Thaivisa To Issue Thailand Expat Gold Card

[Totster]

It will be a VISA or MasterCard. They have prepaid card programmes as well.

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Just out of interest... how does one charge up one of these cards..?

totster

[Guest fj2003]

when and where and how can i sign up

what about true phone & internet payment and discount?

is it international valuable?

[Thomas_Merton]

The card might come without credit though, you can use the card if you have pre-loaded it up with cash.

In that case it won't be a Visa card - as Visa makes money from cardholders by people borrowing, or forgetting to pay their minimum monthly payment !

Not that this is any of Thaivisa.com's concerns, as issuance criteria - and (significantly) credit risk on default is assumed by the card company - not indemnified by George.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you are wrong here Moog - unless you've got some private arrangement with Visa via a "bank" in a land other than Denmark, UK or off-shore.

Mastercard, on the other hand, works as you have outlined, but payments via a Visa card are directly debited from your account. Visa itself does not allow credit, as far as I am aware - any credit arrangements are made with your "bank".

[The_Moog]

It will be a VISA or MasterCard. They have prepaid card programmes as well.

Ok I understand - its not necessarily a Credit Card. Hence, given that absence of credit facilities, issuance criteria will be far more relaxed for those of us without WPs. Sweet.

[george]

It will be a VISA or MasterCard. They have prepaid card programmes as well.

Just out of interest... how does one charge up one of these cards..?

totster

Via SWIFT, TT or ETA, or just send a US dollar check via registered mail.

[george]

It will be a VISA or MasterCard. They have prepaid card programmes as well.

Ok I understand - its not necessarily a Credit Card. Hence, given that absence of credit facilities, issuance criteria will be far more relaxed for those of us without WPs. Sweet.

Exact. No credit checkups, no hassle, no credit risks for the issuer. A drawback is that you can not use it at vendors using the old manual slip system, all purchases must be online approved (electronic use only, and internet of course).

[britmaveric]

It will be a VISA or MasterCard. They have prepaid card programmes as well.

Ok I understand - its not necessarily a Credit Card. Hence, given that absence of credit facilities, issuance criteria will be far more relaxed for those of us without WPs. Sweet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exact. No credit checkups, no hassle, no credit risks for the issuer. A drawback is that you can not use it at vendors using the old manual slip system, all purchases must be online approved (electronic use only, and internet of course).

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Works for me!!!

[george]

Works for me!!!

Impossible IMHO. These type of cards can not be imprinted in a manual machine becuase it will not be any card numebr or other info on the slip. Blank.

[Khutan]

George,

What about land ownership ?

Impossible IMHO.

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Yes, I have mis-quoted you, and totally taken that quote out of context, but its saturday night and Maybe a little bit of fun

[george]

George,

What about land ownership ?

Impossible IMHO.

Yes, I have mis-quoted you, and totally taken that quote out of context, but its saturday night and Maybe a little bit of fun

Included in the membership is 10 sqm of rice land in Isaan.

[britmaveric]

George,

What about land ownership ?

Impossible IMHO.

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Yes, I have mis-quoted you, and totally taken that quote out of context, but its saturday night and Maybe a little bit of fun

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Included in the membership is 10 sqm of rice land in Isaan.

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And a case of Chang a week!!!

[tess79]

can I have an idea how much this card cost????????

[Kerryd]

George,

What about land ownership ?

Impossible IMHO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I have mis-quoted you, and totally taken that quote out of context, but its saturday night and Maybe a little bit of fun

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Included in the membership is 10 sqm of rice land in Isaan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And a case of Chang a week!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And it comes ready-made with 1 sick buffalo per card holder !

Seriously. No credit card company is going to change Thai government (i.e. Immigration) law. So the thought that having a ThaiVISA card might help you get a Thai Visa, or relaxed rules on reporting every 90 days and such, is pure wishful thinking.

As for the discounts. Remember that Visa, Mastercard and pretty much every other type of credit card company, charges the vendor (i.e. the person selling the goods or services) a commission. Depending on the amount of business you conduct, those commissions can range from 1-3% (or more) of the total purchase price.

(in other words, you purchase something for 1,000 baht, using your Visa. The seller pays a commission of 10-30 (or more) baht to the credit card company.

I know of wholesalers in Canada that do not accept credit cards, because the commission charges would wipe out their profit margins.

A standard credit card, linked to a "consumer loyalty" program (like airmiles), with purchase protection and insurance (as many major cards offer now, if you buy your plane ticket using the card, and the plane crashes, they pay out "x", some have flight cancellation insurance and price protection as well, but that starts getting really complicated, and expensive, to manage).

The biggest hurdle is determining who is eligible. Credit card companies want their customers (suckers) to be somewhat stable, in where they live and what they earn.

Anybody should be able to apply for the card, if they meet the right qualifications. If your home address is in the UK, and you travel to LOS once a year, it shouldn't be a problem.

If you have an address in LOS, then that's what goes on the application. If you default on the payments and skip the country, they "sell" your file to a collection agency who will try to track you down.

In this case, the credit card application should require the applicants passport number, for those that might want to try running up a tab and skipping the country. Of course, they would have to expect that they will never be coming back to LOS.

[The_Moog]

As the billing will (presumably) be in Thai Baht, its not going to make a lot of sense for people living outside of Thailand.

Ive been using a Hong Kong Dollar denominated Visa card. Paying the monthly bill was a logistic nightmare till I opened up a bank account and set up a Direct Debit.

(Not that there will be billing, as such, if its cash credit upfront)

Edited July 9, 2005 by The_Moog

[britmaveric]

Kerryd - George explained it will be refillable prepaid - sort of like a check card. So not really a credit card, but backed by VISA/MC. I've seen these before.

[Totster]

Kerryd - George explained it will be refillable prepaid - sort of like a check card. So not really a credit card, but backed by VISA/MC. I've seen these before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Amex are also doing one now... they are calling it the Travellers Cheque card or something like that... it's a prepaid card which can be refilled..

totster

[The_Other_Mac]

Optional printed photo. Did you ever see a Thai cashier checking the signature, or indeed anything, on a card transaction?... However a Thai thief would probably think twice before presenting a card that had an image of a farang on it. (Yes I know there are still other ways to abuse a stolen card.)

I think the idea of it being an "official" ID is nice but fanciful, as I suspect it would require a change in the law. Thais have to carry government-issued ID, why shouldn't we? As an unofficial ID, anything vaguely official-looking, with photo and DOB, will do.

[db1]

great idea cant think of anything else to add

David

[jingjingna]

For those of you that are not familiar with 'prepaid' cards, check out www.loyalbank.com for an example on how they work.

I am here long term, married, working but not loaded with cash.

At the least, I would like a card similar in operation to the one mentioned above to make online purchases.

As far as offshore banking/credit/debit cards go ..LloydsTsb Overseas Club Account seems to be very popular as one needs only USD, GBP OR EUR 100 to open an account and be issued with a Visa Debit Card which works similar to a credit card, only in this case the money is debited directly from your account...great! My issue is with the MONTHLY service charge of GBP 7.50.

For some of you the monthly charge might be just a drop in the ocean especially if you will be using the account on a regular basis, for me it is too much since I will only make deposits a couple of times a year.

So ThaiVisa if you can come up with something to suit the not so wealthy but here for the long term kind of folk, I am all ears!

[Thetyim]

So we are talking about a prepaid debit card.

I send you my money and then are are you expecting me to pay you for holding my money interest free.

[IMA_FARANG]

I am in

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My tounge is hanging out....seriously, it sounds good. Depends on details, but I am probably in. Will be willing to pay a resonable fee for decent benefits. Sounds like a good idea, and I will be following details closely. I expect to join, would like details of what costs/fees will be. I am presently outside Thailand, but expect to retire in Thailand at age 62 in year 2008.

Go Thai visa Expats...

[Nam Kao]

Howabout free barfines?

[waldwolf]

One problem with "debit type credit cards" issued by banks under the Visa, MC, and other names, is, you are not covered by loss/fraud laws of many countries, as is the case with regular credit cards, which require the card company to assume any fraud loss. Some issuers of debit type cards do indemnify you, but they are not legally required to do so.

More food for thought.

[Morbius]

Great initiative!

A few suggestions, and my humble apologies if others may have already made them (I just don't have time to read all the posts in this thread - about 10 pages at the time I am writing!):

* Small photo of the card holder either on the front or the back, so that the card can be used as an ID justification document too. How about making it a payment/credit card on one side, and a ID card on the other side? That would be so convenient...

* Include the blood type of the card holder somewhere on the card (could be optional?)

* Make sure that the card is SAFE to use for the user! The 3 or 4 digit code that now appears on the front or the back of most credit cards, and which is requested to make on-line payments, does not seem sufficient, as it is too easy for a fraudulent merchant to copy this code when a customer comes and make payment, and use it later to make on-line purchases. This should be the card that everyone is comfortable to use everywhere in Thailand! (and beyond...!)

[warriors]

Dreams are free but would it not be nice, if all card carrying members had there own logo covered Sky Train carrage. With easy access by waving the card over the magic eye for entry. Then we can all meet each other and have a beer inside the carrage as we travel and wave to all those standing in the hot sun out side. Oh just a added thought female guests can be allowed on the trains only after dark.

[meelousee]

If we can do lets do it.

Not a bad idea, I hope you can get all the support to make this work.

[dutch]

Not interested in prepaid or debit card.

Also M.C. not interested.

I will go for a Visa gold credit .

[bluedragon]

- Will it only be available to permanent expats - It's an expat card

Will that then be judged by visa status? Why not make it availble to tourists? I know most people on thaivisa.com would class themselves as expats but in reality the majority or at least a large percentage of this board (which is where I expect you will get most of your buyers) are classed as tourists.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good Idea making it available to people other then expats of Thailand. I am an expat living in Japan and travel to Thailand often to see a "friend". I would be interested in ths. .

[MekhongKurt]

Has anyone seen this web site?:

http://www.thailand-visitorcard.com/

THE THAILAND VISITOR CARD 2005

A Discount Card for Shopping, Leisure & Entertainment in Thailand’s Most Popular Destinations Bangkok. Chiang Mai. Phuket. Pattaya. Hua Hin and Cha-am. Ko Samui. Hat Yai. From 1 April 2005 – 31 March 2006

Its been introduced by TAT with cooperation of Visa.

It appears that visitors are already catered for ..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had not taken a look at this site until just now, and while it's of considerable interest, there are some caveats that stand out:

(1.) This card is for a limited time, until March 31, 2006.

(2.) The card is NOT a credit card, debit card, or anything of the sort: it's a straight discount card.

(3.) Use of the card is limited to 7 destinations in Thailand, and therefore of useless to people visiting/living in other areas.

Another drawback is that to find out how to get the card you have to call TAT's Call Centre (1672), and even then, I had to be transferred to a second person to get any answers. There's no way to learn the information from the web site. The guy I spoke to told me the card is free (a big plus), but to get it, you have to go to the Information Counter at the main TAT office. Not very handy for arriving visitors. Maybe TAT could coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to make the card available in Thai embassies and consulates abroad -- get your visa and card at the same time! For that matter, having it available at international airports in the Kingdom and at border entry posts would be most excellent for those wishing to use the card.

Every participant I recognized (which means a lot, since I've been here years) was high-end. This means, for example, one can do better online for hotels than this card affords (as is often true of such offers, to be fair); discounts are on the rack rates. I recently checked into a Bangkok hotel's discount package and found I could beat it substantially through online third-party providers.

What ThaiVisa will offer (if everything works out) is considerably more than the TAT card, especially in terms of validity time. With the possibility of some sort of financial instrument(s), it gets even more interesting, even if at the end of the day the card will be useable as only a debit card.

Different concepts for overlapping, but not identical, markets.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I really am keen about the ThaiVisa card and hopes it comes to pass. A huge thanks to all you folks at ThaiVisa.com for your efforts to bring another fine service to the expatriate community here.

Also, though the card itself is valid until March 31, 2006 some of the offers are for shorter periods of time or for intermittent time frames.

[Upcountry]

George, thanks for announcing this project.

Given the recent implementation of a 3% charge on foreign currency transactions by most US credit card companies, having a card that does not charge me 3% when I use it in Thailand is the most important thing to me.

Another important issue is security. I would like to have the same protection against fraud as I had with my current cards. I don’t know if that is possible is the card is associated with a Thai bank.

For me, being able to pay the bill on-line via my Thai bank’s on-line payment system ( if the card is tied to a Thai bank) or via my US bank’s system (if tied to a US bank) is a major connivance item to consider as well.

Additional features would be icing on the cake, but I would hesitate to risk my credit status by applying for a card that did not give me a way to make Thai purchases without paying a huge fee to use it and the peace of mind that I will not be held liable for fraud if my card/info is stolen.

I realize some of these concerns were clearly stated before in one way or another, but it still seemed worthwhile to post this.