Thai Banks To Start Charging For Atm Withdrawals ...

[jfchandler]

I wonder how different the exchange rate would be between what I get with the CapitalOne ATM card and what I would get with a Schwab Visa card?

Schwab - no flat fee for foreign atm use, and no VISA 1% charged.

Cap One - flat fee???? and they do charge/pass along the VISA 1%...

so the 1% would work out to about 1/3 baht (1 cent) per dollar, $1 per $100, etc.....

[SurfRider]

A friend in Pattaya tried a withdrawal from an Ayudyha ATM outside the Avenue Mall on 2nd Rd. He got the 150 Baht fee warning.

Went to a UOB ATM inside -- no fee -- exchange rate: 33.94 THB / US$ -- X-Rates was reporting 33.9949 -- E-Trade Debit VISA -- July 22

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[jfchandler]

Here's a summary of the Schwab High Yield Savings Account, that was mentioned above... It does indeed have a number of attractive features, as does the similar Schwab checking account, though the checking account does appear to require you open a companion brokerage account that likewise has no fees or no minimum balance requirements.

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Savings

Charles Schwab Bank

FDIC-insured savings with a competitive interest rate

Looking for another alternative for your cash? The FDIC-insured Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Savings™ account offers a competitive 1.35% variable APY4 regardless of your balance—with no account minimums or monthly service fees.

A great value

Whatever your account balance, the High Yield Savings Account offers a competitive 1.35% variable APY4 as well as:

* No account minimums—open your account with any balance.

* No monthly service fees—keep your savings growing.

* Direct Deposit for all or a portion of your paycheck or Social Security check.

Cash access and management

Here are some of the ways you can access and manage your cash:

* Transfer money to and from your High Yield Savings account.

* View all your Schwab accounts—Bank, brokerage, 401(k), and more—in one place when you log in to the New Schwab.com. Learn more.

* Set up Direct Deposit so that all or a portion of your regular monthly income is automatically deposited into your Schwab Bank Savings Account.

* Use any ATM worldwide—we'll reimburse any fees you're charged.1

FDIC-insured

* Single accounts—deposit accounts owned by one person. FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per owner for all single accounts at each bank.

* Joint accounts—deposit accounts owned by two or more people. FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per owner for all joint accounts at each bank.

For assistance opening an account, please call 888-303-0310.

Equal Housing Lender/Member FDICSavings accounts offered by Schwab Bank are FDIC-insured.

The Schwab Bank Savings Account is a variable-rate, interest-bearing savings account. Federal regulations and our Deposit Account Agreement limit outgoing transfers to third parties, preauthorized transfers (including overdraft transfers), and transfers made online or by telephone to six per statement cycle; no more than three of those six transfers may be by check card. See the Schwab Bank Deposit Account Agreement and Pricing Guide for additional information.

1. Unlimited ATM fee rebates apply to cash withdrawals using the Schwab Bank Visa® Check Card wherever it is accepted. ATM fee rebates do not include currency exchange fees; fees imposed by merchants for point-of-sale (POS) transactions; or fees for stamp purchases, balance inquiries, or any transactions other than an ATM cash withdrawal from your Schwab Bank account. Schwab Bank makes its best effort to identify those ATM fees eligible for rebate, based on information it receives from Visa and ATM operators. In the event that you have not received a rebate for a fee that you believe is eligible, please call a Schwab Bank Representative for assistance at 888-403-9000. Schwab Bank reserves the right to modify or discontinue the ATM fee rebate at any time.

[MarkyM3]

Could anyone tell me whether there are other fee-free ATM's, aside from Bank of Ayudyha, around the Sukhumvit Road area? I'm currently based near Soi 7.

Cheers....

Edited July 23, 2009 by MarkyM3

[jgm005]

There is a GSB, Government Savings Bank, ATM at the ASOKE BTS Station. Walking to the station on the left side of Sukhumvit, you will go up an escalator. Then immediately on the left is a GSB exchange booth with an ATM next to it on the right side.

Could anyone tell me whether there are other fee-free ATM's, aside from Bank of Ayudyha, around the Sukhumvit Road area? I'm currently based near Soi 7.

Cheers....

[donx]

There is a GSB, Government Savings Bank, ATM at the ASOKE BTS Station. Walking to the station on the left side of Sukhumvit, you will go up an escalator. Then immediately on the left is a GSB exchange booth with an ATM next to it on the right side.

Could anyone tell me whether there are other fee-free ATM's, aside from Bank of Ayudyha, around the Sukhumvit Road area? I'm currently based near Soi 7.

Cheers....

There is also a UOB ATM at the NANA BTS Station. It is at the top of the stairs leading from the Northwest entrance from Sukhumvit Road. If you have a MasterCard, use the UOB ATM because the GSB ATM won't accept MasterCard/Cirrus labeled cards.

[MarkyM3]

Big thanks to jgm005 and donx!

Edited July 23, 2009 by MarkyM3

[Rinrada]

Red basic N/W (not Flex or CC) used at UOB is still completely FREE....

[Youbloodybeauty]

Thailand is trying everything in its power to disuade foreigners from coming here.

Mind you, thats quite a wack, 150 baht, more than most countries.

Ernest

Your joking right? Do you seriously think any tourist/foreigners is going to change their minds and not go to Thailand because of this? If you live here and depend on cash from overseas then simply do a wire transfer once a month or so.

Tompa,

monthly wire fees will certainly add up. better to do once a year.

The "wire fees" arn't too bad. I use Penny Money Transfer for A$8 so will come out if front after just two 150 baht (A$5) withdrawals. Can do it all online too 

http://www.pennytel.com/au/index.jsp

Cheers, YBB.

Edit: alhough the Thai bank takes a cut when it's deposited.

Edited July 25, 2009 by Youbloodybeauty

[syd barrett]

Can someone answer me this?

Is it just me that continues to get free W/D via VISA at Bank Ayyutthaya?

[Khun Bob]

Can someone answer me this?

Is it just me that continues to get free W/D via VISA at Bank Ayyutthaya?

Which Visa card are you using ? (Nationwide Blue ?)

Where are the ATMs you're using, or is it any Krungsri ATM you have used ?

Cheers

[SurfRider]

"Is it just me that continues to get free W/D via VISA at Bank Ayyutthaya?"

Could be! -- You would need to wade back through 1600 posts and count a tally of Ayudyha claims to get a grip on that issue -- Seems that people have reported both cases.

Probably better just to use GSB, UOB, or AEON . . .

.

[jfchandler]

Lately, it seems a few people have reported being fee-free at Ayudhya, and haven't heard much lately from people who claim they were charged.... Still a bit fuzzy as to what's going on with BofA...

With so many other options in BKK, and a UOB ATM right inside my local BTS station, I've had no need to monkey around with BofA... That, and...they're very MasterCard unfriendly (via DCC), so it makes me even more not want to mess with them...

[Khun Bob]

Having now read a few more posts on this valuable thread it seems that if you are going to be charged on an Ayudhya / Krungsri ATM then you will be notified prior to the transaction? Surely, if you get this notification you can cancel/back out and go elsewhere, if you wanted to ?

[Langsuan Man]

....... it seems that if you are going to be charged on an Ayudhya / Krungsri ATM then you will be notified prior to the transaction? Surely, if you get this notification you can cancel/back out and go elsewhere, if you wanted to ?

"Hope springs eternal " . comes to mind. With the spotty way this whole 150 THB fee has been implemented by the Thai banks, I wouldn't always count on a warning

[SurfRider]

Update from a friends transaction yesterday in Pattaya:

Yesterday I was at Tukcom and tried to use the GSB ATM, but it was out of cash ( I guess it's become pretty popular! ), so in desperation, I used the Bangkok Bank ATM to withdraw 25,000 from checking and and 25,000 from money market, for the first time ever agreeing to the 150 baht fees.

However, they were both reimbursed by E-Trade. Exchange rate 33.90.

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[vagabond48]

SCAM ALERT - I tried to withdraw 4 times at UOB the other day - it cancelled the transactions saying insufficeint funds - i checked my statement and it took the money all 4 times and charged me 150 bt each time.

Clearly they are just after getting the 150 baht fee as many times as possible.

This posted in the General forum in the "Losing Money In Atm's" thread.

I withdrew money 7/31 from an UOB ATM in CM and was not charge the 150 baht.

Is the poster mistaken about the 150 baht charges?

Edited August 5, 2009 by vagabond48

[jfchandler]

I withdrew at a UOB in BKK yesterday and had no 150 baht fee....same as always....at least up until now.

In the past 4-5 months of regularly using UOB ATMs, never yet had a problem with errors or repeats in withdrawals.

Edited August 5, 2009 by jfchandler

[SurfRider]

"_{SCAM ALERT - I tried to withdraw 4 times at UOB the other day - it cancelled the transactions saying insufficeint funds - i checked my statement and it took the money all 4 times and charged me 150 bt each time.}"

Sounds like a troll -- intentionally posting erroneous information -- If he actually lost 600 Baht in fees, plus whatever cash amount that he didn't bother to report, in four transactions-- let's see if he posts anything on his efforts to recover the funds and fees ( My bet is that he won't post anything because his claim is bogus )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

______________________________________________

Actual transaction from August 4 -- Pattaya - Tesco south - AEON ATM - 24,000 Baht - Exchange rate: 33.9948 Baht / US$ - No 150 Baht Thai ATM Fee - X-Rates rates: 33.985

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

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[balo]

Definitely a troll .

I've been using UOB since I arrived in Thailand 6 weeks ago and never been charged .

And I have used different ATMs in Bangkok and Chiang Mai .

[parryhandy]

Getting a bit wary of UOB . Made a withdrawal about 6pm yesterday and according to whats missing from my bank I have got 56.89 baht to the pound when the visa rate is showing 58 baht. Even allowing for 0.84 % commission something isn't right.

[vagabond48]

Getting a bit wary of UOB . Made a withdrawal about 6pm yesterday and according to whats missing from my bank I have got 56.89 baht to the pound when the visa rate is showing 58 baht. Even allowing for 0.84 % commission something isn't right.

Did you check the receipt to see if there was a fee listed?

You didn't tell us how much you withdrew, so just in case they have begun charging the 150 baht, try subtracting 150 baht from the withdrawn baht amount and see if that brings you closer to 58.

Please tell us the results.

xrate.com is showing the following for the pound, 2009-08-05 0.587752 GBP

Edited August 6, 2009 by vagabond48

[wimpy]

7/31 UOB Chiang Mai

US Visa debit card. 33.9498/$ No fee charged

About the same rate I got from GSB the day before.

[vagabond48]

7/31 UOB Chiang Mai

US Visa debit card. 33.9498/$ No fee charged

I also took out money 7/31 from UOB Chiang Mai and got ripped with a lower rate of 33.9482.

The Bank of Thailand weighted IER was 34.040.

[jfchandler]

Vagabond, anytime you're that close to the IER, you're doing OK....no problem.

The IER is an average.... so the numbers can bounce around depending on what time of day you make the withdrawal, and what exchange rates the VISA network is giving at that time...

[jfchandler]

Just to elaborate.... on this particular transaction....

I did back to back withdrawals from a UOB ATM, one using an E-Trade VISA debit card and the other using a smaller U.S. bank's VISA debit card. When I went back home and checked online in my accounts, I got exactly the same exchange rate... which on that day was 33.9 something....just a bit under the IER for that time.

I withdrew at a UOB in BKK yesterday and had no 150 baht fee....same as always....at least up until now.

In the past 4-5 months of regularly using UOB ATMs, never yet had a problem with errors or repeats in withdrawals.

[vagabond48]

Vagabond, anytime you're that close to the IER, you're doing OK....no problem.

The IER is an average.... so the numbers can bounce around depending on what time of day you make the withdrawal, and what exchange rates the VISA network is giving at that time...

You was just joking about the difference between the rate poster had gotten versus what I got, that's why I added a wink smiley.

I posted the IER rate for informational comparison. Of course, I am not thrilled at the current rate but at least, I am happy to get a rate close to the IER.

Sorry if my post appeared more serious than it was meant to be.

[inthepink]

The Nationwide no longer pays commission charges to VISA on your behalf. Their debit and credit cards now incurr a 1% commission charge which will be levied on top of the Thai transaction charge. The only UK card that I am aware of that is still free is the Post Office Mastercard. I don't know whether the same is true of their debit cards.

The Nationwide FlexAccount card without debit/credit facility is completely free of charges.

[vagabond48]

You was just joking about the difference between the rate poster had gotten versus what I got, that's why I added a wink smiley.

I posted the IER rate for informational comparison. Of course, I am not thrilled at the current rate but at least, I am happy to get a rate close to the IER.

Sorry if my post appeared more serious than it was meant to be.

just a minor correction,

You should have been I

[Khun Bob]

The Nationwide no longer pays commission charges to VISA on your behalf. Their debit and credit cards now incurr a 1% commission charge which will be levied on top of the Thai transaction charge. The only UK card that I am aware of that is still free is the Post Office Mastercard. I don't know whether the same is true of their debit cards.

The Nationwide FlexAccount card without debit/credit facility is completely free of charges.

Yes, but the Cirrus/Maestro/Mastercard exchange rates are apparently loaded by 2 to 3 % and will be worse than Visa's. So even with the 0.84% charge that Nationwide are passing on to customers, you may be better off using a Nationwide Blue Visa Debit Card.

If anyone could do withdrawals using both the red and blue cards, within say 5 mins of each and post the details or exchange rates here, we may all see this.

From my own past experience, Mastercard's exchange rates *have* been consistently worse than Visa's.