Atm For Maestro Debit Card

[Michigan]

Hello,

I have a debit card that carriers the Mastercard logo (although it doesn't say Mastercard anywhere)

with Maestro written in the logo.

I was wondering if anybody knows of any ATM's that carry the maestro logo ?

Not much sense bringing it with me if there are no machines to process it.....

Any info would be appreciated.

Regards,

Michigan

[Lancashirelad]

most of them.

[tropo]

most of them.

That's the great thing about ATM's in Thailand. They're not fussy about cards.

[monty]

Yep, you'll get cash out of pretty much all atm's.

Some things to beware of, Maestro cards are almost always blocked when using them when abroad, unless you informed your bank beforehand. Even then they sometimes still block the card, you'll need to make a few calls back home to your bank to get the thing activated again, so make sure you bring along the proper phone numbers etc...

Also, ATM's are the only places you can use them, you can't use them for example to setlle your hotel bill with, the card machines won't accept them unless the have visa or mastercard written on them (both debit and credit works).

[Michigan]

Yep, you'll get cash out of pretty much all atm's.

Some things to beware of, Maestro cards are almost always blocked when using them when abroad, unless you informed your bank beforehand. Even then they sometimes still block the card, you'll need to make a few calls back home to your bank to get the thing activated again, so make sure you bring along the proper phone numbers etc...

Also, ATM's are the only places you can use them, you can't use them for example to setlle your hotel bill with, the card machines won't accept them unless the have visa or mastercard written on them (both debit and credit works).

Thanks for your reply.

I have never used that Maestro card anywhere before so I just wanted to be sure.

And yes I had problems in the past with the CC company freezing the card.

Which was a problem because you had to make an international call, etc.

Now with skype I program all the CC companies in my laptop so I am ok, as long as the hotel has wifi....

I have had problems with ATM's not accepting my debit card(s), but found that the ones from the bank of Ayudya gave me no problems !

[nariad]

Last Oct the only ATM that would accept my Maestro Debit Card (NatWest) was the Bankok Bank,and yes I had to ring up and ask my bank them to unblock it.Get down to Nationwide and open a Flexi Account ,no charges and a better exchange rate, and most ATM,s accept it.

[begsaresponse]

We have been using our Maestro card here for over 3 years now no problem with ATMs. However you cannot use it to pay for goods at a check out

[Michigan]

Last Oct the only ATM that would accept my Maestro Debit Card (NatWest) was the Bankok Bank,and yes I had to ring up and ask my bank them to unblock it.Get down to Nationwide and open a Flexi Account ,no charges and a better exchange rate, and most ATM,s accept it.

I had a look at Nationwide, didn't find a flexi account but something similar, looks good, will set up an account when I come back from Thailand.

HSBC also has an internet account, free as long as you transfer some small amount into the account every month.

The debit / credit card has the "pay and go" feature so it is great for small purchases.

Ingdirect is another (free) internet bank that has also a lot of financial services and even a brokerage account.

Would be strange if none of these card would work <g>

[Chaimai]

I had a look at Nationwide, didn't find a flexi account but something similar, looks good, will set up an account when I come back from Thailand.

Look a little closer. 2 clicks got me to this headline:-

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/current_account/default.htm

Flexaccount is the way to go - many, many previous posts on how good this account is.

Another effort to search on "Maestro" reveals the following:-

http://www.maestrocard.com/cgi-bin/whereto...t+a+country.y=8

Should be OK.

[Michigan]

I had a look at Nationwide, didn't find a flexi account but something similar, looks good, will set up an account when I come back from Thailand.

Look a little closer. 2 clicks got me to this headline:-

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/current_account/default.htm

Flexaccount is the way to go - many, many previous posts on how good this account is.

Thanks for the links,

However, that site is intended for UK residents only !

I logged in to the Nationwide USA site.

Which looked good as well and no $ 100 initial deposit requirement.

Still looking for a true worldwide internet bank without huge deposit requirements.

But with all the financial turmoil it might be better to stay with a local bank that has a deposit guarantee.

For now using a ATM debit card seems to be the most practical way to convert $$$ to Thai money.

[Trigonometry]

I am completely new to Pattaya and Thailand and experiencing some difficulties with my cash cards.

I have already had one of my cards (a debit card carrying a Visa Electron logo) captured by an ATM here.

Without delving into the details of that nightmare, I am now considering using my Maestro debit card -- preferably for CASH ADVANCE to avoid its getting captured.

(By Cash Advance I mean having the card inserted into a POS terminal at a bank counter by a HUMAN, who has the physical ability to extricate the card from the terminal at any time (urghh) without the card's getting cancelled.)

However, I cannot find an ATM displaying the MAESTRO logo, and I have been told in a couple of banks that Cash Advance as I mean it cannot be done in Thailand using Maestro.

Any clues greatly appreciated!

[smokie36]

Try your card in the morning at an ATM where the bank is open. If it doesn't work at least then you will have the chance to get your card returned when the machine is emptied. Bring your passport as well of course. Good luck.

[Trigonometry]

Thanks for the suggestion!

I had forgotten to mention that I had also been told in a couple of banks that if I use their ATM the card is likely to get captured and they may not be allowed to hand it back to me!

Also, how is it that different people mean different things when they speak of "CASH ADVANCE"?

[monty]

Banks will very seldom retrieve a card out of the machine on the spot.

They have a proper procedure for it, and are normally not allowed to deviate from it.

The ATM machine will make a record if it eats a card, and once the record is there, the proper paperwork has to be generated to hand back the card. AFAIK this paperwork has to be initiated by the issuing bank, so in case of an overseas bank this can be a lengthy procedure.

Had even the same with a Thai ATM card, eaten by an ATM from another bank. The staff retrieved the card from the machine, but refused to hand it over to me, even after showing passport. They only hand it back to the bank which issued the card!

Cash advance AFAIK is only possible with ATM cards carrying the visa or mastercard (electron is OK) logo. The POS machines both in shops and in banks are not set up to handle Maestro cards.

[Trigonometry]

Thanks Monty.

OK, I am out of the mess now.

What I found in the process is that the TYPE of ATM that is attached to 7-11 stores varies greatly and certain types prevail in certain areas, other types in other areas of the town, and that is why it took me a while to find the right one.

Eventually I spotted a pale-blue ATM, belonging to ***KTB BANK***, and indeed it had a MAESTRO logo on it! The 7-11 was just off South Pattaya Road, so I went to the main road to see if there was an actual KTB branch there, and so there was.

I stepped in and located a lady who seemed to be in charge and spoke intelligible English. She was very helpful: the moment she understood my concern she actually got out of her chair and was willing to walk with me to the machine so as to personally retrieve my card should it become captured; she also was positive that she would be in a position to hand it back to me simply on presentation of passport.

Luckily there were no glitches, the card went in, and came back out again, along with the money.

I am writing this for the benefit of anyone else Lost here in LOS. If you have only one usable ATM card left and need to be 100% sure you get it back, the sky-blue KTB banks / ATMs seem to be the way to go.

[khon kaen boy]

As the card says it is a debit card and the money comes off your account right away, I have used mine here for over 6 years and never had a problem, although my registered address with the UK bank is in Thailand