Here’s what’s going on with the pound to Thai baht exchange rate The British pound is worth 43.9254 Thai baht right now. Visit the exchange rates page to see the latest exchange rate and compare historic rates year-over-year.
Read on to learn more about the history of the Thai baht. Or, if you’re jetting off to Thailand soon, check out our Thailand travel guide.
Convert the British Pound to Thai baht.
You can find a quick snapshot of how much you will be taking on your trip by checking out our Thai baht currency conversion table.
The lowdown on the Thai baht
The baht has been Thailand’s official currency since 1897. When it was first introduced, it was used as a unit of silver, with one baht worth 15 grams. Before you pick up your Thai baht, you need to be aware of national laws regarding handling your notes and coins.
As you can see, in Thailand, the King is an incredibly important figure and any disrespect towards him and his family is highly punished – and this extends to the image of the King on currency as well.
It is important to keep your foot off a coin rolling away or a note flying away. Do not burn or tear your notes (although that probably goes for every currency! ), and do not throw money down disrespectfully.
A look back at British pound to Thai baht rates
The exchange rate was eight baht to one British pound before 1880, dropping to ten baht to one British pound during the 1880s. By 1902, it was 21.75 baht to one British pound.
In 1908, the baht was fixed against the British pound at a rate of 13 baht to one pound. It was revised in 1919 to 12 bahts and then again in 1923 to 11 bahts to the pound. During World War II, the baht was fixed to the Japanese yen at one yen to one baht on par.
The post-war baht
Afterwards, the Thai baht was pegged to the US dollar at a rate of 20.8 baht to 1 dollar from 1956 until 1973 (with $2.80 to £1 at this time), and 20 baht to one dollar until 1978. From 1984 until 1997, the baht was pegged at 25 to the dollar, with the dollar exchanging at approximately $1.75 to the pound.
The Asian Financial Crisis hit Thailand in 1997, and Thailand no longer had a peg to the dollar. After losing half its value, the baht fell to 56 baht to the dollar by January 1998.
The baht today
Thailand has maintained a relatively steady exchange rate against the British pound in the last ten years. After the 2008 world financial crisis, the baht fell in value against the pound, with the exchange rate changing from 66.64 to the pound on 2nd July to 48.51 by 22nd January 2009. In the current financial climate, the baht is the world’s 10th most widely used currency.
Check out our essential guide to the ultimate trip to Thailand if you are planning a trip there soon.
