The history of the main Thai currency, the baht (THB), goes back to ancient times. The word "baht" local residents states of Indochina called the currency Tikal, which also served as a unit of measurement for mass. Beginning in 1350, Siam, the most powerful Thai state, until the 19th century, minted convex gold and silver bars, which were characterized by large weight (up to 1.215 kg) and non-standard shape. Later, in 1861, the English Birmingham Mint began minting standard European round coins for Siam.

In addition to coins, banknotes called tikals and tamlungs were also printed in the 19th century. The last year of banknote issue was 1918. The official “Birthday” of the Thai baht, as an independent monetary unit of Thailand, was April 15, 1928. Bath remains united to this day monetary currency Thailand.

One baht contains 100 satang, which is standard for almost all small change coins of any world currency.

Coins of Thailand

The commonly accepted coin of change in Thailand is the satang. Translated from the Pali language, this name means “hundredth part”. It speaks for itself about the exchange rate - one satang is equal to one hundredth of the Thai baht.

Satangs began to be minted back in 1898, when the Thai currency was officially called "tikal", which means that satangs officially appeared somewhat earlier than bahts.

25 satang coins are still popularly called salueng to this day. In 1908, a decree was passed to demonetize the silver baht.

Thailand's coins have always come in a variety of shapes and weights.. Thai coins of the 1937 model, for example, by their appearance looked more like a flat ring than a typical European coin.

The highest denomination is the 10 baht coin. Coins of 1 and 5 baht are also issued. Below are coins in denominations of 25 and 50 satang. Modern coins of Thailand are minted with the image of King Pumpion Adulyadej, who has been on the throne since 1950.

On the front side of the coins there is a portrait of the king, and on the back there are various images - from mythological characters to the image of the royal ship “Golden Swan”. The temples of Thailand are of great importance to the Thai people, so their images are most often found on the reverse (back side).

Photos of Thai coins:

Thai baht to ruble exchange rate

Currency Converter

The currency of Thailand against the ruble is practically identical in value and you can see this in the currency converter on the left. A ruble on sale is approximately 0.98 baht; this figure fluctuates slightly depending on the exchange rate. 1 Thai baht in rubles does not reach a value of more than 1.4 rubles. A Russian should price it approximately as if he would have rubles and pay with them, with the only difference being that many aspects of a holiday and stay in Thailand are much cheaper than at Russian resorts.

There are many ATMs in Thailand where you can withdraw Thai money. These ATMs are called ATMs and they accept almost all standard bank cards, in particular Visa and MasterCard Standard. ATMs have ATM cash withdrawal fee is fixed and amounts to 150 baht.

ATMs also have different limit for cashing out, mainly from 20 to 30 thousand rubles. In Thailand, it is possible to cash out in banks; in this case, no commission will be charged, but you will have to make a scanned copy of your passport.

Thai baht to dollar exchange rate

The baht to dollar ratio can be seen on the converter a little higher. It turns out during the exchange The baht to dollar exchange rate varies depending on the denomination of the banknote. Therefore, when exchanging large bills, you can save a lot of money.

Approximate exchange rate depending on the denomination of the banknote as of November 4, 2013:

• USD $1 and $2 = 31.29 baht
• USD $5, $10 and $20 = 31.69 baht
• USD $50 and $100 = 32.09 baht

What currency should I take to Thailand?

If you are planning a long trip with accommodation, it is best to have currency in dollars. When cashing money in Thailand, any Russian bank, to which the card belongs, will automatically convert rubles first into dollars. The same often applies to the euro. When withdrawing euros, double conversion is possible, where the funds are first transferred to dollars and then to euros.

If a tourist wants to relax and stay in Thailand for a relatively short period of time - It would be best to have rubles on the card. During transportation Money over 10 thousand dollars, it should be taken into account that the amount will need to be declared when going through Russian customs. If you are asked what money to take to Thailand, then you can confidently answer that it is most profitable to take our rubles.

Currency exchange in Thailand

We have already figured out what currency is in Thailand - now we need to think about exchanging it. Thais basically do not use and do not accept any currency other than their own baht. It is almost impossible to pay in dollars or euros in Thailand, because even if a tourist finds desperate sellers who will accept such currency, the exchange rate will become completely unfavorable for him.

Therefore, when bringing any currency with you, you should keep in mind that it will need to be exchanged for Thai baht. It is best to exchange currency in specialized Thai banks with an "Exchange" sign.

Tipping in Thailand

All service industry workers love tips, and Thais are no exception. You should not leave money for a tip in small change, as this may offend the staff. But it is not customary to waste money in Thailand. Tipping here is a reasonable payment for perfect service and service. It cannot exceed the amount of the order or purchased service. Taxi metered amounts are usually rounded up.

In Thailand, it is customary to collect change when paying in trade., even if it's a market. The maximum that would be appropriate is when purchasing for 99 baht, paying with a 100 baht bill, and offer the seller to take the rest for yourself. Tips in massage parlors and SPA usually range from 50 to 200 baht, depending on the service provided and its duration.

Tipping in hotels in Thailand. Here you can only tip boys carrying luggage and maids. In the second case, money for cleaning is not given personally, usually small amount placed under the ashtray or on the pillow.

For those who are looking, we have prepared an article on this topic.

If you doubt that holidaying with children in Thailand is a problem, then we will suggest places for family holidays.

Read about how to extend a visa in Thailand here - you will see that it is not as difficult as it seems.

You should never thrust dollar bills into hotel receptionists. This may not only puzzle but also shock Thais.

“Buying off” money from prohibited things is absolutely useless in Thailand. For example, when smoking in a prohibited place, you may not even try to throw money in the hope of avoiding a fine or punishment.

Thailand is a paradise country where you can completely relax both soul and body. “Smart” currency exchange, carried out in special places, moderate costs and tips generally accepted in Thailand, will help the tourist not only enjoy an unforgettable vacation, but also spend the budget wisely, and even save some of it upon returning to their homeland.

Photo of Thai money:

Below you can see current rate dollar to baht in Pattaya and Phuket today. If you want to know the dollar to baht exchange rate, use the calculator below and enter your amount (for example 1 dollar, 10 dollars USD, 100 US dollars). The course is updated every hour. We recommend bookmarking the page to monitor the current dollar exchange rate at exchange offices. Data source: Yahoo Finance.

US dollar to Thai baht (THB) exchange rate calculator

If you have just arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, I do not recommend changing all your dollars to baht. This is not the best exchange rate. Therefore, change exactly as much money as you need to get to Pattaya or Phuket.
I recommend changing it at Siam Bank:

You can see their exchange rate online on their website:
http://www.scb.co.th/scb_api/index.jsp
You may note that in Thailand the exchange rate depends on the denomination of cash dollars. For banknotes of 50-100 dollars they give more than for 20 dollars. Five or one dollar is taken reluctantly or at a reduced rate. This situation is everywhere, so we recommend taking a large denomination if you want good course.
Also in Thailand they are very reluctant to accept crumpled banknotes, as well as money that has different marks on it.

Exchange rate dynamics of 1 baht to 1 USD (US dollar) for 1 month

You can clearly see how the baht is falling against the dollar. In 2016, the baht fell from 33 baht per dollar to almost 35 baht. The currency is constantly strengthening against the baht. There are several reasons - Thailand itself often weakens its currency by participating in currency wars. The United States has repeatedly issued notes of protest on this matter.

Dollar to baht exchange rate in Pattaya exchange offices

Where is it profitable to change cash dollars in Pattaya? The most ideal option is to exchange in yellow T.T. CURRENCY EXCHANGE. They look like this:

Siam Bank also has a good rate; exchange offices in Pattaya look like this:

There are a lot of these exchangers on Beach Street (in the Central Festival, Pattaya Shopping Mall), Walking Street (on the left side), and there are them on Second Street.

The best exchangers in Phuket to exchange dollars for baht

Before specifying specific exchangers, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you only need to exchange money in Phuket at exchangers that have signs saying Currency Exchange.

If there are no instructions or the inscription Currency Exchange on the sign, then the exchanger, in addition to the indicated rate, also takes its own commission for the payment. In some cases, this can be either a fixed amount or a percentage of the exchange.
There are no problems with exchanging dollars in Phuket.
If you have money on a dollar card and the amount is more than $300, watch this video, where the author talks about a free profitable exchange

If you have cash, then several options:

• • Currency exchanger in Patong.

In the southern part of Patong, to the left and right of the entrance to Ocean Plaza (yellow building) there are two currency exchange points with an excellent rate.

Here is the place on the map:

It is profitable to change at the following banks:

• Singapore UOB

• Next in the rating is TMB bank

• Kasikorn Bank closes the rating

I would also like to clarify that most of these exchangers in Phuket are not 24-hour, but work from 8 am to 10 pm. Other exchangers operate at night, but the dollar exchange rate there is much worse. Also, hotels often exchange dollars at a very unfavorable rate. Don’t rush to change money, go out into the street and look for profitable exchangers by color.

About fraud in exchange offices in Pattaya and Phuket

What I will write about happens rarely and usually in private exchangers. The chance of running into such blatant deception in a bank exchanger is minimal. However, it is better to be warned.
The most common exchange scams:
1) When transferring money, the operator “drops” one of the bills at his feet and gives you a smaller amount. As you understand, it is difficult to prove the fact of such fraud.
Therefore, a recommendation: do not give dollars in bundles. Give us one 100 dollar bill at a time and count it together with the operator.
A similar scam was noticed in Phuket at Tesco Lotus near the Festival shopping center (Central Festival Phuket).
2) “Wringing” bills. Divorce is as old as time, there is nothing to describe.
3) Incorrect amount issued. Often tourists do not recalculate the amount given in baht and money changers take advantage of this. How not to make a mistake? Just turn on the calculator on your phone and recalculate how much it should be, then recalculate the amount received without leaving the cash register.

While telling you about the exchange rate of the Thai baht to the dollar, I still missed a rather interesting topic about Thai money. I hasten to fill this gap. In Thailand, the main currency is the Thai baht, symbolized by THB. Each baht consists of 100 satang. Banknotes come in 20 (green), 50 (blue), 100 (red), 500 (purple) and 1000 (brown) baht, coins - 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht. There are also coins of 25 and 50 satang. Currently, several series of banknotes and coins are in use. You can find bats with images of Rama IX and the current King Rama X. Sometimes you even come across real rarities, released 15-20 years ago.

Like in Russia, there is no free circulation in Thailand foreign currency. That is, in a supermarket you will not be able to buy food for yourself with only dollars, euros or rubles. There are exchangers for this. In rare cases, regular stores will be ready to sell you goods, but at a rate lower than the official one.
I will not go into the history of the Thai baht and will talk about the bills and coins that are in use now. Their design is constantly changing, but for the last few years, since 2003, when the 15th series of banknotes were printed, it has remained the same. So, for example, eight years ago I remember a transparent window in a 50 baht bill; now you don’t see such money.

On the front of each note is an image of either an X in the uniform of the Supreme Commander, the obscure icons at the bottom left are the Thai designation for the note, and at the top right is the Arabic designation. But the reverse side is unique.

The Thai "twenty" depicts King Rama VIII, His Majesty Ananda Mahidol, the elder brother of Rama IV, who died under strange circumstances. The bill itself is green in color, and in the background there is a picture of His Majesty visiting ordinary people and the Rama VII Bridge in Bangkok.

On the 50 baht note you will see His Majesty King Mongkut, Rama IV, in front of a telescope, globe and the Phra Pathom chedi in Nakhon Pathom Province. The bill itself is blue.

There are two types of "hundreds" in Thailand. The obverse side remains unchanged, while the reverse side depicts either a monument to the great reformer Rama V, His Majesty King Chulalangkorn at Chulalongkorn University and scenes from Thai learning in ancient times, or a portrait of the monarch himself. The color of the bill is red.

The reverse side of the 500 baht coin depicts the monument to Rama III, His Majesty King Nangklao at the Maha Chetsadabadodin Pavilion, the Loha Prasat metal castle at Ratchanaddaram Temple in Bangkok and a Chinese ship. The bill itself is purple.

And on the 1000 baht banknote, Rama IX himself is depicted, His Majesty Adulyadej Bhumibol against the backdrop of the Pa Sak Tjolasit dam in Lopburi province. The color of the bill is light brown.

Thai coins are very diverse. The 10 baht, for example, has a silver rim, while the 2 baht, which is not so easy to find, comes in white and yellow. Satangs can be found mainly in large supermarkets, like pennies, they are not very valuable.

In 2017-2018, a new series of Thai banknotes and coins was released with the image of the current King Rama X. The color scheme remained the same. Old bills also work.

Now you know everything about Thai bills and coins. It remains to be reminded that you need to store everything in safes and under no circumstances leave wallets and bags with money unattended.

Many travelers ask the question: what currency to take with them to Thailand? Rubles? Dollars? Euro? Or something else? I will be looking at the two most common currencies in this article: dollars and euros. And compare them with the ruble. Neither Ukrainian hryvnia, neither Kazakhstani tenge nor Belorussian rubles They are not accepted in Thailand. Therefore, immediately change them to dollars or euros.

What is the currency in Thailand?

The official currency of Thailand is the Thai baht. Banknotes in circulation are in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 baht. There are 100 satangs in one baht. Coins can be found in 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht. Satangs come in denominations of 25 and 50, but they are of particular value only for philatelists. Satangs are not accepted in souvenir shops, restaurants and, just as in Russia, pennies are frowned upon. You can get satang for change in pharmacies, grocery supermarkets and 7-11 stores, in short, in those places where the price of goods is not rounded up to the nearest baht.

Are you going on vacation and have chosen Thailand (Phuket) for yourself? The money of this country is something that every tourist will have to deal with. And this applies not only to Phuket and other popular places. The Thais are known to have an extremely respectful, even reverent attitude towards their own currency and an extreme reluctance to make payments in euros or dollars, which are so widely quoted among us. That is why, once at the Bangkok airport, foreigners have to immediately exchange part of their cash for local currency units. Since 1928, this has been the Thai baht.

International classification code Thai money- ISO - 4217, abbreviated Thai currency denoted as THB.

What kind of money will you find in Thailand?

Nowadays in the country they have circulation paper bills only five specific denominations: 20 baht (a bill with a predominantly green color in design), 50 baht (predominantly blue), 100 baht (red), 500 baht (purple). The largest one is a “money” worth 1000 baht, decorated in brown tones.

The metal money of Thailand is represented mainly by Thai baht in denominations from 1 to 10. One- and five-baht are minted in silver, but the second of them is larger and, thanks to the original shape of the coinage, at first glance looks like faceted. A two-baht coin (made of yellow metal) can be found much less frequently than a 1-baht coin.

The largest coin in terms of thickness and diameter is 10 baht. It is bimetallic - a silver ring running along the edge borders a yellow central circle.

About Thai trifle

Each is equal to one hundred satangs - Thai "kopecks". In circulation you can find small coins of 25 and 50 satang. Both of them are bronze-red in color. The likelihood of the average tourist coming across this kind of money during an ordinary short trip to this country is not very high. This is due to the fact that prices in shops and markets have long been rounded up to baht.

Occasionally, you can get change as change, but you will hardly be able to use it as money - you won’t be able to buy anything with it, you can only throw it as alms on the street or keep it as a souvenir.

Coins are minted in Thailand similar to American coins - you can look at the reverse side by turning them from top to bottom (vertically), and not like in Europe - horizontally. And at first it can be confusing.

Get used to the baht

When going to Thailand, get ready to spend money only in national currency, and therefore information about its current course is always up to date. This data is constantly updated by SCB Bank, one of the largest in the country.

At resorts, going to exchange office any other bank, you may encounter a slight discrepancy in rates, but the differences are not so great as to cause serious damage to the tourist budget.

You can also exchange our Russian rubles for Thai money, but last years such an exchange is not very profitable. Although relatively recently their mutual exchange rate was 1:1.

Where is the best place to exchange currency?

The exchange rate is not the same everywhere. As in any country actively visited by tourists, changing money right at the airport is the most unprofitable thing for foreigners. Any bank knows that a tourist needs local banknotes immediately upon arrival. If, for example, the purpose of your trip from the airport through Thailand is Pattaya, you need money for both the bus and just to have a snack along the way. And therefore, the purchasing rate for dollars or euros at airports is always artificially low.

It is not very profitable to change currency at exchange offices located in hotels and guesthouses. When exchanging a 100-dollar bill, a tourist loses on average from 80 to 100 baht, which is equal to the cost of lunch at a local cafe or a couple of bottles of beer. Exchange rates may differ even in two neighboring points, since all banks in Thailand dictate their own conditions to their branches located at resorts. Those who want to save money are advised to go around several of these points in a row and choose where Thai money is offered the cheapest. Fortunately, there are enough exchangers in the country, especially in tourist destinations. Many of them, for example in Pattaya, work until late in the evening.

Features of dollar exchange

Those planning a vacation to this country should remember the stable exchange rate of the Thai baht in recent years, but its minor fluctuations occur literally every day. You can save a little more by bringing money (especially American dollars) large bills. The exchange rate displayed by banks on the board exists, as a rule, in three versions:

• for one- and two-dollar bills (the least profitable for the dealer);
• for banknotes in denominations of 5, 10 or 20 units (slightly more expensive);
• for dollars in the form of banknotes of 50 and 100 units (the most optimal from the point of view of a tourist).

Oddly enough, there is no such gradation in relation to other world currencies, including the euro. Also know: old American dollars (year of issue earlier than 1966) will not be accepted at a street exchange office; you should take care in advance to bring newer bills with you.

Important nuances

Russian citizens recently should not have any problems exchanging rubles for Thai money - such a procedure is quite accessible in most places popular among tourists. Sometimes the direct exchange rate may not be displayed on the information board, but this does not mean that the procedure is impossible - you just need to contact the operator.

Important nuance! Do not forget that any money in Thailand, both bills and coins, contains the image of the king. The country's own monarch is highly respected by the country's inhabitants, and therefore any manifestation of disdain for the royal person is fraught with severe retribution for desecration - from attacks by an angry crowd on the street to criminal charges.

That is why never show disrespect towards Thai people. banknotes- do not crush them, do not throw them to the ground and do not step on them under any circumstances!

A short excursion into the past

The history of the Thai baht (THB) dates back to ancient times. The concept of “bat” was used by the population of Indochina to designate the so-called tikal, which also served as a unit of mass. From 1350 until the 19th century, on the territory of Siam, the strongest and most powerful Thai state, silver and gold bars of non-standard convex shape, large in weight (1.215 kg), were minted. Since 1861 English mint Ordinary, European-looking round coins began to be produced for the needs of Siam.

Banknotes called tikals and tamlungs were also issued at that time. They finished printing them in 1918. Thai baht as an independent national monetary unit was “born” on April 15, 1928 and remains in this capacity to this day.

About small coins

The name satang - a small Thai small change coin - is translated from Pali as “one hundredth”, which is true. The satang has been minted since 1898, which means that it officially appeared before the baht. 25 such small coins are colloquially called “salueng”.

Thai coins have always been distinguished by a variety of weights and shapes. The largest ones in terms of value are those that cost 10 baht. Small ones - 25 satangs. Each of the coins, as already mentioned, is issued with the image of a royal portrait. It is applied to front side, and on the reverse there may be various mythological characters, etc. Reverses with minted temples are often found, the significance of which is difficult to overestimate.

Russia - Thailand: money (rate, local features, etc.)

In a sense, our tourist has it easier than, say, a Frenchman or a German. You won't have to deal with complicated calculations if you're going to Thailand. Money (it’s difficult to accurately name the exchange rate to the ruble, since it constantly fluctuates, albeit slightly; so, at the beginning of April 2017, for 100 baht they ask for approximately 163.2 Russian rubles) here cost about the same, and the Thai currency is converted in figures close in value to our rubles. Thus, when calculating future expenses for a vacation in this country, our tourist can operate with prices in the usual monetary units. In addition, many goods and services here are much cheaper than in Russia.

You can cash out Thai currency at a huge number of ATMs that work with most standard bank cards, such as MasterCard or Visa. Commission in them fixed size(150 baht), cashing limits - from 20,000 to 30,000 baht. Without commission, you can withdraw money from the card through the bank by presenting a scan of your passport.

How much money should you have to go to Thailand? Going to the country for long term, it’s worth stocking up on dollars, since during the cashing process banks initially convert rubles, euros, and other money into American dollars. If the trip is short, you can take a card with rubles on it. If you are importing an amount over $10,000, you will need to declare it at Russian customs.

On the issue of tipping

They are accepted in the service sector of any country, and Thailand is no exception. Their size is usually kept within reasonable limits. It is not customary to throw money away here, but at the same time, if you receive a handful of change, the staff may feel insulted. The size of the tip cannot be higher than the cost of the service itself. The taxi meter is simply rounded up to greater value. Although this does not always happen.

In hotels, the “extra” money is left for maids and luggage porters. It is not customary to tip in dollars.

It is better not to make attempts to “buy off” from paying for something prohibited (such as smoking in unauthorized places) - it will definitely not be possible to avoid a fine.

If you follow these simple rules, then you can relax in this beautiful country at a very reasonable cost, wisely spend your planned budget and get the most excellent impressions.