UK Embassy will not accept Union Pay debit cards

[HHTel]

3 hours ago, Rastaputin said:

I have VISa and MC Credit Cards at Bangkok Bank

As far as I can tell, credit cards will remain as is.  It's only ATM/Debit cards that are affected.

[Ks45672]

14 hours ago, wgdanson said:

And if it for a Tourist Visa to visit the UK, YOU MUST PAY IN USD !

Strange but true lol

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, markaoffy said:

Will Bangkok bank allow to keep Visa cards for using online and other payments and also the union pay card ?

Yes they will. I have both cards. 

[R123]

Previously used my BB Visa debit card for ATM withdrawals and on line purchases. Now with the Union Pay use the latter only for ATM withdrawals but use the  VISA credit cards issued by BB for on line purchases etc.

As soon as the credit card purchase arises on my internet banking i can pay it immediately so no interest charges.

It's less convenient than previously but used to it now...

 

 

[anon537687643]

Now with the Union Pay use the latter only for ATM withdrawals but use the  VISA credit cards issued by BB for on line purchases etc.

 

Not very clear ! Use the latter? And use union pay for what ?


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[Tanoshi]

So to recap and clarify;

 

If you have a BKB Visa debit card with magnetic strip only, it will only work in the ATM until 2019, but can still be used for online purchases until it's expiry date. It can be exchanged free of charge for the UP debit card until 31st Dec 2018, or alternatively you can request a new Union Pay debit card (for ATM use) and retain your Visa debit card (for online purchases) but will pay a fee for the additional UP card.

 

If you have a BKB Visa debit card with chip and pin, it will work in the ATM and for online purchases until it's expiry date.

 

The above type of Visa debit cards will be replaced with the Union Pay debit cards on expiry, free of charge.

 

[HAKAPALITA]

BKB can do you a Credit Card. You put the money into new account, and then it has Visa Nd everything the oid card had.Pay in one month and no interest . Handy if you buy a lot of Benzine , and Vehicle Service costs. Sort of free accounting for me.?


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[BobBKK]

19 hours ago, digger70 said:

No they Wont,,,, No Madness just more security   6  Digit  code. Not many shops have the POS Machines that can Process the Union card . 

I think we are talking cross-purposes. I meant my credit cards (which are not really credit cards).  The ATM I rarely use for purchases anyway.

[MJCM]

22 hours ago, phkauf said:

I lost my old Bangkok Bank Visa ATM card and they issued me a Union Pay replacement. However Aetna (nee BUPA) can't direct debit the Union Pay card so I was able to get a VISA ATM card from the main branch on Silom. If you persist with a valid reason they will give you a VISA card, but only at the main branch on Silom (from what I am told).

<snip>

Yes you are absolutely correct on this. But please check the validity on your NEW Visa card. A friend of mine also got this (and at a Mall located BBL Branch so not even a Main Branch) but he found out that the card only had a 6 month validity.?

[phkauf]

3 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Yes you are absolutely correct on this. But please check the validity on your NEW Visa card. A friend of mine also got this (and at a Mall located BBL Branch so not even a Main Branch) but he found out that the card only had a 6 month validity.?

Mine is good until 2022. But it just highlights the incompetence at BKB. Every branch and every employee has a different answer. The first person I spoke with denied he could give me a VISA card, but I persisted and he asked someone else who told him it was ok. My official branch at EmQuartier told me it was not possible to get a VISA ATM card. Madness!

[MJCM]

2 hours ago, phkauf said:

<snip>. Madness!

I agree with you on this one 1000% !

[sandyf]

On 8/17/2018 at 5:32 PM, sumrit said:

 

While the vast majority of customers would appear to prefer to stick with a Visa card, it's obvious that Bangkok Bank have no intention of listening to their customers and intend going down their own Union Pay path, so why don't customers that aren't happy with them simply change banks immediately??

The vast majority of customers are Thais and probably most will not understand the difference, far less be bothered about it.

[Tanoshi]

22 minutes ago, sandyf said:

The vast majority of customers are Thais and probably most will not understand the difference, far less be bothered about it.

They will when they only have a UP debit card and discover the restrictions on who will accept UP.

 

 

[sandyf]

20 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

They will when they only have a UP debit card and discover the restrictions on who will accept UP.

 

 

You are making the assumption that the Thai customers will indulge in activity that would be subject to these possible restriction.

In over 10 years I have never used my Thai bank card for anything other than an ATM. Anything I have bought online has been by bank transfer or from Lazada, there would be no UP problem there.

There is a tendency for foreigners to focus on their own needs.

[BritManToo]

23 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are making the assumption that the Thai customers will indulge in activity that would be subject to these possible restriction.

In over 10 years I have never used my Thai bank card for anything other than an ATM. Anything I have bought online has been by bank transfer or from Lazada, there would be no UP problem there.

There is a tendency for foreigners to focus on their own needs.

AliExpress, half the price of Lazada for many items, Thai bank card can purchase items in $$$s with no exchange fees.

Very common for Thais to buy from there, probably the second most popular mail-order firm selling to Thailand.

There is a tendency for elderly foreigners to overlook modern purchasing methods.

 

As for Union Pay, very common purchasing method in China (more so than VISA or Mastercard), think it's more about Bangkok Bank catering to Chinese and Asian tourists, the west isn't the whole world.

Edited August 19, 2018 by BritManToo

[Tanoshi]

16 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are making the assumption that the Thai customers will indulge in activity that would be subject to these possible restriction.

In over 10 years I have never used my Thai bank card for anything other than an ATM. Anything I have bought online has been by bank transfer or from Lazada, there would be no UP problem there.

There is a tendency for foreigners to focus on their own needs.

I think your making the assumption Thais don't use a credit card online.

Try booking an Air Asia or Nok air flight with a UP credit card online.

 

Of course there are alternative methods of payment, but the discussion was about using the new UP debit card for online purchases and payments at Thai merchants.

[sumrit]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

The vast majority of customers are Thais and probably most will not understand the difference, far less be bothered about it.

I was talking about the Bangkok bank customers that were posting and discussing the ATM card problems on this thread, NOT the total number of Bangkok bank customers in Thailand and other posters on here seemed to have recognised that............................................ But there's always one isn't there

Edited August 19, 2018 by sumrit

[Andrew65]

On 8/17/2018 at 3:59 AM, poohy said:

Good luck! BKK bank seemingly only issue these now, most likely  a visa debit card will entail a change of banks.

 

And yes they rarely accepted EVEN in Thailand 

I believe Barclays Bank ATM's in the UK accept them. (If anyone wanted to use one in the UK).

 

I tried to use mine to pay my rent in Bangkok and I got a "CANNOT" response. It isn't just the British Embassy, UP just aren't widely accepted.

 

I'll be transferring THB to a Sterling account anyway, you're gonna get reamed on the exchange rate by a UK bank if you try to withdraw any foreign currency.

[darrendsd]

On 8/18/2018 at 7:01 AM, ubonjoe said:

Yes they will. I have both cards. 

Can you use both in the ATM machine Joe or once you get a 2nd card can you only use the 2nd one?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

Can you use both in the ATM machine Joe or once you get a 2nd card can you only use the 2nd one?

At this time they can both be used at a ATM. When the ATMs will no longer accept magnetic stripe cards the visa one will no longer work.

[gilo]

If you are committed to wanting to keep your account at Bangkok bank, an alternative option that they offer is a secured (although it is not called that but you need to deposit an amount that can not be touched on which the card's limits are set) credit card (MasterCard). This has the advantages for protection of a credit card and also for those who travel extensively with AirAsia Bangkok Bank's MasterCard is an affinity card and therefore can avoid booking fees etc. The card can be obtained with a minimum secured amount of (I am a bit uncertain on exactly the min) of 20k. The process takes about 2 weeks and as in so many aspects of Thai life requires an inordinate amount of paperwork including but not limited to copies of account transactions for the previous 6 months etc. They also have a Visa credit card available.

Edited August 19, 2018 by gilo

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, sumrit said:

I was talking about the Bangkok bank customers that were posting and discussing the ATM card problems on this thread, NOT the total number of Bangkok bank customers in Thailand and other posters on here seemed to have recognised that............................................ But there's always one isn't there

I get it, you think the Bangkok Bank should pay attention to what is said on this forum.

 

" it's obvious that Bangkok Bank have no intention of listening to their customers and intend going down their own Union Pay path, "

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

I think your making the assumption Thais don't use a credit card online.

Try booking an Air Asia or Nok air flight with a UP credit card online.

 

Of course there are alternative methods of payment, but the discussion was about using the new UP debit card for online purchases and payments at Thai merchants.

Not making that assumption at all, the numbers will be small compared to the total number of bank customers. If you have a problem, you find a solution.

The bank would have had what they considered a very good reason for making a change that would not have come cheap so customers will have to live with it.

[sumrit]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

I get it, you think the Bangkok Bank should pay attention to what is said on this forum.

 

" it's obvious that Bangkok Bank have no intention of listening to their customers and intend going down their own Union Pay path, "

I never anything of the sort did I. You make some very weird interpretations on what is actually said.

 

I actually pointed out that the Bangkok Bank obviously appear to be going down a particular path that their customers posting on this thread do not appear to be happy with.

 

I went on to say other banks in Thailand do have the features that the posters are asking for. I pointed out that it easy for them to open another bank account with another bank that more suits their needs. And suggested that, instead of just sitting back while their cards are still active and hoping the Bangkok bank has a change of policy,  a change of banks might be a better option.

Edited August 19, 2018 by sumrit

[mikebell]

I highlighted this scandal two weeks ago.  I've been on the BKK Bank FB page to complain bitterly. I have twice been severely embarrassed when attempting UnionPay.

Finding a bank which still hasn't caved into Chinese inducements is like checking for hen's teeth.

The two banks I've tried say 'cannot have Visa Debit only Visa Credit.'  To get one requires a minimum of 100,000 kept in an account and topped up each time you use the CC.

 

Please, there are six pages of comment (so far); complain and threaten on their FB page; your FB pages; anywhere on line; it's the only language, (other than money) that they understand.

[mikebell]

After six pages of comment, can anyone name a specific Thai bank that still issues a Visa debit card; preferably with branches in Pattaya?

[HAKAPALITA]

Depends on your track record, not a Yes n No answer Mike, plus moody staff can fob you off.!. I stil got BKB debit, some friends not..[emoji85]


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[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, mikebell said:

After six pages of comment, can anyone name a specific Thai bank that still issues a Visa debit card; preferably with branches in Pattaya?

Kasikorn for Visa card. https://www.kasikornbank.com/en/personal/Debit-Card

And Krung Thai. https://www.ktb.co.th/en/personal/cards/debit-card

And Krungsri. https://www.krungsri.com/bank/en/PersonalBanking/CardProducts/KrungsriDebitcard/krungsri-debit-chip-card.html

SCB issues MasterCards. https://www.scb.co.th/en/personal-banking/cards/debit-cards.html

 

[Tanoshi]

47 minutes ago, mikebell said:

After six pages of comment, can anyone name a specific Thai bank that still issues a Visa debit card; preferably with branches in Pattaya?

Kasikorn.

 

When it became apparent my current Visa debit card (BKB) would only be replaced with the UP debit card, I opened an account at Kasikorn (not Pattaya) and received a Visa debit card.

I use both accounts, but when my current Visa debit card with BKB expires (next year) I'll be transferring all my accounts to Kasikorn.

That's Savings, Fixed term and FC accounts.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Tanoshi

[zmak]

On 8/17/2018 at 5:32 PM, sumrit said:

I've just read through three pages of posts by concerned people ( most of them also) being confused by the rules governing Bangkok Bank's decision to ditch Visa/ Mastercard bank cards and switch to Union Pay, plus the confusion over when their cards might no longer be valid for some functions. 

 

While the vast majority of customers would appear to prefer to stick with a Visa card, it's obvious that Bangkok Bank have no intention of listening to their customers and intend going down their own Union Pay path, so why don't customers that aren't happy with them simply change banks immediately??

 

A few people here say they intend changing when their cards expire, but why wait? Change now. Bangkok Bank just might get the message if there's a large exodus. They certainly won't if people delay changing and there's only a gradual exodus over the next two-three-fours years or so. And if they don't change you'll be with a bank that does give you the service you want.

Because Changing banks is a PITA . It was hard enough getting this account and if I shut down this account which is the only way BKK Bank will know then how does them changing their minds down the track benefit me? it would only benefit those that DIDNT  leave