Credit card

[masterpasser]

I have a bank account at K-Bank with not an insignificant amount deposited  and need the convenience of a credit card.

A pal of mine told me foreigners cannot get credit cards in Thailand.

Is this correct?

Thank you

[Upnotover]

No it is not correct.  With a work permit you can get a real credit card.  Without, you can get a card but need to deposit an amount in a locked account which covers the limit on the card (you may need to deposit more than the limit, depending on the bank).

[CharlieH]

Troll comment and responses removed.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I have a credit card form KrungSri. I understand a lot of foreigners use Kasikorn but I have accounts with SCB and the aforementioned. Foreigners CAN get credit cards, either based on income, or, as stated above, secured with money on deposit. The way it works is if, for example, you want a 90,000 Baht credit line, the bank lock 100,000 Baht of your money on deposit. Or, you can just apply for a normal credit line backed by your income. In either case, the credit card builds your credit history with the reference agency.

 

A lot of nonsense bandied around on this topic. The plomplem is you walk into a branch and ask about credit cards, or secured credit cards, and you're met with the boiler plate "foreigner no can have", or "Thailand mai mee kaa".

 

Obviously, the banks are going to be choosy, like anywhere else.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by NilSS

[CharlieH]

The other point to remember is just because one says no, it doesnt follow they all will. You will need to shop around, even within branches of the same Bank.

 

Also, dont forget if you have a K-Bank and need the card for online purposes you have the "Virtual card" available to you.

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, masterpasser said:

I have a bank account at K-Bank with not an insignificant amount deposited  and need the convenience of a credit card.

A pal of mine told me foreigners cannot get credit cards in Thailand.

Is this correct?

Thank you

Not correct. Many foreigners have credit cards in Thailand. It just requires work permit for a couple of years, working at a reliable company and showing the deposits from salary into bank account for past 6 months, employment letter and such... all same as for Thais, except salary requirement is higher.

 

Generally it's about the risk of foreigner running away without paying bills, so first card can be a challenge unless you have some other loan like for a car or condo or alike, to show credit history. But if you have good credit rating, your chances of getting a card (if you meet other criteria, mostly dictated by Bank of Thailand), will be more or less the same as for a Thai national.

 

Bangkok Bank offers special credit card for foreigners, which basically forces you to put money into account and then that's used as a guarantee to pay the bills. They apparently have lower requirements than other banks.

 

SCB preferred that salary was paid into SCB savings account.

 

You could also try more foreigner-friendly banks like Citibank or American Express or Krungsri (who took over HSBC retail banking).

 

Never applied Kasikorn so can't comment.

[Catkiwi]

2 hours ago, masterpasser said:

I have a bank account at K-Bank with not an insignificant amount deposited  and need the convenience of a credit card.

A pal of mine told me foreigners cannot get credit cards in Thailand.

Is this correct?

Thank you

I have had a K-Bank account for many years and have always had an ATM card that doubles as a Master Card Debit card. I have never asked for a credit card however, with the debit card you can charge anything, at any place that has a credit card machine. only difference is the money is direct debited from your account. 

 

I have also  held an AMEX credit card for the last 20 years. Sorry but I can't recall the exact qualification process but also don't recall any stress in getting the card, complete with a subsidiary card for the Mrs.

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

17 minutes ago, Catkiwi said:

I have never asked for a credit card however, with the debit card you can charge anything, at any place that has a credit card machine.

 

 

Unfortunately this is not true. There are times when only a real credit card is acceptable. For example, securing a reservation at a hotel. A debit card will never be accepted. Also, the digits on a credit card are raised, so an old fashioned knuckle chop machine can be used to take an imprint in the absence of electronic communications (such as on flights with no internet when you pay for duty free). Debit card digits are flat i.e. 'electronic use only'.

 

Credit cards are a must have in a number of situations.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by NilSS

[Catkiwi]

I said at any place with a machine, not on line. Of course credit cards are necessary but I was just offering an experience with an alternative. Thanks for your input.

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I understand. I'm just highlighting that hotels have PDQ machines, but they will not accept debit cards as security, or reservations, only cash, credit or charge.

[Catkiwi]

I beg to differ but not willing to carry on. Bottom line is, that it is possible for a foreigner to get a credit card in Thailand. As discussed several options can be followed.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I think this detail is important to highlight for readers, I'm not being a pedant to annoy you. I'm a hotelier and we deal with this issue a lot. Customers often don't understand why we can't use their debit card and it can cause friction. It's just a misunderstanding about the fundamental differences in the way the two payment methods work. Hotels, car rental agencies etc etc need to put a hold on funds, which they are unable to do with debit cards. So, if you trash the room, empty the minibar, eat steak in the restaurant every night and then leave without paying, the hotel has some recourse.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by NilSS

[mojaco]

14 hours ago, NilSS said:

I think this detail is important to highlight for readers, I'm not being a pedant to annoy you. I'm a hotelier and we deal with this issue a lot. Customers often don't understand why we can't use their debit card and it can cause friction. It's just a misunderstanding about the fundamental differences in the way the two payment methods work. Hotels, car rental agencies etc etc need to put a hold on funds, which they are unable to do with debit cards. So, if you trash the room, empty the minibar, eat steak in the restaurant every night and then leave without paying, the hotel has some recourse.

 

 

 

 

That explains a lot.  Thanks!

[Satcommlee]

With 2M deposit you can get Premier Card, With 10M deposit you can get Wisdom Card..  Managers at Kasikorn have some discretion.

[Estrada]

I am retired and I have had two Citibank Credit cards for the last 26 years. Also had HSBC credit card, until they stopped entertaining private accounts due to AMLO paperwork. In the early days there was an insurance fee in case I failed to pay the monthly balance but after 26 years they do not require any bond as per Bangkok Bank. I do not have a Citibank Account only their credit cards which I always pay on time. Their decision is always according to your tracked history. A first time customer has to earn a reputation as a good risk, then no problem. For Bangkok Bank you usually need a letter from your employer, if you have one, and your salary paid into your account.

 

[Upnotover]

12 minutes ago, Satcommlee said:

With 2M deposit you can get Premier Card, With 10M deposit you can get Wisdom Card..  Managers at Kasikorn have some discretion.

That's for sure.  They offered me the Premier card with no deposit if i bought some life assurance/savings product.  I needed to pay 100k or 200k to start off, which was no problem they said as they would give me a 500k credit limit and I could use that.  I declined.

[toolpush]

17 hours ago, Catkiwi said:

I have had a K-Bank account for many years and have always had an ATM card that doubles as a Master Card Debit card. I have never asked for a credit card however, with the debit card you can charge anything, at any place that has a credit card machine. only difference is the money is direct debited from your account. 

 

I have also  held an AMEX credit card for the last 20 years. Sorry but I can't recall the exact qualification process but also don't recall any stress in getting the card, complete with a subsidiary card for the Mrs.

 

Try and rent a car with a Debit card or make a claim to the bank if it is compromised.

[teacherclaire]

Bangkok Bank offers special credit card for foreigners, which basically forces you to put money into account and then that's used as a guarantee to pay the bills. They apparently have lower requirements than other banks.

 

Bangkok Bank is the worst bank I ever had here. I switched to SCB, and I also have an account at Krungsri.

 

  Bangkok bank could not make it happen to make online payments, and that went on for years.

 

Then, an employee used my middle name as my last name, which doesn't work well.

 

Then they "accidentally" set my limit to 5,000 instead of 50,000 per transaction, and I couldn't pay for my flight.

 When the employee told me that he couldn't add my last name to the card, I told him to take my middle name out and replace it with my last name, which worked well.

 

But these people at Bangkok Bank are as incompetent as a cockroach. 

The employees at SCB and Krungsri set up their applications on my phone while I opened my accounts. 

 

 

 

 

[Techno Viking]

17 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Not correct. Many foreigners have credit cards in Thailand. It just requires work permit for a couple of years, working at a reliable company and showing the deposits from salary into bank account for past 6 months, employment letter and such... all same as for Thais, except salary requirement is higher.

 

.

 

 

Correct.

 

Previous employer banked with Kasikorn, I have a Kasikorn credit card.

 

current employer backs with BKK bank, I have a BKK bank credit card.

 

Randomly one day an AMEX card showed up so I have that too !!

[new2here]

My input is this...

 

Yes, a non-thai *can* get a credit card.. as I know it, there is no statutory limit imposed on banks by their Thai regulator nor statue that expressly prohibits it... Therefore, it’s largely an individual lender issue.

 

I have cards* from KBank, BBL and Krungsri.

 

My experience is that having a valid work permit will be the largest obstacle to getting any card — true, not all banks make this mandatory... but IMHE, it appears to the norm..

 

So long as you have the WP part, the rest of the mandates weren’t all that high or difficult..: my experience was that a few of the banks wanted to see that I had: a) held that same job as listed in my WP for a minimum of six months to 1 year at time of application, b) the WP itself had a minimum of between 90 and 180 days validity remaining at time of application  c) i could show either original bankbook, bank draft copies showing my monthly salary payments or d) a copy of my annual income statement issued by my employer, that you’d use to file your annual PD90/91 with Revenue.

 

The last part that i found commonplace is that as a foreigner the minimum monthly income to be considered seemed to be around B50,000 ...  some a bit less, some more ... naturally the more “premium” cards has mandatory income of 100K+ monthly.. but many entry level cards had minimums of around B50k monthly.

 

It my experience that so long as you can meet the paperwork/documentation tests, your monthly salary meets the lenders/card type minimums *and* you don’t have a negative credit file/report with the NCB, you should be easily eligible for a true credit card.

But again, some banks will be more flexible depending on their lending and underwriting position at the time you apply.. those without WPs have been approved - so it’s not a case of “no WP, no card”... but my experience is that absent holding a valid WP or having substantial sums on deposit or a established relationship with the bank, you’re odds are not that good, but not totally impossible. 

 

(I define a true credit card as one that is issued to me, in my name only, based on my income and credit profile without a secondary Thai national signer/guarantor/joint account relationship or the requirement to deposit any funds into an account as either collateral or the like as a precondition of approval)

Edited December 5, 2020 by new2here

[phantomfiddler]

No plobrem, but it probably depends on the bank you are with.

[gamini]

18 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Not correct. Many foreigners have credit cards in Thailand. It just requires work permit for a couple of years, working at a reliable company and showing the deposits from salary into bank account for past 6 months, employment letter and such... all same as for Thais, except salary requirement is higher.

 

Generally it's about the risk of foreigner running away without paying bills, so first card can be a challenge unless you have some other loan like for a car or condo or alike, to show credit history. But if you have good credit rating, your chances of getting a card (if you meet other criteria, mostly dictated by Bank of Thailand), will be more or less the same as for a Thai national.

 

Bangkok Bank offers special credit card for foreigners, which basically forces you to put money into account and then that's used as a guarantee to pay the bills. They apparently have lower requirements than other banks.

 

SCB preferred that salary was paid into SCB savings account.

 

You could also try more foreigner-friendly banks like Citibank or American Express or Krungsri (who took over HSBC retail banking).

 

Never applied Kasikorn so can't comment.

I think I might of mentioned this in another post. I did get a credit card from Bangkok Bank as a retiree and with no collateral. But I had been customer of the bank for many years and I knew the bank manager personally. She told me that many foreigners in the past who had credit cards had simply left the country without paying the balance. They will now be much more careful in giving credit cards to foreigners. I would think if you have a good relationship with your bank and had an account for a long time and had a credible amount of money held in their bank you should be able to get a credit card without collateral.

[Hotrats]

I have a Visa Credit Card from Bangkok Bank. Had to open a deposit account with the same amount held in it as the credit limit on the card. No problem at all to do it as long as you are able and willing to have that amount locked away for the period of validity of the card.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Hotrats
clarity

[seancbk]

18 hours ago, NilSS said:

 

Unfortunately this is not true. There are times when only a real credit card is acceptable. For example, securing a reservation at a hotel. A debit card will never be accepted. Also, the digits on a credit card are raised, so an old fashioned knuckle chop machine can be used to take an imprint in the absence of electronic communications (such as on flights with no internet when you pay for duty free). Debit card digits are flat i.e. 'electronic use only'.

 

Credit cards are a must have in a number of situations.

 

 

 

 

 

I paid off all my credits cards in 2000 and have lived and traveled internationally since then with no credit cards, and only in recent years with a Kbank debit card (which incidentally I've never used except as an ATM card). 

Cash or crypto only, definitely no credit.

 

[Scouse123]

I have had a  credit card for a number of years with 500,000 baht limit with Krung Thai bank.

 

I hold no work permit and I have not guaranteed any of this credit limit, meaning I have not locked any money with them, apart from the standard 800K a year for retirement extension.

 

I am a retiree but been with Krung Thai for 20 years.

 

I  was invited for this credit card by the bank and they have just renewed it this year for another 5 years.

[keithcresswell]

I have an Amex charge card, based on retirement visa not work permit, and recently tried to apply for a CITI credit card but was knocked back as at 68 I was way too old to have one.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

It might be interesting to post images of what we get from OTAs. Agoda for example send larger operations like ours these credit cards, we have one for each of our properties, so we can just charge what they owe us to our PDQ machine. Note the raised digits on the cards. You might also observe the time it takes for a payment to authorise when you pay for something. A debit card will always pause for a few seconds while it contacts the mothership for auth code, whereas in my experience, the transaction occurs almost instantly with a credit card. Something very different is going on with the process.

[Jaxxper]

I have a CC with the SCB. I do not have a WP and the banks only requirement was that they insisted it was paid monthly from our savings account with them, which is fair enough. The limit is Thb 200,000 on my card and my wife’s.

So the quick answer is that you can get a CC without a deposit or a WP.

 

[Cricky]

I have a few credit cards (Platinum and Premier, 4 years ago a Wisdom), also a spouse card attached, all with  Kasikorn bank since 2008. I have never had a work permit in Thailand.

I work on Offshore Oil Rigs and at the time was bringing in to Thailand over 400,000 Baht (my salary) per month.

 

Its only the last few years I have had a Retirement Visa, always flying in on a Tourist visa, I only needed 28 days (my rotation was 28/28)

 

BTW, I also have a safety deposit box with Kasikorn Bank.

 

At the time the Assistant Bank Manger (she is now a bank manager) was wonderful, she tried her hardest to get me the privileges' only having a tourist visa.

 

I confused the bank staff when they saw my bank privileges' and only having a Tourist Visa.

 

So NO need for a work permit.

 

[madisongy]

Check out the terms and conditions of a credit card issued by a Thai bank.  My wife had Citi, and she had complete liability for purchases made if the card was lost or stolen.   Credit cards issued in the US typically carry zero liability for fraudulent charges, and allow customers to dispute charges made to the card.   

 

https://www.citibank.co.th/en/static/pdf/FactSheet-BC-en.pdf