I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

I don't have a work permit anymore. SCB issued me a Planet SCB Visa debit card.

Works for on-line locally and airflights etc. but won't work for a model shop in Aus. for some reason. I haven't tried Amazon Aus. yet.

2 hours ago, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

Have you looked at this thread -

Some banks will give you a debit card but most require a work permit and history to get a credit card here. I did try at Bangkok Bank twice to get a card but both times it didn't work, even though they told me it would. Friends here with other banks do have cards, but debit.

A Visa or Mastercard branded debit card shouldn't be a problem with any bank that is willing to open an account for you. Generally speaking you need some kind of non-immigrant visa or extension thereof to open an account nowadays. A Non-O retirement visa is fine.

The regular ATM card you get with a Kasikorn account sits on the Visa network.

Works perfectly fine for most online purchases, or for example EMV payment at the Metro in Bangkok.

Ususally gets refused when the merchant requires full creditcard instead of debit card, still happens but not often anymore.

On 7/28/2026 at 11:11 AM, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

On 7/28/2026 at 11:11 AM, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

On 7/28/2026 at 11:11 AM, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

You used to have to show two years income from employment here, in order to get a credit card.

9 minutes ago, Colabamumbai said:

You used to have to show two years income from employment here, in order to get a credit card.

Is that bank specific or ?

K-Bank aproved my credit card application in 2007 with 6 months of salary slips.

BKK Bank approved my credit card application in 2020 with 6 months of salary slips.

On 7/28/2026 at 6:11 AM, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

Some cards need to be opened for online purchase, which you might be able to do yourself in your banking app, otherwise you might need to visit a bank-branch to have it set.

To my knowledge, Thai bank will normally not issue a credit card without some security, which can be work permit and income plus being a costumer for some period, or place a frozen deposit to cover the credit limit.

I just looked at my K bank debit card and it says VISA. I've never tried to use it as a Visa card, though, as I have other debit and credit cards from the US that I can use. With K bank, I use the QR code function on my app and the money just comes out of my account.

Does it have to be Visa, or will Mastercard do? If you open, or have, a TrueMoney account it has the facility to generate a Mastercard for on line payments. I have used it to pay for accommodation on line.

42 minutes ago, BexMan said:

Does it have to be Visa, or will Mastercard do? If you open, or have, a TrueMoney account it has the facility to generate a Mastercard for on line payments. I have used it to pay for accommodation on line.

Ah yes, good tip, I saw the functionality but never used it.

I also think you have to be "advanced" level, so need to get upgraded to that status by showing long term visa (non-o, and I think they even accept DTV).

3 hours ago, jas007 said:

I just looked at my K bank debit card and it says VISA. I've never tried to use it as a Visa card, though, as I have other debit and credit cards from the US that I can use. With K bank, I use the QR code function on my app and the money just comes out of my account.

I guess the local card is mostly usefull if you need to do online stuff in Thai Baht.
Using a foreign card will (save for some exceptions) incurr exchange fees etc.

Edited July 30Jul 30 by pdebuck456

BBL: if I open a special savings acc. (frozen account) account I will get a line of credit depends on my balance that could 20,000 or 30,000.

SCB: I can use my fixed account for CC guaranty.

5 hours ago, pdebuck456 said:

Ah yes, good tip, I saw the functionality but never used it.

I also think you have to be "advanced" level, so need to get upgraded to that status by showing long term visa (non-o, and I think they even accept DTV).

I only have a basic level account, so you should be ok.

16 hours ago, pdebuck456 said:

I guess the local card is mostly usefull if you need to do online stuff in Thai Baht.
Using a foreign card will (save for some exceptions) incurr exchange fees etc.

Even with the online stuff, I can usually use QR codes here in Thailand. For example, with Shopee, you can pay with a QR code during checkout. Ditto for Central online.

As a side note, one day I was buying stuff online and either the bank or Shopee made me do a test to continue. I guess they were trying to determine if I was drunk or something. I wasn't doing anything crazy, though, just buying a few little things.

On 7/28/2026 at 11:11 AM, leosmith said:

I have a Thai bank account, but the debit card isn't a visa so I can't use it to make international online purchases. I don't have a work permit, so the bank won't let me upgrade my "plain" debit card to a visa debit card. If I get a Non-Immigrant O retirement visa, will the bank allow me to upgrade?

What bank are you using?

Last year my TTB atm card had expired and the replacement hadn't come through the post as usual, although they had taken the annual fee. Trotted off to the bank and they said that type of card had been discontinued and they now issued an international visa card, they gave me a few pages on what could be done with the card and the limits. I asked about the fee and they said it had already been paid for, it was just a question of signing a new agreement.

If your bank is not planning a similar move, maybe worth looking at a TTB account. My wife had the same when her TTB atm card expired.

On 7/29/2026 at 11:48 AM, pdebuck456 said:

The regular ATM card you get with a Kasikorn account sits on the Visa network.

Works perfectly fine for most online purchases, or for example EMV payment at the Metro in Bangkok.

Ususally gets refused when the merchant requires full creditcard instead of debit card, still happens but not often anymore.

One instance that comes to mind is renting a car. Car rental companies require an actual credit card as opposed to a debit card.

59 minutes ago, Tom89 said:

One instance that comes to mind is renting a car. Car rental companies require an actual credit card as opposed to a debit card.

True, see also the other running thread on getting a real Thai creditcard!

In this thread however the topicstarter did specify the purpose of the card is online purchases and specified "debiit" card.

Edited August 1Aug 1 by pdebuck456

On 7/30/2026 at 7:20 PM, OneManShow said:

BBL: if I open a special savings acc. (frozen account) account I will get a line of credit depends on my balance that could 20,000 or 30,000.

SCB: I can use my fixed account for CC guaranty.

What's A Guaranty ??

On 7/28/2026 at 11:11 AM, leosmith said:

but the debit card isn't a visa

So what? My debit card from Bangkok Bank is a Master Charge which is now more widely accepted than Visa (long ago it was the other way around)

On 7/30/2026 at 11:12 AM, Colabamumbai said:

You used to have to show two years income from employment here, in order to get a credit card.

On 7/30/2026 at 11:12 AM, Colabamumbai said:

You used to have to show two years income from employment here, in order to get a credit card.

That’s what SCB wanted from me. I hold a Non-B with work permit (13 consecutive years) and a good NCB score. Really the only thing they wanted was to see that my Non-B and WP had at least 6 months validity at the time of application, and - yes, as you’ve noted - two years worth of pay slips (they accepted my revenue-stamped copies of Por Ngor Dor 90s in lieu)

It seems to me that in the last … say 3 years or so, those that are here - albeit on a long term - Non-B/O/OA etc type visa/extension of stay- but don’t hold a work permit, are having more and more difficulties with banking beyond the very basic savings accounts and ATM cards..

I have two credit cards that

On 8/1/2026 at 12:46 PM, nglodnig said:

So what? My debit card from Bangkok Bank is a Master Charge which is now more widely accepted than Visa (long ago it was the other way around)

Haven't seen any difference in acceptance between Visa and Mastercard in ages...

Amex, yes, that's a different story...

In my experience most debit cards issued by the bigger banks in Thailand can be used for international purchases, but must be "activated" to do so, either by a phonecall or a visit to the bank.