Good Thai bank that has a visa debit card?

[Kenny202]

I have a Bangkok bank account. And up until now they have a Visa debit card. I recently lost my card and it was replaced with a debit card but Union pay or something. I am told they don't do Visa anymore. Can anyone recommend a farang friendly bank that has a visa debit card, easy to use English online banking etc?

 

What is required to open a bank account these days? Hopefully not a residents letter

[rodknock]

yea, the union pay card is useless. went to tesco and big c and they did not accept it.

totally useless.

went to bangkok bank and they ordered me a new visa debit card. they do not "give" them out any more but you can order one. takes a week and even comes with your name on it.

[rodknock]

oh, siam commercial is a good bank, has visa and mastercard.

[observer90210]

1 hour ago, rodknock said:

yea, the union pay card is useless. went to tesco and big c and they did not accept it.

totally useless.

went to bangkok bank and they ordered me a new visa debit card. they do not "give" them out any more but you can order one. takes a week and even comes with your name on it.

Is there an annual subscription fee to pay fot the new Visa Debit Card ?

[hathairat2711]

Forget Bangkok Bank.  They may be the biggest but definitely the worst.

 

I can highly recommend Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri).  Verified by VISA.

 

Enjoy

[PETERTHEEATER]

My wife has VISA Debit on her accounts with Khrung Thai Bank. I frequently update her accounts and have always been impressed by the genuine warmth and helpfulness of the staff in our local branches.

 

My wife had an old mag strip card and the bank issued her a replacement chipped card out of stock within a few minutes. Subsequently it became corrupted and they issued a replacement in a few minutes.

 

I asked my branch of Bangkok Bank if they had yet received my replacement VISA Debit card and was told the application had been returned because they no longer issue VISA card only the useless Chinese 'UnionPay' which did not work for me in UK yet worked in Italy. Also cannot be used for most on-line transactions and local retailers. 

 

Ditching VISA will cost the BBL customers!

 

Yet, another poster (above) says that they will issue them seemingly reluctantly and I suspect that BBL staff in provincial branches have been told to push the UnionPay card. According to BBL Website VISA DEbit are still available but again, it also trumpets how UnionPAy can be used Internationally.

 

I shall contact BBL HQ Bangkok and get their version!

[Suradit69]

27 minutes ago, hathairat2711 said:

Forget Bangkok Bank.  They may be the biggest but definitely the worst.

I've never had a problem with them and they make it especially easy to transfer money via their branches in New York, London, etc.  

 

 

[JoePai]

7 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

I've never had a problem with them and they make it especially easy to transfer money via their branches in New York, London, etc.  

 

 

Have you had to renew your BKK Bank Visa debit Card with them recently ?

[glasswort]

24 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Ditching VISA will cost the BBL customers!

Union Pay undoubtedly charge less commission than Visa or BBL would not have changed. Incidentally HSBC in Asia use Union Pay.

[PETERTHEEATER]

I have just sent the BBL BKK HQ a polite e-mail via their website which still offers VISA Debit, and asked if the bank policy is now NOT to issue them but only UnionPay.

[David B in Thailand]

This week in Buriram at the Bangkok Bank Branch upstairs in the Robinson Lifestyle Center, 100% I can confirm they would gladly issue a Visa Debit card with a Rabbit logo.  It was not free, but it was modest to buy and the annual fee was 300 baht or less. The customer service woman communicated very well in English. I do not "bank" at this branch, but she gladly sold me a Visa Debit card for my account that is open in a different community branch of Bangkok Bank. 

[Kenny202]

I have no problems with the bank itself. Their Internet banking and transfer rates are excellent and everything user friendly. I have struck very poor branch service before but I guess like everything depends on the staff and the manager. Currently have a very good branch and English speaking contact. It's just that I need a visa card for online purchases. Very I'll thought out decision by them I think

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[rodknock]

i need to use bangkok bank for ach transfer to bangkok bank in N.Y. that is the cheapest and reliable way to get my funds from my us. bank.

as i said, they will still issue a visa card, it depends on the branch if they want to do the paper work. my branch on sukhumvit road said no longer give out. went to a branch in a big c and they were happy to help me.

i have used siam commercial bank before and was happy with them. reason i left was only way to do transfer was swift which cost more.

[shaggy851]

I like scb, i have scb and kasikorn, now prefer scb. They were farang friendly and helped me set up online banking app and set atm pins etc i have trouble with k banking sometimes and been locked out a couple of times i love the mobile app for scb it really makes kbanking outdated. The debit card i had with kasikorn didnt work outside thailand unless i called first to use. Depends what you use it for i find it easier to use foreign banks for debit and credit.

[natway09]

Why not just go to your local bank & get a proper credit card ?

Monthly statements & pretty good protection along with easy to use on the net

[Blue bruce]

there is no bank in Thailand who will give a farang a credit card without having 50,000 baht or more in your credit card account. works same as a debit card.You cannot charge more than your have in your account.

What would stop foreigners from opening credit card accounts charging to their card and than leaving the country.

[mikiea]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

Why not just go to your local bank & get a proper credit card ?

Monthly statements & pretty good protection along with easy to use on the net

A "proper credit card " ?  Proper?   

[bazza73]

Have one with Kasikorn, no problems. From memory, 200 baht/year for the card.

I do think it's cheeky of them to be charging 150 baht for an ATM withdrawal, though.

[rughead]

i recently had to replace my bangkok bank debit card in hatyai, given the union pay , informed no more visa, my pension day went to various stores to do the usual monthly ritual in hatyai 

- True Vision - refused to accept union pay

- Big C - accepted my first payment , no problem, then i was paying for the G/F  with the same card - problems , would not accept, had to get cash from ATM

- Tops-  the system would not accept the card, then when I went to the office counter, they tried it there with their  card machine and it accepted it, they told mr the union system must have been overloaded when i tried at checkout

- 3BB accepted 

- weird , but never had ANY problems with visa

- future will  have to plan about cash before shopping

 

[William T]

19 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

My wife has VISA Debit on her accounts with Khrung Thai Bank. I frequently update her accounts and have always been impressed by the genuine warmth and helpfulness of the staff in our local branches.

 

My wife had an old mag strip card and the bank issued her a replacement chipped card out of stock within a few minutes. Subsequently it became corrupted and they issued a replacement in a few minutes.

 

I asked my branch of Bangkok Bank if they had yet received my replacement VISA Debit card and was told the application had been returned because they no longer issue VISA card only the useless Chinese 'UnionPay' which did not work for me in UK yet worked in Italy. Also cannot be used for most on-line transactions and local retailers. 

 

Ditching VISA will cost the BBL customers!

 

Yet, another poster (above) says that they will issue them seemingly reluctantly and I suspect that BBL staff in provincial branches have been told to push the UnionPay card. According to BBL Website VISA DEbit are still available but again, it also trumpets how UnionPAy can be used Internationally.

 

I shall contact BBL HQ Bangkok and get their version!

I am always impressed with Krung Thai Bank. I have their Visa Debit Card but it could not be used via internet only in person. But now it is "Verified by Visa" so I can now buy via internet.

And their internet banking is very good i can transfer money for my  bank to another Thai bank in just a few minutes.

Edited December 3, 2017 by William T

[smotherb]

I find it so much easier to use Thai banks as little as possible

[bazza73]

15 minutes ago, smotherb said:

I find it so much easier to use Thai banks as little as possible

How do you do that? My strategy is to draw enough cash on a savings passbook for a month's expenses, and only use the debit card for emergencies. If your strategy is better, I'm listening.

[smotherb]

33 minutes ago, bazza73 said:

How do you do that? My strategy is to draw enough cash on a savings passbook for a month's expenses, and only use the debit card for emergencies. If your strategy is better, I'm listening.

It may do you no good, and I dislike discussing my personal finances.

[bazza73]

26 minutes ago, smotherb said:

It may do you no good, and I dislike discussing my personal finances.

Fair enough, I understand.

[thecyclist]

Shopped around a couple of years ago in the Tonglor area of Bangkok, half a dozen banks required a work permit.Finally got one at Krung Thai Bank with only a Tourist visa:The service at the issuing branch as well as every other branch of KTB I have ever been to has been outstanding.The  netbanking once you have activated it has an easy switch to English, is easy to understand and works perfectly.Having previously used Bangkok Bank with their mediocre service, I find KTB a breath of fresh air .

[tutsiwarrior]

I have a kasikorn bank VISA debit card on an account that I opened 10 years ago and pay 550baht per year for the service...not sure what their policy is now...my name doesn't appear on the card...

 

nice to have for weekly grocery shopping at tescos and other big purchases in Thailand...

 

 

[phutoie2]

I would like to know Bangkok Banks policy on these Union Pay cards, apart from using it at an ATM for cash withdrawals I see little use for it here. Recently I tried to book rooms on Booking. com,  but a no can do, visa or mastercards only, same  with Lazada. 

[Crossy]

On 12/2/2017 at 6:39 PM, Blue bruce said:

there is no bank in Thailand who will give a farang a credit card without having 50,000 baht or more in your credit card account. works same as a debit card.You cannot charge more than your have in your account.

What would stop foreigners from opening credit card accounts charging to their card and than leaving the country.

I have "real" credit cards with AmEx, Citi and SCB, very sensible credit limits too (and the Citi MasterCard works in Makro).

 

Of course I have a long term work-permit and a very decent salary.

 

For our OP, a serious look at SCB is suggested.

 

[lopburi3]

17 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

I have a kasikorn bank VISA debit card on an account that I opened 10 years ago and pay 550baht per year for the service...not sure what their policy is now...my name doesn't appear on the card...

 

nice to have for weekly grocery shopping at tescos and other big purchases in Thailand...

 

 

That card must be special as cost is excessive for a normal bank debit card (K-Bank is currently 200 baht).  You might want to change to a normal Visa debit card.

[tutsiwarrior]

19 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

That card must be special as cost is excessive for a normal bank debit card (K-Bank is currently 200 baht).  You might want to change to a normal Visa debit card.

 

it sez 'K - Max' on the card...maybe some promotion that they had at the time...at the time I was just relieved that I could open the account as I expected trouble from them; small local branch, etc...now that I'm a penurious pensioner I'll havta look into it...