What's the best way to get a deposit in baht without a Thai Bank account?

the superrich near asok bts is prob your best bet if you bring pounds, the rates are consistently better than western union and they don't ask for anything but your passport. 50k baht is like 1100 quid so it's not a massive amount to carry if you split it between your wallet and a book or something in your carry-on, just keep it in your hand luggage not checked

for the rest, set up a wise account before you leave the uk and transfer to it, then use their card to withdraw from any atm. the 220 baht fee is unavoidable but wise's exchange rate is way closer to what you'd get at superrich. just withdraw 30k each time to keep the fee percentage low

also worth asking your school if they have a preferred bank for teacher accounts - some schools like bangkok prep or harrow can get you a kasikorn account opened within a day with just your passport and contract, then you can do a direct transfer from wise to that account with no atm fees at all

arrow_drop_up 9 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

wise is probably your best bet but honestly if you're already staying at the school boarding for a bit you could ask the school if they can help you open a thai bank account on your first week. a lot of schools here have relationships with banks like bangkok bank or kasikorn and they can fast-track it for foreign teachers with just your passport and work contract. once you have that you can just do a direct transfer from your uk account using wise or even a regular swift transfer, which is way cheaper than atm fees

if you really need cash fast without a bank account though, some of the money exchange booths around sukhumvit like superrich at the exchange tower near asok bts give better rates than western union and you can bring pounds from the uk to exchange there. 50k baht is like 1100 pounds so it's not that crazy to carry in your hand luggage if you spread it across a few pockets or a money belt just be smart about it

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

yeah western union works but the exchange rate is usually a bit worse than what you'd get with a debit card withdrawal. if you have a wise (formerly transferwise) account set up before you leave the uk, that's probably the best option for getting baht here without a thai bank account. you can transfer from your uk account to wise, then withdraw from a local atm or do a cash pickup at one of their partner banks like kasikorn or scb. the rates are much closer to the mid-market rate than western union or superrich

also, just a heads up that atms here charge 220 baht per withdrawal for foreign cards, so take out the max each time to minimize fees. if you're near asok or siam square, there are a few money changers that give decent rates for cash too, but you'd still need to bring some pounds to exchange

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply