RickBlaine

That is the way I'm going. However, just went to recharge my Skype account, thought I'd try K-bank debit card. Nope, told me to go register with Visa Secure through the bank website. Maybe it'll all work, eventually.

Wise is a definite option if I can get someone to do the UK bit. I had the same problems with the video selfie (had to re-identify myself after the recent problems), although mine were more around co-ordination. It's like a sobriety test, I swear if they could make us walk a white line, or stand on one leg while singing our own national anthem, they would.

That's a worrying story. I was going to move out of Natwest INTO Nationwide... Oh dear. Nationwide won't send an OTP to a foreign mobile, and I think the phone has to be in UK to download the app.

I have with Natwest. I can't remember the exact wording for the online form, but it carefully doesn't guarantee they won't block the card, as also confirmed by the security team.

I thought the One Time Codes would be a pain, but got used to them now. At least NatWest will send to a foreign mobile number. Reading other threads on this forum, some banks won't do that, guys are having to use a roaming service, or buy a number from their home country to pretend to be sat at home. But then others are saying bank software might use geo-location/mast-id/whatever-its-called to get our true location, regardless of phone number. It's beyond me.

Thanks for that experience. I have a Kasikorn debit card, and use Amazon UK, so sounds like that part at least should work fine. As to Experian and being an expat, I suspect no (recent) credit history is as damaging as poor credit history.

I wonder if we're victims of our own travels? As travel numbers increased dramatically this century, and therefore international transactions, humans can no longer be the first line of defence, it has to be an automatic process. Will AI and heuristic/self learning programs make it worse or better? Yes, 'two or three payment methods' seems to be the best solution. They can't block them all - can they?

Thanks. I am a Kasikorn customer, just had a look at K-Web. I thought it was going to be like a prepaid credit card, but no. Can't see the benefit over K Debit card, or K banking app, other than it requires a password for each trans', unlike a debit card used online?

Yes, that's an option. I'm still reading up on it. Did you have to load the Wise app with your mobile in your home country? That's a restriction some of the banks are using (With Natwest it's UK or a short list of allowed countries, Thailand excluded). It's a pain if you're already in Thailand of course.

I did notify them on the phone, also used their online system to list travel plans; countries/dates. But as you say, and as staff admitted, none of it's guaranteed to stop automated rejections. What's the point of allowing customers to list their travel plans, if the banks are then going to ignore them?

Very occasionally, when I purchased, say an airline ticket, a second Mastercard Secure screen would pop up with extra questions, but I haven't seen it recently. This time, I was paying for a hotel thru' Agoda - hardly a dodgy company. Natwest let the transaction through, THEN blocked the card, but also online access to the card on my account, so I couldn't even pay it off! With the clock ticking I wondered if the bank would charge late-payment fees on a card which they'd stopped the customer from paying off!

Thanks, I've not used TMB, I'll see if it gives me anything over Kasikorn.

Yes, I think a Thai debit card of some sort (I've got a Kasikorn card) is the easier option, especially as rules get tighter about being 'out of country'..

Sorry to hear that. My experience has been similar - okay, then blocked, then okay for a while etc. Even informing them, and they assuring me they've 'marked' the account doesn't help all of the time.

I'm a UK citizen, spend half the year in Thailand, but still maintain a UK address. Natwest, yet again, blocked a valid online credit card transaction in Thailand, because it 'looked suspicious'. Apparently, everything in Thailand is suspicious to Natwest. I use the card rarely, and only online - not in a shop, not through a banking app, but I need it for hotels, flights home etc. It's become a stressful lottery whether the bank will let the card through, culminating this time in a shouting match with a self-important twerp in the Fraud(ulent) Team. I think some of my options are; Cross my fingers and continue with Natwest. Would it help to switch to my debit card? Forget UK cards in Thailand. I already use Wise to tx funds to a Thai bank, so then use Thai Visa debit card here, and UK cards in UK. That might not help, for example, booking a flight online. A Thai or UK bank will still see an international purchase (say, Qatar Airways) made from a Thai IP address, which I assume is the problem? What's peoples experience of using a Thai debit card online in Thailand - any problems? Would it help to download the Thai bank app? Thanks for any advice.

You beat me by 2 years - I've been a Natwest customer for 46 years, and recently wondered why. Yet again they blocked my credit card (paying for a hotel through Agoda while in Thailand). It culminated in a shouting match with a kid half my age from their Fraud(ulent) Team asking increasingly inane questions. Eventually, I had to go through the HooYu hoops (have you done that yet?) to prove who I am, which included taking a selfie video that was more like a sobriety test (keep the screen spot on your nose), followed by more questions. If this is the right forum, I'm going to put up a question about UK bank alternatives.

Similar for renewal of 5 year licence this week at Sakon Nakhon. Checked with the office first, essentially same-same but slight differences from some. For example, Sakon accept the yellow book for address (as they used to), instead of a letter from immigration. I did the DLT online video and test at home. A bit weird, I was only asked about 10 questions, spread across the video, then suddenly I got the 'you've passed' screen - I was expecting more questions. I tried to use the DLT Smart Queue system to book an appointment, but even with my wife's help (she understands smart phones and QR-codes and the like), it failed. We took a chance and turned up the next day with all docs, hoping to get on the back of the queue. The staff said the Smart Queue didn't work for foreigners yet - which I know is different from the experience of some on here, but I wasn't going to argue. Licence done in a morning, bit of a wait but no problems. Staff were polite, helpful and apologised for the online system. I would recommend going 'reasonably dressed'. Perhaps not 007 dinner jacket, but a guy in front of us looked as though he'd just come in from rice picking. The staff lent him a white shirt for the photo! Didn't see if he handed it back.