New Atm Withdrawal Fee At Siam

[emmezeta]

Both BBL and SCB are members and I routinely use both ATM's with my BBL card with no charge. But if either ATM is out of area there will be the large (20 baht?) fee. But as my account is in Bangkok there is no fee at any ATM of pool members located in Bangkok. All the major banks are members.

20 baht? That's terrible, very expensive......

In Italy every bank charge 2 euro on any ATM use OUTSIDE their network, it doesn't matter where.

I hope they will not realize anytime soon that charging 2E for Samui and UE country is stupid, they could double the international cost...and slash the italian cost that is a robbery...

And exchange rate is usually very close to the cash exchange, so they must have at least 1% discount and we have no better choise...

[vagabond48]

Quick update. Just took 20k baht out at a SCB machine with US ATM Card (Visa) . The 20 baht charge that was charged on withdrawl 2 days ago was not done this time.

Maybe they changed their minds....

TH

I was in Chiang Rai this past weekend and did an ATM cash withdrawal for 2k (yeah, I'm a big spender) at a SCB machine. This time like you, they did not charge me the 20 baht. Life is good. Now, I wonder if I can get them to give me back my 40 baht?

[THAILIBAN]

Both BBL and SCB are members and I routinely use both ATM's with my BBL card with no charge. But if either ATM is out of area there will be the large (20 baht?) fee. But as my account is in Bangkok there is no fee at any ATM of pool members located in Bangkok. All the major banks are members.

20 baht? That's terrible, very expensive......

In Italy every bank charge 2 euro on any ATM use OUTSIDE their network, it doesn't matter where.

I hope they will not realize anytime soon that charging 2E for Samui and UE country is stupid, they could double the international cost...and slash the italian cost that is a robbery...

And exchange rate is usually very close to the cash exchange, so they must have at least 1% discount and we have no better choise...

some people here have unfortunately still not understood what was actually being reported. the 20 Baht is an ADDITIONAL, SECOND FEE - added to the actual transaction fee. in my case, 4.50 € plus another 20 Baht. happy you are with your 2 € in Italia....

[lopburi3]

We know - but threads become multi dimensional and people are reporting being changed using Thai bank cards in other ATM's now and from latest reports the 20 baht foreign card fee does not seem to have been charged the last few days so perhaps we have solved that problem?

[jfchandler]

A couple of things on this...

1. There already was another, prior thread on this subject with SCB...fyi... See here...

2. There are any number of U.S. banks that still don't charge either per transaction fees or foreign currency fees for foreign country ATM withdrawals, including in Thailand.

Someone above mentioned IndyMac Bank, which is accurate about IMB not charging a foreign fee, though I don't believe they reimburse other banks' fees.

Another very good account in this category is from Salem 5 Direct, which doesn't charge their own fees and also reimburses other banks' fees up to some limit, if they are assessed.

(Though interestingly, SCB's 20 baht fee wasn't showing up as a separate item on my accounts, it was just being added to the total withdrawal amount, when I checked my U.S. accounts regarding the withdrawals).

3. Regarding other Thai banks' ATM fee practices, SCB NEVER charged this 20 baht transaction fee before when people were using U.S.-issued ATM cards at their ATM machines in Thailand. It only started earlier this month...

About BKK Bank, their past practice (and I haven't heard it's changed lately) regarding the use of THEIR ATM card at other Thai banks' ATMs has been to allow a couple of transactions per month with no fee in the Bangkok area, and then charging a fee for any non-BKK Bank withdrawals in the BKK area beyond the first couple fee free... I believe they always charge a fee for using their ATM card at other Thai banks' ATMs outside of the BKK area.

However, I have NOT heard that BKK Bank has begun charging fees (similar to Siam Bank) when people use U.S.-based ATM cards to withdraw money at BKK Bank ATMs....

Thus far, all the reports here (about new fees for ATM withdrawals using U.S. ATM/debit cards) seem to relate to SCB only....

It also would be helpful if folks can clarify what's happening now, and whether SCB has either ceased charging this fee or is not charging it for LARGER amount ATM withdrawals... I'm out of the country until later this week, so I can't advise on this for now...

[vagabond48]

It also would be helpful if folks can clarify what's happening now, and whether SCB has either ceased charging this fee or is not charging it for LARGER amount ATM withdrawals... I'm out of the country until later this week, so I can't advise on this for now...

If you read recent posts, you'd find that some folks like myself have already clarified "what's happening now"

[THAILIBAN]

We know - but threads become multi dimensional and people are reporting being changed using Thai bank cards in other ATM's now and from latest reports the 20 baht foreign card fee does not seem to have been charged the last few days so perhaps we have solved that problem?

seems so !

long live THAIVISA, the "LOBIN HOOD" for Farang in smile-land

[vagabond48]

It looks like SCB is playing the cat and mouse game now. 1st they began charging 20baht fee back in 2nd week of June then they stopped charging the fee a week later. Today, I went down to withdraw some money and got hit with the 20baht fee again. I'm using another bank for my ATM withdrawals. I'm going to complain to customer service in BKK that they need to warn you about any additional fees before you accept the transaction. I also going try to re-coup the 80baht they have charged me so far. Hey, it's worth 5 minutes of my time.

[THAILIBAN]

It looks like SCB is playing the cat and mouse game now. 1st they began charging 20baht fee back in 2nd week of June then they stopped charging the fee a week later. Today, I went down to withdraw some money and got hit with the 20baht fee again. I'm using another bank for my ATM withdrawals. I'm going to complain to customer service in BKK that they need to warn you about any additional fees before you accept the transaction. I also going try to re-coup the 80baht they have charged me so far. Hey, it's worth 5 minutes of my time.

good so !

I am already avoiding them so they wont get any commission of the 4,50€ that I am being charged for every withdrawal.

better withdraw at TMB (Thai Military Bank) so they can stock up on cash to help prepare the next COUP

[thaihome]

Noticed yesteday SCB has started the 20 baht fee again. There is notice on the main menu page that the fee will be charged on overseas cards.

TH

[jfchandler]

Just recently returned to BKK from a trip back to the U.S. to find the news about SCB having resumed, and apparently made permanent, their previously short-lived 20 baht fee on ATM withdrawals using non-Thai cards....

I generally have had very good experience with SCB, and previously had always used their ATMs for my cash withdrawals, whether from my account with them or other accounts from the U.S.

But now, on principle, I'm done with that. Many other Thai banks available with no fees and comparable exchange rates... Let's just hope the other Thai banks don't follow SCB's example by implementing similar fees.

As best as I can tell, BKK Bank is still not charging a separate per transaction fee for using U.S.-based ATM cards, particularly if you're making the transaction near in Thailand where your BKKB account is based (i.e., not in some different province)... But I haven't sat down to determine whether they might be taking something out via their exchange rate....

PS - The comments above are in regard to the fees charged or not charged by THAI banks for ATM cash withdrawals with non-Thai cards. Those are a separate issue from the more prevalent fees charged by U.S.-based banks for foreign-based ATM withdrawals and credit card transactions...

If you're not careful, you can get charged on both ends (U.S. and Thai now because of SCB) for ATM withdrawals. If you're prudent, you can entirely avoid fees at both the Thai and U.S. (or other country) ends.

[aurelius]

i have a US ATM card issued by IndyMac Bank in Los Angeles which does not charge any fees whatsoever for foreign withdrawals - i have made 2 withdrawals in the last two weeks each for 15,000 baht - one was at Bangkok Bank and one was at Kasicorn - both were done without any fee from the Thai Banks so maybe this is just for SCB

There may be a difference in the charges for international MasterCards (or Maestro) vz Visa. MC has recently introduced charges to the banks - which require the bank that owns the ATM to pay a fee to the bank which issued the card to the customer. SCB may be passing this charge on. As far as I have heard, MC has received a lot of criticism for this fee and may be going to revoke it. The rules between banks using the VISA and MC system for international transactions are meant to insist that the ATM owning banks don't charge the user customers. BBL doesn't charge any fee for this situation. Your home bank (i.e. abroad) may charge other fees which are totally at their discretion.

Regarding the local situation, BBL, SCB and KBank have a fee that kicks in after the cardholder makes 5 or more transactions on other bank's ATMs. This is because the ATM Pool which switches the transactions between banks charges each switched transaction at somewhere between 3-9 bt depending on the day of the week, and other factors. Therefore the banks are providing the first 4 transactions free, and in fact do not even fully recover their costs on the subsequent transactions.

Banks have to announce all their fees 30 days in advance by posting them in the branches - either on the wall or in a folder which is generally available. This is usually only in Thai tho'. The website is also required to announce fees - may have engl.