There was a recent article in MSN Money that explains how U.S. banks are milking customers for all kinds of fees these days, including on foreign transactions.... I've included that portion of the article below. The expert interviewed recommends, and have I here in the past, that people who travel abroad a lot consider using a Capital One credit card because they have accounts that allow NO foreign transaction fees when used for purchases.

"6. "We're excited about your trip to Europe [or Thailand

] , too!"

It's bad enough that the dollar is hovering near historical lows against most major currencies, but when you travel overseas, every transaction comes with big fees attached. Take out cash from an ATM in London, and you'll get hit with a foreign-transaction fee, plus a fee for using a competitor's ATM. All told, it can cost up to $7 just to withdraw $200.

Credit card purchases aren't much better. Visa and MasterCard charge 1% of the purchase price for converting currency. And the issuing banks may take another cut, which can bring the total to 3% of your purchase price, says CardRatings.com's Arnold. "If people don't travel overseas very often, they just don't think about it," he says.

The best thing to do is determine which of your cards charges the lowest overseas-transaction fee. For people who travel a lot, Arnold recommends a Capital One credit card, which charges no overseas-transaction fees (and even declines to pass on Visa and MasterCard's 1% fee to customers).

Also, ask your bank about partnerships with foreign banks. Bank of America, for example, partners with Barclays Bank, saving its customers $5 per withdrawal from Barclays' ATMs in the United Kingdom."

10 Things Your Bank Won't Tell You - MSN Money

It is my primary card here. Even the exchange rate is not unreasonably off the mark. Capital One has been a reasonably good provider, except for a mess resulting from a mass breach of information by Visa a couple years ago.

There was a recent article in MSN Money that explains how U.S. banks are milking customers for all kinds of fees these days, including on foreign transactions.... I've included that portion of the article below. The expert interviewed recommends, and have I here in the past, that people who travel abroad a lot consider using a Capital One credit card because they have accounts that allow NO foreign transaction fees when used for purchases.

"6. "We're excited about your trip to Europe [or Thailand

] , too!"

It's bad enough that the dollar is hovering near historical lows against most major currencies, but when you travel overseas, every transaction comes with big fees attached. Take out cash from an ATM in London, and you'll get hit with a foreign-transaction fee, plus a fee for using a competitor's ATM. All told, it can cost up to $7 just to withdraw $200.

Credit card purchases aren't much better. Visa and MasterCard charge 1% of the purchase price for converting currency. And the issuing banks may take another cut, which can bring the total to 3% of your purchase price, says CardRatings.com's Arnold. "If people don't travel overseas very often, they just don't think about it," he says.

The best thing to do is determine which of your cards charges the lowest overseas-transaction fee. For people who travel a lot, Arnold recommends a Capital One credit card, which charges no overseas-transaction fees (and even declines to pass on Visa and MasterCard's 1% fee to customers).

Also, ask your bank about partnerships with foreign banks. Bank of America, for example, partners with Barclays Bank, saving its customers $5 per withdrawal from Barclays' ATMs in the United Kingdom."

10 Things Your Bank Won't Tell You - MSN Money

you hit this on the head. in the begining a few bucks here and there seemd of little concearn, few thousand, maybe 5 or 10. baht later forced me to rethink that. now only carry local thai bank atm card and Kbank seems best. anyone else know better?

I agree too !

Cap 1 has been my main biz & personal cards for awhile now.

But more recently I use their online savings too.

3.5% which aint bad these days & unlike HSBC has no expire.