Thai Immigration Bureau To Take E-Payments

[bangkokburning]

The Immigration Bureau could be paying people on TVF 5% for the convenience make electronic payments, and they would still be whinging.

For god's sake, if you can't afford the 1%, keep paying by cash - or even better, reconsider whether you really should be living in a foreign country.

What arrogance. I love cash and despise credit, especially credit cards.

I love its simplicity, its anonomity. People that live on plastic shouldnt be living in a foreign (developing) country, especially an Asian one.

[MoonShadow]

The charges to the merchant are in fact the same whether a debit or credit card is used.....around 2-3% of the payment PLUS additional administration in accounting for the charges etc. If the merchant isn't charging he has probably already factored this charge into his pricing and so you should be asking for a discount for cash.....

[MoonShadow]

The Immigration Bureau could be paying people on TVF 5% for the convenience make electronic payments, and they would still be whinging.

For god's sake, if you can't afford the 1%, keep paying by cash - or even better, reconsider whether you really should be living in a foreign country.

What arrogance. I love cash and despise credit, especially credit cards.

I love its simplicity, its anonomity. People that live on plastic shouldnt be living in a foreign (developing) country, especially an Asian one.

Using a credit or debit card doesn't mean you have to use credit; its simply an alternative means of payment with up to 50+ days before you have to pay; if you pay in full then there is no charge and no credit.....for debit cards you are simply accessing your cash immediately so again no credit involved!! Edited November 30, 2012 by MoonShadow

[jaideeguy]

"Each year, the bureau's offices in Bangkok collect close to 800 million baht in revenue from fines and fees. The electronic payment options would increase convenience for the payer and the bureau itself, Pol Lt Gen Phanu said."

and maybe another 200mil baht for tea money??

Actually I'm surprised that their figures are so low. Judging from the full house at CM immigration, I would estimate yearly fees to be at least 2X that.

[MoonShadow]

"Each year, the bureau's offices in Bangkok collect close to 800 million baht in revenue from fines and fees. The electronic payment options would increase convenience for the payer and the bureau itself, Pol Lt Gen Phanu said."

and maybe another 200mil baht for tea money??

Actually I'm surprised that their figures are so low. Judging from the full house at CM immigration, I would estimate yearly fees to be at least 2X that.

I agree, if you just look at Visa renewal plus Multiple entry charge is about THB 5500 so that into 800 mil is 160,000, I think there are more than 160,000 'foreigners' in thailand needing to do this.....

[NoshowJones]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but when you sign up to have payments processed by Visa and Mastercard don't they have in the contract that merchants are not allowed to assess additional fees to process the cards. Essentially for the customer it has to be the same as paying cash. The merchant has to eat the processing charge. Every time I see a hotel or restaurant try to take on that 3% for using Credit or Debit cards, I thought that it is against Visa and Mastercards policy. Am I wrong?

YES but don't forget this is Thailand.

Where anything goes.

Yes, anything will go if you allow it to. I did not know this, but from now on I will make sure no one charges any extra on my mastercard. Hotels and travel agents were doing that to me up until now.

[MagicMax]

Hooh flipping hoorray, hope the rest start doing it. No more death defying trips to hand over cash!

[NoshowJones]

The Immigration Bureau could be paying people on TVF 5% for the convenience make electronic payments, and they would still be whinging.

For god's sake, if you can't afford the 1%, keep paying by cash - or even better, reconsider whether you really should be living in a foreign country.

Your'e wrong Jack, it's nothing to do with not being able to afford the 1%, it's the principle, and just because you live in a foreign country, any country, it doesn't give them the right to wrongfully charge you for anything.

[TechnikaIII]

I welcome it as a good move in the right direction, If the handling charge on the card means saving time and hassle in the traffic etc, it suits me , for I have better things to do.

As far as fines are concerned, I organise my life here to avoid them.

[fishhooks]

If they are talking about Bangkok only, being where you can do this, it's probably not going to apply to big numbers of us anyway.

[Havco]

Yes same in Australia and New Zealand merchants can add the credit card fee's on at the time of transaction.....

[lemoncake]

1 % fee really spoil the good feeling.

1 is actually really good, because if paying with credit card it's usually about 2-3%

[theoldgit]

About time, what about Embassies & consulates abroad?

The UK Embassy takes Visa and MasterCard.

[Maestro]

Payments using debit cards of other banks or financial institutions and credit cards of any financial institution would be subject to a 1% fee, he said.

My understanding is that that this 1% fee is the merchant fee charged by the credit card companies and banks to the immigration office, not a fee charged by the immigration office to the foreigners, but let's wait and see how this plays out.

[inquisitive]

The Immigration Bureau could be paying people on TVF 5% for the convenience make electronic payments, and they would still be whinging.

For god's sake, if you can't afford the 1%, keep paying by cash - or even better, reconsider whether you really should be living in a foreign country.

And how about you grow up and stop making comments like a pre-teen. It's none of your business whether someone else can afford something or not. It's none of your business how or who they pay. Such a sanctimonious comment! Nobody needs you here - wherever that may be.

[XINLOI]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but when you sign up to have payments processed by Visa and Mastercard don't they have in the contract that merchants are not allowed to assess additional fees to process the cards. Essentially for the customer it has to be the same as paying cash. The merchant has to eat the processing charge. Every time I see a hotel or restaurant try to take on that 3% for using Credit or Debit cards, I thought that it is against Visa and Mastercards policy. Am I wrong?

You are correct. Vendors are not allowed to add processing costs according to Visa & MC rules.

My experience here has been the business, adds the surcharge (3%) to your bill and they do not pay it. You don't pay it, no purchase. They all do it......!

[theoldgit]

I welcome it as a good move in the right direction, If the handling charge on the card means saving time and hassle in the traffic etc, it suits me , for I have better things to do.

Am I missing something here? You still have go to the Immigration Office, so you still have to spend time and have hassle of traffic, there is an ATM outside the office, so what are the benefits to us? I'm not bothered about the fee though.

[vagabond48]

My experience here has been the business, adds the surcharge (3%) to your bill and they do not pay it. You don't pay it, no purchase. They all do it......!

I only use my CC when the merchant does not tack on an additional fee plus I get 1% back from my CC provider. On a occasion, they try to sneak in a fixed exchange rate rather then letting Visa or MC determine the final exchange rate. Using the former method gives you an approx. 4% lower exchange rate.

[quiuvo]

Will somebody tell me how we submit the forms and the copies of passport etc?

[lopburi3]

You do as you have always done (which varies by what you are trying to do) - this is just about payment change option.

[quiuvo]

If I have to submit the forms and copies to renew my yearly visa as always then that means I have to go to the immigration office, which makes no sense. They, most likely, want me to submit the info as if it was a quarterly reporting. But I am only a newbie.

[lopburi3]

This thread is simply about an additional method to pay for service in addition to the normal cash payment that has been required in the past.

[quiuvo]

Oh, I stand corrected. Maybe another thread may be required to answer this question or I just go to the information the embassies provide on the net.

[Bagwan]

Are the posters aware that by accepting payment by credit card the provider of services or goods doesn't get paid for 56 days? That is at least one reason the credit card payments are not welcomed by many. Another is that that cardholder can dispute his/her account being debited if what they have purchased proves unreliable or useless. Sorting out the problem can take months particularly if High speed Thai Post is the medium of communication.

I make a point of asking whether I will incur a surcharge of 3% if paying by credit card before the bill is made up. If so, then they get cash and I tell the supplier I will not deal with them again.. The usual response is 'Up to you' but the people that I deal with on a regular basis accept my attitude. I am sure that their profit margins are more than 3% and they are content to accept what in their eyes is giving a discount to a regular customer.

My UK accountants were more than happy to accept my credit card staements as proof that I had incurred business expenses rather that sift through a pile of invoices.

[rakman]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but when you sign up to have payments processed by Visa and Mastercard don't they have in the contract that merchants are not allowed to assess additional fees to process the cards. Essentially for the customer it has to be the same as paying cash. The merchant has to eat the processing charge. Every time I see a hotel or restaurant try to take on that 3% for using Credit or Debit cards, I thought that it is against Visa and Mastercards policy. Am I wrong?

You are correct. Vendors are not allowed to add processing costs according to Visa & MC rules.

Governments are not vendors. They can do what they want.

A government powerful enough to give you everything is even more powerful to take it all away, including your freedom and life.

[rakman]

Are the posters aware that by accepting payment by credit card the provider of services or goods doesn't get paid for 56 days? That is at least one reason the credit card payments are not welcomed by many. Another is that that cardholder can dispute his/her account being debited if what they have purchased proves unreliable or useless. Sorting out the problem can take months particularly if High speed Thai Post is the medium of communication.

I make a point of asking whether I will incur a surcharge of 3% if paying by credit card before the bill is made up. If so, then they get cash and I tell the supplier I will not deal with them again.. The usual response is 'Up to you' but the people that I deal with on a regular basis accept my attitude. I am sure that their profit margins are more than 3% and they are content to accept what in their eyes is giving a discount to a regular customer.

My UK accountants were more than happy to accept my credit card staements as proof that I had incurred business expenses rather that sift through a pile of invoices.

Not true, at least in the US. We have a few clients that wanted to pay with credit card, we get paid in about 6 days, and for a low fee.

[davejones]

Maybe I am wrong on this, but when you sign up to have payments processed by Visa and Mastercard don't they have in the contract that merchants are not allowed to assess additional fees to process the cards. Essentially for the customer it has to be the same as paying cash. The merchant has to eat the processing charge. Every time I see a hotel or restaurant try to take on that 3% for using Credit or Debit cards, I thought that it is against Visa and Mastercards policy. Am I wrong?

You are correct. Vendors are not allowed to add processing costs according to Visa & MC rules.

Not true. Many very big airlines add card processing fees. In the UK it is legal to do that. When I had a business that too credit card payments in the UK, the bank didn't tell me anything about not adding on charges. I didn't, but I never saw that rule. Nothing the card companies can do about it. Even if they have that rule, it's not in their interests to enforce it if the rule is widely ignored.

[Bagwan]

Are the posters aware that by accepting payment by credit card the provider of services or goods doesn't get paid for 56 days? That is at least one reason the credit card payments are not welcomed by many. Another is that that cardholder can dispute his/her account being debited if what they have purchased proves unreliable or useless. Sorting out the problem can take months particularly if High speed Thai Post is the medium of communication.

I make a point of asking whether I will incur a surcharge of 3% if paying by credit card before the bill is made up. If so, then they get cash and I tell the supplier I will not deal with them again.. The usual response is 'Up to you' but the people that I deal with on a regular basis accept my attitude. I am sure that their profit margins are more than 3% and they are content to accept what in their eyes is giving a discount to a regular customer.

My UK accountants were more than happy to accept my credit card staements as proof that I had incurred business expenses rather that sift through a pile of invoices.

Not true, at least in the US. We have a few clients that wanted to pay with credit card, we get paid in about 6 days, and for a low fee.

Your first sentence, the substance of which I accept, says it all. My experience is of the UK but is 12 years old now. I recognise that things may well have moved on.

[davejones]

Are the posters aware that by accepting payment by credit card the provider of services or goods doesn't get paid for 56 days? That is at least one reason the credit card payments are not welcomed by many. Another is that that cardholder can dispute his/her account being debited if what they have purchased proves unreliable or useless. Sorting out the problem can take months particularly if High speed Thai Post is the medium of communication.

I make a point of asking whether I will incur a surcharge of 3% if paying by credit card before the bill is made up. If so, then they get cash and I tell the supplier I will not deal with them again.. The usual response is 'Up to you' but the people that I deal with on a regular basis accept my attitude. I am sure that their profit margins are more than 3% and they are content to accept what in their eyes is giving a discount to a regular customer.

My UK accountants were more than happy to accept my credit card staements as proof that I had incurred business expenses rather that sift through a pile of invoices.

That is not true at all. I accepted credit card payments in the UK. All payments received up to midnight were in my bank account by 10am the next day. That's all the money, nothing held back. That is what it's like for most companies that accept credit cards. This was 3-8 years ago.

Edited November 30, 2012 by davejones

[techboy]

800million?wow that explane all the new cars in the staff parking.If this will be in all local office,that will make many officers unhappy,no cash,no extras??

Wow. Did not take long for a no knowledge inference of corruption to get posted.