Thai ATM Fee Reference
Every Thai ATM network on one page — fee, maximum withdrawal, colour and where to find it — plus what each size of withdrawal costs in rand, and the total for ฿20,000 on every South African card.
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Every Thai ATM charges a South African card to withdraw cash, and the Thai fee is the same whether you take out ฿1,000 or ฿20,000. Your own bank usually adds a fee of its own. Together, those two facts explain almost everything about getting cash cheaply in Thailand: which card you use, which machine, and how much you take out each time.
This page is the quick reference. It lists every major Thai ATM network with its fee for foreign cards, its typical maximum per withdrawal, its colour so you can spot it from across the street, and where you'll find it. Then it shows what each size of withdrawal costs in rand, and the total cost of ฿20,000 on every major South African card at the two fee levels you'll meet.
For the full explanation, see our guides to Thailand ATM fees for South African travellers and ATM withdrawal limits in Thailand. Figures were checked on 22 October 2026.
The short answer
Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krungsri, Krungthai and the Government Savings Bank all charge foreign cards ฿220 a withdrawal. AEON is the main exception at a widely reported ฿150. Some independent machines at airports charge more.
Because the fees are mostly fixed, they're cheapest as a percentage when you withdraw ฿20,000 at once: on Capitec, R70 plus ฿220 is 1.8% of ฿20,000, but 7.3% of ฿5,000. Use a card with a low fee of its own, raise your daily limit, take out larger amounts less often, and always decline the machine's offer to convert to rand.
Thai ATM networks at a glance
Fees and typical maximum withdrawals for a foreign card in 2026. Individual machines vary and banks change their limits, so the screen always has the final word. Scroll sideways on a phone.
| ATM network | Fee, foreign card | Typical max per withdrawal | Fee at ฿20,000 | Colour | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEON | ฿150 (reported) | ฿20,000 | 0.75% | AEON branding | Shopping centres, Big C, Lotus's, Makro, MaxValu |
| Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) | ฿220 | ฿30,000 | 1.1% | Yellow | Cities, tourist areas, many convenience stores |
| Bangkok Bank | ฿220 | ฿20,000–30,000 | 1.1% | Blue | Cities and tourist areas nationwide |
| Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) | ฿220 | ฿20,000–30,000 | 1.1% | Purple | Cities and tourist areas nationwide |
| Krungthai Bank (KTB) | ฿220 | ฿20,000–25,000 | 1.1% | Light blue | Everywhere, including small towns |
| Government Savings Bank (GSB) | ฿220 | ฿25,000 | 1.1% | Pink | Everywhere, including rural areas |
| Kasikornbank (KBank) | ฿220 | ฿20,000 | 1.1% | Green | One of the densest networks in the country |
| TTB (TMBThanachart) | ฿220 (some reports ฿200) | Check the screen | — | Blue and orange | Cities and towns |
| UOB Thailand | ฿220 (reported) | Check the screen | — | Navy and red | Mainly Bangkok and larger cities |
| Independent airport ATMs | Up to ฿250 | Varies | — | Various | Arrivals halls |
Compiled from ThailandKnowledge (June 2026), Thailand Starter Kit (September 2026) and Thai-AEC (2026); fees and limits are reported by travellers and vary by machine. One 2026 report lists GSB at ฿150; other sources show ฿220. Machines allowing ฿30,000 help only if your card's daily limit is above about R14,800.
How to spot each bank's ATMs
Thai bank ATMs are colour-coded by bank, which makes it easy to find a particular network on a busy street or in a mall. These are the colours you'll see:
AEON machines carry AEON's own branding and are usually inside shopping centres and large supermarkets rather than on the street. TTB machines are blue with an orange accent. In tourist areas you'll also see independent machines from smaller operators; check the fee on screen before you continue.
Wherever you are, the safest machines are inside or attached to a bank branch, or in a busy shopping centre. They're less likely to have been tampered with, and if the machine keeps your card, the branch can get it back. Our guide to ATM safety and card fraud in Thailand covers what to look for.
What each size of withdrawal costs
The total cost on a Capitec or GoTyme card (R70) plus the Thai ATM fee, at ฿220 and at AEON's ฿150.
| Withdrawal | In rand | Total at a ฿220 machine | Total at AEON (฿150) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ฿2,000 | R980 | R178 — 18.1% | R144 — 14.6% |
| ฿5,000 | R2,451 | R178 — 7.3% | R144 — 5.9% |
| ฿10,000 | R4,902 | R178 — 3.6% | R144 — 2.9% |
| ฿20,000 | R9,804 | R178 — 1.8% | R144 — 1.5% |
At ฿2.04 to R1 (22 October 2026). Capitec and GoTyme: R70 per international withdrawal. ฿220 ≈ R108; ฿150 ≈ R74.
Why withdrawal size matters more than the machine
The difference between ฿220 and ฿150 is about R34 a withdrawal. The difference between withdrawing ฿5,000 at a time and ฿20,000 at a time is three extra withdrawals — about R535 on Capitec — on every ฿20,000 you need. If you can only change one habit, take out more at once.
What stops most South Africans doing that is their card's daily limit, not the Thai machine. ฿20,000 plus the Thai fee is about R9,900. Capitec's maximum normal daily cash limit is R5,000 — just under ฿10,000 — though you can set a temporary limit of up to R10,000 for three days in the app. Standard Bank's maximum daily ATM limit is R10,000. To use a Krungsri machine's ฿30,000 maximum, you'd need a daily limit of about R14,800, which few South African cards allow.
So for most South Africans, ฿20,000 is the practical maximum — which makes AEON, at ฿150 for up to ฿20,000, the cheapest machine to look for. Set your limit before you fly: it's much easier to sort from home than from a Thai ATM screen.
The total cost of ฿20,000 on every South African card
One ฿20,000 withdrawal (about R9,804), including your South African bank's fees and the Thai ATM fee. This is where your card and the Thai machine come together.
| South African card | Your bank's fees | At AEON (฿150) | At a ฿220 machine | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitec or GoTyme | R70 | R144 | R178 | See bank |
| Bank Zero | About R98 | R172 | R206 | See bank |
| Investec Private Bank | 2% (ATM fee included) | R270 | R304 | See bank |
| Discovery Bank Gold | R95 + 3% | R463 | R497 | See bank |
| Standard Bank | R3 per R100 + 2.75% | R640 | R674 | See bank |
| Nedbank | R65 + R2.85 per R100 + 2.75% | R690 | R725 | See bank |
| FNB / Absa | Fee + about 2% / 2.5%* | Check pricing guide | Check pricing guide | See bank |
South African bank fees from each bank's 2026 fee schedule, checked 22 October 2026 (see our South African card foreign-fee comparison). *FNB and Absa conversion fees from published comparisons. ฿2.04 to R1.
Your card matters more than the ATM
The matrix makes one thing very clear: the choice of South African card swamps the choice of Thai machine. Moving from a ฿220 machine to AEON saves about R34 on ฿20,000. Moving from a Standard Bank or Nedbank card to Capitec or GoTyme saves about R500 on the same withdrawal.
Over a fortnight with ฿40,000 of cash, a big-bank card costs over R1,300 in fees; a Capitec or GoTyme card at a ฿220 machine costs about R356. Over a three-month stay, the difference runs into thousands of rand. Our South African card foreign-fee comparison lists what every major bank charges, and our debit card comparison sets out the low-fee alternatives side by side.
ATMs at Thai airports
You'll find bank ATMs in the arrivals halls at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and the other main airports. Bank-branded machines charge the usual ฿220 — the airport doesn't add anything — but some independent machines charge more, with fees of up to ฿250 reported. Read the fee on screen before you confirm.
Airports are also where the conversion offer is most aggressive. The machine will often suggest charging you in rand "for your convenience". Always decline: accepting typically costs 6% to 9% more than letting your own card convert. See our guide to dynamic currency conversion at Thai ATMs for the exact screens.
Our guide to exchanging money at Bangkok airports compares ATMs with the exchange counters — and the Airport Rail Link and public taxis are an easy way into the city.
Finding an AEON ATM
AEON's lower fee makes its machines worth seeking out for regular withdrawals, but there are far fewer of them than the big banks' ATMs, and they're rarely on the street. Look for them:
- In shopping centres, often near the supermarket entrance or the money-exchange counters.
- In large supermarkets — Big C, Lotus's, Makro and MaxValu stores.
- Using the maps app on your phone: search "AEON ATM" near you.
AEON machines typically allow up to ฿20,000 per withdrawal — which matches the practical maximum for most South African cards. With a Capitec or GoTyme card, that's ฿20,000 for about R144 in total.
Ways to pay less than ฿220
No South African card avoids the Thai ATM fee, but there are ways to need fewer withdrawals:
Pay by card where you can
Hotels, malls, chain restaurants, 7-Eleven and Grab all take cards. On Capitec or GoTyme, there's no conversion fee at the till.
Saves withdrawalsBook the big costs ahead
Hotels, flights, tours and transfers booked in advance and paid by card don't need cash at all.
Saves cashExchange rand notes in Bangkok
Bangkok's specialist head offices paid ฿2.03 per rand on 22 October 2026 for R100 notes — within 1% of the real rate, with no ATM at all.
Bangkok onlyOpen a Thai bank account
For long stays, a Thai account and card avoid the foreign-card fee and let you pay by QR code.
Long staysBooking ahead is the easiest win for most visitors: every hotel night, island transfer or day trip paid by card before you travel is cash you don't have to withdraw in Thailand.
See our guide to where to exchange rand in Thailand for the counters that buy rand.
Living in Thailand: when the fee stops making sense
For a holiday, ฿220 a withdrawal is a nuisance. For someone living in Thailand on South African income, withdrawing ฿40,000 to ฿60,000 a month, it's two or three withdrawals a month — roughly R360 to R530 on Capitec, and far more on a big-bank card — plus the risk that a South African bank restricts an account or card held by someone who no longer lives at home.
That's when most long-stayers move to a different set-up: a Thai bank account for day-to-day spending and QR payments, funded by regular transfers from South Africa within your annual allowances. Thai account holders withdraw from their own bank's ATMs without the foreign-card fee.
Opening a Thai account, choosing how to move money each month, and handling larger transfers for a condo, a retirement-visa deposit or school fees all involve decisions that are worth getting right.
At the machine: a 30-second checklist
- Choose English on the first screen.
- Choose the account type — "Savings" or "Current" both usually work for a South African card; if one is refused, try the other.
- Enter ฿20,000 or the most your limit allows, not the preset buttons.
- Read the fee screen — ฿220 or ฿150 — and cancel if it's more than you expected.
- Decline conversion to rand every time.
- Take your card. Many Thai machines return the card after the cash — don't walk away without it.
Our step-by-step guide to how to withdraw cash in Thailand walks through every screen, and what to do if a withdrawal is refused.
A worked cash plan for two weeks
Here's how the numbers come together for a typical fortnight: two people, a mix of Bangkok and an island, needing about ฿40,000 in cash for street food, markets, taxis, boats and tips, with hotels and tours paid by card in advance.
| Approach | Withdrawals | Thai ATM fees | South African bank fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big-bank card, ฿5,000 at a time | 8 | R863 | R1,139 | R2,002 |
| Capitec card, ฿5,000 at a time | 8 | R863 | R560 | R1,423 |
| Capitec card, ฿20,000 at a ฿220 machine | 2 | R216 | R140 | R356 |
| Capitec card, ฿20,000 at AEON | 2 | R147 | R140 | R287 |
Same holiday, same cash: about R2,000 the usual way, under R300 the careful way. The two changes that matter are the card and the size of each withdrawal; finding an AEON machine is the finishing touch.
Keep the cash split between two people or two places — a wallet and the hotel safe — so that one lost wallet doesn't mean another withdrawal. And bring a second card from a different bank, on a different network, in case a machine or a network refuses the first.
When something goes wrong at a Thai ATM
Most withdrawals go smoothly, but a few things catch travellers out. If the machine refuses your card, try the other account type (savings or current), then a smaller amount, because your daily limit may be lower than you think; check that international use is switched on in your banking app, then try a different bank's machine. If the machine keeps your card, it helps to have used a machine at a bank branch during opening hours, as the branch can usually retrieve a retained card when you show your passport; out of hours, stop the card in your app straight away and use your backup. If no cash comes out but your account is debited, note the machine's location, the time and the amount, keep any receipt and report it to your South African bank — failed withdrawals are normally reversed, but it can take several working days. And if you accidentally accepted being charged in rand, there's no undoing it for that withdrawal; just decline next time.
Our guide to a lost or stolen South African bank card in Thailand covers what to do step by step, including the international numbers to call. A good travel insurance policy can also help if you lose cards and cash together.
How we compiled this reference
Thai banks don't publish a single schedule of fees for foreign cards, and individual machines vary. We compiled the fees and typical limits from three recent independent guides — ThailandKnowledge (June 2026), Thailand Starter Kit (September 2026) and Thai-AEC (2026) — and checked them against each other. Where sources disagree, we've said so. South African bank fees are from each bank's 2026 fee schedule, checked 22 October 2026.
Costs are worked out at ฿2.04 to the rand (22 October 2026). We review this page at least every six months, and sooner if Thai banks change the fee.
Our verdict
Almost every Thai ATM charges a South African card ฿220 a withdrawal; AEON machines are the cheapest at a widely reported ฿150 — and because most South African cards top out at about ฿20,000 a day, AEON's ฿20,000 maximum is all you need.
But the bigger saving is in your own wallet: a Capitec or GoTyme card saves about R500 on every ฿20,000 compared with a big-bank card. Use one, raise your daily limit, take out ฿20,000 at a time, and always decline conversion.
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How much do Thai ATMs charge South African cards?
Almost every Thai bank ATM charges ฿220 per withdrawal on a foreign card — about R108. AEON ATMs have been widely reported at ฿150 (about R74). Some independent airport machines charge up to ฿250. Your South African bank adds its own fee.
Which Thai ATM is cheapest for South African cards?
AEON, at a widely reported ฿150 for up to ฿20,000. Because most South African cards are limited to about ฿20,000 a day, AEON's maximum is rarely a constraint.
Which Thai ATM lets you withdraw the most?
Krungsri machines commonly allow ฿30,000 per withdrawal with a foreign card, and some Bangkok Bank and SCB machines do too. But ฿30,000 is about R14,700, above the daily limit on most South African cards.
What colour is each Thai bank's ATM?
Krungsri is yellow, Bangkok Bank blue, SCB purple, Kasikornbank green, Krungthai light blue and the Government Savings Bank pink. AEON machines carry AEON's own branding.
What does ฿20,000 cost to withdraw with a South African card?
About R178 on Capitec or GoTyme at a ฿220 machine (R144 at AEON), about R206 on Bank Zero, and about R674 to R725 on a Standard Bank or Nedbank card.
Why was my ฿20,000 withdrawal refused?
Usually because your daily limit is too low — ฿20,000 plus the Thai fee is about R9,900, and Capitec's normal maximum is R5,000. Set a temporary limit in your banking app, or try a smaller amount.
Is the ATM fee the same at the airport?
Bank-branded machines at Thai airports charge the usual ฿220. Some independent machines charge more, up to ฿250, so check the screen.
Can I avoid the ฿220 fee with a South African card?
Not at a Thai ATM. You can reduce how often you pay it by withdrawing ฿20,000 at a time, paying by card, booking ahead and exchanging rand notes at a Bangkok specialist counter. Thai bank account holders avoid it on their own cards.
Should I choose savings or current account at a Thai ATM?
Either usually works for a South African card. If the machine refuses one, cancel and try the other.
Do Thai ATMs give back your card before the cash?
Many give your cash first and your card afterwards, which makes it easy to leave the card behind. Wait for your card before you walk away.
Does the GSB charge ฿150 or ฿220?
Most sources show ฿220 at Government Savings Bank ATMs. One 2026 report lists ฿150. The fee is always shown on screen before you confirm.
How often is this reference updated?
We compiled it on 22 October 2026 and review it at least every six months, or sooner if Thai banks or South African banks change their fees.
Long-term Thailand resident with more than 30 years of experience in international finance. Lawrence writes the Just Landed in Thailand finance guides for people moving, travelling and retiring here.
Sources and how we checked
Thai ATM fees and typical maximum withdrawals compiled from ThailandKnowledge (June 2026), Thailand Starter Kit (September 2026) and Thai-AEC (2026). South African bank fees and limits from each bank's 2026 fee schedule and help centre, checked 22 October 2026. Costs at ฿2.04 to R1 (22 October 2026). Fees and limits vary by machine; figures are illustrative.
- ThailandKnowledge — Thailand ATM fees 2026, every bank compared
- Thailand Starter Kit — The complete guide to ATMs in Thailand
- Thai-AEC — ATMs in Thailand: fees, limits, best banks (2026)
- Expat Den — The complete guide to ATMs in Thailand
- Capitec — Personal banking fees 2026 (valid from 1 March 2026)
- Capitec — Help centre FAQs (limits and overseas use)
- GoTyme Bank — Current account fees and charges
- Bank Zero — Pricing guide 2026
- Standard Bank — Access Account Pricing Guide 2026
- Standard Bank — Daily and monthly ATM limits
- Nedbank — Forex, savings and investments fees 2026
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Important: This guide is general information, not personal financial advice. Fees, limits and eligibility change; we checked every figure on the date shown, but always confirm the current terms with the provider before you apply or travel. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means JLIT may earn a commission if you open an account. This never changes the price you pay or the order of our recommendations.
