Citibank ATMs in Bangkok?

[david_je]

Is there still a Citibank ATM at Asoke intersection where I can withdraw cash using my US-issued Citibank ATM card? Where exactly is it? Any other locations in Bangkok? Is exchange rate okay?

And what is I use my card with non-Citi ATM?

Thanks.

 

[JohnnyBD]

3 hours ago, david_je said:

Is there still a Citibank ATM at Asoke intersection where I can withdraw cash using my US-issued Citibank ATM card? Where exactly is it? Any other locations in Bangkok? Is exchange rate okay?

And what is I use my card with non-Citi ATM?

Thanks.

Citibank Thailand was taken over by UOB earlier this year, around April, so there are no more Citibank ATMs as far as I know. I was a Citibank TH customer, and all my accounts were transferred over to UOB. However, you can probably use your US-issued Citibank ATM debit card in any ATM machine in Thailand. There is normally a 220B transaction fee when using an ATM in Thailand. Also, just a word of advice, select the "NO, continue without conversion" button so the ATM does not charge you 5.50% to make the conversion to THB. This will allow your US bank to make the conversion to THB. Hope that helps.

[gamb00ler]

2 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

This will allow your US bank to make the conversion to THB

A small correction on this.  For ATM withdrawals, purchases and cash advances on debit and credit cards, the actual foreign exchange rate is set by Visa and MasterCard, not the issuing banks.  They do the exchange and then bill your home country bank in its own currency.

 

The rates Visa and Mastercard use can be found at:

https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/personal/get-support/convert-currency.html

 

To get the correct rate remember to convert from the currency you withdrew from the ATM to your home currency.... not vice versa.

You may also have to adjust the fee percentage per your card's terms and conditions.

[JohnnyBD]

21 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

A small correction on this.  For ATM withdrawals, purchases and cash advances on debit and credit cards, the actual foreign exchange rate is set by Visa and MasterCard, not the issuing banks.  They do the exchange and then bill your home country bank in its own currency.

 

The rates Visa and Mastercard use can be found at:

https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/personal/get-support/convert-currency.html

 

To get the correct rate remember to convert from the currency you withdrew from the ATM to your home currency.... not vice versa.

You may also have to adjust the fee percentage per your card's terms and conditions.

My US Chase bank debit card must not use those Visa & MC rates. I can get about 34.30 THB right now with my Chase debit card at the SCB ATM in my building. I tested it many times and it's usually .30 to .35 THB less than the spot rate.

 

I just checked the Visa rate and it's showing 33.6667 THB. This must have some kind of addtional markup which I do not have to pay with my Chase debit card.

20000 THB = 594.058812 USD

% Mark-up over European Central Bank Rate = 2.65

1 THB = 0.029703 USD

1 USD = 33.666700 THB

 

[gamb00ler]

11 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

My US Chase bank debit card must not use those Visa & MC rates. I can get about 34.30 THB right now with my Chase debit card at the SCB ATM in my building. I tested it many times and it's usually .30 to .35 THB less than the spot rate.

 

I just checked the Visa rate and it's showing 33.6667 THB. This must have some kind of addtional markup which I do not have to pay with my Chase debit card.

20000 THB = 594.058812 USD

% Mark-up over European Central Bank Rate = 2.65

1 THB = 0.029703 USD

1 USD = 33.666700 THB

 

What do you put in the "Bank fee" field"?

 

The difference is due to that fee.

 

Here's what I get when I specify the bank fee is 0%:

 

[gamb00ler]

I only use debit cards that have NO foreign transaction fees.

All Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards use the same exchange rates.  The differing results are due to the different foreign transaction fees that the issuing banks add on.  Some of those fees are as high as 3%.  Some are 0.

 

Visa and Mastercard set the rates once per day (Tue to Sat) at around 7AM Thai time.

[JohnnyBD]

14 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

What do you put in the "Bank fee" field"?

 

The difference is due to that fee.

 

Here's what I get when I specify the bank fee is 0%:

 

Ok. That's what I did wrong.  My US Chase debit card has no foreign transaction fee also, so I should have put zero in the mark-up field.

Thanks for showing me.

[bamnutsak]

11 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

The differing results are due to the different foreign transaction fees

 

11 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

Ok. That's what I did wrong. 

 

 

People often forget to factor in the 220 THB local ATM fee when calculating the overall resulting "rate". So if you took 20,000 THB away from the ATM it was actually 20,220 THB (in USD at the daily visa/mc rate).

 

This assumes that your bank does NOT reimburse this fee as do Fidelity, Schwab and a few others. No clue if Citi-US does.

 

 

[JohnnyBD]

27 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

People often forget to factor in the 220 THB local ATM fee when calculating the overall resulting "rate". So if you took 20,000 THB away from the ATM it was actually 20,220 THB (in USD at the daily visa/mc rate).

 

This assumes that your bank does NOT reimburse this fee as do Fidelity, Schwab and a few others. No clue if Citi-US does.

Yes, the 220B fee is an extra for many people. I'm fortunate in that Chase Bank reimburses the 220B fees for me due to my relationship level with them.

[bamnutsak]

12 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

Yes, the 220B fee is an extra for many people. I'm fortunate in that Chase Bank reimburses me for the 220B fees, due to my relationship level with them.

 

 

So why are you looking for a Citi ATM? You can use ANY ATM.

[JohnnyBD]

5 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

So why are you looking for a Chase ATM? You can use ANY ATM.

I am not looking for a Chase ATM. You misread. The OP was looking for a Citibank ATM, and I replied to him that Citibank was taken over by UOB, so there are no more Citibank ATMs.

[bamnutsak]

Yes, I had Chase on the brain. But what was the reason for the OP to search out a Citi ATM in the first post?

 

They can use any ATM.

[JohnnyBD]

2 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Yes, I had Chase on the brain. But what was the reason for the OP to search out a Citi ATM in the first post?

 

They can use any ATM.

I'm not sure why he was inquiring about the Citibank ATMs, but I suspect it was to avoid the 220B fee since his card was a US-based Citibank debit card.

[david_je]

Thank you for all the helpful replies to my post.

Yes, I asked about Citibank ATM thinking I would then not have to pay the bank fee if using Thai ATM.

Citibank does not charge for overseas transfers via their website, but I checked yesterday about transferring $1500 to Bangkok Bank and exchange rate was 33.6927b. The Mastercard rate on their currency converter for same amount was 34.81b, if I did this right. Is it really that different? If so, seems better to use my Citibank card to withdraw from Bangkok Bank ATM, even factoring in the 220b local bank fee. Only thing is Bangkok Bank ATM withdrawal limit per transaction is 50000b, so would have to incur the 220b again for additional withdrawal.

Am I thinking right here? Thanks for guidance. 

[JohnnyBD]

Where did you get the 33.6927 exchange rate. Were you letting Citibank send THB to Bangkok Bank? I use Chase, and always send USD to Bangkok Bank. It works out better. Right now, Bangkok Bank's exchange rate is 34.28. Yesterday, the highest rate for incoming USD wire xfers was 34.56. You can check the Bangkok Bank TT Buying Rates at the link I listed below. There is a .0025 incoming wire fee (min 200B to max 500B).

Foreign Exchange Rates

[david_je]

2 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

Where did you get the 33.6927 exchange rate. Were you letting Citibank send THB to Bangkok Bank? I use Chase, and always send USD to Bangkok Bank. It works out better. Right now, Bangkok Bank's exchange rate is 34.28. Yesterday, the highest rate for incoming USD wire xfers was 34.56. You can check the Bangkok Bank TT Buying Rates at the link I listed below. There is a .0025 incoming wire fee (min 200B to max 500B).

Foreign Exchange Rates

Yes, I did let Citi send THB. You mean if I elect to send USD to Bkk Bk, it arrives in baht currency (not dollars) but at a better rate than if I elect THB?

[JohnnyBD]

50 minutes ago, david_je said:

Yes, I did let Citi send THB. You mean if I elect to send USD to Bkk Bk, it arrives in baht currency (not dollars) but at a better rate than if I elect THB?

Yes, if you select the option for Citi to send USD, Bangkok Bank will convert the USD to THB when they recieve it at the TT Buying Rates which should be much better than letting Citi send THB. Give it a try next time. Check the link I sent for the current Bangkok Bank exchange rates. My wire transfers arrive the next day. The rates change several times per day. Good luck...

[david_je]

On 11/28/2024 at 4:03 PM, JohnnyBD said:

Yes, if you select the option for Citi to send USD, Bangkok Bank will convert the USD to THB when they recieve it at the TT Buying Rates which should be much better than letting Citi send THB. Give it a try next time. Check the link I sent for the current Bangkok Bank exchange rates. My wire transfers arrive the next day. The rates change several times per day. Good luck...

Thanks for that, very helpful; I was lost for so long. So when you want to transfer dollars as dollars, you must first have a dollar account at Bangkok Bank, I guess?

[JohnnyBD]

1 hour ago, david_je said:

Thanks for that, very helpful; I was lost for so long. So when you want to transfer dollars as dollars, you must first have a dollar account at Bangkok Bank, I guess?

I have USD accts because I thought I needed them for USD transfers, but then later I was told that I can send USD directly to my THB acct, and the banks will convert the USD to THB when they receive it. I still use my USD acct at Bangkok Bank because I can do the conversion online myself, but my other Thai banks require me to go into the banks, so I don't use those USD accts anymore.

[treetops]

On 11/28/2024 at 4:54 AM, david_je said:

Only thing is Bangkok Bank ATM withdrawal limit per transaction is 50000b, so would have to incur the 220b again for additional withdrawal.

 

Most (all?) Bangkok Bank ATMS will not dispense 50,000 THB in one transaction.  They are physically restricted to either 25,000 or 30,000 THB.

[bamnutsak]

14 hours ago, treetops said:

Most (all?) Bangkok Bank ATMS will not dispense 50,000 THB in one transaction. 

 

The OP might be better off doing a counter withdrawal? Where you withdraw your daily limit ($1,000? $1,500?, $2,500?) in one go.

 

Google: counter withdrawal site:aseannow.com

 

I could barely get 20,000 out of a new BBL ATM "slot" style, it took significant force to pull the cash out. Obviously, the "trough" style offers less physical limitation.

 

Given the 200 baht minimum fee (0.25% of the transfer amount Baht 200 Min., Baht 500 Max) for incoming SWIFT transfers, and the lower TT rate (34.07 - TT vs. 34.16 - Visa/~ nowish), it is probably better to eat the ATM fee for withdrawals up to ~ $750.

 

Amounts greater than that require may two pulls, and a 440 baht total fee. So go with a SWIFT transfer or a counter withdrawal.

 

This assumes that the ATM fee is NOT reimbursed, no foreign exchange fee and no SWIFT fees.

 

 

[stat]

14 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

The OP might be better off doing a counter withdrawal? Where you withdraw your daily limit ($1,000? $1,500?, $2,500?) in one go.

 

Google: counter withdrawal site:aseannow.com

 

I could barely get 20,000 out of a new BBL ATM "slot" style, it took significant force to pull the cash out. Obviously, the "trough" style offers less physical limitation.

 

Given the 200 baht minimum fee (0.25% of the transfer amount Baht 200 Min., Baht 500 Max) for incoming SWIFT transfers, and the lower TT rate (34.07 - TT vs. 34.16 - Visa/~ nowish), it is probably better to eat the ATM fee for withdrawals up to ~ $750.

 

Amounts greater than that require may two pulls, and a 440 baht total fee. So go with a SWIFT transfer or a counter withdrawal.

 

This assumes that the ATM fee is NOT reimbursed, no foreign exchange fee and no SWIFT fees.

 

 

I can confirm that counter withdrawal works with BKK Bank and Krungsri (Only MC free of charge). Check with cc company if they add a fee for counter withdrawal, in my case there was no additional charge.

[JohnnyBD]

On 11/30/2024 at 7:56 PM, bamnutsak said:

 

The OP might be better off doing a counter withdrawal? Where you withdraw your daily limit ($1,000? $1,500?, $2,500?) in one go.

 

Google: counter withdrawal site:aseannow.com

 

I could barely get 20,000 out of a new BBL ATM "slot" style, it took significant force to pull the cash out. Obviously, the "trough" style offers less physical limitation.

 

Given the 200 baht minimum fee (0.25% of the transfer amount Baht 200 Min., Baht 500 Max) for incoming SWIFT transfers, and the lower TT rate (34.07 - TT vs. 34.16 - Visa/~ nowish), it is probably better to eat the ATM fee for withdrawals up to ~ $750.

 

Amounts greater than that require may two pulls, and a 440 baht total fee. So go with a SWIFT transfer or a counter withdrawal.

 

This assumes that the ATM fee is NOT reimbursed, no foreign exchange fee and no SWIFT fees.

I just checked the Visa rate at 12:15 pm today, it was 34.16 THB to USD, Bangkok Bank TT Buying rate was 34.31, and SCB TT rate was 34.35 and UOB TT rate was 34.36. It seems rates can go either way depending on when you want to convert.

20000 THB = 585.479508 USD

% Mark-up over European Central Bank Rate = 0.38

1 THB = 0.029274 USD

1 USD = 34.160034 THB

[bamnutsak]

19 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

I just checked the Visa rate at 12:15 pm today, it was 34.16 THB to USD

 

Yes, I made a CC purchase yesterday (Central Chidlom) and got that rate (34.155 rounded up). I think Visa has one rate per 24 hour period, but that idea may be wrong.

 

And yes, banks have their own TT rates, which can change multiple times per day. I think BBL had three rates yesterday.

[david_je]

On 12/1/2024 at 7:56 AM, bamnutsak said:

 

The OP might be better off doing a counter withdrawal? Where you withdraw your daily limit ($1,000? $1,500?, $2,500?) in one go.

 

Google: counter withdrawal site:aseannow.com

 

I could barely get 20,000 out of a new BBL ATM "slot" style, it took significant force to pull the cash out. Obviously, the "trough" style offers less physical limitation.

 

Given the 200 baht minimum fee (0.25% of the transfer amount Baht 200 Min., Baht 500 Max) for incoming SWIFT transfers, and the lower TT rate (34.07 - TT vs. 34.16 - Visa/~ nowish), it is probably better to eat the ATM fee for withdrawals up to ~ $750.

 

Amounts greater than that require may two pulls, and a 440 baht total fee. So go with a SWIFT transfer or a counter withdrawal.

 

This assumes that the ATM fee is NOT reimbursed, no foreign exchange fee and no SWIFT fees.

 

 

I did Google and read a few of the other posts, but I am still unclear what exactly a counter withdrawal is. I go to the Bangkok Bangkok teller and tell her to withdraw a certain amount of USD from my (US-based) Citibank ATM card and deposit it into my Bangkok Bank account? I had never heard of anyone doing this. The advantage is it's no-charge, I don't pay the ATM fee if I did through ATM? What about in terms of exchange rate? Thank you for advice.

[gamb00ler]

I have done many counter withdrawals at Bangkok bank but none for about 14 months.  I used to do a counter "cash advance" at any BKK bank but now they don't offer that service at the smaller mall branches (according to a teller).  I was told by the manager at a standalone BKK bank branch that they would do it if the VISA card had my name on it.

 

The exchange rate for all purchases, ATM withdrawals and counter withdrawals is the same for that day.

 

Make sure your debit card does not charge foreign transaction fees, otherwise they may be better options for getting your US funds to Thailand.

 

Here's how I did it:

I would check the VISA web site for the current exchange rate.  I would then calculate how much Thai ฿ I could get for a maximum limit withdrawal.  I would round that amount down to the closest 1K in ฿.  I always planned to deposit the whole amount to my BKK bank account.

 

I took just my passport, bank book and debit cards to the teller and and requested the amount of ฿ I calculated and told them to deposit it all to my account.

 

The teller would run my card through a machine that looked the same as stores used to use for credit card purchases.  A slip showing the transaction details would be printed which I had to sign and add my phone # as well.  The teller also made a copy of my passport ID page and had me sign it along with the deposit slip.

 

It took about 10 minutes at the teller window.