Money and phones

• Guide How much a month of living in Thailand costs: Phuket, Pattaya, Samui A month for one person in a rented one-bedroom outside the centre costs about THB 37,000 in Phuket and about THB 32,400 in Pattaya (our calculation: Numbeo's estimate of expenses without rent plus rent, as of 15 October 2026). Numbeo has no summary estimate for Samui, where prices rest on few contributors and the service calls some data estimated. Numbeo is crowdsourced, not official statistics, so the figures give an order of magnitude, not a price list. Electricity tariffs (the first 200 kWh capped at THB 3 per unit from September 2026) and internet prices (from THB 500 for 500 Mbps at AIS Fibre) were checked against primary sources. Numbeo's rent is lower than listings: in Phuket the one-bed listing median is THB 25,000 on Thailand-Property and THB 28,000 on FazWaz against THB 15,600 outside the centre at Numbeo.
• Guide Can a foreigner open a bank account in Thailand and what do you need A foreigner can open an account, but requirements depend on the bank and your visa. A direct ban for tourists is written on the pages of two of the six banks we checked. Kasikornbank (KBank) wants a passport and a non-immigrant visa of any type and does not open accounts for holders of a tourist visa, visa-exempt entry, visa on arrival or the DTV. Krungsri says on its FCD foreign-currency account page that foreigners on a tourist visa cannot open an account. SCB and ttb name a passport and a work permit for a foreigner (ttb opens this account only at a branch). Bangkok Bank and Krungthai open a savings account from THB 500: Bangkok Bank tells foreigners to ask at a branch for documents, and Krungthai says nothing about foreigners or visas on its page. Lawyers (Anglo Siam Legal, January 2026) report that major banks refuse DTV holders too in practice. For a short trip a TrueMoney wallet, TAGTHAi Easy Pay or cash is simpler.
• Question ATM fees in Thailand: why THB 220 is outdated and how to withdraw for less A Thai ATM charges a flat fee for every withdrawal on a foreign card, regardless of the amount. Under the official tariffs of five major banks (Kasikornbank, Bangkok Bank, SCB, Krungsri, Krungthai) it is THB 250 per withdrawal on Visa and UnionPay and THB 350 on Mastercard in October 2026. The old THB 220 applied at KBank until 1 January 2026. Krungthai also states a limit of THB 20,000 per transaction. The cheapest approach is to withdraw less often and in larger amounts and to refuse the ATM's own currency conversion: choose baht, not your card's currency.
• Guide Thailand tax for foreigners: tax residency and income from abroad Thailand treats anyone who spends 180 days or more in a calendar year as a tax resident, whatever their nationality. A resident pays tax on income from work and assets in Thailand and, since 1 January 2024, on foreign income if it is brought into the country. A non-resident pays tax only on Thai-source income. Rates are progressive: no tax on the first THB 150,000 of net income a year, then 5% to 35% (as of October 2026).
• Question How to Get a Tourist SIM or eSIM in Thailand The easiest place to buy a tourist SIM is the airport on arrival: AIS lists Phuket Airport among its sales points (the counter's exact spot in the terminal is not given on the AIS page), and True-dtac runs 24-hour airport counters. Bring your passport: since 16 May 2026 SIM cards must be registered in person at an operator branch or authorised dealer, with a face check (as the law firm Tilleke & Gibbins summarises the NBTC notification; we could not find the original); the operators' tourist SIM pages do not describe how an eSIM is registered, so ask when you buy. Unlimited data for 8 days costs THB 499 with AIS, TrueMove H and dtac, and 30 days costs THB 1,199 (as of October 2026). 7-Eleven counters sell SIMs too: True and dtac have their own packages there, for example THB 199 for 30 days with 30 GB.
• Question Using Foreign Bank Cards in Thailand: ATM Fees and UnionPay Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards issued abroad work at Thai ATMs and card terminals, but every withdrawal carries a flat fee charged by the Thai bank. The current fee schedules of Kasikornbank, Bangkok Bank, SCB, Krungsri and Krungthai (checked 19 October 2026) list THB 250 for Visa and UnionPay and THB 350 for Mastercard; confirm the amount on the ATM screen before you accept it. Your own bank may add its own charge, and you should always choose to be charged in baht. Cards issued by Russian banks are the exception: only their UnionPay cards work in Thailand (as of October 2026).
• Question Which US dollar notes to bring to Thailand Bring USD 100 and 50 notes in good condition: Thai money changers and banks pay the best rate for them. On 17 October 2026 SuperRich bought USD 100 and 50 notes at THB 33.33 and USD 1 notes at THB 33.07; at Bangkok Bank on 15 October the gap was wider, THB 33.05 against THB 32.23. Rate boards list rates by denomination only, but the Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow refuses notes issued before 2009 even for visa fees, so leave old or worn notes at home.
• Guide What currency to bring to Thailand and where to change it into baht US dollars in 100 and 50 notes are the easiest cash to bring: every exchange booth takes them and the gap between buying and selling rates is the smallest. On 17 October 2026 SuperRich 1965 had a spread of about 0.4% on dollars, 1.4% on Chinese yuan and about 20% on Russian rubles. Change money only at a bank or a money changer licensed by the Bank of Thailand: its rules require the licence and daily rates on display and a receipt for every exchange. Check the day's rate on the exchanger's own website rather than in chat groups (as of October 2026).
• Guide How to pay by QR code in Thailand without a Thai bank account Thai QR (PromptPay) works directly only from Thai bank and e-wallet apps. Without a Thai account, visitors have two official routes: a TrueMoney wallet verified with a passport (balance capped at THB 30,000) or the TAGTHAi Easy Pay tourist wallet, activated at a KASIKORNBANK exchange booth (up to THB 50,000 a month). Visitors from 9 countries and territories linked to Thai QR by the Bank of Thailand, including China, Singapore and Malaysia, can scan with their home apps (as of October 2026).

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