ATMs in Chiang Mai

[Oriol]

Hello helpful people,

 

I am wondering if some of you have looked into the ATM situation in Chiang Mai for visitors with foreign cards (Visa credit and MasterCard debit, in my case). I resigned myself to paying the 200 THB fee which all banks seem to apply, but does anyone know which banks/ATMs offer a better rate and, more importantly, have the highest withdrawal limits? I would rather just go to the ATM once...

 

Big thank you!

[orang37]

Do search this forum for previous posts on this topic. Some posters here have described ... in the past ... their banks and account types that enabled them to withdraw with no fee. Of course, a more recent update would be good.

 

~o:37;

[Oriol]

Yes, an update would be great since the universal fees are a relatively new thing!

[JimGant]

17 hours ago, Oriol said:

but does anyone know which banks/ATMs offer a better rate and, more importantly, have the highest withdrawal limits? I would rather just go to the ATM once...

Most machines are restricted to 25 note withdrawals, and most have 1000 baht notes loaded. But sometimes -- and the machine normally advises -- it only has 500 baht notes available (thus, each pull, and related ATM charge, is restricted to 12,500 baht -- this is not a normal occurrence). But the rate you get is not a function of the bank or ATM -- it's a function of the network (Visa or MC) daily published rate -- which is a very competitive rate. However, many foreign Debit/ATM cards carry a 1% foreign transaction fee -- so a 25000 baht ATM pull would carry an additional 250 baht foreign transaction fee, on top of the bank's 220 baht ATM fee. And further injury, although not very frequent, is the ATM machine asking if you'd like the transaction in home currency. This is the DCC scam, which adds about another 5% charge. Just say "no" and the machine should revert to normal procedure.

 

Remember, the bank issuing your Debit/atm card has daily limits -- and you may experience these when you attempt an ATM pull. Common reaction is to blame the ATM machine, and related bank. Nope. It's your issuing bank, so adjust your daily limits higher, as necessary, when traveling.

 

Oh, some ATM machines allow for a 30000 baht pull, but with the same 220 baht ATM fee. I'll let someone more knowledgeable than me provide the names of these banks.

Edited January 29, 2020 by JimGant

[KhunBENQ]

Krungsri Bank, TMB and CMBI have been known to spend 30 notes.

Bangkok Bank 25 notes.

But things seem to develop. Saw a 50k limit recently at a Kasikorn ATM.

5 hours ago, Oriol said:

Yes, an update would be great since the universal fees are a relatively new thing!

Thai banks ATM fees for foreign cards are age old.

Started (for me) at 150 Baht, then 180, then 200(?), now 220.

 

My times of using ATMs with my foreign cards are over since services like Transferwise exist.

 

 

[Bill97]

38 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Krungsri Bank, TMB and CMBI have been known to spend 30 notes.

Bangkok Bank 25 notes.

But things seem to develop. Saw a 50k limit recently at a Kasikorn ATM.

Thai banks ATM fees for foreign cards are age old.

Started (for me) at 150 Baht, then 180, then 200(?), now 220.

 

My times of using ATMs with my foreign cards are over since services like Transferwise exist.

 

 

Your post was edited but there is no note of the edit.  How do you do that?

[KhunBENQ]

2 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Your post was edited but there is no note of the edit.  How do you do that?

I didn't. Remarks cut. Must have been a moderator.

[Muppet2019]

AEON ATM's only charge 150 but there are not many in Chaing Mai, I use the one in the Central Festival mall. I use a TransferWise debit card which allows £200 withdraw every 30 days for free then its a 2% charge, works out a lot cheaper than my robbing bank.

[noise]

If  you try different bank's ATM, don't forget to check the exchange rate you got.  For example, if you take out 25,000 baht from a Bangkok Bank ATM, see what your 25,220 baht withdrawal was in dollars.   Say  you bank debited your account for $812.   Divide 25,220 by 812 and see you got 31.059 baht to the dollar.  Compare that to the bank to bank exchange rate and make your decision if the rate is OK or not.

[JimGant]

2 hours ago, noise said:

Compare that to the bank to bank exchange rate and make your decision if the rate is OK or not.

If all banks charge a 220 baht fee and none use DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion, i.e., where they ask if you'd like the transaction in your home currency), then all ATM machines in Thailand associated with these banks will give you the same rate for the same card for the same time of day. And that is the card rate (e.g., Visa and MasterCard). Right now, Visa's rate for Jan 30 is 30.7431 -- and that's the rate you'd get for the rest of the day, as it's a 24-hour rate ( don't know when the rate changes, however; used to be in the morning Thai time). Guaranteed, since ATM/PIN action transactions are "online", thus real time -- unlike POS transactions, with signature, which are "off line" and process a few days later, using the rate at processing time.

[hml367]

Oriol,

 

If you do not want to make multiple ATM withdrawals, and you mentioned "going to the ATM just once", go inside a bank and make an over the counter withdrawal.  The limits are usually higher, but as mentioned, the limits are set by your financial institution.

 

I withdraw money once per month  with a visa credit card, then go home and make an online transfer from deposit account to my credit card account with my home country financial institution.  Thus, I do not even incur finance charges on my credit card account. My financial institution does not charge me for cash advance on credit cards and I get the exact rate published by Visa Corporate for the transaction date when entered at my financial institution.  Essentially I get my money for zero added costs.

[Sparkles]

Once a month, coinciding with my Australian old age pension payment, I do a cash withdrawal from any Bangkok Bank using my Australian Credit Union Debit card. Limit $A 1,000 per 24 hours.

Just provide my passport,they photocopy the face page which I sign plus fill in the slip after the card has been swiped, complete address ,phone no and signature.No charge at all this end and debited $A 5 back home on which at today's conversion rate is about 105 baht.

I don't have a credit card the wife has 2 ????

Edited January 30, 2020 by Sparkles

[suzannegoh]

There may be some ATM machines that use DCC (which you should refuse) but generally the exchange rate will be set by Visa rather than by the ATM machine's owner.  There will be the 220 Baht fee charged by the ATM machine's owner, and your bank at home may apply additional fees for foreign transactions.  The ideal thing is to get a card that refunds ATM fees and applies no foreign transaction charges.  Examples of ones that do that are the ATM cards issued by Schwab and Fidelity in the US.