search for rooms

Agoda.com, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc. are now widely used by people around the world to check for good rooms with good price and service. They also help us compare different places in the area with a lot of feedback from former guests. There are times that you can get a room at a 2-star hotel in Chinatown within $8 per night. Sometimes they can be hits and sometimes they can be misses but these engines undoubtedly help users find a wonderful room after all. So please read the reviews from other before booking a hotel in Bangkok.

#3: Finding promotion programs

Many hotels have the promotion programs during some certain time of the year for first-time guests or loyal guests. Don’t forget to look for those programs because they can save you an amount of money.

4. Transportation tips: How to get around Bangkok without spending much money?

#1: When arriving at the airport

After arriving at the airport in Bangkok, you have to think about getting a mean of transport to go to the wanted places. There are several kinds of vehicles available: taxis, buses, BTS Skytrain and MRT.

• Taxis are perhaps the common choice. You can see a lot of taxis in different brands and names and you don’t know which to take. But remember to go to the Ground Floor and take a taxi of fast-moving Official Taxi Queue. If not, you should look for some taxis that have a meter so they cannot cheat on the price. If you are traveling in a group of 3 or more, take a taxi may be the best.
• Buses are also a popular means of transport from the airport to other areas in Bangkok. The fare is quite cheap but the traveling time is a little longer than taxis.
• BTS, MRT: they are the most convenient and fast transport to travel in Bangkok. Suitable for people who take the time the priority.

Check our guide on how to get to Bangkok city from Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports.

#2: When getting around in Bangkok

You can easily find different kinds of vehicles to go around in Bangkok including buses, taxis, BTS Skytrain, MRT or traditional vehicles like tuk-tuk or boat. In rush hours, it’s wise to take a mode of public transport instead of private transport especially from 7:00 to 9:00 and between 17:00 and 19:00.

• Buses or taxis: they are cheap and quite fast except during rush hours. The ride-sharing services of Grab and Uber both operate in the city to help you order a ride with ease and cheaper than taxis.
• BTS Skytrain or MRT: they are convenient and fast. However, there are some places that BTS or MRT can’t reach, in this case, you’d better take a tuk-tuk or something else to get there.
• Tuk-tuk, boats, ferries: Riding a tuk-tuk is more of an experience rather than just a way of getting around. Going by boat or ferry also a cheap but memorable way for tourists. These are the main way for people who want to visit temples in the Old City area, too.

5. Shopping tips: How to save money when going shopping in Bangkok?

Bangkok, in general, is a paradise for shopaholics. They provide a lot of things from crafts to luxurious brands’. Therefore, it’s important to remember some tips when going shopping to get a good product without paying too much.

#1: The DOs

• DO bargain the price, especially at the markets in touristy areas like Silom, Khao San Road or Chatuchak market. If they refuse the price at the first time, go away and 80% they will call you back and accept the price you gave.
• DO eat street food: Bangkok street food are one of the best street food in the world. They offer a variety of choices from barbequed meat, pad thai, freshly blended papaya salads and a whole world of different noodle soups, etc. Each usually cost no more than 50 baht.
• DO buy festival tickets at guaranteed agencies: Avoid buying them from people on the streets because they can be a scam and want to cheat on you.

#2: The DON’Ts

• DON’T buy single drinks when partying: When partying in Bangkok, you usually had better club your funds together to buy a big tower of beer rather than buy your own drinks. You will save more on this.
• DON’T hold your wallet or put it in an easy-to-see place: If you don’t want the pickpockets to pay attention to your wallets, be careful when holding them.
• DON’T buy things at first sight: When you go shopping at a market, you will be bombarded by ton and tons of different things seems interesting. But many of them are not as good as you thought and they can be much more expensive than the real price. So you’d better go around looking for other shops to check whether you can find better ones.

Overall, if you are planning to Bangkok, it’s necessary to have some tips on hand. Be adventurous but be careful. Hope these tips for visiting Bangkok 2021 will help you. Your Bangkok trip will be a lot more wonderful if you know how to deal with everything!