Debit Card

[martaway]

has anyone had a debit/credit card posted from uk to thailand ?

i am on samui and need my new debit card

is it worth the risk ?

registered post from uk ? does it get signed for all the way ?

[Mobi]

It is extremely risky which is why banks will never send credit cards to Thailand buy any kind of mail, registered or otherwise.

The only safe way is to send by courier - DHL or the like. My bank in the Channel Islands do this - they have sent cards on 3 different occasions and they all arrived OK. It costs around 25 pounds.

I f by any chance you only need your card for purchasing over the internet, then you could get someone to send you the full details of the card by email, and then you can use it on line.

[lopburi3]

Perhaps true from the UK but my Chase card has been mailed by bank directly to Thailand from US for the past 10 years without a problem.

[kidclive]

Had debit card forwarded normal post from Portugal, no problems.

[teddy_bare]

It is extremely risky which is why banks will never send credit cards to Thailand buy any kind of mail, registered or otherwise.

The only safe way is to send by courier - DHL or the like. My bank in the Channel Islands do this - they have sent cards on 3 different occasions and they all arrived OK. It costs around 25 pounds.

I f by any chance you only need your card for purchasing over the internet, then you could get someone to send you the full details of the card by email, and then you can use it on line.

Sorry but that just is not true. My bank sent all my cards to my home address in Phuket and again in BKK. I had to call them to instruct them to DHL them. Not a piss ant bank BTW. It was Barclays. When they DHL'd it it cost me zero quid

""""(@

[Tywais]

Perhaps true from the UK but my Chase card has been mailed by bank directly to Thailand from US for the past 10 years without a problem.

Same with my Visa Card from the US for about the same number of years.

[Mobi]

It is extremely risky which is why banks will never send credit cards to Thailand buy any kind of mail, registered or otherwise.

The only safe way is to send by courier - DHL or the like. My bank in the Channel Islands do this - they have sent cards on 3 different occasions and they all arrived OK. It costs around 25 pounds.

I f by any chance you only need your card for purchasing over the internet, then you could get someone to send you the full details of the card by email, and then you can use it on line.

Sorry but that just is not true. My bank sent all my cards to my home address in Phuket and again in BKK. I had to call them to instruct them to DHL them. Not a piss ant bank BTW. It was Barclays. When they DHL'd it it cost me zero quid

""""( @

I can only speak of my own experiences, and what I read in previous threads where posters have stated that their UK banks have refused to send any cards to Thailand.

IMHO Lopburi3 and Tywais have been somewhat lucky, because there is a high incidence of stuff going astray in the mail here, and I dread to think what might happen to my card if it ended up in the wrong hands.

Even if the bank would mail it, I wouldn't take the chance. There's another card currently with my daughter awaiting her personal hand carry in a couple of months because I just don't trust the mail.

Good luck to you if you got your bank to DHL the card for free.

Maybe the OP can see if his bank would do the same, or he can take a chance.

[Mid]

registered mail works fine

[Tywais]

IMHO Lopburi3 and Tywais have been somewhat lucky, because there is a high incidence of stuff going astray in the mail here, and I dread to think what might happen to my card if it ended up in the wrong hands.

I can't even use my new card until it's signed (yes, can be forged) and I call in to the card company, answer several security questions, to get it activated. Without the activation, the card just won't work.

[Heng]

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Edited July 18, 2007 by Heng

[puuchai299]

You could call your bank and explain that your card is being forwarded to you in Thailand,and if it's already activated you can ask them to de-activate it until you call them again,I have had several cards posted here with no problems,but sure theres always a risk of loss/ theft when posting anything anywhere...

[jbowman1993]

registered mail works fine

Agreed. FYI, This is how Thai Banks send credit cards to customers as well. My wife has 5 of them (Cringe!)

don't worry, she makes a lot more money than i do, lol.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

has anyone had a debit/credit card posted from uk to thailand ?

i am on samui and need my new debit card

is it worth the risk ?

registered post from uk ? does it get signed for all the way ?

Perhaps things are better these days, looking at some of the other posts on this subject, but back in 1991, almost a big OUCH!

I was living down on Sukumvit Soi 71 at the time with a POBox at the post office there on the corner of Soi 69.

My MasterCard expired and I was waiting for the replacement to arrive.  Month one, nada, month two, received a bill with some baht 100,000 charged to it at various places here in Bangkok for high end stuff, cameras, stereo stuff, etc.  Quickly wrote back and cancelled this card.  Note, this was at the baht 25 = $1 rate.

Month three goes by, no replacement card, month four comes along and lo and behold, a bill on the replacement card for another approx baht 100,000!  Same scenario of charges, etc.  Cancelled this one too and wrote them to just send to my sister in Oregon.

I gathered up the two bills and my cancellation letters and moseyed on down to the Economic Crime Suppression office on Sathorn, around the corner from Soi Convent.  Found a young LT to take my complaint.  As he was finishing up a major walked by and asked what the farang was complaining about.  He read the story and noted that at the end I'd stated that I had lost zero, no economic loss to me.  The major then said I couldn't make a complaint as I wasn't an "injured" party in Thai law.

I explained how this works.  I complain to my credit card issurer and MasterCard and don't pay the bill(s).  They accept this and do a charge-back to the vendors here in Thailand who OKed the charges, that way MC doesn't lose.  The vendors, Robinson, etc, aren't happy about this so they just raise the prices on all their goods by a small %age to cover credit card fraud.  And who pays the increased price of goods, Mr Police Major, you and I, and the LT.  Oh, sez he, understand, we'll take your complaint.

One notable statement he made while reviewing my statement: "Oh, the Prakanong post office, again!"

So since 1991 I've had my cards muled out here from Oregon with passers through.

OK, this complaint is/was more about the Prakanong post office than general international mailings to Thailand.  Must say that in the 11 years I've been dealing with the local post office at Klong 6 Thanyaburi I've had ZERO problems with incoming and outgoing mail.  I pretty well think the Thai  postal system works fine.

Mac

[markwhite]

has anyone had a debit/credit card posted from uk to thailand ?

I had two cards sent via my dad with 'signed-for delivery', and one sent direct from the bank via normal airmail. All arrived with no problems.

[lopburi3]

IMHO Lopburi3 and Tywais have been somewhat lucky, because there is a high incidence of stuff going astray in the mail here, and I dread to think what might happen to my card if it ended up in the wrong hands. sad.gif

For most of us it would be nothing as we did not authorize its use; if that is what you are thinking. The only time I have ever had a false charge, was in USA while I was in Thailand (but shortly after a visit to Florida, where the charge occurred), and the refund was immediate (was a debit card) and involved filling out a simple form letter. With a credit card there is not even any temporary loss (except for credit limit).

I believe mail here is as safe, or more so, than in most countries.

[PattayaAddict]

Cant see it being risky mail seems to be rather safe in Thailand

[martaway]

Thanks for a the related experiences.

I tried the option of having the bank not activate the card until it is in my hands, but they wouldn't entertain this. (Nationwide Bank)

Now they have agreed to put a limit on my account such that the balance cannot go below zero i.e prior to the card being sent to me I make the balance close to zero and should the card go missing any transactions would not be accepted by the Bank as it would take the balance below zero !!!!!! kao-jy ?

[gennisis]

Thanks for a the related experiences.

I tried the option of having the bank not activate the card until it is in my hands, but they wouldn't entertain this. (Nationwide Bank)

Now they have agreed to put a limit on my account such that the balance cannot go below zero i.e prior to the card being sent to me I make the balance close to zero and should the card go missing any transactions would not be accepted by the Bank as it would take the balance below zero !!!!!! kao-jy ?

Strange......Nationwide suggested to me over the phone that they block the card until I recive it,(via a UK address).When I did get it,via registered post,I phoned them,answered the personal questions,and all is OK.

[bkk_mike]

Only time I've had a credit card sent to me in Thailand was Amex. (They sent it to the Thai office, intending for me to go and pick it up).

The nice thing is - I didn't even ask them to do that. - I simply expected them to send the card to the address in London that the card is registered at. (and to pick up the card next time I was there...)