Thailand uses five banknotes, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht, and the 20, 50 and 100 now also come in plastic (polymer) versions. Coins of 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht make up most of your small change. The easiest way to tell the notes apart is their size: the higher the value, the longer the note.
This page is about the money itself: what is in circulation, how to check a note, what to do with a torn one and why your 1,000-baht notes from the ATM can be hard to spend. Where to get baht and how to change it back are covered on other pages, linked below.
Thai money at a glance (Bank of Thailand, checked November 2026)
- Current series
- Series 17, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) on the front
- Paper notes
- 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht
- Polymer notes
- 20 baht (since 24 March 2022); 50 and 100 baht (since 21 November 2025)
- Coins in daily use
- 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht
- Smaller units
- 100 satang = 1 baht; satang coins are rarely seen
- Suspected fake
- Police, or Bank of Thailand 0-2282-7409 / 0-2356-7987
The five notes and how to tell them apart
All Series 17 notes are 72 mm high. What changes is the length, which grows by 6 mm with each step up in value. The polymer 20, 50 and 100 have the same sizes as the paper notes of the same value, so the rule works for both.
| Note | Size | Back of the note | Polymer version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 baht | 72 × 138 mm | Kings Rama I and Rama II | Yes, since 2022 |
| 50 baht | 72 × 144 mm | Kings Rama III and Rama IV | Yes, since November 2025 |
| 100 baht | 72 × 150 mm | Kings Rama V and Rama VI | Yes, since November 2025 |
| 500 baht | 72 × 156 mm | Kings Rama VII and Rama VIII | No |
| 1,000 baht | 72 × 162 mm | – | No |
Older notes with the portrait of the late King Bhumibol still turn up in change. Nothing on the central bank's website withdraws them, so treat them as normal money. Every note carries a royal portrait, which is the reason behind one rule worth knowing: never step on a banknote, even to stop it blowing away. Our guide to the Thai monarchy and how to show respect explains why.
Sort your wallet by length, not by color. Keep the notes in order of size and you can find a 100 or a 500 by feel in a dark taxi. The difference between a 500 and a 1,000 is only 6 mm, so look at the number before you hand over the longest notes.
Coins: the ones you will actually use
In daily life you will handle 1, 2, 5 and 10-baht coins. The satang coins, 25 and 50 satang (a quarter and a half of a baht), exist but you will rarely see them. We could not read the Treasury Department's coin pages, so we do not describe the designs; the simple advice is to read the number on each coin until you know them, because the smaller coins are easy to mix up when you pay in a hurry.
Coins are useful. The BTS Skytrain's ticket machines take 1, 2, 5 and 10-baht coins, as do the Red Line's token machines, along with notes. Coins are also what you need for tips, temple donations and small market purchases. Spend them before you leave: exchange offices abroad almost never take Thai coins, as our page on what to do with leftover baht explains.
Price tags and some menus may show amounts in Thai digits rather than the Western ones; our page on reading Thai numbers shows the ten digits side by side.
Checking a note: feel, look and tilt
The Bank of Thailand's own method for paper notes is three steps. Feel the paper, which is made of cotton fiber, and the raised print. Look at the note against the light to see the watermark of the King's portrait with the value, and the security thread with numbers. Tilt it to see the thread and the ink change color.
The polymer notes work differently. The 50 and 100 have a clear window at the top with the value embossed in it, a lower clear window with a color-shifting effect, raised lines on the left and right edges of the front (four on the 50, six on the 100) and raised marks for blind users. The polymer 100 also has a gold metallic window in the shape of a five-petal flower to the right of the portrait.
If you are handed a fake, do not pass it on. The Bank of Thailand says using counterfeit notes is illegal. Keep the note, take it to the nearest police station or call the Bank of Thailand on 0-2282-7409 or 0-2356-7987. Customs also bans bringing fake banknotes into the country.
Torn and damaged notes: where to swap them
Sooner or later you may be given a torn or taped note in change. You do not have to keep it. The central bank's exchange rules are generous:
- Three-fifths (60 %) or more of the note left, and clearly genuine: exchanged on the spot at full value.
- Less than three-fifths, or pieces from different notes stuck together, or a defaced note: you fill in a claim form at a commercial bank, the Bank of Thailand decides the value, and pays it by bank transfer. Complicated cases can take up to about 60 days.
- A note cut vertically into two halves: each half is redeemed at half value.
To swap a note, go to a Government Savings Bank branch or a commercial bank branch, but not one inside a shopping mall; the Bank of Thailand's page mentions Wednesdays for commercial banks, so ask at the counter. The Bank of Thailand also runs a "Banknote Clinic" at its learning center on the last Wednesday of each month, 10:00–15:00.
For a visitor, the on-the-spot swap is the useful route. The claim-form route pays into a bank account, which is hard to use without a Thai one, so for a badly damaged note, ask the bank what is possible before you fill in the form. Also, the Bank of Thailand's page is not fully consistent: one part says "more than half", another says three-fifths. Work on the stricter three-fifths rule.
Why a 1,000-baht note is hard to spend
Cash from an ATM or an exchange counter often comes partly in 1,000-baht notes, and that is where small-change problems start. A noodle stall, a motorbike taxi or a market vendor may simply not have enough change for a 1,000, especially early in the day. There is no rule that sellers must accept one; it is just a practical problem.
The fix is to break big notes where change is plentiful: convenience stores, supermarkets, mall food courts, the station ticket office and your hotel. Our article on using Thai ATMs wisely covers the fees and how to use machines safely.
Cash, cards and QR codes
Cash is still the default at markets, street food stalls and in rural areas, but you can avoid carrying much of it. Many small vendors display a QR code; our guide to paying by QR code as a tourist explains which foreign apps work. Tap-to-pay with a phone works at card terminals in some cases, but Apple Pay and Google Wallet differ in Thailand; see whether Apple Pay and Google Pay work in Thailand.
For getting baht in the first place, our comparison of where to exchange money for the best rate covers the counters, and the baht currency converter gives you a quick conversion. If you carry a lot of cash, check the Thai customs limits for declaring cash. Keep no cash back for an airport exit fee either: the departure charge Thailand levies is built into the airfare.
Frequently asked questions
Are Thai banknotes made of plastic?
Some are. The Bank of Thailand issued a polymer 20-baht note in March 2022 and polymer 50 and 100-baht notes on 21 November 2025. The 500 and 1,000-baht notes are paper, and paper 20, 50 and 100 notes are still in circulation too.
Can I exchange a torn Thai banknote?
Yes. If at least three-fifths of the note is left and it is clearly genuine, a Government Savings Bank or commercial bank branch exchanges it at full value on the spot, but not branches inside shopping malls. Smaller pieces need a claim form and are paid by bank transfer.
Are old Thai banknotes with King Bhumibol still valid?
They still circulate in change, and we found no Bank of Thailand notice withdrawing the older series. If a seller hesitates over a very worn old note, use it at a bank or a large shop instead.
How can I tell a fake Thai banknote?
Use the Bank of Thailand's "feel, look and tilt" check: raised print on cotton-fiber paper, the King's portrait watermark against the light, and a security thread and ink that change color when tilted. Polymer notes have clear windows instead of a watermark.
Sources
- Bank of Thailand – Current banknotes in circulation (checked November 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Banknote Series 17: sizes and designs (checked November 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Security features of the polymer 100-baht note (checked November 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – How to check a banknote: feel, look and tilt (checked November 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Counterfeit banknotes (checked November 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Exchanging damaged banknotes (checked November 2026)