Bangkok Money Changers Compared: SuperRich, Vasu, and Siam Exchange
This Bangkok money changer comparison covers the physical-cash side of moving money. Everything else on this site is about moving money through a bank-to-bank transfer. This page is different: it's about exchanging physical cash in Bangkok, for readers who are bringing foreign currency with them or need to convert a stack of notes quickly. It's a genuinely useful thing to get right — the gap between a good and bad exchange counter runs into thousands of baht on a decent-sized amount — but it solves a different problem than the rest of this site, and one important limitation applies before you decide which is better for your situation.
Quick verdict
Best for: converting cash you're physically carrying, at close to the interbank rate, with no commission. Not a substitute for: the bank transfers covered elsewhere on this site — a money changer cannot help fund a retirement visa, marriage visa, or condo purchase. See "worth knowing" below.
Worth knowing before you rely on cash for a visa or property purchase
Thai Immigration requires the ฿800,000 retirement-visa or ฿400,000 marriage-visa balance to come from international bank transfers, not cash brought into the country and deposited or exchanged locally. As one experienced forum contributor put it plainly: "cash deposited will not be counted towards your 800k. It has to be 800k from international transfers." The same logic applies to a condo purchase, where the Land Office requires a documented foreign-currency transfer (the FET form) — a cash exchange receipt doesn't satisfy this.
If you're carrying more than USD 15,000 in cash into Thailand, you must declare it at customs, and that declaration receipt can help establish the funds came from abroad — but it's a weaker, less standard form of proof than a bank-to-bank transfer, and not what most Immigration offices or the Land Office expect to see. If you're funding a visa or property purchase, use one of the transfer providers reviewed elsewhere on this site instead, and treat this page purely as a guide to getting a good rate on cash you're spending or converting for other reasons.
Bangkok Money Changer Comparison: How the Main Players Compare
SuperRich Green (SuperRich Thailand) vs. SuperRich Orange (SuperRich 1965) — these are two separate, competing companies despite the near-identical branding, and their rates are usually within a hair of each other; day to day, the better rate flips between them. Green's flagship branches cluster around Ratchadamri (head office) and CentralWorld, MBK, and Terminal 21; Orange's around Silom (head office), Suvarnabhumi Airport's B floor, and several BTS stations including Asok, Phrom Phong, and Siam. Both charge no commission or added fee — the rate on the board is what you get.
Vasu Exchange — a single standalone counter near BTS Nana on Sukhumvit, consistently cited as posting some of the sharpest boards in the city, sometimes within 0.1–0.3% of the mid-market rate. Closed on Sundays, and worth the detour if you're already on lower Sukhumvit.
Siam Exchange — near BTS National Stadium, competitive but without the standout reputation of SuperRich or Vasu specifically; convenient if you're already shopping around Siam's malls.
Where not to exchange
In descending order of how much they cost you: street touts (never legitimate — every licensed money changer in Thailand operates from a fixed, licensed premises, never a table or a person on the street); hotel reception desks (routinely 4–6% below mid-market, the worst rates in the city); Suvarnabhumi Airport arrival-hall counters (typically 3–5% worse, though the B-floor Airport Rail Link level counters are noticeably better than the arrivals-hall ones); department store booths (convenient but 1.5–2.5% below mid-market); and credit card cash advances (combine a cash-advance fee with a poor rate — avoid entirely).
Practical tips
- Bring your original passport — every licensed money changer is legally required to see it, even for a small amount. A photo or copy won't be accepted.
- Bring large-denomination notes if you can. Many boards post noticeably better rates for USD 50 and USD 100 bills than for smaller denominations.
- Check a mid-market reference rate (XE.com or similar) before you go, so you know roughly what you should be getting.
- Count your baht before leaving the counter.
- If you're at the airport and need cash immediately, exchange only a small amount (enough for a taxi and incidentals) and do the rest in the city, where rates are consistently better.
Bottom line
For cash you're already carrying, SuperRich (either company) and Vasu Exchange are the most consistently competitive options in Bangkok, with rates that genuinely track close to the mid-market rate and no added commission. But cash exchange solves a narrow problem — spending money, or converting a stack of notes you already have — and it is not a workaround for visa funding or a property purchase. For those, see our Wise, OFX, or other provider reviews instead.
FAQ
Can I use cash exchanged at SuperRich or Vasu to fund a retirement visa?
No. Thai Immigration requires the ฿800,000 retirement-visa balance (or ฿400,000 for a marriage visa) to come from an international bank transfer, not cash brought into the country and exchanged or deposited locally. Use a transfer provider such as Wise or OFX instead.
Is SuperRich Green or SuperRich Orange better?
They're separate companies with usually near-identical rates — the better one changes day to day by a fraction of a satang. Check both boards if their branches are near each other; otherwise, either is a solid choice.
Do I need my passport to exchange money in Bangkok?
Yes. Licensed money changers are legally required to see your original passport for any amount, even small ones.
Is it better to exchange money at the airport or in the city?
The city, almost always. Airport counters — especially in the arrival hall — typically run 3-5% below mid-market. If you need cash immediately on arrival, exchange only a small amount and do the rest at a city counter.