What the ฿220 fee is

The fee is often called the "foreign card fee" or "international ATM fee". It's set by the Thai bank that operates the machine, not by Visa, Mastercard or your own bank, and it's charged on top of the cash you take out. It usually appears in your banking app as part of a single baht transaction — so a ฿20,000 withdrawal shows up as ฿20,220, converted into pounds.

When Thai banks first began charging foreign cards, the fee was ฿150. It has risen in steps since, to ฿220 at the major banks. Some independent machines, particularly at airports, have been reported charging up to ฿250. The amount is always shown on screen before you confirm, so if you see a higher figure, you can cancel and find another machine.

Because the fee is flat, it hurts most on small withdrawals. Take out ฿2,000 and the ฿220 is 11% of your cash. Take out ฿20,000 and it's 1.1%. That's the single most useful thing to understand about Thai ATM fees.

Thai ATM fees for UK cards, bank by bank

These are the fees and typical maximum withdrawals for foreign cards at the main Thai ATM networks in 2026. Individual machines vary, and limits change from time to time, so always read the screen:

Two things stand out. AEON's lower fee makes it the cheapest network for most withdrawals. And because the fee is flat, a machine that lets you take out ฿30,000 in one go can work out almost as cheap per baht as AEON — provided your UK card's daily limit allows it.

What your UK bank adds on top

This is the part most travellers miss. On top of the Thai ฿220, your own bank may charge a non-sterling transaction fee on the withdrawal — and some add a separate cash fee too. These are the charges on the most common UK current accounts in October 2026:

UK bank fees only — add the Thai ATM fee (฿220 ≈ £4.97) to every withdrawal. ฿10,000 = £225.89 at ฿44.27 to £1. Sources: each bank's published fees and Which? (6 October 2026). NatWest's Reward accounts remove the fee on card payments but not on cash.

How the fees add up

One withdrawal isn't the problem. The cost builds up over a trip — and over a long stay it becomes serious money. These examples assume ฿20,000 withdrawals at a ฿220 machine, at ฿44.27 to the pound:

On a fee-free card, the only cost is the Thai ATM fee itself. On a standard card, you pay the Thai fee and roughly three times as much again in UK bank charges. Over a year, the gap is more than £320 — before you count anything you spend on your card in shops and restaurants, which attracts the same non-sterling fee.

And the comparison above flatters the standard card, because it assumes large withdrawals. If you take out smaller amounts more often — as most people do — the Thai fee multiplies too.

UK cards that add nothing to the Thai fee

These UK cards charge no fee of their own for cash in Thailand, so the ฿220 is all you pay. For a full comparison of cards for Thai cash, see our guide to the best cards for Thai ATM withdrawals.

Seven ways to pay less in ATM fees

You can't make the Thai fee disappear with a UK card, but you can cut the total cost of your cash dramatically:

1. Use a fee-free UK card. This removes your own bank's charges completely, leaving only the Thai fee.
2. Withdraw less often, in larger amounts. The fee is flat, so ฿20,000 at once costs a tenth as much per baht as ฿2,000.
3. Look for AEON machines. Widely reported at ฿150, in shopping centres, Makro, Big C, Lotus's and MaxValu stores.
4. Raise your card's daily limit before you travel if your bank allows it, so the limit doesn't force smaller withdrawals.
5. Pay by card where you can. With a fee-free card, paying hotels, malls and restaurants by card costs nothing and saves cash for where it's needed.
6. Always decline the ATM's conversion. It's not a fee, but accepting it typically costs far more than the ฿220.
7. For long stays, open a Thai bank account. Your own Thai bank's ATMs are free, and you can fund it with cheap transfers from the UK.

Is there any UK card that refunds the Thai ATM fee? Not that we're aware of. Some US bank accounts reimburse foreign ATM fees, but they aren't available to UK residents. For British travellers, the realistic goal is a fee-free card plus fewer, larger withdrawals.

The fee that isn't a fee: conversion

After you choose an amount, many Thai ATMs offer to charge your card in pounds "at a guaranteed rate". This is dynamic currency conversion. It isn't listed as a fee, but the rate it uses is typically several per cent worse than your card's — travellers have reported margins of around 6% to 9% at Thai bank machines.

On a single ฿20,000 withdrawal, accepting the machine's conversion can cost six times as much as the ATM fee. Always choose to be charged in baht. Our guide to Thai ATM dynamic currency conversion shows exactly what the screens look like at each bank.

What Thai cardholders pay — and why it matters for expats

Thai residents with Thai bank cards pay very different fees. Withdrawals at your own bank's ATMs are generally free, and using another Thai bank's machine typically costs ฿10 to ฿20. Compared with ฿220 every time on a foreign card, that's a huge difference for anyone who spends a long time in Thailand.

That's why most people who winter in Thailand, retire here or move for work open a Thai bank account, then move money from the UK in larger transfers using a specialist provider rather than drawing cash on a UK card. A Thai account usually needs a long-stay visa and proof of a Thai address, and requirements vary between banks.

If you're planning a longer stay or a move, the cost of cash is only one part of getting your money set up properly — pensions, savings and how and when you transfer larger sums matter far more.

How to check what you were charged

It's worth checking your first withdrawal in Thailand so you know exactly what your card costs. In your banking app, look for:

• The baht amount. It should be your withdrawal plus ฿220 — for example ฿20,220.
• The currency. It should say THB. If it shows a pounds amount set by the ATM, you accepted the machine's conversion.
• A separate fee line. Some banks show their non-sterling or cash fee as a second transaction.
• The exchange rate used. Compare it with the Visa or Mastercard rate for the same day.

If you see UK fees you weren't expecting, your card isn't fee-free abroad — switch to one that is for the rest of your trip, or for your next one.