Big Chang(e) at 711?

[moontang]

The big change is that there is no longer a 300 THB minimum to pay with a credit card.  They had a sign on the counter at one, and confirmed it a mile down the road.

[KhunBENQ]

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

[moontang]

24 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

Will still be faster than paying with a 500, let alone someone making a consumer loan payment.

[bronzedude]

I've found that my US credit card does not charge a foreign exchange fee. That being said, the exchange rate is somewhere between the TT Rate (yellow signs) and the internet rate which is always higher. The advantage for me is that I can pay the credit card balance with my US bank account. Since the Covid restrictions started in earnest in March, I've spent over 100,000 baht in credit which is about $3000 I don't have to send down via transferwise or similar methods. Family Mart doesn't seem to have a minimum at well. 

[Nout]

23 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

Swipe/touch and go. Very quick.

[moontang]

1 hour ago, bronzedude said:

I've found that my US credit card does not charge a foreign exchange fee. That being said, the exchange rate is somewhere between the TT Rate (yellow signs) and the internet rate which is always higher. The advantage for me is that I can pay the credit card balance with my US bank account. Since the Covid restrictions started in earnest in March, I've spent over 100,000 baht in credit which is about $3000 I don't have to send down via transferwise or similar methods. Family Mart doesn't seem to have a minimum at well. 

And besides not paying the transfer fees, there are a lot of cash back deals..I get one percent to use at Amazon.

[poloshirt]

On 9/6/2020 at 3:34 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

There was a time I put something under my arm pit and forgot about it and when I saw the long queue I put the things I was holding in my hand back on the shelf but forgot the one under my armpit. I walked out and later

discovered I had walked off with stuff without paying.

Is that consider theft? i didn't go back to return the stuff because I was afraid language would bangle my good kind heart.

[sungod]

6 minutes ago, poloshirt said:

There was a time I put something under my arm pit and forgot about it and when I saw the long queue I put the things I was holding in my hand back on the shelf but forgot the one under my armpit. I walked out and later

discovered I had walked off with stuff without paying.

Is that consider theft? i didn't go back to return the stuff because I was afraid language would bangle my good kind heart.

Dude, that's a death sentence on Thai Visa. You only get a pass if you are Burmese.........

[SunsetT]

On 9/6/2020 at 9:34 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

It will be the same as a 'Contactless' payment in the UK. It should be really quick with no pin or signature required as it already is in Tesco and BigC.

[SunsetT]

3 hours ago, bronzedude said:

I've found that my US credit card does not charge a foreign exchange fee. That being said, the exchange rate is somewhere between the TT Rate (yellow signs) and the internet rate which is always higher. The advantage for me is that I can pay the credit card balance with my US bank account. Since the Covid restrictions started in earnest in March, I've spent over 100,000 baht in credit which is about $3000 I don't have to send down via transferwise or similar methods. Family Mart doesn't seem to have a minimum at well. 

U should be getting the Visa or Mastercard exchange rate whichever the card is and, without any charges, is hard to beat. Just be careful by checking the receipt that the store's bank isnt applying their rubbish exchange rate which happened to me once at a 'Global' DIY store, and once when hiring a car. If the receipt shows an exchange rate then reject it and pay cash.

[Max69xl]

On 9/6/2020 at 4:00 PM, moontang said:

Will still be faster than paying with a 500, let alone someone making a consumer loan payment.

So you're the type of guy that for some reason don't like to have a few hundred and some change in your pocket? Do you know why there are a minimum limit in several stores? The equipment needed, like the terminal is not free for the owner. Buying something for 25 baht isn't a big help. 

[Longchop]

19 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

U should be getting the Visa or Mastercard exchange rate whichever the card is and, without any charges, is hard to beat. Just be careful by checking the receipt that the store's bank isnt applying their rubbish exchange rate which happened to me once at a 'Global' DIY store, and once when hiring a car. If the receipt shows an exchange rate then reject it and pay cash.

Until the day when cash is withdrawn and you find yourself in a totally cashless society, coming soon because " it's so easy, so quick, so convienent etc etc... no cash back up and you are totally at the mercy of the bankers who will no longer have to print, distribute, secure and dispose of cash, just a few digits onto their central bank screens and distributed digitally and everyone will have no option but to pay the charges they set.

[moontang]

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

So you're the type of guy that for some reason don't like to have a few hundred and some change in your pocket? Do you know why there are a minimum limit in several stores? The equipment needed, like the terminal is not free for the owner. Buying something for 25 baht isn't a big help. 

I am glad I didn't just write that.  

Edited September 7, 2020 by moontang

[utalkin2me]

18 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

So you're the type of guy that for some reason don't like to have a few hundred and some change in your pocket? Do you know why there are a minimum limit in several stores? The equipment needed, like the terminal is not free for the owner. Buying something for 25 baht isn't a big help. 

Equipment or not, vendors pay fees when credit cards are used. Any vendor, big or small. 

 

If someone spends $1,000 on a credit card, the merchant gets charged 20-30 dollars. Same $1,000 transaction with cash, and the merchant pays nothing. Big difference. 

 

This never gets discussed, but this makes prices higher for us all. This is why cc companies can hand out all this free <deleted>, because they are making money hand over fist on every cc transaction worldwide. 

 

Nobody should use credits cards, but they have been duped into thinking they get "free" stuff, but we are all paying for that free stuff by way of higher prices. 

 

Anyway, that is why there is a minimum on cc purchases. 

[Pattaya46]

4 hours ago, Nout said:

Swipe/touch and go. Very quick.

Swipe ? In a Seven-11 ??

Most people would just use the no-contact paiement,

easier and faster 

[Dustdevil]

4 hours ago, moontang said:

And besides not paying the transfer fees, there are a lot of cash back deals..I get one percent to use at Amazon.

Me too--but I'm using it in the States. Also 2% at gas stations and restaurants, and 5% on anything you buy from Amazon or Whole Foods.

[Susco]

4 hours ago, poloshirt said:

There was a time I put something under my arm pit and forgot about it and when I saw the long queue I put the things I was holding in my hand back on the shelf but forgot the one under my armpit. I walked out and later

discovered I had walked off with stuff without paying.

Is that consider theft? i didn't go back to return the stuff because I was afraid language would bangle my good kind heart.

I don't think you can put things back on the shelves without moving your arms, which would make the items under your armpits drop to the floor, unless it's intentional.

 

 

[poloshirt]

4 minutes ago, Susco said:

I don't think you can put things back on the shelves without moving your arms, which would make the items under your armpits drop to the floor, unless it's intentional.

 

 

Oh, no, it's not intentional. I often go about in a dreamy state, like going to the car park where I park the car yesterday but today I parked the car near to the car park but not in the car park.

I went to the car park and couldn't find my car then later realized I didn't park there.

I believe 7/11 lost a couple of things in a year because I walked out without paying and not even remember that. well, God makes me do that didn't he?

[AlfHuy]

On 9/6/2020 at 3:34 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Can't wait to stand in a queue where a guy pays his chewing gum with a foreign credit card

7 baht water with Amex.

[soi3eddie]

2 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

If someone spends $1,000 on a credit card, the merchant gets charged 20-30 dollars. Same $1,000 transaction with cash, and the merchant pays nothing. Big difference.

Depends where the merchant is and what they do with the cash received. If cash is paid into a business bank account in the UK then there is a normally a fee of .07% (MetroBank) to 1.05% (Lloyds Bank) and possibly more with other banks. Definitely not nothing. Card processing fees are typically 0.5% to 3.35% depending on whether debit or credit card, whether the card is domestic or international or personal or corporate (as a vendor it is very hard to know card type and therefore fees in advance). American Express used to get a bad rap for high fees but they now seem to only charge merchants 1.9% across the board. We assume on average about 2% over all our sales is paid in card fees.

[Lacessit]

I pay cash. IMO it will be some time before it disappears in Thailand, plenty of rural villages where monthly income is 2000 baht. What bank is going to issue credit cards for that income level?

OTOH, cash is almost non-existent in Australia.

[samtab]

how ridiculous are all these people paying everything by card !

 

 

[moontang]

People (used to) cross Sukhumvit for five more satang to the USD at the "better" exchange shops.  So I am saving 10 times more than that by pulling out a card, while Somchai cuts a 30 cm bunless hot dog into 20 x 1.5 cm pieces...not a big deal, really.  Makro is probably most cash oriented, and getting in and out is a zoo from start to finish.

[robblok]

5 hours ago, poloshirt said:

There was a time I put something under my arm pit and forgot about it and when I saw the long queue I put the things I was holding in my hand back on the shelf but forgot the one under my armpit. I walked out and later

discovered I had walked off with stuff without paying.

Is that consider theft? i didn't go back to return the stuff because I was afraid language would bangle my good kind heart.

Its theft. (though I would have gone back I understand your problem)

Edited September 7, 2020 by robblok

[Grusa]

1 hour ago, poloshirt said:

Oh, no, it's not intentional. I often go about in a dreamy state, like going to the car park where I park the car yesterday but today I parked the car near to the car park but not in the car park.

I went to the car park and couldn't find my car then later realized I didn't park there.

I believe 7/11 lost a couple of things in a year because I walked out without paying and not even remember that. well, God makes me do that didn't he?

You should dob yourself in, like most Thai except Red Bull do. 50 baht and a Wai.

 

If you don't, 100,000 baht and/or (guess which, 555) one year in Klong Prem, followed by deportation and blacklisting.

Not to mention, the battery and clips to scrotum, beating, ritual humiliation by pointing, paying for a 10'x4' full colour poster, and, God help us all, destroying the reputation of foreigners in LODS.

 

(Land of Double Standards, in case you were wondering).

Sorry, bad day, but shoplifting is sad and reprehensible in any culture.

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, Grusa said:

You should dob yourself in, like most Thai except Red Bull do. 50 baht and a Wai.

 

If you don't, 100,000 baht and/or (guess which, 555) one year in Klong Prem, followed by deportation and blacklisting.

Not to mention, the battery and clips to scrotum, beating, ritual humiliation by pointing, paying for a 10'x4' full colour poster, and, God help us all, destroying the reputation of foreigners in LODS.

 

(Land of Double Standards, in case you were wondering).

Sorry, bad day, but shoplifting is sad and reprehensible in any culture.

I was under the influence of prednisolone when I took an empty shopping basket from 7/11 halfway to my condo before I realised what I was doing. The medication causes short-term memory loss and hallucinations.

I did return the basket.

What should my punishment be, kind sir?

[fangless]

15 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I did return the basket.

What should my punishment be, kind sir?

You will be let off as you are obviously a "basket case".

[Grusa]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I was under the influence of prednisolone when I took an empty shopping basket from 7/11 halfway to my condo before I realised what I was doing. The medication causes short-term memory loss and hallucinations.

I did return the basket.

What should my punishment be, kind sir?

Hung in a basket from a tree, for 24 hours.

[elgenon]

On 9/7/2020 at 2:43 AM, poloshirt said:

There was a time I put something under my arm pit and forgot about it and when I saw the long queue I put the things I was holding in my hand back on the shelf but forgot the one under my armpit. I walked out and later

discovered I had walked off with stuff without paying.

Is that consider theft? i didn't go back to return the stuff because I was afraid language would bangle my good kind heart.

Its only theft if evil was in your heart. If you just took something and walked out. no evil involved. 8 ^)

[Bundooman]

On 9/7/2020 at 3:18 PM, Nout said:

Swipe/touch and go. Very quick.

He's talking about paying with a credit card, not casual sex!