Beware When Withdrawing From Atm Upcountry..

[chanchao]

Just spent almost two hours at my Krung Thai branch office. I'm based in Chiang Mai, but last saturday I had to go over to Lampang (1 hour ride) and withdrew some money from an ATM at the Tesco Lotus in Lampang.

Came back to Chiang Mai, wanting to withdraw the next day: No luck. "Card suspended, please contact issueing bank".

I got to the bank at lunchtime (always a bad thing because the bank is FULL of customers but bank management don't seem to mind that most of their staff ALSO has lunch between noon and 1 pm... Anyway, the bank girl first wanted to make me believe that the card just went bad (i.e. I broke it) and that I could apply for another one, but had to pay for the replacement. WHAT! If the card is bad then it doesn't get passed the pin code-entry screen, this was definitely different! Also on her screen it looked different 'un-authorized card' it said and she admitted this was different from a broken card.

Anyway, after she'd been on the phone for half an hour she found someone who knew: Apparently the bank has a policy to block cards that make withdrawals from 'dodgy locations', like near the Malay border and all. WHAT!!! Hello! Lampang!!! at Tesco Lotus!!! Muang District! How is that dodgy?? Needless to say we didn't solve all issues relating to the bank's faulty and overly tight security policy right there, but at least I can have my card replaced at no cost and I have to thank the bank girl for getting to the bottom of it. That's about as good as it gets I suppose. Still have to wait 10 days for it!!! This would have f'ing sucked if it had happened after travelling to Bangkok or something without easy access to my home branch!! I will definitley make sure I have two ATM cards from different banks with me for those trips.

I THINK the ATM I withdrew from was not a major bank, but I forgot which one exactly. Maybe one of those generic ATMs.. I can't remember. It most definitely was a major location though, at the Lampang Tesco Lotus. I think I will be sticking to withdrawing form major banks only, and then preferably the issueing bank. (Outside your region a 20 baht charge applies anyway, so normally no incentive to use your own bank when outside your own province)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Patong Bob]

I would suggest never using the generic machines, have had too many bad reports of them 1. issuing 8,000 on a 10,000 withdrawal, 2. retaining the card - where do you go to get it back ? and 33. having card readers in the machine.

I only use an ATM at a bank branch, if it retains the card you can go straight into the branch and TRY to sort it out, or be at the bank 8.30am next morning, at least the card will be there.

[PvtDick]

I had a similar problem with my Krungthai Bank Visa card. Used it to pay for a stay at the E&O Hotel in Penang (the classiest in town), only to get back to Bangkok to find my card cancelled. Bank claims it is standard operating procedure to automatically cut off any card that is used in Malaysia without their being informed first. Had to get a new card. Nice of them to tell me, eh?

[eric1000]

i seem to suffering from phantom withdrawals , my balance is less than it should be ! have checked my slips and something is amiss

[Mai Krap]

Ive had my card ate in the middle of the day in Khon Kaen when the power blacked out for a few minutes on a very hot day. The people inside the bank were a huge pain to deal with and I was paranoid the machine would spit my card out when it turned back on. No problem after waiting two hours. Be careful on hot days in Issan and only use atms at bank branches.

[Nam Kao]

Thanks for the heads up.

Also be careful with B###kok B##k. I opened an account and didnt use it for

awhile. When i went to take $$ out the money but was stolen from someone inside the

bank and they did nothing to investigate.

[huski]

Ive had my card ate in the middle of the day in Khon Kaen when the power blacked out for a few minutes on a very hot day. The people inside the bank were a huge pain to deal with and I was paranoid the machine would spit my card out when it turned back on. No problem after waiting two hours. Be careful on hot days in Issan and only use atms at bank branches.

same thing happen to me many years ago in khon kaen, a bangkok bank card was eaten because i couldn't remember the pin after 3 tries <i know, what a kwai>...went into the bank and the manager wouldn't give it back because it was a different bank and said it would need to be sent back to bangkok...

two days ago at big c i almost had a coronary as some generic looking atm said the same as the previous poster, "card invalid, contact bank"...no noise or beeping what so ever, luckliy wifey saw it sticking out <they do seem to notice those things>

[dr_Pat_Pong]

luckliy wifey saw it sticking out <they do seem to notice those things>

Hmmmmmm ... this sounds suspect Huski. I always believed that you were a respectable family man too.

[royar2002]

About 5 years I transfer money (THB) to krung thai every month. They used to charged me 250 baht. The last few months they start charged me 750. I tried to ask krung Thai in Udon Thani, but they can not give me an answerd, becuse my account is in Samui. A phone to samui dont helped me anything, just told me to come to the bank. 750 to put money in my account, 20 bath everytime I used ATM. Should i find another bank?

[chanchao]

> Should i find another bank?

You should find a different way of transferring money. Why not withdraw from your foreign bank's ATM and then deposit here? That's minimal cost.

Also for larger amounts I can imagine there are more cost-effective ways.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[KevinN]

About 5 years I transfer money (THB) to krung thai every month. They used to charged me 250 baht. The last few months they start charged me 750. I tried to ask krung Thai in Udon Thani, but they can not give me an answerd, becuse my account is in Samui. A phone to samui dont helped me anything, just told me to come to the bank. 750 to put money in my account, 20 bath everytime I used ATM. Should i find another bank?

I do not like KRUNG bank,altho my wife has her acct. there and keeps the school cash there.

I one time wanted to make a cash draw there when I went in with my wife,either on VISA or MC,they wouldn't do it,so I went to my SCB and made it.

I have had an acct. at SCB ever since I came to Thailand,and am happy with them, I also make a monthly cash transfer to satisfy immigration and it only costs me 60 baht and i use their ATM card for daily living costs. I hardly ever use my USA ATM anymore,except for the cash transfers.