How much cash should I bring for a 24hr layover in Bangkok?

The temple entrance fees are cash only and they don't make change easily, so bring small bills. Wat Pho is 200 baht and Wat Arun is 100 baht, and you'll want 20 and 100 baht notes for that.

For the 7-Eleven part, most in central Bangkok take Visa and Mastercard now, but the ones on side streets or near temples often don't. I'd keep 100-200 baht in small notes just for that.

If you end up at a fancy restaurant like one on Soi Convent or Thonglor, cards work fine but check if they add a 10% service charge and 7% VAT on top. That can catch you off guard if you're budgeting.

For the airport taxi, the 50 baht surcharge is standard from Suvarnabhumi and the tolls are usually 70 baht for the expressway. Have 600 baht ready and you'll be set. I'd pull out 2,000 baht total from an ATM, that covers everything without leftovers.

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You're overthinking this, but that's fair given the last-minute reroute. Bring about 2,000-3,000 baht cash and you'll be fine for a 24-hour trip. That covers street food, taxis, and incidentals without forcing you to carry a wad you won't use again.

Your assumptions are mostly right. Taxis and buses are cash only. The BTS Skytrain and MRT subway now accept Visa and Mastercard at ticket machines, but you need a contactless card or phone. Airport taxis are about 400-500 baht all-in including tolls, so just hand cash. Tolls are added to the fare, typically 50-70 baht extra. At Suvarnamabhumi, the official taxi queue is fine, no need to haggle.

McDonald's and KFC at malls or terminals take cards. Street stalls and 7-Eleven are cash only at most locations, though some 7-Elevens now accept foreign cards. For a fancy dinner, cards work fine at places like Bo.lan or Sorn, but a small family-run spot on Sukhumvit might not. I'd grab a 100 baht from an ATM at the airport just to be safe.

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nah you're on the right track mostly. grab from the airport is actually fine now, they have a dedicated lane at suvarnabhumi near door 7 or 8, just follow the grab signs. taxi queue works too but some drivers will try to push the meter off, just walk away if they do.

for cash i'd say 1500-2000 baht is plenty for 24hrs. that covers street food, 7-11 snacks, and taxi rides. mcdonald's and kfc at malls take cards but the ones near bts stations sometimes don't, depends on the branch. fancy restaurants will take card no prob but check for a "service charge" line on the bill, some places add 10% automatically.

one thing nobody mentioned - if you're hitting temples like wat pho or wat arun, entrance fees are cash only. wat pho is 200 baht, wat arun is 100. bring small bills for that, monks don't break 1000s. also if you take the bts skytrain, the machines only take coins for single tickets but you can use your contactless card at the newer gates on sukhumvit line.

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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.

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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.

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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

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