I normally use a Thai issued credit card but today I wanted to use my UK credit card at a subway station to top up my MRT travel store card. This is the first time I have attempted to use a Chip & Pin card in Thailand.

However the ticket office staff told my Thai wife that the card couldn't be accepted as a Pin number is required and of course Thailand has yet to progress to this type of card. When I contacted my credit card company in the UK they told me that nothing was recorded about an attempted transaction and they also told me that there is no reason why the card couldn't be accepted in the more traditional way of signing a slip as with Thai credit issued cards. They mentioned an alternative of an ATM machine but that is way too expensive.

So my question is did the staff of MRT fail to choose an alternative option of processing the card payment, are ceratin merchants unable to accept Chin & Pin cards or indeed can Chip & Pin cards not be used at all in this country?

I've used my UK chip and pin card in Thailand previously without problem, when they swiped it automatically printed off a slip to sign.

Likewise in the UK I have used my Thai card, this was more problematical as most cashiers are programmed to just point to the pin machine, I am programmed to shrug my shoulders, when they do swipe the card they look amazed when the slip comes out, they normally have to look round for a pen.

Yes. UK C&P cards work fine in Thailand: just get the cashier to swipe them. Watch out for the dynamic exchange conversion rip-off and be sure to use a UK card that has no foreign exchange weighting (there are still one or two of these available).

You may want to check with your bank that you do not have to have your card authorised for use in Thailand, Halifax want 24 hours notice to use your UK card in Thailand

Edited February 17, 201313 yr by MaprangHolmes

You may want to check with your bank that you do not have to have your card authorised for use in Thailand, Halifax want 24 hours notice to use your UK card in Thailand

Indeed, Barclays always need advance travel notice, and it's for your own protection. Although I live in Thailand my card was blocked when I forgot to tell them of a recent trip to Australia.

Otherwise no problems at all using my UK C&P card here.

All my UK C&P cards work just fine here, watch for the charge currency choice (choose to be billed in Baht for a better rate).

All my UK C&P cards work just fine here, watch for the charge currency choice (choose to be billed in Baht for a better rate).

Don't know about others but have found over many years that Barclaycard/Visa always give excellent exchange rates.

re

can Chip & Pin cards not be used at all in this country?

i had a nice letter from nationwide at xmas saying if i didnt use my credit card

before the end of febuary 13 they would cancel it : (

so as i hadnt used theirs or my barclaycard and nat west cards for about three

years i used all of them to draw 1000 baht from an aeon machine just to keep

them alive / active ..... and they all worked fine : )

dave2