Hi,

I'm booking a flight with a travel agent in Thailand with my UK bank card (I'm in the UK at the moment). I'm booking the flight for my girlfriend as it's her birthday - so she'll be travelling from Bangkok to London.

The bank card I want to use is a Maestro. I emailed the company and they said: "Normally Uk debit card is able to pay online via our system, thailand consider as visa card"

Now, on their website on the booking you can either select VISA or MASTERCARD. There is no Visa debit/maestro etc. in the booking form. Keeping this in mind, they did imply that if I have a debit card, I can select VISA as the card type in the booking form. So I went to book, i selected visa and typed in my card number however it wasn't recognised. I then changed to Mastercard and the error was gone. As mastercard and maestro are linked, do you think I could just select mastercard?

I didn't continue to book as i'm not sure if I will be charged by my bank for this? 1 for selecting mastercard, and 2 for a conversion fee? (As the agency is in Thailand, I have to pay online in BAHT. Will I be charged a conversion fee? If so, how much?).

Also, just to say that I have been charged by the agency a 3% credit card booking fee even though I would be booking with a Maestro - is this right?

Thanks

edit: I could send money by bank transfer however Natwest charge something like £20 for the transfer and £10 for the conversion fee.

Edited September 15, 200916 yr by Enjibenji

Hi,

I'm booking a flight with a travel agent in Thailand with my UK bank card (I'm in the UK at the moment).

The bank card I want to use is a Maestro. I emailed the company and they said: "Normally Uk debit card is able to pay online via our system, thailand consider as visa card"

Now, on their website on the booking you can either select VISA or MASTERCARD. There is no Visa debit/maestro etc. in the booking form. Keeping this in mind, they did imply that if I have a debit card, I can select VISA as the card type in the booking form. So I went to book, i selected visa and typed in my card number however it wasn't recognised. I then changed to Mastercard and the error was gone. As mastercard and maestro are linked, do you think I could just select mastercard?

I didn't continue to book as i'm not sure if I will be charged by my bank for this? 1 for selecting mastercard, and 2 for a conversion fee? (As the agency is in Thailand, I have to pay online in BAHT. Will I be charged a conversion fee? If so, how much?).

Also, just to say that I have been charged by the agency a 3% credit card booking fee even though I would be booking with a Maestro - is this right?

Thanks

I've had the same problems booking internal flights from the UK. The 3% fee seems to be standard. Now I get a friend based in Thailand to book any internal flights if iI'm abroad. If its a UK to Thailand flight its cheaper to use a UK based website .

You could just book on arrival unless its peak season of course.

sorry, I've edited my post now to avoid confusion. I'm booking the flight for my girlfriend as it's her birthday - so she'll be travelling from Bangkok to London.

Bank transfer will cost me something like £30 - we're both students so don't have money to piss away so easily