ATM cards from UK.

[Gandtee]

The time is drawing near when one of my British ATM cards expires. I have had problems in the past with the card provider's reluctance to send the new card to Thailand and even when they have, cancelled the old card before delivery of the new. They have already told me in the past that their outgoing mail sits at their postal agents for ten days before posting. So that combined with the delivery time to Thailand means trouble. Have any contributors had similar problems and any advice as to head them off? Thankyou.

[dabhand]

Maybe request that they send by courier, at your cost?

 

Lloyds Bank offer this service to Thailand and the cost is approx. Stg8. I also receive cards from Nationwide but they send by normal mail and all have safely arrived, so far.

[Crossy]

My UK banks have my parent's address where all correspondence goes. They forward cards on to me using Royal Mail international Signed-For.

 

The only bank that got up-tight about this arrangement was Barclays who cancelled my credit card and closed my current account for no reason other than I "appeared to be living in Thailand".

[lopburi3]

Can't you just withdraw enough now to cover the postal time?

 

I suspect some send to family home in UK for family to forward?

 

Handle via courier service - expect they can do this for lost cards when people travel.

 

 

[Gandtee]

Thanks for the quick replies.

[BEVUP]

Yes the banks are a joke

Ausses banks will not send them

But I did get a a new Non Activated one sent by my brother

BUT! I could not activate it due to not having the phone number any more that I put into my online account

Could not even change that after logging in to my own account - Must do at branch (this is for security resons )

So I have a useless bank card sitting in my wallet due to the fact they cant SMS me a security code

Thank goodness I have a Thai account & am still able to use my Internet banking facility from Auss

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, dabhand said:

Maybe request that they send by courier, at your cost?

 

Lloyds Bank offer this service to Thailand and the cost is approx. Stg8. I also receive cards from Nationwide but they send by normal mail and all have safely arrived, so far.

Way back when I was experiencing card non delivery I was told my card had been sent to my HSBC branch for collection. As much use as a one legged man in a backside kicking contest. I phoned the bank and asked them to send it to me via courier and debit my account. They replied 'We can't do that'. It eventually arrived by normal post. I must say that in all the years I've been here, the Sattahip town postal service has been very good. The cock ups all seem to be from my super duper Hi Tec, developed country. Thanks for all your replies.

[FritsSikkink]

Open a Thai bank account, get a card. Transfer money from UK bank to Thai bank. Withdraw money with Thai card. Problem solved. 

[Kwasaki]

First Direct has no problem sending debit cards and credit card to Thailand at my home address other UK banks are useless.

[Dmaxdan]

Open a Thai bank account, get a card. Transfer money from UK bank to Thai bank. Withdraw money with Thai card. Problem solved. 

I can't speak for the OP, but for me and maybe them it's not that simple. I never use my UK cards to withdraw money in Thailand but I do need them for online payments related my ongoing UK issues.


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[mark131v]

26 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

First Direct has no problem sending debit cards and credit card to Thailand at my home address other UK banks are useless.

First Direct are very good Nat West on the other hand....

[Kwasaki]

23 minutes ago, mark131v said:

First Direct are very good Nat West on the other hand....

Yeah understand but not the only UK one.

[pearciderman]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

My UK banks have my parent's address where all correspondence goes. They forward cards on to me using Royal Mail international Signed-For.

 

The only bank that got up-tight about this arrangement was Barclays who cancelled my credit card and closed my current account for no reason other than I "appeared to be living in Thailand".

 

Strange, 9 years of nothing but Thai ATM withdrawals on my Barclays account, (including me telling them I live in Thailand) and they never once threatened to close my account.

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, pearciderman said:

 

Strange, 9 years of nothing but Thai ATM withdrawals on my Barclays account, (including me telling them I live in Thailand) and they never once threatened to close my account.

Me too (12 years). My Barclays joint account (with Mrs C) is in my Thailand address.

 

Maybe the issue is that the account is in a UK address, but the activities are all in Thailand - which could raise suspicions.

 

Regarding renewal of ATM/debit cards. Barclays told me that they have an automated system BUT some foreign addresses are filtered out and not posted to the customer. Thailand is a "high risk" country and is on the "filter out" list.

 

When my card (or my wife's card) is due for renewal we have to telephone a few weeks earlier, answer some security questions, and they will mail the cards - Royal Mail. We have never been charged for this.

[pearciderman]

10 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

When my card (or my wife's card) is due for renewal we have to telephone a few weeks earlier, answer some security questions, and they will mail the cards - Royal Mail. We have never been charged for this.

 

Are you saying that if I call them, they will post a new card to my Thai address? That would be great news.   :-)

[chickenslegs]

37 minutes ago, pearciderman said:

 

Are you saying that if I call them, they will post a new card to my Thai address? That would be great news.   :-)

That is what I do, and never a problem. The account is in my Thai address - I have no UK address.

[Kwasaki]

11 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Me too (12 years). My Barclays joint account (with Mrs C) is in my Thailand address.

 

Maybe the issue is that the account is in a UK address, but the activities are all in Thailand - which could raise suspicions.

Having an account with banks in UK it is usually there policy that you have a UK address, they will consider a resident foreign address in certain expat circumstances.

As in my case with First Direct my two small private pensions get paid into the UK FD bank and the pension provider will not transfer pensions to a foreign bank.

 

As for the FD Visa credit card department they had to consider issuing me a card, however I did point out the fact I being in Thailand was nearer to their Hong Kong head HBSC office than they were. 

 

They sent me one anyway. 

[bluewavesam]

Same here, never had any issues with First Direct.

[kevc]

Got told by Lloyds bank after having my cards sent here for over ten years that they do not send out to Thailand now so I had to change my account to a UK address and them sent out to me by friends.

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[dabhand]

1 hour ago, kevc said:

Got told by Lloyds bank after having my cards sent here for over ten years that they do not send out to Thailand now so I had to change my account to a UK address and them sent out to me by friends.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

When did that happen to you with Lloyds Bank? Would be interested if this is a very recent change.

 

I have a LB Credit Card and have had the cards sent to me direct by courier to Thailand with the cost charged to me. Last time was August 2016 at a cost of Stg7.83.

[JamJar]

I have to state that all of the cards mentioned here are very poor value for use in Thailand, including First Direct.

 

[dabhand]

1 hour ago, JamJar said:

I have to state that all of the cards mentioned here are very poor value for use in Thailand, including First Direct.

 

Agreed, but they are handy to have for non Thai related charges, such as buying overseas goods and services (e.g. UK Embassy costs) and travel outside Thailand.

 

Best is to use Thai bank ATM cards (funded by Transferwise) with, as a standby, a Halifax Clarity card which has no FX charges so only the Bt220 add-on. Rates are based on the MC rate and usually comes with a Stg500 withdrawal limit. Believe it is only issued to those with a UK address.

[JamJar]

14 hours ago, dabhand said:

Agreed, but they are handy to have for non Thai related charges, such as buying overseas goods and services (e.g. UK Embassy costs) and travel outside Thailand.

 

Best is to use Thai bank ATM cards (funded by Transferwise) with, as a standby, a Halifax Clarity card which has no FX charges so only the Bt220 add-on. Rates are based on the MC rate and usually comes with a Stg500 withdrawal limit. Believe it is only issued to those with a UK address.

They are poor value for everything other than for transactions in Pounds. Not for overseas goods and not for travel.

There are so many better options for travel.

For example; https://www.starlingbank.com/travel/

Though I don't know of the restrictions if you live abroad.

 

As to the Clarity, there is no 220 baht add on over the counter with some banks.

 

[johnmell]

Gives you an excuse to go back to blighty, and see the family.

[topt]

23 hours ago, dabhand said:

When did that happen to you with Lloyds Bank? Would be interested if this is a very recent change.

I was told by my local branch manager in early 2014 that they could not send so he ordered one earlier for me. Paying for a courier was not discussed/mentioned by either of us however.

[Henryford]

On 12/4/2017 at 6:27 PM, Dmaxdan said:

I can't speak for the OP, but for me and maybe them it's not that simple. I never use my UK cards to withdraw money in Thailand but I do need them for online payments related my ongoing UK issues.


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If that's the case do you actually need the card or just the card details to enter on line.