EXPENSE·AI Vol. I — A Traveler's Ledger
§ Guide · Currencies of the region

A traveler's guide to Southeast Asian currencies

Move between Bangkok, Bali and Ho Chi Minh and you'll juggle five currencies in a week — some with three zeros on a coffee. Here's what each one is, the quirks that trip travelers up, and how to keep one clear running total.

Southeast Asia is a multi-currency life. Cross a border (or just book a cheap flight) and the prices, the zeros and the cash habits all change. These are the six currencies a nomad in the region actually deals with — the five local ones plus the US dollar that quietly underpins visas and big-ticket payments.

CodeCurrencyWhereGood to know
THB Thai baht Thailand Decimal (satang) exists but rarely used. Prices are whole baht — “45 baht” for a coffee. The easiest of the five.
IDR Indonesian rupiah Indonesia (Bali) Big numbers: a meal is 50,000–150,000. Locals say “50 ribu” (50k). Watch the zeros.
VND Vietnamese dong Vietnam The biggest numbers of all — a Grab ride is ~82,000 VND. Often written “82k”. No coins in practice.
PHP Philippine peso Philippines Symbol ₱. Mid-range denominations; centavos exist but round in practice.
MYR Malaysian ringgit Malaysia Symbol RM. Decimals are real here (RM 9.50) — closer to Western pricing.
USD US dollar Widely accepted / visa runs Used for visas, some accommodation and as a fallback. Worth tracking alongside the locals.

The zeros are the real problem

The hardest part isn't the exchange rate — it's scale. A Thai coffee is “45”, an Indonesian lunch is “85,000”, a Vietnamese taxi is “120,000”. Switch between them all day and a misplaced zero turns a $5 expense into $50 in your notes. Two habits fix it: never convert in your head, and write the amount exactly as the local shorthand says it (“82k dong”), letting your tracker handle the math.

Keep one running total — per currency

The trick to staying sane across five currencies is to not mash them into one number too early. Keep a separate running balance for THB, IDR, VND, PHP, MYR and USD, and convert to a single total only when you want the big picture — at the day's mid-market rate, not a guess. That way you always know both what you paid and what it's worth back home.

ExpenseAI is built for exactly this: type the expense in plain language — “coffee 45 baht”, “grab 82k dong” — and it detects the currency, files it under the right running balance, and converts on request. For the day-to-day habit behind it, see our guide on tracking cash spending abroad; for how it stacks up against other apps, see the comparison.

Questions

What currency do I use in Bali?+
The Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Bali is part of Indonesia, so prices are in rupiah — and they look large (a café bill is often 50,000–150,000 IDR). Cash is still king for warungs, markets and scooter rentals, though cards work in tourist areas.
Why does the Vietnamese dong have so many zeros?+
Decades of historic inflation left the dong with a low unit value, so everyday prices run into the tens and hundreds of thousands — a coffee might be 25,000 VND, a Grab ride 82,000. Vietnamese shorthand drops the zeros (“82k”). An expense tracker that understands “82k dong” saves you counting them.
Can I track THB, IDR and VND in one app?+
Yes. ExpenseAI handles all six of the currencies above natively — Thai baht, Indonesian rupiah, Vietnamese dong, Philippine peso, Malaysian ringgit and US dollar — keeping a running balance in each. You type “coffee 45 baht” or “grab 82k dong” and it files each expense under the right currency, converting to one total only when you ask.
Do I need cash in Southeast Asia?+
For most of the region, yes — far more than in Europe or the US. Street food, local transport, markets, small shops and rural areas are overwhelmingly cash. Cards and e-wallets are growing in cities, but if you only track card spending you’ll miss the majority of what you actually spend.
[ Join the waitlist ] All six currencies, one running ledger. iOS & Android, free tier, no card.