I have this feeling – How about you

[starky]

3 minutes ago, jumbo said:

maybe you should try internet banking  I know its rather a new thingy but it looks safe to me

Cos I like the fact that you can make large purchases with cash here and going to a bank to make a withdrawal if I need a large amount of money personally isn't a issue. How can I Internet bank cash to myself pray tell? I'd love to know the future must be a wonderful place.

[jumbo]

2 minutes ago, starky said:

Cos I like the fact that you can make large purchases with cash here and going to a bank to make a withdrawal if I need a large amount of money personally isn't a issue. How can I Internet bank cash to myself pray tell? I'd love to know the future must be a wonderful place.

I was referring to the fact you wrote "When I need larger amounts, school fees or whatever I generally just go into the bank"  

I think there are more easier solutions where you can arrange such payments from the pleasure of your air conditioned home

But it is a matter of preference as you stated...

 

 

[MyFriend You]

22 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Even after 6 years i still find it hard to equate Thai baht with Aussie dollars or uk pounds,i know the exchange rate,but it just don't seem to be significant.

Its even harder in Vietnam Dong about 22,000 for a US dollar

[spidermike007]

What you are experiencing is getting older and seeing the inflation that is taking place worldwide. Years are passing. And despite what all the incompetent wonks keep telling us, prices are going up. Everywhere. Not just in Thailand. They are going up less here, than in the US, and in Europe. But, they are still going up.

 

A two bedroom apartment in the Santa Monica area of Los Angeles is now renting for $4,000 a month! Prices there are stunning. I know a couple who pay $1,600 a month for health insurance in the US. Every time I walk into a place like Whole Foods (aka whole paycheck), two medium sized shopping bags set me back $275! That is about 9,000 baht. Lunch at a decent cafe for two is $50. A simple lunch, with tax and tip. Bizarre. And the politicians keep lying to us about low inflation. Not low. I see it every time I leave the house. 

[jvs]

Point of interest,when you do not change the language at the ATM

the amounts to withdraw are much lower.I guess you speak English you spent more.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, grumbleweed said:

Never  known for being a spendthrift , the mere thought of withdrawing more than 4000 baht in the same week brings about palpitations, sticky palms and nausea. Having to do so on a regular basis would leave me needing therapy and possibly  medication

It has been said I make scrooge look benevolent 

 

 

Other than the rent, I can't imagine having to spend more than 4,000 a week. Mind you I don't rent BGs, so my expenses are minimal.

[Sumarianson]

In good ol Blighty you never had to go to the ATM. You would get cash back every time you went shopping at Tesco or ASDA or the many more stores that gave cashback. Here in Bangkok there are not enough local ATM's by Bangkok Bank. Sparse and even in my condo they removed one as people did not use it enough.

You paid all your bills in the UK presumably by DD so no need for cash to pay water, electricity, internet/phone gas, mortgage etc. In my local Home Fresh mart they have introduced a single self service checkout which is manned by two people and only accepts credit cards? This is the level of progress here. Those were in UK 20 years ago or more. How long has the very handy cashback scheme been in operation? 30 years 40 years? Thailand will catch up eventually but extreme frustration in the meantime. 

[Daveyh]

Since the devaluation of the UK GBP, which now hovers between 42 - 44 baht approx I've just adjusted my outgoings, life style etc. to my daily needs. What I've found works for me is to, rather than going out every night, I've started hobbies at home that I find stimulating & that I enjoy doing, hence instead of seven days a week socially chasing/looking for company I now go out 3/4 days a week, if that. I was amazed when I started to do this. It made sense immediately as I was feeling much fitter, well rested & looking forward to each new day. I did find that I was spending far too much on others that really did'nt give a shit whether I was breathing or not as long as I had cash to spend. I found that after this adjustment to my life style my wallet was always ready for a good night out when I fancied it, plus I was well "up for it" to make sure I got true value for my money & that I had a fun time ... Ha!Ha! The good life here has certainly changed over the years & locals have hardened in my opinion, which is a little sad, because I can remember when everyone was enjoying the buzz & nightlife ............ now everyone is so engrossed in their "smart phones" & ignoring everyone, even the "working girls" don't appear to see you when you arrive .......... what's the point of buying lady drinks?? I've given up buying girls drinks in bars , another saving ha! ;-) ........ when they finally manage to say "hello" & ask "buy me dink" I say "no", especially when they've ignored me on arrival ...... plus I make a point of telling them why. Probably makes no difference as it does'nt register & will not motivate them in anyway to be more polite in future......... it's the way it is these days. Don't get me wrong .... I love it here & don't wish to live anywhere else, but friends here are hard to find ........... been here nearly 15yrs & I've failed to find anyone local honest enough to trust completely & call a friend. Being a foreigner here does have it's problems, I agree that it will always segregate us from the general public & I can accept that ..... I've not found one long term "local' friend here & I live within a Thai community. They seem to keep very much to themselves, stay with family & do not "mingle" with neighbours at all. It's definitely a very different culture, which most of us fail to understand even though we've been here for years. Something new always happens that surprise us, which you cannot fathom out however hard you try. They are definitely unique in their habits ......... hence for me, it's "pay as you go", limited your nights out (7 days a week is too boring right?), take up a hobby, enjoy spoiling others when they've earned the right. I visit an ATM twice a month & it's always enough if you pace yourself ....... I should have done this on arrival as I'd be a lot richer!! Cheers lads & enjoy ............... there's no place on earth like it once you get the hang of it ........... trust me!!! Ha!

[Baerboxer]

Rarely take money out of ATM's - now, Mrs BB on the other hand....................... 

[sanemax]

46 minutes ago, Sumarianson said:

In good ol Blighty you never had to go to the ATM. You would get cash back every time you went shopping at Tesco or ASDA

Do you mean  "I" or are you talking about me ?

You need to change the "you" to an "I"

[khunPer]

On 3/22/2018 at 5:28 AM, Once Bitten said:

Any one else get the same feeling that they seem to be forever standing at an ATM machine or pulling money out of their wallet

Yes to standing in front of an ATM machine.

Before I used to cash the maximum allowance from the ATM – 25,000 baht it was – and that money could live happily in my pocket for quite a while. Now I've become so poor that I cash out small amounts only, sometimes even daily or twice a day. At the end of the month I think I've spend the same amount of money as always, but perhaps I gain little more interest when leaving the money in the bank, instead of in my pocket – 0.5% is big money compared to Europe's 0.05% interest – and of course I gladly walk an extra good healthy exercise distance to an ATM with my own bank's name on, so I avoid any potential fees...

 

By the way, endlessly spending can also have to due with one's life-style and choice of present partner – talking from experience...

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Sumarianson said:

How long has the very handy cashback scheme been in operation? 30 years 40 years? Thailand will catch up eventually but extreme frustration in the meantime. 

You get "extremely frustrated" because you cannot get cashback from supermarkets ?

   Lucky for you that you were not in Thailand when the only way to get money from the UK was to get bit sent from a UK bank to a Thai bank , through the post

[The manic]

5 hours ago, quandow said:

I use a Capital One credit card for most purchases. No foreign transaction fee, no added fees from Tesco, 7-11, etc. and 1.5% cash back.

Useful information

[cat handler]

<deWTFed> are you talking about, you’re in Thailand <deFFSed> you are the ATM.

 

Edited March 23, 2018 by cat handler

[Thaidream]

Thailand has and is becoming more expensive- especially if one drinks or buys foreign products. Things I bought in America are 5 times as high in Thailand due to excise tax placed on these items. I tried buying some Australian Products and the same high excise tax. I figured the Aussie -Thai free trade agreement would bring Australian products lower- never happened. Time for some reciprocity.

 

More trips to the ATM- use Thai Military Bank- can take out 30K at a time most others only 20K at a time.  The 220 Baht fee is also way too high and of course the Thai Baht is way overpriced.  However, compared to living in the Us, Canada or Europe- Thailand is less expensive overall- especially housing .

 

[Peterw42]

11 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

I tried buying some Australian Products and the same high excise tax. I figured the Aussie -Thai free trade agreement would bring Australian products lower- never happened. Time for some reciprocity.

Its hard enough to find Australian products on supermarket shelves, things like Tim Tam biscuits and allowrie butter are not even made in Australia, which would explain why they are not cheaper because of FTA.

[Acemaker]

On 3/22/2018 at 11:37 AM, Lamkyong said:

personally i dont think visit atms   more or less frequently  than i did   before 

 

what i do know is that the amounts i withdraw here are less   than the amounts i withdrew in my native country    ie cost of living here cheaper  (over all) 

OP, the reason you keep visiting ATMs is because you keep spending Money! i think thats really whats bothering you, you need to curb your spending and then you wont have to visit them so often.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, jumbo said:

I was referring to the fact you wrote "When I need larger amounts, school fees or whatever I generally just go into the bank"  

I think there are more easier solutions where you can arrange such payments from the pleasure of your air conditioned home

But it is a matter of preference as you stated...

 

 

 

More and more institutions, agencies, companies etc., will accept bank transfers.  In fact in 99% of cases they prefer it, they get the funds instantly, no waiting period, etc., and both you and the receiver have a record.

 

To pay water and electricity, internet bills, etc, sure it's easy to pay at 7/11 (very small cash fee), you can pay all of these from home using internet banking, also pay your credit card, and you easily set-it up to pay wife's credit card, or anybody's cc (if it's your bank) etc.

 

Can easily set it up to do an instant transfer of cash to any savings a/c at any bank in Thailand in any name, etc. All instantaneous. You can easily do the set up for instant SMS messages to recipients, and an instant SMS to yourself every time there is a transaction. Fron my experience the SMS cost if ree if there a small number of transactions a month. Another bank, first 5 SMS message (I think it's 5) are free, after that there's an automatic charge of 15Baht for any further messages (total all up of 15Baht regardless how many SMS messages).

 

It's easy to set up and so easy to use.

 

My Thai son calls me, 'can I have 1,000Baht please'. I click on the icon for one of the two internet banks I now use, get an OTP very fast on my smartphone, insert the OTP, transaction completed probably less than 15 seconds, logoff.

 

I also find that the call centers for the two Thai bank internet banking I use are very helpful, quick and very focused. 

 

It is convenient but of course it's ultimately personal choice. 

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2018 by scorecard

[rickudon]

Once they introduced ATM fees here in Thailand i cut my ATM visits to 2 or 3 times a month, withdraw max 20,000. Even with ATM fee, cheaper than SWIFT transfer to a Thai bank. Been doing that for 6 years, same amount. Most bills are paid in cash, just use the credit card for occasional big purchases or supermarket shops. If only Makro would accept my credit card ......

[Ahab]

8 hours ago, Sekingco said:

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Posted 2 hours ago

   3 hours ago,  Ahab said: 

In my home country I did not normally have money in my wallet and if I did it was less than 1500 baht. Everything in the USA can be bought with a debit card down to a single pack of gum in a 7-11. Where I live in rural Thailand it is not the same and is basically a cash only society. If we are visiting a larger city my wife's Bangkok Bank debit card can be used to make purchases, but even that is being restricted. So in reality I am using my ATM card here much less frequently than I used my bank debit card in the USA (Hawaii).

That is simply not true. Most small businesses in the US do not accept plastic . https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/08/16/why-dont-more-small-businesses-accept-credit-cards/#10f6f49e15b4                             

 

When was the last time you were in the US? I also use a debit card for almost everything. Cash here in Thailand. 

One year ago. Used it for gas, groceries, drinks, dog food, lunch at almost every restaurant (even plate lunch places), and anything else you can think of. I never used drugs, but that may be one area that would not accept a debit card. 

[Ahab]

11 hours ago, smotherb said:

That is simply not true. Most small businesses in the US do not accept plastic . https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2013/08/16/why-dont-more-small-businesses-accept-credit-cards/#10f6f49e15b4

Debit cards (that draw the money directly from your checking account) are different than credit cards and don't charge the fees associated with credit cards (3.5% I think).

 

[JSixpack]

So just withdraw a few hundred thousand at a time over the bank counter and grab 10000 as needed to top up your wallet. 

 

Sorted! Assuming you can keep that big of a wad securely at your place and keep control of your wallet.

[ericthai]

12 hours ago, giddyup said:

I have a 200,000 baht limit on ATM withdrawals. So I can withdraw up to that amount.

yes, but multiplies of 20K at time, as the ATM will only allow a max of 20K per transaction.  

 

[Jip99]

19 minutes ago, ericthai said:

yes, but multiplies of 20K at time, as the ATM will only allow a max of 20K per transaction.  

 

 

 

 

....... or 20 notes.....

[mstevens]

12 hours ago, Thaidream said:

However, compared to living in the Us, Canada or Europe- Thailand is less expensive overall- especially housing .

Housing, public transport and street food are the only things I think of as being genuinely cheap in Bangkok.  If housing was to shoot up in price then the entire equation would change.....with a bit of luck that won't happen any time soon.

[mstevens]

12 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

Its hard enough to find Australian products on supermarket shelves, things like Tim Tam biscuits and allowrie butter are not even made in Australia, which would explain why they are not cheaper because of FTA.

You can get Tim Tams made in Australia in some Bangkok supermarkets for around 100 baht a pack (over $4AUD) or you can get the locally made version which doesn't taste as good but are cheap, about a third of the price.

Edited March 23, 2018 by mstevens

[Mac98]

On 3/22/2018 at 4:52 AM, giddyup said:

All it takes is a phone call to have it increased. I increased mine from 20,000 baht a day to 200,000. Now I find that just about covers it, as long as I don't go crazy.

It also means a card scammer could get 200,000?

[Mac98]

3 hours ago, mstevens said:

Housing, public transport and street food are the only things I think of as being genuinely cheap in Bangkok.  If housing was to shoot up in price then the entire equation would change.....with a bit of luck that won't happen any time soon.

I know you won't believe I need massage for physical therapy, but I do. $9 for 90 minutes, twice a week,  for Thai massage, rather than $90 for each 90-minute session in USA, saves me $650 a month. That covers my rent, utilities, laundry, transport in town, and groceries.

[Mac98]

On 3/22/2018 at 4:52 AM, giddyup said:

All it takes is a phone call to have it increased. I increased mine from 20,000 baht a day to 200,000. Now I find that just about covers it, as long as I don't go crazy.

It also means a card scammer could get 200,000?

[HLover]

5 minutes ago, Mac98 said:

I know you won't believe I need massage for physical therapy, but I do. $9 for 90 minutes, twice a week,  for Thai massage, rather than $90 for each 90-minute session in USA, saves me $650 a month. That covers my rent, utilities, laundry, transport in town, and groceries.

How much do you tip, since your from America?