American Express Amex Global Transfer Programme

[KoreaElte]

Hi,

I have a non-immigrant visa without a work permit in Thailand. I also have a Thai Bank account at K-Bank. I live off investments outside of Thailand. I am busy with that, but I am not an employee.

I have a Platinum Amex in Korea and wanted to "Global Transfer" it to get a Thai chargecard in THB.

hxxp://xxx.americanexpress.com/globaltransfers/global_card_transfer_other_countries_en.shtml

The Thai Amex office told me that without a work permit, nothing can be done. Apparently "It's the law" that foreigner cannot get any credit card in Thailand without a work permit.

I confronted them with the fact that K-Bank gave me a Platinum Visa credit card (not a debit card) and that I don't think that such a law exists but it's more likely a policy.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has successful or otherwise, gone through the Amex Global Transfer programme to Thailand and if you had a work permit or not.

[theoldgit]

I applied for Thai Amex Credit Card last year, directly not via the global transfer scheme, I am retired so do not have a work permit, the card was granted and issued in a couple of weeks.

[dominique355]

I hold an American Express credit card since 1976 and about 10 years ago I was offered the Centurion Card by Amexco . I still have it and use it today.

(Incidentally I also have a couple of VISA and MasterCards in gold).

About a year ago I was contacted by American Express Thailand and was asked if I would like a Thai Amexco Card. I said, I have one from Switzerland and would not really need one more. They insisted and sent me the application forms. I told them that I am here on a retirement visa and I don't have a working permit. That would not matter, they said.

Many phone calls went back and forth, even asking me to send a fax copy of my Centurion Card. (It's a totally black card and in a fax photocopy you will see absolutely nothing). I gave them the card number and authorized them to contact Amexco Switzerland for my record. I sent them a statement from my bank in Switzerland showing them how much was on this account. (a quite substantial sum)... to no avail. Finally I was so fed up with them I told them that I was no longer playing these games and they should just forget about it, I still have me Centurion card, but no Thai Amexco card. I don't really miss it.

Seems to be another case of total lack of competence on the side of the customer relationship officers here.

[ray08]

I had the Centurium from Australia when i moved here ,and asked to transfer to Thailand ,as no Black here ,told cannot transfer but to apply for a Platinum card here, ,but did not qualify because of my low income, Amex do not talk to each other as far as i could see,in fact the black has no privallages here,so cancelled and eventually got the Thai Airways Platinum silver card ,needed work permit and salary slips to get it ,limit is 5 or 10 times salary i think,

[KoreaElte]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. So it seems that like most things Thai, half the room will tell me it worked out smoothly, the other half were hassled for paperwork and turned down. Hit and miss.

Maybe I could go to the BKK Amex office in person and act like I own the place. Try to meet a manager and explain my case face to face ?

Does anyone know anyone on the inside @ Amex BKK?

I have a visa, an overseas Amex Plat charge card, a thai bank account, good bank references and liquidity. I just don't have the work permit.

[p_brownstone]

Frankly I doubt the value of an AMEX Card here in Thailand.

I have a Platinum Charge Card - the Fee for which costs me over Baht 25,000.- a year - and apart from major Hotels and Stores like Central, Paragon etc. I would guess that 50% of the time I try to use the Card the first reaction is "do you have Visa".

AMEX charges the Retailer significantly more than other Cards here so there is a built-in resistance to having it accepted.

I have had this Platinum Card since 1986 and at one time was spending over Baht 4 million on it every year, although now that's down to Baht 1 - 2 million because I no longer travel as much (although my daughter - who has a "free" Supplementary Card - now does). Despite this record AMEX will not consider waiving - or even reducing - the Annual Fee.

I am rarely interested in the tat AMEX offer as redemption for "Points" and when, some time ago, I was offered - via AMEX Thailand - a Thai Royal Orchid AMEX Card (not sure of the actual name here) this was of more interest to me since the "Points" would be converted to Airmiles - far more useful for my daughter to use. I duly accepted the "invitation" but was then asked to provide a host of information on my Income etc. (despite, as already said, a signiifcant spending pattern over more than 20 years).

Only lazyness prevents me from downgrading to Gold or even the simple Green AMEX Card - but of course these would not be accepted here in Thailand any more than the supposedly prestigeous Platinum version.

Patrick