Is There A Way I Can Access Cash From A Mastercard That Transacts Fine But Not With Atms?

[TheyCallmeScooter]

My CitibankGold VISA was eaten by a KrungThai Bank ATM after the money was counted out, but then no money was released and a Red Alert / Information message was on the screen. I elicited the assistance of some passersby but they turned out to be Japanese so they were as lost as I was. We were laughing when my card (which had been ejected) was simply sucked back into the ATM.

I've been trying to call the 1551 KTB assistance line but it's the weekend so no one is answering. Does anyone know if, when they open tomorrow, I can get the card retrieved by going into a KTB branch? If I can, everything will be hunky-dory.

If I cannot, I have some potential dilemmas as my MembersEquity MasterCard is about to be replaced and is showing the worse for it's heavy wear.

I've ordered another one but ME says it might take a week or two to arrive. Meanwhile, this card is still valid and I've been using it but ATMs just reject it saying "Incomplete Data". ME says there's nothing wrong with the card but as you can see, it's not in the best condition and it's at the end of it's life-cycle. Exp: 03/13

Is there a service which I can use to charge the card as if I were at a restaurant or cafe and receive cash rather than food or goods?

Because I'm a lazy donk, and because Thailand is like the only SE Asian country not included in Citibank's Global Transfer service, I hadn't gotten around to transferring money into my local Citibank account.

Yesterday, I went into the Interchange CitibankGold office to elicit their assistance with transferring funds from my CitibankGold account to my Thai Citibank but I dunno, unless transfers are Instant they always seem to be delayed / problematic / no guarantee they'll even arrive. I once let a friend down very badly in Malaysia when I wired a five figure amount which was supposed to arrive the day before he urgently needed it but it was rejected because I missed a hyphen in his 20-30 character legal name. I've been traumatised by the mere prospect of TTs ever since.

I have funded online accounts including PayPal, Moneybookers and NETeller.

I know in the US / Aust they have disposable ATM cards you can buy for cash or credit - but I don't think I've seen anything like that in Thailand; is that correct?

Anyone know how I can get cash in my hand? I feel like I'm missing an obvious option....

[Dancealot]

I think your CC has been put under scrutiny by your bank due to 'suspicious withdrawals'(Red Flagged). All banks have a team on this to counter CC theft.

Call the bank again.

[JLCrab]

If your card indeed transacts fine as your headline states, you can do what the Thai girls do: Go with your passport to a gold shop and buy some gold; then go next door and sell it for cash.

[ggold]

I think you will find tomorrow is a bank holiday. The banks will be closed!

[TheyCallmeScooter]

If your card indeed transacts fine as your headline states, you can do what the Thai girls do: Go with your passport to a gold shop and buy some gold; then go next door and sell it for cash.

This is the sort of solution I was hoping for. Do you happen to know what kind of vig I'm going to have to wear on the buy/sell rate for gold?

[JLCrab]

All the gold shops post their sell/buy rates very visibly and there usually is not a big spread.

The official Thai gold Assoc. price 24 FEB was

Buy: ฿22300

Sell: ฿22400

Not every shop has the same price depending upon location but this is an idea of the spread.

Edited February 24, 2013 by JLCrab

[TerryLH]

You should be able to get money from the bank. Inside, not an ATM.

Terry

[ggold]

All the gold shops post their sell/buy rates very visibly and there usually is not a big spread.

The official Thai gold Assoc. price 24 FEB was

Buy: ฿22300

Sell: ฿22400

Not every shop has the same price depending upon location but this is an idea of the spread.

There might be a 3% charge for using your card in the gold shop, also expect to pay about 400 baht on top form the shop, something to do with cost of producing the jewelery.

[JLCrab]

I would agree with TLH that first you should go inside a bank with the credit card AND your passport for a cash advance if you have not already tried this.

[JDGRUEN]

In the States going inside the bank to get money with a Mastercard / Visa is called a 'Cash Advance'... With a little luck maybe they use a similar term...

[Satcommlee]

I think calling the bank is a better idea than asking on here!

[NanLaew]

First thing the OP should do is call the credit card fraud line at the CitiBank that issued the 'captured' card. Calling KTB in the hope of getting the card back isn't an option. Even if the ATM was located at a bank branch, they don't usually have access to the machine as most banks hire third-party security companies to restock and empty their ATM's. I assume this ATM was not at a KTB branch but probably a 7-eleven or the like. It is most important that the OP alerts the issuing bank that the card was seized by an ATM machine and ensure that it is canceled as it will be in the hands of the security company or (eventually) somewhere at KTB and who knows how secure that is or what they do with captured cards. Up to the OP to confirm if the new card can be sent here. Not all banks will do that. I had a VISA card eaten by a 7-eleven ATM after dispensing the cash (card was buckled and got stuck on ejection and after 3-seconds, sucked inside) so I called the issuing bank straight away, confirmed that last transaction and they immediately locked the card and mailed a new one to my UK home address. This was forwarded via DHL by a family member and the PIN information passed by voice over the phone by the same family member after it was received in the post.

The incomplete data error with the MC is either due to a damaged magnetic strip or the card being misread. I have had this with a well used card and all the issuing bank can say that their system only indicates the card is 'able to be used' with no locks or limits... but they can't see how beat up it is. It may be possible to find an ATM that will read it OK and issue cash. As the card reading failure is in the ATM before it even connects to the banking network for any cash to be issued, ie. it is failing on initial scan or after PIN is entered, trying several ATM's will not get flagged by the issuing banks systems as potential theft and fraud use and cause this card to be captured.

As mentioned, after the Monday holiday, the OP should take his card and passport to a main branch of any of the local banks, find the FOREX desk and request a cash advance. This is the most secure method and may require the Thai bank to call the issuing bank and/or the issuing bank requesting to speak to the OP.

[scorecard]

You should be able to get money from the bank. Inside, not an ATM.

Terry

Mainstream stand alone bank branches closed on Monday for public holiday but there are plenty of decent size branches inside of shopping malls etc., normally open 365.

[JLCrab]

Without taking exception to what anyone says, the OP said he still has his working and functioning Visa-card; it will just not trigger the ATM cash advance option. He wants cash post haste.

He can go to any bank branch in a Tesco or BigC and they will be open on the Monday holiday and he can try the cash advance option with his card AND his passport. If that doesn't work, he can then try the gold thing as that is a merchandise purchase rather than a cash advance transaction. If he calls the fraud unit at his bank back home, then he is S-O-L until a new card arrives via courier.

[sanuk247]

Without taking exception to what anyone says, the OP said he still has his working and functioning Visa-card; it will just not trigger the ATM cash advance option. He wants cash post haste.

He can go to any bank branch in a Tesco or BigC and they will be open on the Monday holiday and he can try the cash advance option with his card AND his passport. If that doesn't work, he can then try the gold thing as that is a merchandise purchase rather than a cash advance transaction. If he calls the fraud unit at his bank back home, then he is S-O-L until a new card arrives via courier.

Indeed you are correct. Call the fraud department and your SOL. I had same thing happen only the ATM ate the CITI Bank card. CITI Bank has what they called a Emercency Cash Option which would get you about $500 (USD) in emergency funds, so I figured that would be enough for me until they issued a new card so I called the fraud department in my home country and cancelled the card.

Went to a CITI Bank branch (I was in Phils) the next business day to get emergency funds. Turns out the CITI Bank in the Phils only had some kind of loose relationship with it's naming to CITI Bank International, hence no emergency funds. Long story shorter.. Bottom line: No emergency funds... New card issued but only to address previously listed in your home country.. Won't send new one to a existing CITI Bank branch.. Had to get friends involved and resend card from home country... Local CITI Bank branch was absolutely no help... 48 days later received new card that had been remailed by friends. Be careful out there!

[TheyCallmeScooter]

You should be able to get money from the bank. Inside, not an ATM.

Terry

I literally had no idea (and still don't really understand) how this is possible? These are Australian banks with no relationship with Thai banks; are you saying I can take in my CC and they'll give me cash advance and bill the Australian banks? It doesn't seem to make sense to me.

There might be a 3% charge for using your card in the gold shop, also expect to pay about 400 baht on top form the shop, something to do with cost of producing the jewelery.

Seems perfectly reasonable. The half % spread on buy/sell is amazing.

First thing the OP should do is call the credit card fraud line at the CitiBank that issued the 'captured' card. Calling KTB in the hope of getting the card back isn't an option. Even if the ATM was located at a bank branch, they don't usually have access to the machine as most banks hire third-party security companies to restock and empty their ATM's. I assume this ATM was not at a KTB branch but probably a 7-eleven or the like. It is most important that the OP alerts the issuing bank that the card was seized by an ATM machine and ensure that it is canceled as it will be in the hands of the security company or (eventually) somewhere at KTB and who knows how secure that is or what they do with captured cards. Up to the OP to confirm if the new card can be sent here. Not all banks will do that.

Citibank said there were no problems with the card. It would not have been ejected if there were, so I knew that already. The reason it was sucked back in was I was laughing with a Japanese guy who was trying to help but couldn't read Thai, and it's like a pretty good Security Feature I think. The ATM would process my failure to take the card as if I'd walked away from the machine so it sucked it back in to secure it. Not every ATM does this; I forgot a CC in an ATM on Soi 13 and like 10 min later I realised I needed more cash and thought I'd lost my card but no; there it was, waiting to be removed after being ejected.

I went into a KTB branch today and they were amazing. I was embarrassed at how much work they went to in order to retrieve the card because, as you mention, they hire an external company they had to negotiate with. I got the card back at 4:40 and they close at 4:30; they even stayed late for me - could not be more impressed. They were tops.

Cancelling the card is a nightmare. I lost all my cards drunk in like November and have received only two despite being assured every one was in the mail. They take ages, the PINs are always late and you're stuck facing the dilemma whether to wait it out or pull the trigger and get a new one sent out.

He can go to any bank branch in a Tesco or BigC and they will be open on the Monday holiday and he can try the cash advance option with his card AND his passport. If that doesn't work, he can then try the gold thing as that is a merchandise purchase rather than a cash advance transaction. If he calls the fraud unit at his bank back home, then he is S-O-L until a new card arrives via courier.

Went to a CITI Bank branch (I was in Phils) the next business day to get emergency funds. Turns out the CITI Bank in the Phils only had some kind of loose relationship with it's naming to CITI Bank International, hence no emergency funds. Long story shorter.. Bottom line: No emergency funds... New card issued but only to address previously listed in your home country.. Won't send new one to a existing CITI Bank branch.. Had to get friends involved and resend card from home country... Local CITI Bank branch was absolutely no help... 48 days later received new card that had been remailed by friends. Be careful out there!

Literally stunned about this cash advance option. How have I not heard of this; I must be daft.

That CITI issue you faced is the same in Thailand. They are not linked in any way, whatsoever; to transfer money from my Aust CITI I have to process a TT as if it were any other bank. It's like they're two different banks sharing the same name. Exactly the same deal with getting a card sent out; they won't send a replacement card from Citibank Australia to Citibank Thailand - it's kinda ludicrous, to my mind in any case.

[smokie36]

I'd just borrow a few grand from a friend or family and live short until the new card arrives.