Work permit and M.E visa to non b

[djayz]

I want a credit card but every time I go to my banks (Kasikorn and SCB) they request some new/additional document (e.g. salary slip, then it was my work permit, then it was..., etc.). It seems that they are reluctant to issue foreigners with a credit card. What I don't understand is, why (in my case) they are reluctant to issue me with a card? I have been banking with them for 3 years and have never had any problems. I have various accounts with them and a few million spread out over those accounts.

Do any of you know any banks that have less restrictions when it comes to issuing foreigners (with job, work permit, non-b visa, no negative credit rating, etc.) credit cards?

Thanks!

[KHR1010]

With the cash reserves that you have, simply get a secured credit card. For instance if you want a credit card with 200K Bhat limit, they will take 200K Bhat from you and deposit into an interest baring account that secures the credit card. After a period of time, for me it was one year. You can withdraw the money back out of the security account and you have a regular unsecured card. I did this years ago before I was well established in BKK, was the quickest way to get the credit card ball rolling.

[nowork114]

Citibank is the easiest one. I got my CC after few months WP. Kasikorn and KTC gave me Platiniums only after 2 year WP. Of course salary proof (i got away with some paper from Govt. that I'm paying taxes from my salary. Not exactly sure about the process coz accounting was talking to bank directly ...

[tdpark]

Citibank is the easiest one. I got my CC after few months WP. Kasikorn and KTC gave me Platiniums only after 2 year WP. Of course salary proof (i got away with some paper from Govt. that I'm paying taxes from my salary. Not exactly sure about the process coz accounting was talking to bank directly ...

what is the minimum salary u need to apply citi?

btw, i think applying amex is better (directly with amex, no banks), i heard they have less restriction but you still need to prove salary +work permit etc.

[nowork114]

Citibank is the easiest one. I got my CC after few months WP. Kasikorn and KTC gave me Platiniums only after 2 year WP. Of course salary proof (i got away with some paper from Govt. that I'm paying taxes from my salary. Not exactly sure about the process coz accounting was talking to bank directly ...

what is the minimum salary u need to apply citi?

btw, i think applying amex is better (directly with amex, no banks), i heard they have less restriction but you still need to prove salary +work permit etc.

For foreigner it's 50k - anyway this is the minimum salary so you have to pay taxes from 50k even if in real you get less. From Citi i got only standard card with 20k limit. From Kasikorn I got Platinium with over 100k limit.

[DrTuner]

If it's just for online shopping, get a virtual visa debit card from Kasikorn, it's free once you've got a normal bank account. Can be opened with a couple of clicks in the net bank. Works fine with PayPal, too.

[theoldgit]

btw, i think applying amex is better (directly with amex, no banks), i heard they have less restriction but you still need to prove salary +work permit etc.

I got invited to apply for one of their co-branded Thai/Amex Platinum Cards about four years back, mailshot because I was then a Thai Airways Gold Card Holder.

Applied thinking that as I am retired so don't have a WP would be turned down, sent them bank statements giving details of my pension, and I was sent my card, with a reasonably good limit, a couple of weeks later.

Very handy as a back up, but not everybody will accept Amex, in which case I use my Kasikorn Debit Card for online and offline purchases.

Plenty of Thai miles to boot.

Edited August 27, 2012 by theoldgit

[samran]

btw, i think applying amex is better (directly with amex, no banks), i heard they have less restriction but you still need to prove salary +work permit etc.

I got invited to apply for one of their co-branded Thai/Amex Platinum Cards about four years back, mailshot because I was then a Thai Airways Gold Card Holder.

Applied thinking that as I am retired so don't have a WP would be turned down, sent them bank statements giving details of my pension, and I was sent my card, with a reasonably good limit, a couple of weeks later.

Very handy as a back up, but not everybody will accept Amex, in which case I use my Kasikorn Debit Card for online and offline purchases.

Plenty of Thai miles to boot.

One of the nice things about AMEX is that in Thailand more vendors accept it I've found, than just about anywhere else in the world. So while it might not be the greatest card to take on the road, you do get good acceptance of it in Thailand. Near universal in my experience (though admittedly smaller shops won't accept it as much).

[djayz]

With the cash reserves that you have, simply get a secured credit card. For instance if you want a credit card with 200K Bhat limit, they will take 200K Bhat from you and deposit into an interest baring account that secures the credit card. After a period of time, for me it was one year. You can withdraw the money back out of the security account and you have a regular unsecured card. I did this years ago before I was well established in BKK, was the quickest way to get the credit card ball rolling.

Thanks! That looks interesting... and it probably cuts out a lot of the paper work too (wp, salary slips, etc.). Great!

[timbershifter]

I have a AMEX gold card for about 15 years now but every time it's renewed i have to collect

it from Ned Bank in South Africa.

What's my chance of getting 1 if i apply for it in BKK or where ever they have an office, what paper work

will be needed.

Cheers

[theoldgit]

I believe there could be a transfer scheme, you could ask them in Bangkok.

[gk10002000]

With the cash reserves that you have, simply get a secured credit card. For instance if you want a credit card with 200K Bhat limit, they will take 200K Bhat from you and deposit into an interest baring account that secures the credit card. After a period of time, for me it was one year. You can withdraw the money back out of the security account and you have a regular unsecured card. I did this years ago before I was well established in BKK, was the quickest way to get the credit card ball rolling.

Thanks! That looks interesting... and it probably cuts out a lot of the paper work too (wp, salary slips, etc.). Great!

I did this once in the USA several years ago. It was simple. Just send money, they sent card. Gave about 1.5x the amount I had on deposit. Bank even paid interest on the money I had sent them to deposit. Credit was reported regularly to all three major credit bureaus. It was with Sterling Bank out of Michigan as I recall. Still was one of the best services I had ever bought or paid for in my life. They did EXACTLY what they advertised. Years later I took my money back and closed the card because I had better things. No issues anywhere along the line.