Thai Banks To Start Charging For Atm Withdrawals ...

[jfchandler]

I'm beginning to worry a bit about Government Savings Bank...

The bad news: when I went to make an ATM withdrawal today using a U.S. Schwab Visa debit card, the ATM screen immediately flashed a message I had never seen before, something like 'Inter-region withdrawal fee will apply" but no mention of any specific amount, including 150 baht.

The good news: I went ahead with the withdrawal, got no ATM fee on the withdrawal receipt or my home account, and a good/normal exchange rate of 34.32 baht to the $. (The latest Interbank Exchange Rate posted on the Bank of Thailand web site is 34.339 from last Friday).

The text notice on the ATM video screen makes me wonder if they're getting ready to start charging the fee.....

[thecatman]

I'm beginning to worry a bit about Government Savings Bank...

The bad news: when I went to make an ATM withdrawal today using a U.S. Schwab Visa debit card, the ATM screen immediately flashed a message I had never seen before, something like 'Inter-region withdrawal fee will apply" but no mention of any specific amount, including 150 baht.

The good news: I went ahead with the withdrawal, got no ATM fee on the withdrawal receipt or my home account, and a good/normal exchange rate of 34.32 baht to the $. (The latest Interbank Exchange Rate posted on the Bank of Thailand web site is 34.339 from last Friday).

The text notice on the ATM video screen makes me wonder if they're getting ready to start charging the fee.....

It certainly sounds like it

I withdrew from GSB on Saturday and paid particular attention to the sceen, nothing like that came up then. Looks like we may need to check out the Aeon option for an alternative.

Edited May 25, 2009 by thecatman

[thecatman]

Doing more searching on the 'Net' i came across the GH Bank(Government Housing Bank).Having checked on the TBA's list of members they don't seem to be on the list.So does anyone have any info on using their ATM's with regards to charges?

http://www.ghb.co.th/en/Branch/Branch_All_th.asp

Barhopper

I mentioned the GHB in one of the early pages of this thread but never got around to checking them out as the nearest GSB was more convenient to me to use.

So today, in some spare time, I decided to pop down to my 'not so local' GHB where I knew they was an ATM to check out the situation with them.

Believe it or not, when I got there the ATM machine was currently out of order (or so the piece of paper stuck over half the screen indicated). But the screen was still on and showing various pages of it's program. I looked around the ATM machine and on the screen at the pages (as best I could) and not once did I see a Visa/Mastercard or any of other usual International logos show up.

I'm thinking these ATM's are only for GHB account holders and their cards within Thailand.

Is this possible?? Has anyone heard of other smaller banks with 'in house' only ATMs???

Edited May 25, 2009 by thecatman

[jfchandler]

Re Government Housing Bank, you can see from their web site a photo (motion .gif file) of their ATM card. It's clearly not a VISA or MC logo, and I can't see any international network affiliation logos on the back side. But the web site does indicate their card can be used at other ATM Pool machines around the country....

But none of that addresses whether their ATM machines will accept any of the international network-affiliated cards...

http://www.ghb.co.th/en/service/Service_Deposit_07_th.htm

[jfchandler]

Re AEON, I checked their website today for local BKK service points...

Put together the following quick list for farang-area locations:

Carrefour On Nut, 1st floor

MBK, 2nd floor

Central Chid Lom, BF 1st Floor

Big C Radjadamri, 1st floor

Central Silom, 1st floor

Tesco Lotus FortuneTown, 1st floor

Siam Center, 2nd floor

Ocean Tower, Asoke Soi 3 between Sois 19 and 21

CP Tower (Silom area), 4th floor

[ernieK24]

Priceless, just pulling your chain a bit... Come 'on... Get on the train... Start saving your hard earned baht a bit, and stop throwing it away to the Thai banks...

PS - Thanks to Steve2UK for bringing back the discussion about AEON.... I did a TV search, and found a thread of a couple years ago about an American guy using his U.S. ATM card to withdraw funds from an AEON ATM here.

In looking at their web site, some of AEON's local ATM locations around BKK include CarreFour On Nut, MBK, Central Silom, Central Chidlom, Big C Radjadamri, Tesco-Lotus Fortune Town and Siam Center.

I've been sticking with GSB and UOB up until now, so I haven't had a chance/reason to try AEON. But now that UOB appears to be headed toward joining "the dark side," it'd be great to hear some TV member reports confirming whether this (AEON) now is a viable, good option....

There is an AEON atm on the second floor of Tesco/Lotus, south in Pattaya.....just south of Theppaset road. It's right at the top of the escalator, to the right as you exit the up escalator. It limits you too 7,000 baht, but what I do is put the card right back in and draw another 3,000 baht...... 10,000, (or $300) is my daily limit anyway. The GSB atm at Carrefour is STILL not charging the 150 Bt. It's on the second floor, with the rest of them, but you have to look for the name, It doesn't have the name emblazened on it like the rest.There IS NO GSM at south Tesco. I

ve read there's one in Tesco on North road, but nobody seems to know exactly where it's at. cheers, ErnieK

[thecatman]

Re AEON, I checked their website today for local BKK service points...

Put together the following quick list for farang-area locations:

Carrefour On Nut, 1st floor

MBK, 2nd floor

Central Chid Lom, BF 1st Floor

Big C Radjadamri, 1st floor

Central Silom, 1st floor

Tesco Lotus FortuneTown, 1st floor

Siam Center, 2nd floor

Ocean Tower, Asoke Soi 3 between Sois 19 and 21

CP Tower (Silom area), 4th floor

Good stuff JFC. I'm gonna hijack your findings slightly now to go on to say that the rest of the Bangkok locations and indeed locations throughout the whole of Thailand can be found in this link here. Just use the search box to find Aeon ATM's for your preferred location(s).

Edited May 25, 2009 by thecatman

[giruz]

Used AEON twice today with two different ATM machines and no fee.

GSB tried to charge.

giruzz

[citizen33]

Has anybody got first-hand experience that BAAC charges no fee for Visa? As reported a while ago I instructed a Thai relative by telephone to try a BAAC branch in Yang Talat and he told me there was in fact a B150 fee. He further claimed that on going inside to talk to a BAAC employee he was advised that all Thai banks will shortly be charging the B150. However, I am less than 100% sure of my relative's reliability. An earlier poster reported that Mastercard is not accepted by BAAC, so it seems that the unresolved question is about Visa. In the absence of any positive reports of fee-free withdrawals I'm beginning to think my relative was right. As I'm currently in the UK I cannot check this out myself but with the range of options rapidly diminishing it is worth confirming BAAC's position.

[jgm005]

I'm beginning to worry a bit about Government Savings Bank...

The bad news: when I went to make an ATM withdrawal today using a U.S. Schwab Visa debit card, the ATM screen immediately flashed a message I had never seen before, something like 'Inter-region withdrawal fee will apply" but no mention of any specific amount, including 150 baht.

The good news: I went ahead with the withdrawal, got no ATM fee on the withdrawal receipt or my home account, and a good/normal exchange rate of 34.32 baht to the $. (The latest Interbank Exchange Rate posted on the Bank of Thailand web site is 34.339 from last Friday).

The text notice on the ATM video screen makes me wonder if they're getting ready to start charging the fee.....

The GSB I use in Nonsang, Nongbulampoo has ALWAYS shown the message you refer too. Even way before this 150bt fee was started. I have not used a GSB in about a week to report on whether it is still fee free.

[jfchandler]

Giruz, can you clarify what you mean when you say GSB tried to charge... As I mentioned in a prior post, yesterday, I did a GSB withdrawal. There was a mention of a fee on the opening ATM screen. But there was NOT any fee charged when I went ahead and did the withdrawal. So as of Monday, GSB remained fee-free.

JGM, that's good to hear about the ATM screen message on GSB. I never used their ATMs before last week, and then only used maybe two times, after Kasikorn went bad. So, I may not have noticed the ATM screen message about a fee when I used their ATMs then.

If you're correct, then, it may mean GSB will remain fee-free. They clearly are not members of the TBA.... I certainly hope they stay as they are... Thanks for posting on that...

[SurfRider]

"Used AEON twice today with two different ATM machines and no fee."

"There is an AEON atm on the second floor of Tesco/Lotus . . . It limits you too 7,000 baht"

Any chance that someone could post the exchange rate you got from AEON?

.

[donx]

Since my in-laws reside in Southern Thailand, I tried to find an AEON ATM machine somewhere close enough for them to use, but very few locations showed up. What I find bizarre is that when I searched for ATM machine in Suratthani, two locations appeared that are actually in Hat Yai

At least Hat Yai is a location that my in-laws travel to relatively frequently. I wonder how accurate the website is and if there may be a location in Phatthalung if searched using Thai instead of English. I'll have to ask my wife to take a look.

[giruz]

"Used AEON twice today with two different ATM machines and no fee."

"There is an AEON atm on the second floor of Tesco/Lotus . . . It limits you too 7,000 baht"

Any chance that someone could post the exchange rate you got from AEON?

.

The rate I had was 54.30 but it was with nationwide.

STOP asking the rate that the ATM Machine gives you as this is decided by your BANK. You can go and do twenty withdrawals in 20 locations...but if the transactions are processed on the same day..then you will have the same exchange rate twenty times (as long you withdraw with the same card).

jfchandler: I said 'tried' because the machine was saying 'inter-regional transaction will have a fee' or something like that..then I pressed cancel and walked to the next AEON atm.

giruzz

Edited May 26, 2009 by giruz

[jfchandler]

Giruz, yes.... if you read my prior post above, you'll see I got that exact same ATM screen message from GSB yesterday...

But I went ahead, did the withdrawal, and got NO fee from GSB... (The notice almost scared me off also, but I went head...just to see).

I reported here on seeing the GSB fee notice (I hadn't noticed it before)... And then JGM responded that GSB ATMs have had that notice for a long time...even before the 150 baht fee arrived....

So... I think it's correct to say GSB ATMs remain fee-free now...until someone actually reports getting charged a fee...

[SurfRider]

"STOP asking the rate that the ATM Machine gives you as this is decided by your BANK"

That's not the point and if you were paying close attention to these threads, you would know that your statement is incorrect.

If the AEON rate is DCC, that is determined locally by AEON, not by your bank. In addition, AEON is Japanese based and the others that you're using for your assumption are Thai banks.

From what's been reported, the Nationwide card is roughly comparable to E-Trade and Schwab cards from the US -- both of those US card rates closely match the X-rates value for the corresponding day.

However, the rate you got was 54.30 and the current GBP X-rate is 54.72 -- "2009-05-25 Monday, May 25 -- 54.72 THB"

That's one reason why a direct rate comparison is needed, preferably in US$

http://www.x-rates.com/d/THB/GBP/data120.html

.

[jgm005]

Government Savings Bank > Pattaya >Central Festival > 4th Floor > 26/May at 11:50

Capital One M/M Visa ATM

I was on the 4th floor of Central Festival in Pattaya which is the floor with all the banks. I noticed a Sign

for ATM down the hallway where the bathrooms where. I took a walk down to see what ATM is down there

but is not in the Main Floor. It was a GSB ATM

NO FEE

34.3332 exchange rate

[alstaxi]

41 pages, 150 baht???? wow must be a real big deal? You guys making 6 withdrawals a day or what? Go to the bank and dont pay atm fee, someone must have stated this somewhere in the 41 pages, I dont have a week to look.

[SurfRider]

"Go to the bank and dont pay atm fee"

True, and get seriously screwed over by an inferior exchange rate that costs you much more than an ATM transaction . . .

.

[namoo]

Anyone got a list of locations of GSB ATM's in BKK cannot see it on their website.

[jfchandler]

I've been following these threads since the beginning, and I've never tried a bank counter/ATM card withdrawal here in Thailand...

But I will say, I was pretty confused by all the conflicting prior posts on this subject. As best as I could tell, some Thai banks do them...some don't. Varying maximim withdrawal rates. Many branches close at 3;30 PM. And posters on this subject weren't particularly clear on what exchange rates they were getting with over the counter withdrawals. All that, and, I'm pretty reluctant to be carrying my passport around all the time, whenever I'd want to withdraw money.

If anyone thinks they're doing better with an over the counter ATM withdrawals than those of us who are getting Interbank Exchange Rates on our ATM machine withdrawals with no ATM fees, please post up with the details....what bank, what limits, what fees, if any...and what exchange rate.

If someone is doing better over the counter, let's hear it....

[SurfRider]

"If anyone thinks they're doing better with an over the counter ATM withdrawals than those of us who are getting Interbank Exchange Rates on our ATM machine withdrawals with no ATM fees, please post up with the details....what bank, what limits, what fees, if any...and what exchange rate."

This will be an interesting experiment - especially if anyone responds who knows what they're talking about and has hard data to back it up.

Very early, in one of these numerous threads, there was an example of SCB really putting the screws to customers who were using their counter to withdraw funds as opposed to their ATMs.

The only aspect that "appeared" to be an advantage was a large per-transaction amount -- I don't recall the amount, but it was far larger than any ATM limit.

People were attracted by the very large limit and totally missed the fact that the cost of the transaction re-defined the term "usury"

.

[bkkrox]

Withdrew 10 000b from Bank of Ayuthaya (yellow one) at Centralworld BKK this morning, using visa/cirrus debit card.

Screen advised thatr I 'may' be charged a 150b fee...and asked if I wished to continue. Cicked yes and new screen said '0 baht fee'.

Checked my account balance...got a rate (against USD) of 34.364 and no fee charged.

[jfchandler]

Anyone got a list of locations of GSB ATM's in BKK cannot see it on their website.

Here are some GSB branch locations from the Thai Yellow Pages:

Bangna Branch on Sukhumvit Rd., 02-399-0417

Phra Kanong Branch , 1176 Sukhumvit 48, 02-713-5370

(Soi 48 is just inward from Soi 50, which is BTS On Nut)

Sathorn Branch, 1657/1-2 S. Sathorn Rd., 02-675-8920

Uruphong Branch, 133 Phetchaburi, 02-215-7816

Wattana Branch, 659 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-258-6077

(39 is Soi Phrom Phong, opposite side of Sukhumvit Rd. from The Emporium)

Their ATMS are more widespread, of course, but I haven't been able to translate their Thai language list on the GSB web site. Anyone else can report any convenient, centrally located GSB ATMs around Bangkok (besides the Asoke BTS one I've already mentioned)???

[syd barrett]

Bank of Ayyuthaya is still not charging a fee. Today: Tuesday 26th May 2009: Branch: Pattaya Tai.

The screen does come up with a message: Fee=0.00 so I expect they will be introducing a fee soon.

I got a rate GBP=52.812

[thecatman]

Bank of Ayyuthaya is still not charging a fee. Today: Tuesday 26th May 2009: Branch: Pattaya Tai.

The screen does come up with a message: Fee=0.00 so I expect they will be introducing a fee soon.

I got a rate GBP=52.812

No fee, but you got screwed on the exchange rate. I'm guessing you used Mastercard/Cirrus and got the DCC rate.

Edit: I've just remembered, DCC doesn't come into play on UK cards/stirling exchanges (only Dollar & Euro) so why the poor rate???

Possible typo syd?? and should read 54.812???

Edited May 26, 2009 by thecatman

[johng]

I got a rate GBP=52.812

Syd are you sure about that rate ? you should be getting more like 55 to the pound.

[phaethon]

Re Government Housing Bank, you can see from their web site a photo (motion .gif file) of their ATM card. It's clearly not a VISA or MC logo, and I can't see any international network affiliation logos on the back side. But the web site does indicate their card can be used at other ATM Pool machines around the country....

But none of that addresses whether their ATM machines will accept any of the international network-affiliated cards...

http://www.ghb.co.th/en/service/Service_Deposit_07_th.htm

I just spotted a GH Bank branch in Carrefour On Nut, close inspection of the ATM outside and NO international card (VISA, MC, cirrus) logos.

[thecatman]

I just spotted a GH Bank branch in Carrefour On Nut, close inspection of the ATM outside and NO international card (VISA, MC, cirrus) logos.

Yeah, GH Bank appears to be a no-goer. I came across another of their machines today at Central Lad Phrao.

I had a good look, but no Visa/MC/Cirrus logos, just an 'ATM pool' sign which suggests it'll accept other Thai bank cards, (but not International ones).

[syd barrett]

Bank of Ayyuthaya is still not charging a fee. Today: Tuesday 26th May 2009: Branch: Pattaya Tai.

The screen does come up with a message: Fee=0.00 so I expect they will be introducing a fee soon.

I got a rate GBP=52.812

No fee, but you got screwed on the exchange rate. I'm guessing you used Mastercard/Cirrus and got the DCC rate.

Edit: I've just remembered, DCC doesn't come into play on UK cards/stirling exchanges (only Dollar & Euro) so why the poor rate???

Possible typo syd?? and should read 54.812???

No mistake, my debit card charges me 3% for exchange and I guess my loss is 3% from the real rate today. I