Credit Card In Thailand

[Nowhereman60]

Does anyone know where a person on a Retirement Visa can get a credit card in Thailand. Tired of paying my bank 3% of any purchase I make here on my card. Everything I read at Bank websites is must have working papers. I say to myself so some english teacher making 30,000 to 50,000 baht can get a card but I make twice that in pension and can't get a card here.

[lopburi3]

The simple thing to do is just don't use a card - cash works quite well here and there are ATM machines just about everywhere you would need to make a payment. I believe most banks will provide a debit type card, if you want to use plastic, without a work permit. Local baht account with ATM access works well for most things.

[Nowhereman60]

The simple thing to do is just don't use a card - cash works quite well here and there are ATM machines just about everywhere you would need to make a payment. I believe most banks will provide a debit type card, if you want to use plastic, without a work permit. Local baht account with ATM access works well for most things.

I asked about credit card not advise on how to handle my money. I have a bank account and ATM card with that bank. Again my question was about credit cards.

[Lil_Jon]

you may wanna check with the guys at american express thailand , found them very flexible in issuing a credit card after proper documentation esp for their AMEX thai airways platinum card , so give it a try

[think_too_mut]

you may wanna check with the guys at american express thailand , found them very flexible in issuing a credit card after proper documentation esp for their AMEX thai airways platinum card , so give it a try

Small wonder they are flexible - that Platimum card may cost 4-5-6-7-8 hundred dollars a year to have it.

They send "pre-approved" applications in junk mail.

[Guest Reimar]

The simple thing to do is just don't use a card - cash works quite well here and there are ATM machines just about everywhere you would need to make a payment. I believe most banks will provide a debit type card, if you want to use plastic, without a work permit. Local baht account with ATM access works well for most things.

I asked about credit card not advise on how to handle my money. I have a bank account and ATM card with that bank. Again my question was about credit cards.

May you can't get a CC because you're on Retiertment Visa instead of the needed permanent Resident Visa which isn't the same.

On the other hand the information from Lopburi3 is something you really should look on even that wasn't an advice but an information how something works in Thailand.

If you don't like to get that information, the best way would be to go to the institution in charge for that procedures to apply for an CC, which you have to find by yourself because I didn't give an advice just some info.

Cheers.

[Lil_Jon]

you may wanna check with the guys at american express thailand , found them very flexible in issuing a credit card after proper documentation esp for their AMEX thai airways platinum card , so give it a try

Small wonder they are flexible - that Platimum card may cost 4-5-6-7-8 hundred dollars a year to have it.

They send "pre-approved" applications in junk mail.

if i remember it correctly the annual fee for this card is just 4000 THB ,

[JAS21]

The simple thing to do is just don't use a card - cash works quite well here and there are ATM machines just about everywhere you would need to make a payment. I believe most banks will provide a debit type card, if you want to use plastic, without a work permit. Local baht account with ATM access works well for most things.

I asked about credit card not advise on how to handle my money. I have a bank account and ATM card with that bank. Again my question was about credit cards.

Have you really tried, I didn't have any problem with BB. I am here on a retirement visa..they offered me a platinum card..still negociating on the 4000Baht they want for it.

At present I use cash or bank transfer. The only problem of not having a credit card is on-line hotel bookings...however I usually get around that by checking the internet price and then phoning the contact us number and offer to bank transfer.

[JohnC]

As I understand it, if you have a large deposit in a Thai bank they will give you a credit card after some banking history, a friend was offered a card by two different banks after being here for 4 years and creating a banking history with them. Maybe if you paid your monthly pension into a Thai Bank they would then consider you low risk and issue a card. I retained my credit card from home for emergencies and pay it by direct debit from my home account so do not have the need for a Thai card but can see why someone would want one. I didnt want my pension going into a Thai Bank every month for all the obvious reasons not least being the amount I would lose on bank charges from the pension provider tarnsfering abroad.

[samran]

you may wanna check with the guys at american express thailand , found them very flexible in issuing a credit card after proper documentation esp for their AMEX thai airways platinum card , so give it a try

Small wonder they are flexible - that Platimum card may cost 4-5-6-7-8 hundred dollars a year to have it.

They send "pre-approved" applications in junk mail.

if i remember it correctly the annual fee for this card is just 4000 THB ,

4000 baht it is.....

Also, plenty of discounts around the traps to negate this cost even more.

[bendix]

Plus, the 4000 baht fee covers all your other Amex cards (including charge cards) if you have them.

Frankly, it's easy to accrue points with this card and you can use a fraction of the points to pay for the 4000 fee.

4-800 bucks a year, indeed.

What is the point of an information forum if people post misinformation on it?

[toptuan]

At Thai banks, if you make less than 80K Baht a month, then your nick is your answer.

[think_too_mut]

Plus, the 4000 baht fee covers all your other Amex cards (including charge cards) if you have them.

Frankly, it's easy to accrue points with this card and you can use a fraction of the points to pay for the 4000 fee.

4-800 bucks a year, indeed.

What is the point of an information forum if people post misinformation on it?

I don't know how many leaflets I threw away with pre-approved Platinum Amex card. The prices were anywhere from 1200A$ down to 650A$. Someone told me they got it for 500A$.

Other CC are 80$ year (Visa) , Amex Gold is 120A$.

That was in Australia.

In Thai:

If Platinum card is 4000B (120US$) how much are ordinary cards (Visa)?

[dotcom]

Bangkok Bank will issue you a debit card.

[anthonyu]

At Thai banks, if you make less than 80K Baht a month, then your nick is your answer.

One of my foreign friends asked me about getting a credit card here earlier so I passed it onto a Thai friend of mine who's running the credit card program for a bank here. His response:

"1. Completed Application

2. a copy of Work Permit (at least 6 months validity left)

3. a copy of Passport

4. Salary Slip OR

Income Confirmation Letter+Last 6 month Bank Statement

Anyway the minimum monthly income for applying BLACK Card is THB 100K, and THB 50K for Gold Card.

Thanks for customers na.... "

[mssabai]

I have an account at KTB with a visa debit card which covers me in any payment situation. If you are wanting credit then it's the wrong country to go looking - I have been offered cards...at 20% interest.

[Captain Haddock]

I seem to remember that no domestic Thai bank-issued credit card is given a guarantee by the bank, so that if you experience cc fraud, the bank holds you, the honest customer, responsible for all monies charged to your card until you can fill in forms and return them to your original branch to hand them in. So I won't use a Thai cc until I find there's one 24-hour phone number to register my lost card and cancel it.

[samran]

Plus, the 4000 baht fee covers all your other Amex cards (including charge cards) if you have them.

Frankly, it's easy to accrue points with this card and you can use a fraction of the points to pay for the 4000 fee.

4-800 bucks a year, indeed.

What is the point of an information forum if people post misinformation on it?

I don't know how many leaflets I threw away with pre-approved Platinum Amex card. The prices were anywhere from 1200A$ down to 650A$. Someone told me they got it for 500A$.

Other CC are 80$ year (Visa) , Amex Gold is 120A$.

That was in Australia.

In Thai:

If Platinum card is 4000B (120US$) how much are ordinary cards (Visa)?

UOB platinum Visa from memory has no fee - or if it is, it is minimal (ie no more than a couple of hundered baht all up).

[dotcom]

Bangkok Bank have a 24 hour hotline to report lost/stolen card.

Some of you guys need to crawl out from behind the keyboard & pound the pavement a little more.

To the OP.

If you rolled into a bank in the states & asked for a credit card & they say "Where do you work"? & you answer "I'm unemployed" how far do you think you will get?

I'm done.

[anthonyu]

I have an account at KTB with a visa debit card which covers me in any payment situation. If you are wanting credit then it's the wrong country to go looking - I have been offered cards...at 20% interest.

20% is the standard interest rate banks charge here for their credit cards and approved by the Bank of Thailand. You can always avoid paying the interest by paying off your balance in full every month anyway and enjoy the crappy benefits of earning points which go nowhere, but its better than nothing!

[anthonyu]

I seem to remember that no domestic Thai bank-issued credit card is given a guarantee by the bank, so that if you experience cc fraud, the bank holds you, the honest customer, responsible for all monies charged to your card until you can fill in forms and return them to your original branch to hand them in. So I won't use a Thai cc until I find there's one 24-hour phone number to register my lost card and cancel it.

The big Thai banks have 24 hour call centers and some are really vigilant at looking out for credit card fraud. My sister booked a flight on the Malaysian Airlines website and the next day found out her card had been blocked by the bank because they thought her card details had been swiped and used in Malaysia!

[samran]

I have an account at KTB with a visa debit card which covers me in any payment situation. If you are wanting credit then it's the wrong country to go looking - I have been offered cards...at 20% interest.

20% is the standard interest rate banks charge here for their credit cards and approved by the Bank of Thailand. You can always avoid paying the interest by paying off your balance in full every month anyway and enjoy the crappy benefits of earning points which go nowhere, but its better than nothing!

earning points which go nowhere?

ahhem.

Two business class upgrades BKK-AKL-MEL-BKK at Christmas (try doing the same thing on Qantas...)

One return economy ticket to Australia the year before.

How? All a comination of semi regular flying, and credit card usage in Thailand, and bonus points offering which they have.....

[anthonyu]

I have an account at KTB with a visa debit card which covers me in any payment situation. If you are wanting credit then it's the wrong country to go looking - I have been offered cards...at 20% interest.

20% is the standard interest rate banks charge here for their credit cards and approved by the Bank of Thailand. You can always avoid paying the interest by paying off your balance in full every month anyway and enjoy the crappy benefits of earning points which go nowhere, but its better than nothing!

earning points which go nowhere?

ahhem.

Two business class upgrades BKK-AKL-MEL-BKK at Christmas (try doing the same thing on Qantas...)

One return economy ticket to Australia the year before.

How? All a comination of semi regular flying, and credit card usage in Thailand, and bonus points offering which they have.....

This just makes me want to quit my job and become a consultant. Working on wonderful Thai salaries so far has allowed me to exchange my year's worth of accumulated points to the tune of 1,000 baht worth of expressway vouchers!

Got to admit the ROP cards work but I just hardly fly on national carriers to make it worthwhile. The upfront benefits of other cards are pretty worthwhile though, like UOB's for sinful adventures or Citi's for gluttony.

[samran]

This just makes me want to quit my job and become a consultant. Working on wonderful Thai salaries so far has allowed me to exchange my year's worth of accumulated points to the tune of 1,000 baht worth of expressway vouchers!

Got to admit the ROP cards work but I just hardly fly on national carriers to make it worthwhile. The upfront benefits of other cards are pretty worthwhile though, like UOB's for sinful adventures or Citi's for gluttony.

i hear ya man....

[DCasper]

Does anyone know where a person on a Retirement Visa can get a credit card in Thailand. Tired of paying my bank 3% of any purchase I make here on my card. Everything I read at Bank websites is must have working papers. I say to myself so some english teacher making 30,000 to 50,000 baht can get a card but I make twice that in pension and can't get a card here.

I use a Wizard Master Card. No Fees. No Problems if the Australian Dollar stays Strong.

[trajan]

Plus, the 4000 baht fee covers all your other Amex cards (including charge cards) if you have them.

Frankly, it's easy to accrue points with this card and you can use a fraction of the points to pay for the 4000 fee.

4-800 bucks a year, indeed.

What is the point of an information forum if people post misinformation on it?

to be fair, he was referring to the invitation only AMEX Platinum charge card....I had that in Thailand about 5 yrs ago, but their annual card charge was about B25K-B30K per year...I cancelled it because I didnt believe it was good value.....I eventually got the Thai Airways Platinum AMEX (just B4K per year and MUCH better value, especially if you regularly fly Thai Airways!)

[samran]

Does anyone know where a person on a Retirement Visa can get a credit card in Thailand. Tired of paying my bank 3% of any purchase I make here on my card. Everything I read at Bank websites is must have working papers. I say to myself so some english teacher making 30,000 to 50,000 baht can get a card but I make twice that in pension and can't get a card here.

I use a Wizard Master Card. No Fees. No Problems if the Australian Dollar stays Strong.

believe the OP is a seppo.

[ilyushin]

HSBC Credit Card Details!

[Doro22]

At Thai banks, if you make less than 80K Baht a month, then your nick is your answer.

One of my foreign friends asked me about getting a credit card here earlier so I passed it onto a Thai friend of mine who's running the credit card program for a bank here. His response:

"1. Completed Application

2. a copy of Work Permit (at least 6 months validity left)

3. a copy of Passport

4. Salary Slip OR

Income Confirmation Letter+Last 6 month Bank Statement

Anyway the minimum monthly income for applying BLACK Card is THB 100K, and THB 50K for Gold Card.

Thanks for customers na.... "

Sir,

If you have the chance to ask your friend: do they have any criteria regarding how long you had your WP? I just got rejected by Amex. Had a WP for eight months, paid my taxes, no record (good or bad) at Credit Bureau, makes 60.000 thb/plus commission (50.000 is the requirement). I suspect the rejection might be that I have not worked long enough.

The reason I need a cc is that I have to advance all my expenses, travel and customer entertainment myself, (usually takes 4 weeks to get reimbursed). Hate to be bank for a big company!

Thanks in advance.

[andy1308]

Sir,

If you have the chance to ask your friend: do they have any criteria regarding how long you had your WP? I just got rejected by Amex. Had a WP for eight months, paid my taxes, no record (good or bad) at Credit Bureau, makes 60.000 thb/plus commission (50.000 is the requirement). I suspect the rejection might be that I have not worked long enough.

The reason I need a cc is that I have to advance all my expenses, travel and customer entertainment myself, (usually takes 4 weeks to get reimbursed). Hate to be bank for a big company!

Thanks in advance.

I think if you ask Amex for the reason you were rejected they'll tell you. Personally I doubt the 8 months is the issue as I was accepted at 7 months in almost a similar situation but with a higher salary. A letter from your company supporting your application and explaining the reasons would help, especially if they're a big company. Good luck.