Australian non tax resident- non-financial issues.

[NoshowJones]

Does anyone know how hard or easy it is to get a Thai credit card without a work permit? I would be prepared to have a credit limit of around 40.000 Baht and clear it off every month. I have a bank account with the Kasikorn Bank. I already have a UK credit card but do not want to use it again.

[webfact]

moved to "Business, Banking" Forum

//Admin

[Upnotover]

Kasikorn offered me a card with a 50,000 limit provided I kept 100,000 on deposit in an account somehow linked to the card. I don't see any point in that, can use their Visa debit card for anything anyway (I got a debit card with my name on it as I use it to book flights, etc.). I don't have a WP btw.

[richard_smith237]

A friend of mine just got caught short trying to change fights: The Airline needed a small (US$20 equivalent) credit card payment for the change. They wouldn't accept a debit card.

Sometimes the credit card is a necessary evil...

I don't need a card - but I use my Wifes card as an additional card holder, its one option for the Married fella's who work overseas and thus don't have a WP in Thailand.

[theoldgit]

Also many car hire companies and hotels will not accept a debit card as a deposit, I assume because you may not be able to block the funds.

[Supertuktuk]

I have just got a credit card from Krungsri Bank of Ayudhya 45.000 baht limit but i kept 50.000 baht on deposit in account linked to the VISA card

[simple1]

I have just got a credit card from Krungsri Bank of Ayudhya 45.000 baht limit but i kept 50.000 baht on deposit in account linked to the VISA card

sama available from kasikorn, but must have been a customer for minimum 6 months with O Visa, with retirement extension. OP you can pick up the application form from a Kasikorn branch

[sas_cars]

Yeah. Getting a thai credit card is certainly not easy. Even for a work permit holder, Banks usually wanna see a guy working in thailand at least a year with a work permit with a decent salary i.e. at least 50,000 up. And even then, you'll still be declined a lot of banks.

As far as a foreigner without a work permit, certainly no way to get an unsecured credit card. Your only options are a secured credit card (putting twice the amount of credit you need in a locked account) or a supplemantary card if your wife or gf who has a credit card, does it for you.

[theoldgit]

As far as a foreigner without a work permit, certainly no way to get an unsecured credit card. Your only options are a secured credit card (putting twice the amount of credit you need in a locked account) or a supplementary card if your wife or gf who has a credit card, does it for you.

I wouldn't go as far as saying "certainly no way", I was invited to apply for an Amex Card, did so and was accepted. I am retired and was so when I was invited to apply.

Whilst putting money on deposit is an option, you are effectively borrowing your own money, but it does get over the problem on not being able to use a debit card for some hotels and car hire companies.

[boosta]

Bottom line is you have to "prove" to them you aren't a flight-risk, just passing through, they can't chase you overseas and a high percentage of foreigners do abscond when they find out Thailand doesn't work like back home regarding bad debts.

And you have to be credit-worthy on top of that, which means either a high-enough and secure, regular income from a mainstream source, or significant stable history of relative wealth.

This translates to - long-term resident either with a well-paying stable job or a relatively wealthy pensioner.

[NoshowJones]

I have just got a credit card from Krungsri Bank of Ayudhya 45.000 baht limit but i kept 50.000 baht on deposit in account linked to the VISA card

sama available from kasikorn, but must have been a customer for minimum 6 months with O Visa, with retirement extension. OP you can pick up the application form from a Kasikorn branch

Thanks simple1, I will do that.

[Pib]

Keep in mind Thai credit cards have little to no consumer protection....it's more like bank protection. If your Thai credit card gets fraudulently used, like you lose it and the finder goes on a shopping spree, you will be on the hook for the charges....and you will be on the hook for all charges until you contact the issuing Thai bank to cancel the card...actually, you seem to be on the hook up to five minutes after the bank accepts the cancellation notice/call from you. OK the card is now cancelled, but you are still on the hook for the shopping spree charges....I've heard it take a ton of proof which you generally need to round up to prove the charges were fraudulent/not made by you. If you don't want to use your UK card due to fees then that is understandable...but at least you would have a lot more consumer protection with your UK card.

But to you basic question regarding can you get a Thai credit card, from the bank web sites I've looked at and many ThaiVisa posts I've read you generally need to have a work permit to get your foot in the door to get an "unsecured" credit card. But if you want to get a "secured" credit card where you put down a deposit as collateral (you are basically spending your own money), then those can be got fairly easy...the banks really don't care if you leave the country with a credit card balance because they still have you deposit. Actually I've heard even when you cancel the Thai credit card say for example "today" and it supposedly had no outstanding balance, you still couldn't get you deposit back for 30-45 days in case there are some credit card charges which hadn't hit the system on day of card cancellation.

[gosompoi]

KrungThai gave me a classic visa card with 60,000 limit before my work permit, I had more than 300,000 deposited with them but they never required any type of deposit over the past 4 years.

[AbeSurd]

A friend of mine just got caught short trying to change fights: The Airline needed a small (US$20 equivalent) credit card payment for the change. They wouldn't accept a debit card.

Sometimes the credit card is a necessary evil...

I don't need a card - but I use my Wifes card as an additional card holder, its one option for the Married fella's who work overseas and thus don't have a WP in Thailand.

Yes, unfortunately they are a necessary evil sometimes. But i don't like the sound of Thai credit cards.

Does anyone know the smallest credit limit a Thai bank will allow? I mean, could you get Thai credit card with a 10,000 baht limit?

And why do they require a secured deposit equal to TWICE the credit limit? Doesn't this suggest that credit limits are not enforced very effectively by the banks?

Or maybe it's so that in addition to covering the cost of the purchased items, they can deduct a load of money for interest too?

[puyaidon]

Keep in mind Thai credit cards have little to no consumer protection....it's more like bank protection. If your Thai credit card gets fraudulently used, like you lose it and the finder goes on a shopping spree, you will be on the hook for the charges....and you will be on the hook for all charges until you contact the issuing Thai bank to cancel the card...actually, you seem to be on the hook up to five minutes after the bank accepts the cancellation notice/call from you. OK the card is now cancelled, but you are still on the hook for the shopping spree charges....I've heard it take a ton of proof which you generally need to round up to prove the charges were fraudulent/not made by you. If you don't want to use your UK card due to fees then that is understandable...but at least you would have a lot more consumer protection with your UK card.

But to you basic question regarding can you get a Thai credit card, from the bank web sites I've looked at and many ThaiVisa posts I've read you generally need to have a work permit to get your foot in the door to get an "unsecured" credit card. But if you want to get a "secured" credit card where you put down a deposit as collateral (you are basically spending your own money), then those can be got fairly easy...the banks really don't care if you leave the country with a credit card balance because they still have you deposit. Actually I've heard even when you cancel the Thai credit card say for example "today" and it supposedly had no outstanding balance, you still couldn't get you deposit back for 30-45 days in case there are some credit card charges which hadn't hit the system on day of card cancellation.

I hate to disagree but card holders of Thai credit cards here in Thailand do have protection. I have had two cases of my card numbers being use frauduently and both were resolved by the bank. One was my card number was stolen at a gas station and used in a phone shop on Rama 2 road. It took the bank three months to resolve the case. I think my name had something to do with it as it is not a Thai name and a Thai could not sign my name to any degree of penmanship. I think the bank contacted the police so the matter was resolved.

Another incident was when I booked some rooms in Pattaya from a Thai web page and I ended up with a total of four additional charges, two of which from the UK, one from New York City and the other from Miami, Florida. After sending in rebuttals and copies of my past passports showing that I had not left the country for over ten years, the matter did get resolved by the bank where the cards were issued here in Thailand. It took the bank six months to finally resolve the matter. When I faxed in the rebuttals, the bank put the charges on a special code where the amount was not billed to me but it was on my statement until the incident was concluded.

I did get the cards when I was working with a work permit but have maintained them unsecured since I left work and on a retirement extension. So far, as far as the bank is concerned, I am paying the bills and using them when needed. My credit rating each year has been outstanding and don't intend to change that.

Edited June 15, 2013 by puyaidon

[NoshowJones]

Keep in mind Thai credit cards have little to no consumer protection....it's more like bank protection. If your Thai credit card gets fraudulently used, like you lose it and the finder goes on a shopping spree, you will be on the hook for the charges....and you will be on the hook for all charges until you contact the issuing Thai bank to cancel the card...actually, you seem to be on the hook up to five minutes after the bank accepts the cancellation notice/call from you. OK the card is now cancelled, but you are still on the hook for the shopping spree charges....I've heard it take a ton of proof which you generally need to round up to prove the charges were fraudulent/not made by you. If you don't want to use your UK card due to fees then that is understandable...but at least you would have a lot more consumer protection with your UK card.

But to you basic question regarding can you get a Thai credit card, from the bank web sites I've looked at and many ThaiVisa posts I've read you generally need to have a work permit to get your foot in the door to get an "unsecured" credit card. But if you want to get a "secured" credit card where you put down a deposit as collateral (you are basically spending your own money), then those can be got fairly easy...the banks really don't care if you leave the country with a credit card balance because they still have you deposit. Actually I've heard even when you cancel the Thai credit card say for example "today" and it supposedly had no outstanding balance, you still couldn't get you deposit back for 30-45 days in case there are some credit card charges which hadn't hit the system on day of card cancellation.

Great answer Pib thanks.

[NoshowJones]

Thanks to all who posted, you have been a great help.

[Torrens54]

Okay, so I can understand that hardly any business in CNX wants to take an American Express Card these days but we have a DEBIT Card with a Thai Bank and frequently find traders won't accept it. The MONEY is in the BANK and the Debit is automatic, so they get their money straight away. Any ideas on WHY some Thai business owners won't take the card?

[bobl]

Any ideas on WHY some Thai business owners won't take the card?

Simple. Because they can't afford (or do not want) to give a large percentage of their profit to the bankers...

[Pib]

Okay, so I can understand that hardly any business in CNX wants to take an American Express Card these days but we have a DEBIT Card with a Thai Bank and frequently find traders won't accept it. The MONEY is in the BANK and the Debit is automatic, so they get their money straight away. Any ideas on WHY some Thai business owners won't take the card?

Fees the owners incur...plus it seems some businesses continue to shy away from cards simply because they incur a few percent in fees...and just maybe cash transactions are less trackable by the tax man.

[shepsel]

I got a Thai Mastercard through Bangkok Bank. It gives one percent back of your purchases each month and they deduct it from the outstanding amount. It's not much, but I charge whatever I can in the larger stores like Rimping, Tops, Central, and over the course of a year....

I was on a student visa here, and went to the bank with a copy of my passport, and left 100,000 in an interest bearing account--and I got a credit limit for the amount of the deposit left in the account. I have had no problems whatsoever--and it is good when one is in a money crunch situation at a neighbouring country where debit cards don't necessarily work.

I would strongly recommend that anyone staying here for a longer period of time condsider getting a Thai Mastercard or Visa.

[Pib]

Does anyone out there know of a Thai bank which has an "English language" Terms & Conditions of its credit card(s) linked on their website?

Now I don't mean Thai bank web sites where they give a quick overview/a couple of bullet statements on how great their credit/debit cards are or in the Fees area of their web site they will show annual internet rate/annual fee, I mean a full English language T&C. I've seen one, maybe two short T&Cs that were in the Thai language, but haven't seen one in English. Anyone got a webpage link?

Many of the Thai bank forms/documents and their websites are in English & Thai...it's just I've never seen a Thai credit card T&C English language version. Hopefully one is out there and I just haven't found it yet. Thanks in advance.

[NoshowJones]

I have just got a credit card from Krungsri Bank of Ayudhya 45.000 baht limit but i kept 50.000 baht on deposit in account linked to the VISA card

sama available from kasikorn, but must have been a customer for minimum 6 months with O Visa, with retirement extension. OP you can pick up the application form from a Kasikorn branch

No Simple1, the bank told me I need to have a work permit. The dreadful mentality in this country is not just among the uneducated, any person knows that if you have a credit card limit of 50,000, and you must keep at least that amount in your account then the bank cannot lose. yes I know, TIT.

[simple1]

I have just got a credit card from Krungsri Bank of Ayudhya 45.000 baht limit but i kept 50.000 baht on deposit in account linked to the VISA card

sama available from kasikorn, but must have been a customer for minimum 6 months with O Visa, with retirement extension. OP you can pick up the application form from a Kasikorn branch

No Simple1, the bank told me I need to have a work permit. The dreadful mentality in this country is not just among the uneducated, any person knows that if you have a credit card limit of 50,000, and you must keep at least that amount in your account then the bank cannot lose. yes I know, TIT.

I assume it's because you are not a permanent resident & therefore the bank needs to cover risk. Looking at the K-Bank application form in front of me right now, it does state that if you do not have a work permit you must have 1m baht in a savings or fixed deposit account for six months in a Thai commercial bank at the time of application.