ATM card confiscation and possible alternatives?

[Felton Jarvis]

I have been living in Thailand about eight years and still use my home credit union in America. Over this period of time I have lost at least five debit cards when an ATM grabbed them and would not return them. This seems to almost never happen With Bangkok Bank, but other bank's ATMs are problematic. It takes most of a month to receive a new debit card from America, even with a "rush fee". I am looking for ways that will allow me to get money from my home bank without inserting my card in an ATM. I know that several banks have a "cardless ATM feature" but details are usually confusing since I am using a debit card from America. Several people have mentioned "Google Pay" or "Google Wallet", but again details are skimpy and trying to explain to my local bank usually results in frustration with no results.  Any ideas from the membership here???  Losing. a debit card is a nightmare because of the length of time that it takes to get here and the only other option is expensive wire transfers.  All suggestions appreciated. I doubt that I am the only one who faces this problem.

[JayClay]

Cardless ATM services are provided by banks for their own customers only. You will not be able to use cardless ATM services with your American card.

 

Having 5 cards eaten in 8 years seems excessive. Are you making sure that you're waiting for your card once the cash has been dispensed? I don't know how ATMs in America work but in England, in order the prevent people forgetting, the ATM card is returned before your cash. If you're used to that system, it's easy to get caught out and forget to take your ATM card after collecting your money. I have been caught out by this a couple of times in the past.

 

Having said all that; why not save yourself the troubles, and the excessive ATM fees, and get yourself a bank account here?

 

Google Pay/Wallet are not useful in any way for achieving what you want to achieve.

Edited March 12 by JayClay

[gamb00ler]

Instead of doing your withdrawal from ATM, go to Bangkok bank branch and do a “cash advance” at the teller.  I have done this many times and I got the same exchange rate as the ATM and no additional fees.  VISA or MasterCard set the exchange rate, not the bank.  Check if your credit union adds a foreign transaction fee which would apply at the ATM as well.

[Korat Kiwi]

Check out the Wise card.  Never had a problem with it and exchange fees are one of the lowest. 

[Felton Jarvis]

10 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Cardless ATM services are provided by banks for their own customers only. You will not be able to use cardless ATM services with your American card.

 

Having 5 cards eaten in 8 years seems excessive. Are you making sure that you're waiting for your card once the cash has been dispensed? I don't know how ATMs in America work but in England, in order the prevent people forgetting, the ATM card is returned before your cash. If you're used to that system, it's easy to get caught out and forget to take your ATM card after collecting your money. I have been caught out by this a couple of times in the past.

 

Having said all that; why not save yourself the troubles, and the excessive ATM fees, and get yourself a bank account here?

 

Google Pay/Wallet are not useful in any way for achieving what you want to achieve.

I have a bank account with Bangkok Bank but I can't use it for making payments to American credit cards. This is not a matter of forgetting my card, the machines failed to return the card in all cases.

[Felton Jarvis]

16 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Instead of doing your withdrawal from ATM, go to Bangkok bank branch and do a “cash advance” at the teller.  I have done this many times and I got the same exchange rate as the ATM and no additional fees.  VISA or MasterCard set the exchange rate, not the bank.  Check if your credit union adds a foreign transaction fee which would apply at the ATM as well.

I have done this at least once, since I have an account there, but they are extremely resistant to this practice and try to steer me to the ATM. Very frustrating.

[pattaya1234was]

13 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

Check out the Wise card.  Never had a problem with it and exchange fees are one of the lowest. 

Did you get your Wise card in Thailand?

[Upnotover]

12 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I have a bank account with Bangkok Bank

For what purpose?  Just put money in it (Wise from US would seem a good idea).  What does it matter that you cant pay credit cards from it, I thought your problem was getting money here not sending it to the US.

[WorriedNoodle]

8 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I have done this at least once, since I have an account there, but they are extremely resistant to this practice and try to steer me to the ATM. Very frustrating.

If you have a Bangkok Bank account already why not just do wireless withdrawals at their ATMs?

[Felton Jarvis]

Just now, Upnotover said:

For what purpose?  Just put money in it (Wise from US would seem a good idea).  What does it matter that you cant pay credit cards from it, I thought your problem was getting money here not sending it to the US.

That is PRECISELY why I maintain my American account. I can set up automatic payments to the three credit cards that I have active.  Bangkok Bank has no such service for customers. I don't want to be drowning in late fees, so I set up automatic payments.

[JayClay]

20 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I have a bank account with Bangkok Bank but I can't use it for making payments to American credit cards. This is not a matter of forgetting my card, the machines failed to return the card in all cases.

 

As others have said, if your only reason for having an American debit card is for paying off your American credit cards, then I don't see any reason that you need to be using it here, paying foreign ATM fees and having your cards eaten.

 

Use your Bangkok Bank account for cash withdrawals in Thailand.

Edited March 12 by JayClay

[Felton Jarvis]

11 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

If you have a Bangkok Bank account already why not just do wireless withdrawals at their ATMs?

Not familiar with "wireless withdrawals".

[Berkshire]

13 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

That is PRECISELY why I maintain my American account. I can set up automatic payments to the three credit cards that I have active.  Bangkok Bank has no such service for customers. I don't want to be drowning in late fees, so I set up automatic payments.

I too maintain US bank accounts and credit cards.  To pay off an American credit card, I transfer funds from my US bank account.  This is done online.  Do you have access to your US accounts online?

[Lacessit]

If ATM's are eating your cards, the obvious solution is to do over-the-counter transactions.

Another alternative is to have a Thai bank account and Thai debit card.

Because of the problem stated in the OP, I would only use my Australian card(s) for emergency purposes only.

[brianburi]

13 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

Not familiar with "wireless withdrawals".

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/agEfLSFlq6M

 

Plenty of similar vids on the tube.........

[digbeth]

58 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Cardless ATM services are provided by banks for their own customers only. You will not be able to use cardless ATM services with your American card.

 

Having 5 cards eaten in 8 years seems excessive. Are you making sure that you're waiting for your card once the cash has been dispensed? I don't know how ATMs in America work but in England, in order the prevent people forgetting, the ATM card is returned before your cash. If you're used to that system, it's easy to get caught out and forget to take your ATM card after collecting your money. I have been caught out by this a couple of times in the past.

 

Having said all that; why not save yourself the troubles, and the excessive ATM fees, and get yourself a bank account here?

 

Google Pay/Wallet are not useful in any way for achieving what you want to achieve.

 

Thai ATMS are worse in this regard in that not only the card don't come out before the cash, they don't come out at all unless you press the button confirming if you want the receipt or not,

 

if you'd walked away without pressing anything they'd spit out the card after what seems like a minute with loud beeping, any passer by could have taken the card, if not it sucks the card back in to be destroyed. 

 

Or on the rare occasion of power failures then it just eats your card right away

[Felton Jarvis]

2 minutes ago, brianburi said:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/agEfLSFlq6M

 

Plenty of similar vids on the tube.........

I only keep a local account so that my agent can use it for my yearly Extension of Stay. She supplies the required cash and then withdraws it

[Felton Jarvis]

2 minutes ago, digbeth said:

 

Thai ATMS are worse in this regard in that not only the card don't come out before the cash, they don't come out at all unless you press the button confirming if you want the receipt or not,

 

if you'd walked away without pressing anything they'd spit out the card after what seems like a minute with loud beeping, any passer by could have taken the card, if not it sucks the card back in to be destroyed. 

 

Or on the rare occasion of power failures then it just eats your card right away

No power failures were involved nor did I leave the card in the machine. I got a message saying my card had been kept and to contact my bank. Plenty of funds in the account, too.

[Felton Jarvis]

4 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I only keep a local account so that my agent can use it for my yearly Extension of Stay. She supplies the required cash and then withdraws it

The video dealt with CARDLESS withdrawals, not WIRELESS withdrawals. Completely different from what was mentioned.

[cdemundo]

I use a Credit Union in the USA for most of my banking business.

I t seems that banks outside the US and US Credit Unions are mutually a mystery to each other.

I have found that I can't explain one to the other, they are in different worlds.

 

I have a Charles Schwab Investor Checking account with ATM card that I have used for about 20 years in Thailand.

ATM fees are credited each month, so no fees for ATM use.

Never had any problem with ATM grabbing my card and never had the card refused by any bank.

Once, maybe 15 years ago, had two fraudulent withdrawals in Thailand. Schwab credited right away and it never happened again.

 

I am pretty sure you can still open an account online from anywhere.

Verifying this will be left as an exercise for the student.

 

[Raindancer]

1 hour ago, Korat Kiwi said:

Check out the Wise card.  Never had a problem with it and exchange fees are one of the lowest. 

Still waiting for wise to provide a card for Thailand.  They don't seem to be in a hurry to do so.

[Yagoda]

I use Wise while traveling and in BKK. I use my Thai account for cash. I use ABA in Cambodia. I never use my US cards

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Felton Jarvis said:

That is PRECISELY why I maintain my American account. I can set up automatic payments to the three credit cards that I have active.  Bangkok Bank has no such service for customers. I don't want to be drowning in late fees, so I set up automatic payments.

Why can't you use your American account for your US credit cards and get a debit card from Bangkok Bank for cash withdrawals?

[Korat Kiwi]

17 minutes ago, Raindancer said:

Still waiting for wise to provide a card for Thailand.  They don't seem to be in a hurry to do so.

I seem to remember that they haven't set up a system for Thailand as yet.  However you may be able to apply from a home country address (Brother, sister etc) Then get them to post it across. 

 

I applied for my Wise account/card when back in NZ.  Only took about 10 days to arrive. 

 

It's the only card I use now. 

[Felton Jarvis]

20 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

I use a Credit Union in the USA for most of my banking business.

I t seems that banks outside the US and US Credit Unions are mutually a mystery to each other.

I have found that I can't explain one to the other, they are in different worlds.

 

I have a Charles Schwab Investor Checking account with ATM card that I have used for about 20 years in Thailand.

ATM fees are credited each month, so no fees for ATM use.

Never had any problem with ATM grabbing my card and never had the card refused by any bank.

Once, maybe 15 years ago, had two fraudulent withdrawals in Thailand. Schwab credited right away and it never happened again.

 

I am pretty sure you can still open an account online from anywhere.

Verifying this will be left as an exercise for the student.

 

I have tried to get a Charles Schwab account, but they told me they do not issue debit cards to those who live in Thailand.  Apparently, many use them here but I was told "NO"!!!

[Felton Jarvis]

Just now, Korat Kiwi said:

I seem to remember that they haven't set up a system for Thailand as yet.  However you may be able to apply from a home country address (Brother, sister etc) Then get them to post it across. 

 

I applied for my Wise account/card when back in NZ.  Only took about 10 days to arrive. 

 

It's the only card I use now. 

Wise doesn't operate in the USA or in Thailand. 

[cdemundo]

10 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I have tried to get a Charles Schwab account, but they told me they do not issue debit cards to those who live in Thailand.  Apparently, many use them here but I was told "NO"!!!

Do you have a US address?

Maybe you could use that and don't ask don't tell that you live in Thailand.

If not, sorry to hear that.

[Upnotover]

10 minutes ago, Felton Jarvis said:

Wise doesn't operate in the USA or in Thailand. 

USA it most certainly does.  And can send to Thailand no problems at all.

https://wise.com/us/send-money/

[Felton Jarvis]

18 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Why can't you use your American account for your US credit cards and get a debit card from Bangkok Bank for cash withdrawals?

I am reasonably sure that I cannot use a Bangkok Bank debit card to access funds from my American account. 

[WorriedNoodle]

1 hour ago, Felton Jarvis said:

1 hour ago, WorriedNoodle said:

If you have a Bangkok Bank account already why not just do wireless withdrawals at their ATMs?

Not familiar with "wireless withdrawals".

Sorry, I mean cardless withdrawals....