Yes, Thai baht banknotes can be changed back at home in some countries, for example at FOREX Bank in Norway and Sweden, but you lose on the exchange rate twice and coins are almost never accepted. The cheapest plan is usually to spend or change the baht in Thailand before you fly, and to keep a small amount if you are coming back (checked October 2026).
The short answer for the last day of your trip. Spend coins and small notes in Thailand. Change larger amounts at a licensed exchange counter before you go through security, and keep the receipt. Take home only what you will use on your next visit, and never more than the baht export limit.
Leftover money is a small problem, but it adds up for families and for long stays. A few thousand baht in an envelope is easy to forget until it is too late to spend, and changing it back at home costs more than most people expect.
This page is about the way home only. Changing your money into baht in the first place, including why some currencies get poor rates in Thailand, is covered in our guide to where to exchange money in Thailand.
Leftover baht: the key facts (October 2026)
- Taking baht out
- Up to 50,000 baht to most countries; up to 2 million baht to countries bordering Thailand, Vietnam and China's Yunnan (Bank of Thailand)
- Norway
- FOREX Bank buys back baht notes; no fee with a FOREX receipt, 50 NOK without
- Sweden
- FOREX Bank buys back unused baht notes; bring the receipt
- Coins
- Not bought back at FOREX (no foreign coins since 2016); spend them in Thailand
- Foreign cash out of Thailand
- Up to the amount bought from authorized banks or money changers; keep receipts
How much baht you may take out
The Bank of Thailand allows travelers to take up to 50,000 baht in Thai banknotes out of the country to most destinations, and up to 2 million baht to countries that border Thailand, Vietnam and China's Yunnan province. Some websites still give older or different figures; our guide to Thai customs rules sets out the full limits and the declaration rule.
For most travelers flying to Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong or the rest of China, the 50,000-baht line is the one that matters. It is far more than most people have left over, but it is worth knowing if you have been paid in cash or are moving out after a long stay.
Changing baht back before you leave Thailand
The simplest route is to change your remaining notes at a licensed exchange counter in Thailand, where baht is the local currency and dealers handle it every day. The Bank of Thailand requires money changing to go through licensed banks and money changers, so use a counter with a clear rate board and a printed receipt, not a private offer in the street.
Keep the receipt. Under the Bank of Thailand's rules, foreign banknotes may be taken out of Thailand up to the amount bought from authorized banks or money changers. For a few hundred dollars nobody will ask, but the receipt is your evidence if you ever change a large sum.
Airports have exchange counters too. We could not confirm on an airport operator's page which counters are open after passport control at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, so if you want to change money at the airport, do it in the public area before security. Rates at airports are often weaker than in town, which is another reason to deal with large amounts a day or two earlier; our comparison of Bangkok's two airports covers the departure halls.
Do not carry baht home "to change later" without checking first. Outside Thailand, many banks and exchange offices do not stock baht at all. If yours does, it buys at its own rate, may charge a fee, and will not take coins.
Spending it on the way out
Spending is often better than changing, because you lose nothing on the rate. A few ideas for the last day:
- Pay the hotel bill or the taxi in cash instead of by card, and keep only what you need for the trip to the airport.
- Use up coins and small notes at a convenience store or on food and drinks before security; coins are the part of leftover money that is hardest to deal with at home.
- Shop airside. Duty-free shops after passport control take baht; our guide to duty-free shopping at Thai airports explains how it works, and remember that your home country's allowance still applies.
- Watch the VAT refund. A refund of up to 30,000 baht can be paid in baht cash, which gives you more baht just before you fly; our page on the VAT refund for tourists explains the other payment options, such as a credit card.
Changing baht at home: what we could confirm
Norway. FOREX Bank buys back Thai baht notes. If you bought the currency from FOREX and bring the receipt (or used its BuyBack offer), there is no fee; without a receipt the fee is 50 NOK. Bring valid ID. FOREX has not exchanged foreign coins since 1 June 2016 and has collection boxes for the charity Redd Barna instead.
Sweden. FOREX Bank also buys back unused baht notes and asks you to bring your receipt. Its website shows the current buy-back rate; we do not print rates here because they change daily.
Other countries. We could not confirm buy-back of baht at Travelex or the Post Office in the UK, at Tavex in Norway and Sweden, or at money changers in Singapore and Malaysia, because their pages either failed to load or did not show the product. Before you carry baht home, check on your local dealer's website that it buys baht notes, at what rate and with which fee. Leftover dollars or euros are a separate question; our page on paying with foreign currency in Thailand explains why they are best changed rather than spent.
Travelers heading to Malaysia, Laos or another neighboring country have more room, because the export limit is much higher. Our page on going overland between Malaysia and Thailand covers the crossings.
Keeping baht for the next trip
If you will be back within a year or two, keeping a small amount is often the cheapest choice of all. Arriving with enough baht for a taxi, a SIM card and the first meal saves you from the airport exchange counters on arrival, and our tips on using Thai ATMs wisely cover the rest.
Older banknotes still circulate alongside the current series, and the Bank of Thailand pages we read do not say that earlier series have stopped being valid. Keep the notes flat and clean, because worn or torn notes are harder to use. For future trips, a card that charges no foreign transaction fee lets you take out only what you need; see our guide to using cards in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change Thai baht back in Norway or Sweden?
Yes, at FOREX Bank, which buys back baht notes in both countries. In Norway there is no fee if you bring the FOREX receipt from when you bought the currency, and a 50 NOK fee without it. FOREX does not exchange foreign coins.
How much Thai baht can I take out of Thailand?
Up to 50,000 baht in banknotes to most countries, according to the Bank of Thailand. The limit is 2 million baht to countries that border Thailand, to Vietnam and to China's Yunnan province.
Is it better to change baht in Thailand or at home?
Usually in Thailand, where every licensed money changer handles baht. At home, fewer dealers stock it, they set their own rate, and some charge a fee. Spending the money before you leave avoids the exchange cost altogether.
What can I do with leftover Thai coins?
Spend them in Thailand, for example at a convenience store before you go through security. FOREX in Norway has not exchanged foreign coins since 2016, and most exchange offices abroad do not accept them.
Sources
- Bank of Thailand – Exchange control regulations (checked October 2026)
- FOREX Bank Norway – Selling currency (Norwegian) (checked October 2026)
- FOREX Bank Norway – Currency questions and answers (Norwegian) (checked October 2026)
- FOREX Bank Sweden – Selling currency (Swedish) (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Current series of banknotes (checked October 2026)