Best method to send debit card from US to Thailand

[Onerak]

12 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

You missed the last sentence of my post.  There ARE fees when using your CapitalOne card at ATMs in Thailand.

OK, so I don't use ATM machine but go to the counter (can only do during the bank opening hours and working days) and ask them to withdraw money using the card? If they say please use the ATM machine outside, what I would say?

Edited April 1, 2022 by Onerak

[asiacurious]

8 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

Say they open the package and record the name, card number, expiry date and cvc number on the back.

When the card is set to Active would it still be a security risk?

I've got two cards I want sent and have been looking at options.

That's a good point.  I could see how that might be a problem for CC and debit card transactions online.  They couldn't use the card number in a store, but online....

 

I suppose it's pretty much the same risk regardless of how the card gets sent though.

 

Here's a good article on the differences between credit and debit card liability:

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-card-vs-debit-card-safer-online-purchases

 

Quote

The key difference: With a credit card, the card issuer must fight to get its money back. With a debit card, you must fight to get your money back.

[RegularGuy77]

My personal recent experience with getting two credit cards from the USA using two methods.

 

One credit card issuer used UPS to ship from US to Thailand. It took 6 weeks to get my card.

 

The other credit card issuer sent my card to my US address and a family member sent it to me via DH: It took 6 days for me to get it. I lived in Up country Esan Provence at the time.

 

 

 

[placnx]

On 3/31/2022 at 8:16 PM, gamb00ler said:

If you have a CapitalOne debit card, it should use the MasterCard exchange rates for foreign purchases, cash advances and ATM withdrawals.  There should also be no foreign transaction fee.  That combination of good rate and zero fees gives the most ฿ per $ for cash withdrawals at the counter in Bangkok bank (or any other Thai bank that charges no fee for that service).  You get the same exchange rate at the ATM but are hit with the 220 ฿ fee charged for foreign debit cards.

At one bank (formerly called TMB or Thai Military Bank) there is the option not to convert to foreign currency. If if take out 30K Baht I save $80-90 over choosing to have the bank convert. Other banks do not give you that option. What about a counter withdrawal? I haven't done that for a long time. Back then you needed to show your passport. Would they be willing to do the charge in Baht and not profit from the conversion?

[gamb00ler]

53 minutes ago, placnx said:

At one bank (formerly called TMB or Thai Military Bank) there is the option not to convert to foreign currency. If if take out 30K Baht I save $80-90 over choosing to have the bank convert. Other banks do not give you that option. What about a counter withdrawal? I haven't done that for a long time. Back then you needed to show your passport. Would they be willing to do the charge in Baht and not profit from the conversion?

I believe your example at TMB is about money sent by SWIFT.  Kasikorn once asked if I wanted the SWIFT funds converted to ฿ immediately or later.

 

As far as I know, there is no option to withdraw anything but Thai baht using a debit card at the teller.  It is handled much like a purchase.  They swipe the card and enter the amount (in ฿) in the card reading machine, send to VISA or MasterCard for approval and print the slip for your signature.

 

The exchange rate for counter withdrawals is ALWAYS done using the rate set by the card processing company (VISA or MasterCard).  The bank has no say in the matter just like a merchant.

[placnx]

On 4/14/2022 at 4:08 PM, gamb00ler said:

I believe your example at TMB is about money sent by SWIFT.  Kasikorn once asked if I wanted the SWIFT funds converted to ฿ immediately or later.

 

As far as I know, there is no option to withdraw anything but Thai baht using a debit card at the teller.  It is handled much like a purchase.  They swipe the card and enter the amount (in ฿) in the card reading machine, send to VISA or MasterCard for approval and print the slip for your signature.

 

The exchange rate for counter withdrawals is ALWAYS done using the rate set by the card processing company (VISA or MasterCard).  The bank has no say in the matter just like a merchant.

Sorry to be confusing. I meant that when I withdraw from a TMB ATM I choose the option for the charge to be debited in Thai baht, not USD, so the conversion to USD is done in NY for debiting the US account. The Thai banks may charge more for conversion. I know this is the case for TMB since they show the USD amount that they propose to debit. This I later compared to the debit that showed up in the US when I chose to have the US account debited in Baht. Now the question is whether one can do the same when getting a withdrawal from a foreign account done inside a Thai bank, not at an ATM. This has nothing to do with SWIFT.

 

My experience shows that as far as ATM is concerned, the debit could be converted in Thailand. 

[KanchanaburiGuy]

I withdraw money from a Bangkok Bank ATM every month. Sometimes twice. The money comes out of a Wells Fargo account in the U.S..

 

* Bangkok Bank's ATM charges a 220 baht flat fee for any amount taken. So I always take the maximum: 25,000 baht. 

 

* Wells Fargo charges me the "correct" exchange rate on the conversion, approx. halfway between Bangkok Bank's "buy" and "sell." This rate is almost always perfectly in line with the published "international exchange rate" I get from an independent site. (It may fluctuate a little, because of my own personal timing, and rates fluctuating throughout the day. Saturday's close will hold frozen until Monday's open!) 

 

* Wells Fargo then charges me $5.00 for using a non-Wells Fargo ATM. 

 

Altogether, I pay roughly $12 to take approximately $750 of Wells Fargo's money........ out of a Bangkok Bank ATM. I pay both Bangkok Bank and Wells Fargo fees........... but I lose nothing on the exchange, since Wells Fargo uses the "correct at that moment" exchange rate. 

 

https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1254&From=USD&To=THB

 

. 

I don't consider $12 excessive.......... when I consider how incredibly easy it is for me to get what I need! From the US Treasury to an American bank........ to a Thailand bank.......... to the ATM in front of my local 7-11!

 

350-400 baht to instantly  put 25,000 baht in my hand, all the way from America? 

 

Sorry, it's just not worth the time I'd have to put in to find a way to save just a little bit of that! 

 

????????????

 

Cheers! 

 

. 

 

PS - - - Because my monthly Social Security payment is Direct Deposited........... my Wells Fargo Checking Account is free! Not even a minimum balance requirement! (I ~DO~ have a U.S. "official residence," though; a place where mail can be sent, if absolutely necessary. I've instructed them  to be paperless, though! Everything by email! 555 ) 

Edited April 15, 2022 by KanchanaburiGuy

[KanchanaburiGuy]

A P.P.S. to the note above........... 

 

When I came back to Thailand in February last year, I took 25,000 baht out of the bank the day I was released from ASQ. It was the very first thing I did, in fact: Walk to the bank! ????????????

 

Taking 25,220 baht out of the Bangkok Bank ATM cost me $844. (with a 220 baht flat fee) This was Feb. 14, 2021. I did this 3 more times over the next 4 days: each one costing me between $841 and $844!

 

If I made that same 25,220 withdrawal today, it would cost me only $752 - - - $92 less!

 

In the year plus between the first withdrawl and now, I've averaged about $758 to withdraw 25,220 baht, saving---comparatively speaking---about $80 each time, versus the exchange rate. I paid 4 times in Feb. 2021!

 

I guess it's not hard to imagine why I don't object to paying about $12 NOW......... to make the very same withdrawal! 

 

All in all, just on the improved exchange rate, I'm roughly 40,000 baht ahead! ????????????

 

Cheers! 

[gamb00ler]

RESULTS

I decided to use USPS International Priority envelope ($41) to get my debit card and some other documents sent to CM from USA.  There was a little extra drama involved as my "trusted" friend had a senior moment and messed up the address by omitting the street name from the address label.  Customs documents prepared by my friend only mentioned the documents.

 

The USPS send me updates by text to my Google Voice # for each step the shipment took.  On the day it seemed that it would arrive in CM my stepson and I went to the local Thai Post Office and explained the problem.  They looked up the tracking code and then gave us the mobile number for the delivery person who was already out delivering it.  We called him but no answer.  A few minutes later he called back.  He noticed the missing street name but the house number was unique enough that he realized where to deliver it.

 

Amazing Thailand with their somewhat crazy house numbering system!

 

SUMMARY

Package was handed to USPS on April 8, '22 and delivered intact on April 19.  4 days from Los Angeles to Tokyo, 3 days from Tokyo to BKK, 2 days in Thai customs, 2 days from BKK to our house in Chiang Mai.

[mtls2005]

Does anyone have any experience arranging a pick-up of "documents" in the U.S. for mailing to thailand?

 

USPS? DHL? FedEx?

 

They all seem to offer this service, but not sure about waybill printing, envelope, etc.  

 

USPS Click-N-Ship for example.

 

Am hoping a pick-up driver just shows up with everything preprinted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by mtls2005