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Thailand ATM Fee Optimizer
Every Thai ATM charges a 220 THB "foreign card fee" on top of your bank's foreign-transaction fee. Withdraw less often, larger amounts, from the right bank — and that 220 THB can be 1% of your trip, not 6%.
Inputs
What this solves
"Should I take 3,000 THB out 5 times or 15,000 THB once?" "Is the ATM at 7-Eleven actually cheaper?" "Can I withdraw free anywhere?" Answers, with total trip cost.
How to read
- Effective fee % = (220 + bank fee) / withdrawal. Smaller withdrawals have a higher %.
- Magic number: each 220 THB fee is amortized over the withdrawal amount. Withdraw 10,000 THB and the fee is 2.2% — manageable.
- SuperRich offers free cash withdrawal if you change ≥ 5,000 THB. Best strategy for large first-day needs.
- AEON at 7-Eleven is 200 THB but limited 2,000 THB per transaction — fees add up fast.
Limitations
- Some banks (HSBC, Citi) reimburse ATM fees — check yours.
- Currency conversion on your statement may use a worse rate than Google. The 1% may be understated.
- AEON has daily and per-transaction caps that change.
FAQ
Can I avoid the 220 THB fee entirely?
Almost: bring 5,000+ THB in USD cash, exchange at SuperRich. For top-ups, take one large withdrawal at Bangkok Bank or AEON at the airport.
Why is my statement amount different from the ATM screen?
Your bank converts at their own rate (usually 0.5–1.5% worse than mid-market) on top of the ATM fee. So real cost = 220 THB + 1–1.5% bank markup.