Fed Up Paying The 150 Baht Bad Falang Fee?

[Somtamnication]

For months now I have been paying this "we hate you" tax. I used most bank atms as they all charged, particularly over the past 2 months.

Yesterday, my wife wanted some whitening lotion and I had no cash. So I gave her my paypal topupcard (UK) which I use for paying this tax.

The week before I paid it and so on...

She comes back with a big grin. Yes, she got her ultra large bottle of whitening lotion and no farang hate fee. What? Whatchutalkingaboutwillis?

My tilac (second bottle of whitening lotion shall be purchased as compensation, sometime today) used THAI language on the atm. Voila! English menu is the trigger with Ayudhaya and Bangkok Bank. I have not tried Siam or Kasiboiledkorn.

Put your reports here and let us know how my having to purchase whitening lotion changed your lives forever!

[garyh]

My wife take money out with our Australian ATM card from Bangkok bank using Thai Language and still pay the 150 Baht.

[stevehaigh]

maybe it wasn't the Thai language option that tipped the ATM off. maybe it knew the money was to buy whitening lotion which no farang would ever buy.

[longstebe]

Make it simple

She takes the money out, you take care of it.

[Birdman]

Maybe whitening lotion came out of the ATM.

BTW, there is no charge at bank exchange boots with Visa and Master Card & passport so far.

[anothertorres]

you'd be saving a lot more if you told your wife to STOP buying "whitening lotion". why is she buying that crap, particularly after you've already married her! oh nevermind, i know, i know... thailand....

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm not buying it.

Reading between the lines I'm getting a sense of background. I bet there's a misunderstanding / communication issue going on between him and his 'tilac'.

For example: "Only half listening to his incessant ranting on The Thai government, Thai banking practices and Thailand in general, she thought the 150 baht charge would actually be the ATM opening a magic little door where 150 baht needed to be deposited." This didn't happen. Or, "... she thought that the 150 baht would actually be cut from the dispensed amount, as in withdrawing 5000 baht but receiving 4850"... This didn't happen either. So she proudly exclaimed "ATM, it not charge 150 baht!!". Bless her. And bless you too.

Next.

Edited September 8, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[donx]

maybe it wasn't the Thai language option that tipped the ATM off. maybe it knew the money was to buy whitening lotion which no farang would ever buy.

[mattcodes]

The yellow bank ATM machines dont seem to be charging the 150 baht any more, at least on Samui, based on several withdrawls from a Visa debit card (A&L UK) in past 7 days. All others 150 baht.

[lannarebirth]

What I don't understand is, all these people complaining abut this ATM fee; why don't they use a Thai bank account instead? You live here presumably?

[mooncake]

Isn't that buying her a basic long sleeves shirt.....is surely cheaper than the cost of whitening lotion + 150 bths atm fee?

even with a hat throwing in

[mizzi39]

I try to use my Thai account as much as possible, but if i have to tap into my US account I take the maximum that i need plus a little more, so i am only getting slapped with this fee at the bare minimum.

[jcgodber]

I don't pay the robbers any more. Now I only use my Siam City Bank ATM card. I have my funds wired to my bank every 3 months and that charge is $20.00. I know whatever you do, you still have to pay someone somewhere, but I will be DARNED if I will pay the 150 baht

[StateSix]

Once a month I transfer from my UK account to my Thai account. The UK bank charge GBP 13 to send it and the Thai bank charge 0.25%, with a min of Bt 200 and a max of Bt 500.

Costs around GBP 22-ish and is in my account 2 days later usually, though they say 3-5 working days. The exchange rate charge alone from my UK bank is 2.99% of their rate. Assuming you sent GBP 1,000 this would cost me GBP 29.90 in exchange rate differences, let alone the ATM fee charge they levy and the Bt 150 charged by the Thai bank.

[MrJohnson]

What I don't understand is, all these people complaining abut this ATM fee; why don't they use a Thai bank account instead? You live here presumably?

At last. A voice of reason. Changing the banking practices, you may as well try and stop the sun rising. Just get a local bank account.

[fred110]

I write a personal check from my US account, deposit it in Bangkok bank, takes 21 days but no fee in US, 200 baht here, lasts quite awhile.

[tigermonkey]

You can't change the international banking system -- the fee is triggered by a foreign bamk account -- and it is not a "hate you " fee -- merely an outrageous fee to pay for a simple service, on top of their commission on the exchange rate ( usually 2 to 3.5 %) .

I have paid similar fees in England, France, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Australia and many others -- there is nothing special about the fee here in LOS ( BTW I prefer LOST [Land of Smiling Thais] )-- use your Thai account -- or pay the fee !

[offset]

Once a month I transfer from my UK account to my Thai account. The UK bank charge GBP 13 to send it and the Thai bank charge 0.25%, with a min of Bt 200 and a max of Bt 500.

Costs around GBP 22-ish and is in my account 2 days later usually, though they say 3-5 working days. The exchange rate charge alone from my UK bank is 2.99% of their rate. Assuming you sent GBP 1,000 this would cost me GBP 29.90 in exchange rate differences, let alone the ATM fee charge they levy and the Bt 150 charged by the Thai bank.

I use Nationwide and get money sent to SCB I get charged GBP 20 but I normally get about Bt1 more than the exchange booths give and I transfer in large amounts Interest rates in the UK are not worth worrying about unless you tie up your money for long periods

[willyumcr]

I write a personal check from my US account, deposit it in Bangkok bank, takes 21 days but no fee in US, 200 baht here, lasts quite awhile.

Get a Charles Schwab ATM card and you are reimbursed ALL ATM charges here in Thailand and in rest of the world.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I don't pay the robbers any more. Now I only use my Siam City Bank ATM card. I have my funds wired to my bank every 3 months and that charge is $20.00. I know whatever you do, you still have to pay someone somewhere, but I will be DARNED if I will pay the 150 baht

A large font is not acceptable here.

[tb86]

What I don't understand is, all these people complaining abut this ATM fee; why don't they use a Thai bank account instead? You live here presumably?

Yup that would be the smartest move, but then they would not have anything to complain about, therefore nothing to talk about. Its pretty simple get a thai account takes all of 15 minutes, transfer a bit of money into it and no more fees... It actually takes less time and effort to do than posting complaints about it online... for all i care they can charge 1500 or 15000 baht fees. Using a out of country bank card usually comes with a fee in any country, i fail too see how this is any different from using a us card in the eu, or using a us card in another banks atm machine 2.75 usd charge pretty common occurance

[hhgz]

"I have my funds wired to my bank every 3 months and that charge is $20.00. I know whatever you do, you still have to pay someone somewhere, but I will be DARNED if I will pay the 150 baht"

If $20 was LESS THAN 150THB, your idea would be great. On the other hand, paying $20, rather than paying $5, seems to be be not such a terrific idea.

[TopDogger]

Once a month I transfer from my UK account to my Thai account. The UK bank charge GBP 13 to send it and the Thai bank charge 0.25%, with a min of Bt 200 and a max of Bt 500.

Costs around GBP 22-ish and is in my account 2 days later usually, though they say 3-5 working days. The exchange rate charge alone from my UK bank is 2.99% of their rate. Assuming you sent GBP 1,000 this would cost me GBP 29.90 in exchange rate differences, let alone the ATM fee charge they levy and the Bt 150 charged by the Thai bank.

Tell your bank to send the cash in Sterling then..

[bedbugy]

i used the government saving bank to get 10000 baht on the 4 th no 150 fee

[RubbaJohnny]

WSB BANK Birmingham only one Branch former teachers bdg society

Good phone back up net banking and visa debit cards avaiable free with premium account which has a

eight pounds monthly fee includes free insurance

As a former BBV Credot Gricloe AIB NationwideSanatandar customer an HSBC employee this is best deal for sterling area customers with medium wedge

Higher rates paid on longer accounts but no risk up to 50k

No Overseas charge they deduct one pound fifty at source on overseas ATM but it is then refunded

www.wsb.co.uk

Best thing is they dont charge for transfer to SCB they go via lloyds taking an extrea day 4 guidline but often as few as 2 working days and at v good mid market rates

Edited September 8, 2009 by RubbaJohnny

[Penkoprod]

What I don't understand is, all these people complaining abut this ATM fee; why don't they use a Thai bank account instead? You live here presumably?

At last. A voice of reason. Changing the banking practices, you may as well try and stop the sun rising. Just get a local bank account.

I asked the same question in the (now) 71 page thread about this fee, and was told a lot of people just dont trust Thai banks.

Sure enough, a few days later there was an article in the online newspapers about how a Danish (?) couple got fleeced of quite a considerable ammount of money. And this wasnt as uncommon as you would think, with other references all over the net to incidents like bank managers informing Thai wives how to access their husbands accounts in their absence, etc, etc.

Should you question the "fault" you get the usual Siam shrug and som nam na attitude from the banks, it would seem

Penkoprod

[Heng]

You have to select the Thai menu and also have to toggle the 'no fee' button 2-3 times on the UPS machine in order to avoid the 150 Baht fee. If you hear a beeping sound, then you're all set.

[Somtamnication]

The fee is usually above what the withdrawal amount is. And you have to accept the fee with the press of a button. This did not happen and the fee would normally be on the receipt. It was not. My balance is correct, and no fee taken.

But I digress. Paypal topup card does charge 3 pounds for a foreign withdrawal. Such is life doing business with ebay etc etc. That is the only reason I use a foreign card.

And I do have SIAM as a bank account in Thailand. No connection to ebay, so some posters comments are superfluous.

[mrtoad]

What I don't understand is, all these people complaining abut this ATM fee; why don't they use a Thai bank account instead? You live here presumably?

I'm with you on this one as well. If you live here, I really can't understand why people aren't using their Thai bank accounts, seem pretty obvious to me. I guess it just gives them an opportunity to moan.

[Heng]

Yeah, because no doubt these moaners have Thai (and Swiss, Cayman Island, etc.) accounts full of cash... if only they could avoid that 150 Baht fee somehow their lives would be worry free.