Thai Banks Working On New Service Fees

[BigSkip]

Please post where these AEON.... atm's are in pattaya...

Hardy, we're mixing apples and oranges here...

You seem to be talking about using a credit card in Thailand. And indeed, there are a few banks/CUs/cards that don't charge foreign surcharges (1-4%) on transactions/purchases made outside the U.S. Capital One and Charles Schwab Bank are probably the largest of those no fee credit cards.

However, the 150 baht foreign atm card fee that Eldar is citing is the fee that Thai banks charge foreign customers whenever they make an ATM cash withdrawal here. In that case, it doesn't matter what U.S. card you're using. If you withdraw from a Thai ATM using ANY U.S.-based bank card, the Thai bank will add a 150 baht flat fee.

There are two exceptions to that general situation: 1) a fairly few U.S. banks and CUs will reimburse all ATM charges for their customers, including foreign ones. E*Trade, Charles Schwab, Fidelity and a few others do that. So in that case, the Thai bank charges you the fee and the U.S. bank refunds it. And 2) there is one variety of ATM in Thailand (those that are part of the AEON network) that still are fee-free. But AEON is not a bank, rather, a Japanese-based credit card company that also runs ATMs here.... If you need to use an ATM in Thailand, use AEON....

To be honest the banking fees in Thailand are pretty low at least compared to Holland and the US. The only 2 real strange fees are the 150baht foreign atm card fee and the 600 baht incoming foreign T/T fee.

Apparently you never belonged to a credit union in the US mine Cascade Federal never charged me nothing for the last ten years.I can charge things in Thailand NO EXTRA CHARGES .........THAI BANKS ARE A RIPP OFF

[BigSkip]

Hey all, I enjoyed the raves today....can anyone pinpoint a few "AEON" ATM Locations??? I have never seen them here in Pattaya or Chonburi. Thanks!!!!

[Seismic]

TT, in my years of living here, I've never had a Thai merchant try to pass on an extra charge to me, 3-5% or whatever, if I was trying to pay with a credit card.

I have had a lot of Thai merchants, mostly smaller, decline to take credit cards, or only accept them if the purchase amount is over 500 baht, or similar amounts like that...

JF, in my seven years of living here, I've never had a Thai merchant allow me to use a credit card without the 3-5% surcharge! (So I stopped trying to use it about three years ago).

What is the difference? Regional? Things changing over time? Should I give it a try again, after a 3-year hiatus?

The only place I havnt been charged extra is IT-Mall outlets. I have always been told (in 30years of coming here) that Credit card means they will add extra charge on. I belive it is changing a bit but I always ask first and then end up paying with cash.

regards

[mja1906]

Bangkok Bank charges 0.25% for TT / Where do you get 600 Baht from?

By TT do you mean international transfer/wire? wow 0.25% is cheap, didn't realise that , might swap to Bangkok Bank instead!

[Bagwan]

Bank services in general should be improved; namely national inter-banking. I tried to transfer a larger amount of funds from one bank to a different bank, though, was told this could not be done. Had to withdraw the lot in cash, walk over the road to the other bank and deposit the same there. Not really an appropriate banking method in the 21. century.

I have no idea why your bank should not be able to transfer money to another bank as I do it all the time via the Internet. For amounts up to 10K the KTB charge is 25 baht. Paying bills by Internet with UOB costs me 10 baht per transaction. However the charges made by KTB in transferring money inbound from the UK by TT to UOB were totally out of order and I draw cash and cross the road to UOB to deposit it there free of charge.

I cannot understand why I can use an ATM at one of my banks in Pattaya free of charge yet am charged for using one of their ATMs in Bangkok. Surely the details of all accounts are held on a single computer somewhere, presumably in Bangkok, and all branches are connected via dedicated lines for which they pay a fixed annual fee irrespective of frequency of use. I estimate that it costs me between 3000-4000 baht per year to use ATM facilities.

I opined to my Bank Manager that if the UK banks were allowed to operate in Thailand then the Thai banks would be out of business within a month. He agreed.

[jfchandler]

What Thai bank company are you talking about, and what kind of bank card (issuing bank and what logo card) when you are charged the fee? Those details will provide the answer...

I cannot understand why I can use an ATM at one of my banks in Pattaya free of charge yet am charged for using one of their ATMs in Bangkok. Surely the details of all accounts are held on a single computer somewhere, presumably in Bangkok, and all branches are connected via dedicated lines for which they pay a fixed annual fee irrespective of frequency of use. I estimate that it costs me between 3000-4000 baht per year to use ATM facilities.

[jfchandler]

TT, from your profile, I gather you're in Isaan, whereas I'm in BKK... That probably accounts for our different experiences...

But to give you some examples, I use bank cards all the time at Tesco, Carrefour, Robinsons, and HomePro, among others, and have never seen a bank card surcharge from those merchants... I could mention other major retailers as well, but not sure they have a presence in Isaan...

Just to be clear, as an American, most U.S. credit card companies charge a 1-4% foreign transaction surcharge on all purchases made abroad. So a lot of ex-pats and tourists get hit by those... I don't use any of those cards, and only use ones that are fee-free..... But in those cases, for others, it's not the Thai merchat but their own home bank that's reaming them...

However, I can't speak to the credit card accepting practices of Thai merchants in Isaan.... As I'm sure has been said elsewhere before, BKK and Isaan can be worlds apart.

JF, in my seven years of living here, I've never had a Thai merchant allow me to use a credit card without the 3-5% surcharge! (So I stopped trying to use it about three years ago).

What is the difference? Regional? Things changing over time? Should I give it a try again, after a 3-year hiatus?

[jfchandler]

You'll find your answers in this recent TV thread on the subject....

And a bit more in this second thread as well....

Hey all, I enjoyed the raves today....can anyone pinpoint a few "AEON" ATM Locations??? I have never seen them here in Pattaya or Chonburi. Thanks!!!!

[gregb]

And I already get annoyed now when people in front of me at the check out counter are paying their 300 Baht bill with a card and the resulting 1 minute plus time it takes to clear the charge...

My wife and I do this all the time. We get 0.8% cashback on every purchase, and Carrefour with their own credit card gives up to 3%. Believe me, your time and inconvenience don't even factor into my mind when money is involved. Next time you see this, if you really don't like it, offer the person ahead of you 50 baht not to pay via credit card.

I'd take this offer. Otherwise, if you're not willing to pay up, then quit your bellyaching and let the poor people ahead of you make a baht. Not everyone is independently wealthy like you.

[soundman]

The CEO's wonder why the Thai's love to use cash. They are really not very clued up on their operational structures at all.

Here is one of many examples.

If I have to transfer any money from one account, to another account in a different branch, or a different bank, the bank charges me a fee of 20B + 0.1% of transaction amount.

So, if for example I have to pay for some building materials priced at 1,000,000 Baht, if I transfer that electronically that will cost me 1020B transfer fee...

or

I walk into my branch, withdraw 1,000,000 Baht (no fee), get into my car, drive 15 minutes to the suppliers bank & deposit the money (no fee), that will cost me 200 Baht in petrol.

A saving of 800 Baht.

[Bagwan]

I walk into my branch, withdraw 1,000,000 Baht (no fee), get into my car, drive 15 minutes to the suppliers bank & deposit the money (no fee), that will cost me 200 Baht in petrol.

A saving of 800 Baht.

<deleted>? What do you have under the bonnet? A jet engine ex Concorde? Assuming an average speed of 60 kph that is 2.5 kilometres per litre.

[Bagwan]

I walk into my branch, withdraw 1,000,000 Baht (no fee), get into my car, drive 15 minutes to the suppliers bank & deposit the money (no fee), that will cost me 200 Baht in petrol.

A saving of 800 Baht.

<deleted>? What do you have under the bonnet? A jet engine ex Concorde? Assuming an average speed of 60 kph that is 2.5 kilometres per litre.

[WarpSpeed]

I just love their credit card usage fee.... They might have more people using them if they eliminate such abhorrent and deterring practices...