A thai debit card abroad: withdrawing cash or paying by card?

[gafdtomaka366]

What's generally better in terms of avoiding fees, conversions between currencies... when one is abroad and uses his thai bank card:

 

  * withdrawing from an ATM as much as possible per time, ideally a whole amount I'll need to live on

  * paying by card in shops, restraurants by card as often as possible, while withdrawing just small enough in order to get through the current, or 1-3, month(s)?

 

Does 2.5% of conversion fee occur either way?

 

I'm aware about 100 thb of fees for ATM withdrawals, this is negligible for this question. And I'm aware about limits that may exist in ATMs, these also have been taken into consideration.

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by gafdtomaka366

[BritManToo]

Depends where you are and what card you're using.

In Asia using a Thai debit card in an AtM is very good value for money IMhO.

Apart from the local ATM fee, there appears to be no other charges.

In Vietnam/Cambodia almost the same rate as changing Thai 1,000 baht notes

Edited February 10, 2021 by BritManToo

[Dagfinnur Traustason]

When you say abroad, I will assume you mean outside of Asia. In that case a Thai ATM or Debit card is a horrible thing. The best thing you can do is to take out as much as possible and bring cash intead. You will be in for high fees of using the card both i ATM as well as a debit card, and you will get <deleted> exchange rates.

[gafdtomaka366]

55 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Depends where you are and what card you're using.

In Asia using a Thai debit card in an AtM is very good value for money IMhO.

Apart from the local ATM fee, there appears to be no other charges.

In Vietnam/Cambodia almost the same rate as changing Thai 1,000 baht notes

My question is about a debit card How does it depend on what card I'm using? And what types of cards do you mean can make a difference?

 

Whether it be Asia, or Latin America - how does it matter? An ATM would use an exchange rate THB -> USD -> Local currency by Visa or MasterCard.
THB -> USD is the same for the whole world, for a particular day.

USD -> Local currency - too.

[gafdtomaka366]

58 minutes ago, Dagfinnur Traustason said:

When you say abroad, I will assume you mean outside of Asia. In that case a Thai ATM or Debit card is a horrible thing. The best thing you can do is to take out as much as possible and bring cash intead. You will be in for high fees of using the card both i ATM as well as a debit card, and you will get <deleted> exchange rates.

The same question:

Whether it be Asia, or Latin America - how does it matter? An ATM would use an exchange rate THB -> USD -> Local currency by Visa or MasterCard.

[gafdtomaka366]

And, for this matter, a shop will also use an exchange rate THB -> USD -> Local currency by Visa or MasterCard.

Unless I select to use their own local rate, which I never do.

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, gafdtomaka366 said:

My question is about a debit card How does it depend on what card I'm using? And what types of cards do you mean can make a difference?

 

Whether it be Asia, or Latin America - how does it matter? An ATM would use an exchange rate THB -> USD -> Local currency by Visa or MasterCard.
THB -> USD is the same for the whole world, for a particular day.

USD -> Local currency - too.

Western banks rake off from their end as well as the ATM fees.

Thai banks don't seem to as much.

[Dagfinnur Traustason]

4 hours ago, gafdtomaka366 said:

The same question:

Whether it be Asia, or Latin America - how does it matter? An ATM would use an exchange rate THB -> USD -> Local currency by Visa or MasterCard.

A credit card issued by Visa or Mastercard would use one set exchange rate by the card issuers when using credit. Regarding debit cards, it regards the amount you have in baht on your account it´s connected to. Therefore your Thai bank is setting the rate.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Dagfinnur Traustason

[northsouthdevide]

Take cash.