Cash vs Wise, Revolut, Card & ATM Compared
Comparing six ways to pay in Thailand (cash exchange, airport exchange, Wise, Revolut, credit card, ATM withdrawal) by how much you actually receive for the same amount. How each method's fees work, and which combination suits your trip length and spending style.
- 1Ranked closest to the mid-market rate: cash exchange (city best) ≈ Revolut (weekdays, up to 300,000 yen/month) ≈ Wise > credit card (1.6-3.63%) > ATM withdrawal
- 2Today's best cash exchange for 10,000 JPY gives 2,141 ฿ (Max Exchange Head Office)
- 3Combining cash with a transfer-service card (Wise/Revolut) strikes the best balance between fees and safety. Always choose Thai baht when paying by card
Cash isn't the only way to handle money in Thailand. Combining debit-style money transfer services (Wise, Revolut), credit cards, and local ATM withdrawals is now the standard approach. Here we line up how much you'd effectively receive for the same 10,000 JPY through each method, using today's rates, and break down how each one's fees work.
Based on live data, current best rate
Happy Rich (inside Suvarnabhumi Airport)
Amount converted to THB on your card balance (mid-market rate − 0.73% fee, estimate). Cash withdrawals at Thai ATMs cost about ฿250 extra.
Amount converted to THB on your card balance (mid-market rate − 0.5%, midpoint of 0% weekday / 1% weekend, up to ¥300,000/month, estimate). Cash withdrawals at Thai ATMs cost about ฿250 extra.
Estimate based on a 1.6–3.63% foreign transaction fee (2.6% midpoint)
Estimate based on a 250 THB ATM fee plus your bank's FX fee · Worse if you withdraw small amounts repeatedly
The cash exchange figure in the table is today's best rate among the private exchange shops this site tracks; the other methods are estimates calculated from each provider's published fee structure. Check each provider's current terms for the exact rate and fees that will apply.
How each method works
Cash exchange (private exchange shops in the city)
This gets you the rate closest to the mid-market rate. Fees are built into the rate, with no separate charge. The downsides are carrying a large amount of cash, needing to visit during the shop's opening hours, and having to show your passport.
Wise (debit card)
Wise applies the mid-market rate plus a currency conversion fee (under 1% for yen to baht — from 0.73% as of 2026). Card payments use this rate, and there's none of the overseas transaction fee that Japanese credit cards charge. For ATM withdrawals in Thailand, Wise itself charges no fee on withdrawals up to the equivalent of 25,000 yen per month for Japan-issued cards (after the May 2026 revision); beyond that, it's 100 yen plus 1.75% per withdrawal. Thai banks also charge their own ATM usage fee (around 250 baht, though some banks charge 350 baht depending on the card brand; 220 baht was standard until 2024), so it pays to withdraw larger amounts less often.
Revolut (debit card)
On the Standard plan, exchanges up to 300,000 yen a month use the fee-free mid-market rate, with 0.5% charged above that (the free allowance was cut from 750,000 yen to 300,000 yen in June 2025). A 1% out-of-hours fee applies to exchanges made from Saturday 7 a.m. to Monday 8 a.m. Japan time (one hour earlier — Saturday 6 a.m. to Monday 7 a.m. — during US daylight saving time). Within the 300,000-yen monthly allowance, exchanging on weekdays makes Revolut better value than Wise.
Credit card
International card networks add the issuer's overseas transaction fee on top of their own rate. As of 2026 this ranges from 1.60% (for example, cards issued directly by JCB) up to 3.63% (Rakuten Card, SMBC Card, and others), and the trend in recent years has been upward. Even cards on the same JCB network can run into the 3% range depending on the issuer, so check your own card's terms. If asked in-store whether to pay in yen, always choose Thai baht. Paying in yen (DCC) uses the merchant's own rate and comes out several percent worse.
ATM withdrawal (credit card cash advance, internationally enabled debit)
Thai bank ATMs charge around 250 baht for withdrawals on foreign-issued cards (some banks charge 350 baht depending on the card brand — this varies by bank, so check what's shown on the ATM screen). On top of that comes your Japanese card issuer's fee or interest. Withdrawing small amounts repeatedly makes the fixed fee a bigger share of the total, so if you do withdraw, take out close to the maximum allowed per transaction (varies by bank, but typically around 20,000 baht).
Airport exchange
Arrival-hall bank booths are worse value than in the city, but the private exchange shops on the basement floor are close to city rates. See the airport exchange guide for details.
Don't want to carry cash? Try a Wise card
Which combination suits you
- Short trip (a few days): cash exchange as your main method, credit card at hotels and department stores. Aim for roughly 2,000-3,000 baht in cash per day
- A week or more, multiple cities: Wise or Revolut as your main method, topping up cash for markets and street food at exchange shops in the city. Keep local ATM withdrawals to a minimum given the fees
- Want to carry as little cash as possible: pay with a Wise/Revolut card, and only exchange enough cash for transport at the airport's basement-level exchange shop
Ranked closest to the mid-market rate: cash exchange (city best) ≈ Revolut (weekdays, up to 300,000 yen/month) ≈ Wise > credit card (1.6-3.6%) > ATM withdrawal. Today's best cash exchange rate for 10,000 JPY gives 2,141 ฿ (Max Exchange Head Office). Combining cash with a transfer-service card strikes the best balance between fees and safety, with the least hassle.
Wise and Revolut's fees and free allowances are revised regularly. The figures on this page are based on each company's published information as of September 2026 — check each provider's website for current terms. Links on this page include affiliate links (PR).
FAQ
Wise adds a currency conversion fee of 0.73% or more on top of the mid-market rate. That puts it on par with the best in-city cash exchange, with the advantage of not having to carry cash. Thai banks charge around 250 baht for ATM withdrawals, so it's worth minimizing how often you withdraw.
As of 2026 it ranges from 1.60% (for example, cards issued directly by JCB) up to 3.63% (Rakuten Card, SMBC Card, and others). If asked in-store whether to pay in yen (DCC), choose Thai baht instead.
Thai bank ATMs charge around 250 baht for withdrawals on foreign-issued cards (some banks charge 350 baht depending on the card brand). On top of that comes your Japanese card issuer's fee or interest, so if you do withdraw, take out close to the maximum allowed in one transaction.
The rates and amounts in this article are calculated automatically from each exchange shop's published rates, collected by this site every 15 minutes. How the data is sourced and updated