I have the be1st smart visa debit card and the website says I can keep using it until 2019. Does this mean it stops working on 1 January 2019 or some other date on 2019?

No help but I have made numerous calls to head office and never got the same answer.!

1 hour ago, pontious said:

No help but I have made numerous calls to head office and never got the same answer.!

It helps a bit as it saves me the bother of trying the same. Thanks.

Don't even think of switching. Lost my visa debit card a few weeks back and had no choice but to get the union pay replacement.
Completely useless, not a single website accepts it as on line payment. It's going to cost them in customers big time

Luckily I already have another bank with mastercard debit that works on ALL websites

My Bangkok Bank Branch in Isaan, although no longer issuing VISA Debit Cards, has told me that my current Visa Debit Card WILL BE VALID to the "good/thru" date on my card (currently 01/22). It will NOT be withdrawn in 2019. The Manager also told me that in 2019 (no date given) a MASTERCARD DEBIT CARD will be issued alongside the problematic Union Pay Debit Card. As soon as this occurs I shall switch from VISA to MASTERCARD. However as a precaution, I have opened another account with Krungsri Bank which has issued me with a VISA DEBIT CARD. This Union Pay "lark" does not affect Visa or Mastercard Credit cards issued by Bangkok Bank.

i have no problems with a union debt card, it is even accepted in aus, if not accepted there is always a atm close bye, and no fees with drawing cash, not like my westpac, bloody excessive fees every use !

My ATM card with BKK Bank expires in 2026 and like the poster above, I've also been told that my Visa card will be valid until then and there will be a Mastercard option well before then.

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

My ATM card with BKK Bank expires in 2026 and like the poster above, I've also been told that my Visa card will be valid until then and there will be a Mastercard option well before then.

I hope that's right but it does definitely say on the website that you can keep using the card until 2019.

Soon as they do I'm Changing Banks

I was in China in July. Visa and MasterCard were useless. No one would accept them anywhere.

 

But my Bangkok Be1 UnionPay debit card was wonderful.

Accepted nearly everywhere and with no apparent transaction charges. Exchange rate was good too.

 

In fact it worked so much better in both China and Hong Kong compared to Thailand.

 

I like it now...

I booked a hotel in BKK the other and was shocked to see Booking.com listed Union Pay as an option to pay so maybe one for the future.

7 hours ago, Billthekiwi said:

I was in China in July. Visa and MasterCard were useless. No one would accept them anywhere.

 

But my Bangkok Be1 UnionPay debit card was wonderful.

Accepted nearly everywhere and with no apparent transaction charges. Exchange rate was good too.

 

In fact it worked so much better in both China and Hong Kong compared to Thailand.

 

I like it now...

Union Pay is pretty much Chinas payment system.  This also could be interesting if you want to purchase directly from china instead of using lazada or ebay.  I used Taobao.com in china and there are millions of items, if china makes it it will be on this website. I just used google translate to chat to the sellers.  Now to convince them to post to Thailand ????

 

21 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

I hope that's right but it does definitely say on the website that you can keep using the card until 2019.

Further to my post. Yesterday I attended a sub-branch of Bangkok Bank inside our local Tesco-Lotus supermarket. Alongside the ATM and other machines was a full-size advert for Bangkok Bank's Be 1st VISA Debit Card - no mention at all of the Chinese Union Pay. When I inquired I was told (as we all know now) Bangkok Bank no longer issues VISA Debit cards so when I replied "so why are you still advertising VISA" all I got was silence.

My wife has just been on the phone to BKK Bank HO regarding VISA and was told that the existing cards can be used until the end of 2019 (subject to the card's expiry date I assume) after which BKK Bank will no longer be using VISA. This also applies to VISA credit cards as well as debit cards!

As usual,  hard to get a straight answer.

2 hours ago, RupertIII said:

My wife has just been on the phone to BKK Bank HO regarding VISA and was told that the existing cards can be used until the end of 2019 (subject to the card's expiry date I assume) after which BKK Bank will no longer be using VISA. This also applies to VISA credit cards as well as debit cards!

It certainly appears we are all being given different information. According to my BB, by the end of 2019 MASTERCARD Debit Cards will be in use.

2 hours ago, RupertIII said:

My wife has just been on the phone to BKK Bank HO regarding VISA and was told that the existing cards can be used until the end of 2019 (subject to the card's expiry date I assume) after which BKK Bank will no longer be using VISA. This also applies to VISA credit cards as well as debit cards!

It certainly appears we are all being given different information however by the end of 2019, according to my BB, the MASTERCARD debit card will be available - I hope!

My ATM card with BKK Bank expires in 2026 and like the poster above, I've also been told that my Visa card will be valid until then and there will be a Mastercard option well before then.

You have a card with an 8 years expiry date? You sure about that?

It certainly appears we are all being given different information however by the end of 2019, according to my BB, the MASTERCARD debit card will be available - I hope!

Looked on the website today and it shows the Mastercard debit card as being available from 5th November 2018.


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