Bangkok Bank

[Huayrat]

They have many to choose from but my question is that do they give you credit or is it your own money in the account that funds the card.. Im confused because ive saw remarks saying they aint the same as a normal credit card... Thanks for info in reply..

Kind Regards

[Pib]

It can be either. That is, you get a true credit line with no bank account money backing it up/securing the line of credit; or you get a credit line based on a certain amount of your Thai bank account funds being secured/locked against your line of credit. In the later case you are really letting the bank use your own money to provide and secure your line of credit. Most farangs with a work permit can get a credit card with no bank account money securing the line of credit; but with no work permit/job the best most farangs can do is get a secured credit card from a Thai bank. Sure, some will post they got an unsecured Thai credit card with no work permit/job, but I think those folks are the exception.

Also keep in mind there is basically no consumer protection protection laws in Thailand; the policy/rules that govern a Thai credit card are pretty much set by the bank and not by law/regulation; therefore, the bank policies/rules are really written to protect them and not the customer. If you lose your credit card and someone finds it and goes on a sending spree, you are on the hook for any charges the crook ran up until you notify the bank you have lost the card....and actually, I think it's 5 minutes after the notification. With my luck, the crook would charge another 20,000 baht during that 5 minute period after notification. Summary: Thai credit cards do not provide the consumer protection provided by most western credit cards.

[Huayrat]

It can be either. That is, you get a true credit line with no bank account money backing it up/securing the line of credit; or you get a credit line based on a certain amount of your Thai bank account funds being secured/locked against your line of credit. In the later case you are really letting the bank use your own money to provide and secure your line of credit. Most farangs with a work permit can get a credit card with no bank account money securing the line of credit; but with no work permit/job the best most farangs can do is get a secured credit card from a Thai bank. Sure, some will post they got an unsecured Thai credit card with no work permit/job, but I think those folks are the exception.

Also keep in mind there is basically no consumer protection protection laws in Thailand; the policy/rules that govern a Thai credit card are pretty much set by the bank and not by law/regulation; therefore, the bank policies/rules are really written to protect them and not the customer. If you lose your credit card and someone finds it and goes on a sending spree, you are on the hook for any charges the crook ran up until you notify the bank you have lost the card....and actually, I think it's 5 minutes after the notification. With my luck, the crook would charge another 20,000 baht during that 5 minute period after notification. Summary: Thai credit cards do not provide the consumer protection provided by most western credit cards.

Sorry i forgot to say its for my gf who deposits 80k baht in her account everymonth... So as she is a Thai will she get a credit line?

[Huayrat]

Thanks pib... She has to go tomorrow but she is clueless and wont know either what card to ask for or ask for a credit line... Lets see what she comes out with haha

[Pib]

Being Thai and depositing 80K/month in her bank account makes a big difference. Usually banks are looking for a Thai to make around 20K baht/month to get an unsecured line of credit. She should easily get a good line of unsecured credit assuming she has been in the job for a while.

[nycboy57]

Being Thai and depositing 80K/month in her bank account makes a big difference. Usually banks are looking for a Thai to make around 20K baht/month to get an unsecured line of credit. She should easily get a good line of unsecured credit assuming she has been in the job for a while.

Just my experience of being a retired person living here with Bkk Bank they gave me a credit card

but i have to keep twice the amount of the monthly credit on account that is not to be used until I cancel the account

and then i get back my money.

I still had to pay my bill each month of use on it.

So the money does not earn intereest either.

So if i had 40000 baht credit on the card I must keep 80000 baht in the separate account.

I hope you understand that after awhile I decided that was not for me and got rid of it.

I do not know if they still do it this way for retired people. I do not blame them

since I am sure they must have gotten ripped off by people that stayed awhile and then moved away.

[Huayrat]

Being Thai and depositing 80K/month in her bank account makes a big difference. Usually banks are looking for a Thai to make around 20K baht/month to get an unsecured line of credit. She should easily get a good line of unsecured credit assuming she has been in the job for a while.

Just my experience of being a retired person living here with Bkk Bank they gave me a credit card

but i have to keep twice the amount of the monthly credit on account that is not to be used until I cancel the account

and then i get back my money.

I still had to pay my bill each month of use on it.

So the money does not earn intereest either.

So if i had 40000 baht credit on the card I must keep 80000 baht in the separate account.

I hope you understand that after awhile I decided that was not for me and got rid of it.

I do not know if they still do it this way for retired people. I do not blame them

since I am sure they must have gotten ripped off by people that stayed awhile and then moved away.

Thanks for you info.. Ive already told her if they dont offer her a credit line card then just say thank you and leave... Why they give you a credit card which in my eyes is just another ATM card and also a waste of time

[Pib]

I'm retired here also and my income/pensions is many more times what a middle class Thai makes. I have many times been offered a Thai credit card (to include from Bangkok Bank) "if" I secure X-amount of money against the card. Bangkok Bank didn't want to give me a unsecured credit card simply because I didn't have a work permit/job...but other banks gave the same rationale. But I don't care anymore as I've since got a U.S. credit card which charges zero foreign transation fees, provides 2%/1% cash back, and I'm covered under U.S. consumer protection laws by using this card....this card is a Captal One No Hassle Mastercard. Had other U.S.credit cards before getting this card but these other cards charged healthy foreign transaction fees.

But back to the Thai credit card, most anyone can the a "secured" Thai bank credit card; the down side is X-amount of your money must be locked against it until you cancel the account/turn-in the card. And actually, I think your secured money is not released back to you until a month of so after account cancellation/card turn-in to guard the bank against any late charges coming in against the card, as some merchants drag their feet in accomplishing the final processing of a credit card charge. Ex: I had a pricy pair of eye glasses made for the wife about a year ago...this well known eye glasses company with hundreds of stores in Thailand used the paper imprint method to ring up the charge against my western credit card...it took a few weeks to make the glasses, and about a week after we picked up the glasses the company processed the credit card charge. It was almost a month from the day we ordered the glasses/paid with the credit card until the charge hit our account. Just the way this company handled such credit card payments for glasses. And this is just one example of why the bank may not release your secured funds until a month or so after cancellation/turn-in of the secured credit card.

[terryq]

If your gf gets a credit card she can have a second card issued in your name, same account, therefore no "secured" money..

Of course depends on how the relationship is as to whether she thinks that's a good idea.

[Huayrat]

If your gf gets a credit card she can have a second card issued in your name, same account, therefore no "secured" money..

Of course depends on how the relationship is as to whether she thinks that's a good idea.

Just a quick update... She has told me they are giving her a credit line and she gets the card in 2 weeks... She hasnt got any paperwork from them though so i cant read what it says... Im waiting for the card to arrive and see if its correct what she says... knowing her it wont be correct

[sciack]

Also keep in mind there is basically no consumer protection protection laws in Thailand; the policy/rules that govern a Thai credit card are pretty much set by the bank and not by law/regulation; therefore, the bank policies/rules are really written to protect them and not the customer. If you lose your credit card and someone finds it and goes on a sending spree, you are on the hook for any charges the crook ran up until you notify the bank you have lost the card....and actually, I think it's 5 minutes after the notification. With my luck, the crook would charge another 20,000 baht during that 5 minute period after notification. Summary: Thai credit cards do not provide the consumer protection provided by most western credit cards.

Absolutely false!

I have 4 credit cards with Bangkok bank, platinum, American express, titanium and Toyota, since they are backed up by visa, MasterCard or Amex, you have all the protection. If you buy online or not. If someone goes out with your credit card and buy things you can report it later and get your chargeback since they will check the slip signature if it is yours or not. Also online, they have protection you can reverse virtually any transactions. I also get a chargeback for a stupid koncept shelf I bought it was of poor quality, I returned the item and they (bank) charged it back to me. I don't know if it is only for platinum or titanium but you have a protection if I am not wrong of 200,000 thb at least.

Bangkok bank cards support if very efficient and speak a good English.

[Huayrat]

Also keep in mind there is basically no consumer protection protection laws in Thailand; the policy/rules that govern a Thai credit card are pretty much set by the bank and not by law/regulation; therefore, the bank policies/rules are really written to protect them and not the customer. If you lose your credit card and someone finds it and goes on a sending spree, you are on the hook for any charges the crook ran up until you notify the bank you have lost the card....and actually, I think it's 5 minutes after the notification. With my luck, the crook would charge another 20,000 baht during that 5 minute period after notification. Summary: Thai credit cards do not provide the consumer protection provided by most western credit cards.

Absolutely false!

I have 4 credit cards with Bangkok bank, platinum, American express, titanium and Toyota, since they are backed up by visa, MasterCard or Amex, you have all the protection. If you buy online or not. If someone goes out with your credit card and buy things you can report it later and get your chargeback since they will check the slip signature if it is yours or not. Also online, they have protection you can reverse virtually any transactions. I also get a chargeback for a stupid koncept shelf I bought it was of poor quality, I returned the item and they (bank) charged it back to me. I don't know if it is only for platinum or titanium but you have a protection if I am not wrong of 200,000 thb at least.

Bangkok bank cards support if very efficient and speak a good English.

Did they give you a credit line or do you have to back it up with your own money??

[sciack]

Since I do not work here I backed it up with my own money. But credit cards are really useful here and in all the world. I also have concierge services, and travel insurance. And of course if there is a problem with a purchase you can charge it back. It happened also with some online purchases with paypal. Paypal did not want to open a dispute, so I contacted bangkok bank, they opened the charge back and within one month my money back. Great service and discounts of course, cash back, points. Just got a blackberry 9900 with my ThankYou points.

Merry Xmas to all