Life without a credit card in Thailand

[tgw]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

two or three old farang dudes ain't gonna hold back the tide. but if you want to fight a losing battle then have at it. 

people who have money, regardless of their age or nationality, will hold back the tide.

 

lack of data protection is also why central bank issued crypto currencies will not be able to achieve total adoption.

[Chris.B]

6 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

Maybe it was a Covid thing.

 

[pagallim]

6 hours ago, poppysdad said:

Pagallim, I agree in general and although “credit” I have always paid in full on the due date. I do of course have a Bangkok bank app on my phone which gets used regularly but it’s more if I want to make an international online purchase where I forsee a problem like renewing my antivirus or vpn or an Amazon item. If I have to do without so be it but curious about ways around these problems. I used to have a Bangkok bank debit card but never used as always used my bank app so got my cash refunded, and my atm card doesn’t have visa or Mastercard on it so probably not useable n many situations. I don’t have nor want PayPal so will take any problem as it arises I suppose. Thanks anyway. 

I regularly  use Amazon, both the US and UK sites, both of which my Thai debit card is registered and have never had a problem.   Likewise my anti virus and indeed VPN accounts, both of which I've renewed recently.

[KhunLA]

I've never needed CC here/ TH.  Have used for a few online purchases not having COD, but that's it.

[ChrisP24]

Poppysdad, you might check out virtual wallets like Revolut, Skrill or Chime that also offer a credit card number (it's really a debit card linked to your wallet but payments are processed as credit card charges that don't require a PIN.

[dj230]

7 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

This is true, there are some stores that are "cashless" and won't accept cash, I noticed a few Starbucks doing this like the one in BDMS wellness on wireless road but other stores are also doing this. 

 

I'd recommend getting at least a debit card from your Thai bank, you can always do this thing where you hold money in an online brokerage and some offer you debit cards and you can borrow with very low interest on margin against your investments (like 1% APR), usually big brokers have SIPC insurance of up to $250k USD so its a bit safer in my opinion than a Thai bank. I don't know if I'd hold funds in a Thai bank, I don't know them well enough. You can use this debit to wise transfer to your Thai bank too if you need cash, that is what I am doing.

 

American Express seems to be the best international credit card, can be used on all the apps and usually they don't do the whole "security" checks (you can pre-authorize larger purchases online), plus if you use it and someone steals money off a credit card you're not obligated to pay for it and you get points/rewards. 

 

In terms of living life in Thailand without a card, I don't think I could do it, I'd say if I had a debit card and a Thai bank account I could live with that. Going all cash for me is too much of a hassle, stuff like paying for taxi's (them not having change for 1000 baht bills) or ordering food and having to go down and pay/wait for the driver, carrying change, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by dj230

[Woof999]

7 hours ago, pagallim said:

I think the key word here is 'credit'.   I use debit cards with both my Thai (Mastercard) and UK banks (Visa) with no difficulty, and of course, using bank apps and QR codes are becoming more and more common.   Really, credit cards are only of any use if want to defer or spread payment, or using it as a loan facility

I used to think that, but credit cards give you a LOT more protection. With a debit card, the funds are immediately withdrawn from your account and charge backs are challenging at best. With credit cards, there is much more onus on the payment receiver to not be a crooked asshat.

[dj230]

3 minutes ago, Woof999 said:

I used to think that, but credit cards give you a LOT more protection. With a debit card, the funds are immediately withdrawn from your account and charge backs are challenging at best. With credit cards, there is much more onus on the payment receiver to not be a crooked asshat.

Yea credit card offer a lot of incentives since they make money off your transactions.

 

Stuff like free travel insurance, rewards/cash back, fraud protection, buyer protection, are usually basic credit card incentives.

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by dj230

[DrJoy]

7 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

Correct, I paid 5 baht with credit card at Sbucks today

[Sticky Rice Balls]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

So, I guess the no card folks never travel?  Book flights and hotels and activities.

Never order supplies, maintenace items, gifts, etc. online?

Credit is a good thing to have if a person has a full active life. Certainly not needed I guess if one sits around doing nothing.

 

i have been here yearly since 2008  only use my CC to book flights in and out

Cash is king...booking.com lets u book room and pay in cash on arrival, which i do

my credit is golden ...as i never keep a balance and have no debt...

[gearbox]

7 hours ago, poppysdad said:

Pagallim, I agree in general and although “credit” I have always paid in full on the due date. I do of course have a Bangkok bank app on my phone which gets used regularly but it’s more if I want to make an international online purchase where I forsee a problem like renewing my antivirus or vpn or an Amazon item. If I have to do without so be it but curious about ways around these problems. I used to have a Bangkok bank debit card but never used as always used my bank app so got my cash refunded, and my atm card doesn’t have visa or Mastercard on it so probably not useable n many situations. I don’t have nor want PayPal so will take any problem as it arises I suppose. Thanks anyway. 

If you have a Bangkok bank account you can get a credit card, I have AirAsia branded MasterCard with them. You may need to do a term deposit to the value of your limit.

 

If you travel a lot life without a credit card is fairly difficult, flights, hotels, etc is all done with credit cards. Of course having a credit card IMO makes sense only if you can pay in full all the time with direct debit.

I currently have 7 credit cards, all used for different purposes and purchases.

[Henryford]

I have a UK credit card but i never use it here except for booking flights. I always use cash and if a few places don't accept it well they can get lost.

[userabcd]

17 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

Burger King in Thonglor also refuses cash, my wife had to find another branch to pay cash for a burger.

 

I've had some coffee shops near Ekkamai also refusing to take cash and so have to find alternative ones that accept cash.

[userabcd]

10 hours ago, dj230 said:

Yea credit card offer a lot of incentives since they make money off your transactions.

 

Stuff like free travel insurance, rewards/cash back, fraud protection, buyer protection, are usually basic credit card incentives.

 

Does anyone realistically make use or benefit from all those incentives?

[foreverlomsak]

16 hours ago, poppysdad said:

Bangkok bank debit card but never used as always used my bank app so got my cash refunded, and my atm card doesn’t have visa or Mastercard on it so probably not useable n many situations

Bangkok Bank will provide you with a Mastercard Debit Card no problems., it is also your ATM card.

[saakura]

13 hours ago, ripstanley said:

Did they inform you of this before you ordered or after?

You have to pay at the counter while ordering, even if you are going to eat ay a table in the shop.

[saakura]

6 minutes ago, saakura said:

You have to pay at the counter while ordering, even if you are going to eat at a table in the shop.

 

[JimmyJ]

 

[pattaya1234was]

13 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

So, I guess the no card folks never travel?  Book flights and hotels and activities.

Never order supplies, maintenace items, gifts, etc. online?

Credit is a good thing to have if a person has a full active life. Certainly not needed I guess if one sits around doing nothing.

 

Also I guess that many posters have not needed an operation in one of our private hospitals-the first thing one is asked for is a credit card. My UK bank, Barclays, blocked my CC when I moved house 7 years ago so I was stuck without one To get a credit card from a Thai bank is impossible if you are aged over 75. Amex Thailand eventually came to my rescue. Yes I know it costs 4000 baht per annum but in the last few years they have been very quick to get me a refund on cancelled air fares. 

[Lacessit]

18 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

It baffles me why anyone would want drink dishwater coffee. I pay cash for everything, so thanks for giving me yet another reason to avoid the brand.

 

On topic, if the OP has a Thai savings account, it's easy enough to set up a debit card with it. Doing it with a service provider in his home country could be more complex. Perhaps he could try one of the online banks.

[1FinickyOne]

I rarely use a CC as travel is not much fun and none during covid...

 

what I do use it for is subscription services like Netflix etc.. 

 

I could use it at supermarkets etc but cash is usually cheaper for me... 

[1FinickyOne]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It baffles me why anyone would want drink dishwater coffee

This is a major worldwide brand... surely they have many many many customers... you must get baffled easily... 

 

ps: what is dishwater coffee? 

Edited August 21, 2022 by 1FinickyOne

[lopburi3]

14 minutes ago, pattaya1234was said:

Also I guess that many posters have not needed an operation in one of our private hospitals-the first thing one is asked for is a credit card.

I have had a few operations and none required a credit card - deposit maybe - but that can be cash or debit card.

[DFPhuket]

I use my credit cards extensively (they have no foreign transaction fees and are automatically paid at the end of the month). In my 30+ years working in Asia there have been a few times where a card was hacked/compromised. In each case the charge was reversed before the monthly payment was due, and I was sent a new card. As others have mentioned credit cards come with a lot more protection than debit cards. 

 

If a debit card is compromised, the fraudulent transaction will only be discovered after the money has been deducted from your bank account. You won't get the money back into your bank account until the charge is reviewed and reversed. 

[moogradod]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

This is a major worldwide brand... surely they have many many many customers... you must get baffled easily... 

 

ps: what is dishwater coffee? 

@Lacessit is absolutely spot on. And the number of customers do obviously not always reflect the quality of the product. Many millions voted for the Orange One.

 

Equally important: how about the paper cup atmosphere ? Have you ever been to a Coffee House in Vienna ?

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

This is a major worldwide brand... surely they have many many many customers... you must get baffled easily... 

 

ps: what is dishwater coffee? 

High volumes of consumers in a lot of brands does not mean the product is great, just that it is a triumph of marketing. McDonald's, Windows and Trump are good examples.

 

Dishwater coffee tastes as if it has been made with the leftover water from cleaning cups, plates and dishes. As Starbucks serves what it calls coffee in paper cups, I don't know where they get the water from.

I've only tried their coffee once. It was so weak I felt like calling an ambulance with paramedics, to get it on life support.

[david555]

21 hours ago, saakura said:

Yesterday I went to buy a sanwich and coffee at a Starbucks outlet in Rama 4 road in Bangkok and tried to pay cash and was told that they only accept either a credit card or an online transfer using QR code. No cash accepted even for a 20 baht water bottle if you were to buy one.

Vote with your feet ....direction exit door 

[The Fugitive]

2 minutes ago, david555 said:

Vote with your feet ....direction exit door 

It's all about choices and customer service. There will always be people who can't/won't handle mobile devices or can't be issued with bank cards. However, in defence, taking cash in food shops has long been considered unhygenic. Plus, the staff have to bank the takings and there are fewer and fewer bank branches around. Another benefit is that you're not going to get short-changed.   

[david555]

2 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

It's all about choices and customer service. There will always be people who can't/won't handle mobile devices or can't be issued with bank cards. However, in defence, taking cash in food shops has long been considered unhygenic. Plus, the staff have to bank the takings and there are fewer and fewer bank branches around. Another benefit is that you're not going to get short-changed.   

Just let the freedom to the customer to choose ....our freedoms get cut moment by moment ......

Isn' t there not a 4th amendment for that paying option ?????...no ? O.K. time to make one ????

 

 

 

[Chris.B]

3 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

In each case the charge was reversed before the monthly payment was due, and I was sent a new card. 

and there lies the problem for a lot of expats, receiving a new card.

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Chris.B