Bangkok Bank In Pattaya Offering Credit Cards To Expats

[gguy]

Does any one have experience with Bangkok Banks credit cards?

In local Pattaya branch, BB offering card with no fees and monthly charges deducted from your account for expats.

Worried that someone could get your number and drain your account?

I am assuming that consumer protection probably does not exist in Thailand.

Any positive or negative experiences with BB credit card?

[ricwoo09]

I got one from Kasikorn Bank on Pattaya Klang, near to Tops Supermarket = excellent service; very secure internet purchasing system with special passwords. also SMS notification every time I use the card. I recommend them.

[darrendsd]

Agreed re the kasikorn bank card [k-web card]

Signed up last week for it, fast and efficient service and used it yesterday to pay online for a flight to cambodia next month via air asia website.

I suspect the op is referring the bangkok banks bb1 card? [not entirley sure if that's the correct name for it?]

I'ts not a credit card in the sense that you actually get credit, it is linked to your current account and will only work if you have funds in the account.

Great for shopping online and booking flights/hotels as mentioned above.

You can get a proper credit card here however as far as i am aware it involves work permits/business here and even that card will not allow you to spend more than you have in your account.

[Pib]

Maybe talking the Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit and ATM card. Any Bangkok Bank account holder can get one of these...all they need to have is a Bangkok Bank account with money in it. It serves as a ATM card and a debit card. You can also do online purchases. When buying something the money comes out of your account immediately...a typical debit card.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok%20Bank/Personal%20Banking/Be1st%20and%20ATM%20Cards/Be1st%20Card/Pages/default.aspx

[Pib]

Maybe talking the Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit and ATM card. Any Bangkok Bank account holder can get one of these...all they need to have is a Bangkok Bank account with money in it. It serves as a ATM card and a debit card. You can also do online purchases. When buying something the money comes out of your account immediately...a typical debit card.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok%20Bank/Personal%20Banking/Be1st%20and%20ATM%20Cards/Be1st%20Card/Pages/default.aspx

[moo9]

Have one for long time, but very rarely use it, only with shops / organizations I trust and which have a good reputation.

I would not use a CC for daily shopping!

[FarangBuddha]

I got one from Kasikorn Bank on Pattaya Klang, near to Tops Supermarket = excellent service; very secure internet purchasing system with special passwords. also SMS notification every time I use the card. I recommend them.

I too am quie happy with my Kasikorn Bank Visa ATM debit card. Everytime you use it to make a point-of-sale debit transaction, you get an immediate SMS with the amount of charge and remaining acct. balance. Therefore, very easy to know if someone has gained access to the card number and is making unauthorized transactions.

[tonywebster]

Agreed re the kasikorn bank card [k-web card]

Signed up last week for it, fast and efficient service and used it yesterday to pay online for a flight to cambodia next month via air asia website.

I suspect the op is referring the bangkok banks bb1 card? [not entirley sure if that's the correct name for it?]

I'ts not a credit card in the sense that you actually get credit, it is linked to your current account and will only work if you have funds in the account.

Great for shopping online and booking flights/hotels as mentioned above.

You can get a proper credit card here however as far as i am aware it involves work permits/business here and even that card will not allow you to spend more than you have in your account.

I have 3 credit cards here, Kasikorn, SCB and Amex, none of them are linked to my account. There is a scheme where they will give you a credit card but you have to deposit an amount in an account, so basically if you don't pay they will take it from this account, I believe you have to deposit twice the credit limit on the card.

SCB tried this with me, I refused, however once I had my Kasikorn card for longer and had built up a credit history I reapplied and was accepted on normal credit card terms. There is no need to accept the terms you mention about depositing money, Kasikorn gave me a platinum card after only having work permit one month.

[AbeSurd]

Maybe talking the Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit and ATM card. Any Bangkok Bank account holder can get one of these...all they need to have is a Bangkok Bank account with money in it. It serves as a ATM card and a debit card. You can also do online purchases. When buying something the money comes out of your account immediately...a typical debit card.

I have one of these but I've been told that Thai debit cards are no good for online purchases, that they're not accepted. And that what you need a Thai credit card.

Any truth to this?

Thanks.

[PattayaParent]

Maybe talking the Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit and ATM card. Any Bangkok Bank account holder can get one of these...all they need to have is a Bangkok Bank account with money in it. It serves as a ATM card and a debit card. You can also do online purchases. When buying something the money comes out of your account immediately...a typical debit card.

I have one of these but I've been told that Thai debit cards are no good for online purchases, that they're not accepted. And that what you need a Thai credit card.

Any truth to this?

Thanks.

You're correct, the card even says "For electronic use only"

[allane]

Approximately 13 - 11 yrs. ago, I had a Bangkok Bank credit card for a couple of years. It was the "no fee" variety, and I had no problems with it. I cancelled it after a couple of years, when they introduced a monthly, or annual, fee, I can't remember now exactly which.

I now have an SCB Visa card, with which I have been extremely satisfied for 10 yrs. or so: No problems in any respect; my payments are posted promptly, and I have never experienced any problems with bogus charges to my account, or unexplained charges. They seem to grant the benefit of the doubt to the cardholder; by which I mean that if the normal deadline for a payment falls on a Sunday or holiday, they grant you an extra day or two, instead of doing the opposite.

Some general comments regarding applying for a credit card in Thailand, from a foreigner who has been here a long time, as you might have guessed from reading the above:

- if at first you don't succeed, try again. In Thailand, the whole credit card industry is still in its infancy. Rules change frequently, as credit card issuers learn and decide what works, and what doesn't. Promotions of one sort or another start and end frequently.

- when you find a bank employee who is co-operative, make sure that you clarify if you are being offerred a credit card, or a debit card. You also need to clarify this point when discussing the whole issue with other farang. People will tell you that they have a "credit card", when all they have is a debit card.

- if you are working here in Thailand, you generally need written documentation to establish 2 yrs. or more with your current employer. If you can't provide that, the banks are likely to restrict you to a debit card only. When issuing credit cards to foreigners, they are understandably concerned that we are going to charge up a lot of purchases, then leave the country before the bill is due.

[Pib]

Maybe talking the Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa debit and ATM card. Any Bangkok Bank account holder can get one of these...all they need to have is a Bangkok Bank account with money in it. It serves as a ATM card and a debit card. You can also do online purchases. When buying something the money comes out of your account immediately...a typical debit card.

I have one of these but I've been told that Thai debit cards are no good for online purchases, that they're not accepted. And that what you need a Thai credit card.

Any truth to this?

Thanks.

You're correct, the card even says "For electronic use only"

That not correct, "For electronic use only" only means the card can't be used to make card impressions and then you sign the purchase impression....this method is normally used now only when the electronic/real time/internet hookup is down. Basically, the debit card used is for "electronic/real time use" only. Please note the numbers on the debit card are not raised digits and therefore can't be used to make impressions. You can use newer Bangkok Bank debit card for online purchases, but there has to be enough money in your account to allow this real time transaction to process/be approved immediately. Now, if the site you are using don't process the purchase immediately due to the site's limitations, you may have a problem in using a debit card for an online purchase. See the Bangkok Bank web site for more details.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Pib

[Pib]

A person can also link/add their Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa Debit card to their PayPal account. Since most online sellers accept/prefer PayPal, when paying via PayPal you just select your Be1st as the PayPal source of funds/payment. But remember, you MUST have enough funds in your Bangkok Bank account to make immediate payment plus any fee that may tag along with the purchase.