Highlandman

I've never loaded a debit or credit card with cash. Cards take money from my bank account/credit card account and could function/be topped up/paid off regardless of whether physical cash is available or not. A debit or credit card functions purely as a cashless device. A food court card can also be called a "cash card". As I've mentioned too many times, you start with cash and end with cash. Just because you're using a card for that brief period to pay for your meal or drink, doesn't mean you can bypass the use of cash. Therefore, not a true cashless system and NOT what is meant by cashless (not withstanding the QR code options you have now; I'm talking about food courts that don't have QR codes not to mention how you can go back decades before QR codes and these food courts required you to give cash to get a card to pay). Which doesn't happen with digital cashless payments because these do NOT require cash handling at any point in the transaction. From debit and credit cards to digital wallets and QR codes they all allow you to bypass the handling of cash if you so wish. A don't understand the need to be so pedantic and go back and forth on something that is so simple to comprehend.

The Starbucks stored value card is definitely cashless. Why are you making a distinction I never made? A stored value card where you have to refill it using cash is technically "cashless" but it's not really what is meant here because cashless in this context generally means a digital payment using either a card or electronic means such as a QR code. Thus cashless means it does not involve the use of physical cash at any stage.

I beg to differ. Your definition of cashless isn't what people normally think of as cashless. Cashless means not involving the use of cash in any way. Using cash to purchase a card and getting cash back at the end isn't what people think of when "cashless" is meant. You're still exchanging cash for something, in this case a card. Money in your bank account isn't cash. So if you're using PromptPay to pay for food at a food court, then yes, that's truly cashless.

It's a semantic difference. True cashless systems bypass the use of cash altogether; meaning QR codes that deduct money from your bank account or digital wallets that charge your bank account or debit or credit card. Another example are physical debit and credit cards and in the past, cheques or checks as well.

I was going to add, there is a Thai payments network called "Thai Payment Network" I understand all locally issued debit cards are on this network in addition to whatever internationally recognized payments network they're associated with such as VISA/Mastercard or UnionPay. This means that theoretically, it's possible to limit acceptance to domestic cards (as is done in Myanmar) to those on the TPN, meaning those transactions would be conducted through that network and NOT Visa/Mastercard etc In such cases, signs would indicate acceptance of TPN and there would be no Visa or Mastercard signs as these aren't accepted. If memory serves me right, a small number of merchants did exactly this, maybe 5-10 years ago, but since the proliferation of QR codes and the fact most small businesses have never accepted cards to begin with, you'll now find that when cards are accepted, the major international networks are covered in pretty much all cases. Of course, sometimes you may find VISA cards are accepted but not Mastercard, though this applies only in a minority of cases. Essentially, if a merchant accepts credit /debit cards, your card will be accepted but acceptance is still relatively limited compared to cash and QR codes. QR codes seem to be accepted by 90-95% of merchants in Thailand these days. QR codes can't be used to pay road tolls in Bangkok and intercity expressways. For those, you need to use either the easy pass, M-Flow (only on 2 expressways so far) or cash; an increasing number of tollways accept tap credit cards too (Visa/Mastercard). From what I've seen, ALL cash booths are being converted to eventually accept credit cards too. So far more than half already do.

Credit and debit card acceptance started around the same time. I don't recall when exactly, might have been around 5 years ago. 10 years ago, 711 was cash only.

Russians can only get anything done or make payments/withdraw money in Thailand if they have a UnionPay card. UnionPay is Chinese. Visa and Mastercard as well as Diners Club and Amex have all left the Russian market. Mir I think it's called is the Russian payments network. I've not seen it accepted anywhere in Thailand, but China's UnionPay is widely accepted. Any Russian previously holding a Visa/Mastercard/Diners Club or Amex card would have already switched over to a UnionPay card by now.

Nonsense. Can you read? He used his card 2 hours ago. Unless something has changed in the past 2 hours then there is no issue. We get it; the digital wallet has changed. What has NOT changed and most likely won't (and can't) is the acceptance of PHYSICAL VISA/Mastercard cards issued in other parts of the world. Again, a terminal capable of swiping a locally issued VISA or Mastercard will be equally capable of swiping such a card issued outside the country. How can there possibly be a difference when it's the same company? Besides, VISA and Mastercard are American companies. If Thailand wants to limit acceptance to its own cards then it would have to limit to debit cards issued on their local network. For example, Myanmar of all countries has their own payments network called MPU. Their cards can ONLY be used in Myanmar. They won't work for anything outside of Myanmar, not even ATM Withdrawals. Conversely, MPU is often accepted by merchants who won't accept Visa or Mastercard. While the sanctions that apply to Myanmar aren't as strict as they were pre 2013, VISA and Mastercard are effectively NOT accepted anywhere outside a few hotels and malls in Yangon and Mandalay anymore. This contrasts with the pre Covid/pre coup situation where credit cards were increasingly accepted even in places like Dawei and Kawthaung.

Other than the digital wallets and all, it's obvious that when a VISA or Mastercard logo appears, ALL cards on those networks regardless of where they're issued are accepted. There's no such thing as a "local VISA network" that excludes foreign issued VISA cards. The only times I've seen such restrictions are online; for example, a US based merchant only delivers domestically and thus if you use a foreign issued card with a foreign billing address its blocked (although I've seen sites where there is a work around). More commonly though, foreign issued cards are accepted but shipping is only within the US, meaning for deliveries to Thailand you'd need to use a parcel forwarding service.

Any credit card can be used regardless of where its issued. They use the VISA or Mastercard networks. If I'm not mistaken UnionPay also works. Again, if you use the physical card. I'm not talking about the wallet which is obviously the purpose of this thread you started.

In a wallet.

Yes even well established foreigners/expats who are CEOs of successful Thailand based companies earning 500,000+ Baht a month struggle to acquire mortgages through Thai banks as the policy seems to be "mortgages for Thai citizens only". UOB and MBK finance do mortgages for foreigners but down payments can be as high as 50% as Thai lenders don't do no deposit or low deposit home loans. The highest I've seen is 85% being financed but usually it's lower. The chances someone who washed up in Pai on a tourist visa acquiring a mortgage with no work permit and a visa type that requires him to do regular visa runs is slim to none.

Food courts aren't cashless. You're merely paying cash to buy a stored value card and you receive change in cash when you return it. Your example isn't what is considered a "cashless" payment method.

If you're struggling with coins it's probably because you're developing arthritis or something. Normal people no matter their age have no issue with them. Even I won't, when I visit Switzerland soon, which uses the Franc, the currency with the most coins in the world. Even decades ago, the 5 Franc denomination was already a coin.

Another looney conspiracy theory? As if the well trained staff of a chain restaurant or Cafe such as "After You Cafe" which has like a dozen cameras everywhere would even think of doing that. Thais are honest people for the most part they don't steal.

Well that's a strange choice of yours. It also makes your life more complicated. You might want to reconsider. People like you are the reason a cashless society could be upon us within just a few years (China is already there). Already there is a proliferation of cashless cafes and restaurants (mostly located inside malls, though not exclusively) and their number grows by the year. Fortunately, these places accept debit and credit cards as you would expect but the fact they don't take cash is deeply concerning.

At 711 or where? Credit card acceptance at 711 only began relatively recently. "Years ago" only cash was accepted.

Absolute nonsense If you find it difficult to pay with a 100 Baht bill something is wrong with you. Local vendors absolutely prefer cash. I've never had a vendor tell me otherwise. Also, I don't always carry my phone and I usually don't have excess funds in my local account nor do I topup my phone balance unless I wish to browse the internet or use GPS on my phone. I usually withdraw the entire balance of my account very quickly and that won't be topped up until I next make a transfer. More reasons why this absurd QR code system doesn't work for me. Credit cards make sense because you're using borrowed money, which you pay back later. QR codes are for lazy people who can't be bothered going to the ATM. They make money management difficult.

Interesting. Yeah, I've only been there once and would never consider living there. If I were to reside in Mae Hong Son, it would be somewhere like Mae Sariang (my favorite town in the province), Ban Rak Thai (my second favorite) or Mae Hong Son town (quite a decent place in its own right). Pai is like the Phangan of the north. Full of druggies, new age hippies and weirdos who believe they can change the world.

I wouldn't place that in the same category. Bill made an observation, it wasn't a criticism per se.

He's right about that My Pai family Facebook group. The worst expat Facebook group I've ever encountered in Thailand. I was blocked from posting for a month for once making a mildly politically incorrect comment (nothing to do with Thais). Come to think of it I might be blocked now; haven't seen anything from that group in my feed in over 6 months, not that I care as I don't use the group anymore.

Other countries don't have a 90 day reporting system. Neighboring countries such as Cambodia make it very easy to stay long term with no requirement to ever show up in person to immigration.

So he's gay? Weird... Can you explain the falling out he had with a nurse?

Yeah watching that video he made I can see he has no idea about how to act in a "tactful" manner. While we can all agree that Thais blindly obey authority, the way he said that 98% of them got vaccinated (the actual percentage was closer to 85%) was a bit rude. I am constantly praising those Thais that do speak up and are able to think for themselves. They may be a minority but they do exist. The conscientious objector to military service recently in the media has my upmost respect. I salute his courage and conviction in the face of a law that violates human rights and needs to be abolished.

Thais don't hate whiners. They often whine a lot themselves. Thais can't accept even the slightest criticism. I see it all the time on social media, particularly where Cambodia or Cambodians are concerned. Thais endlessly praise their country, claiming they have the best roads anywhere and that Cambodian roads are basically dirt tracks. When Cambodians make a minor joke, 10 unemployed Thais spend all day on social media attacking Cambodians by posting memes and calling them slaves and all manner of insults.