Buying online in Thailand, why so hard?

[stickylies]

conclusion after 143 posts: there are people who have no problems whatsoever buying online in thailand. and there are people who experience problems all the time (including problems with the local females, the local police, the local landlords, the local food, ...). same old story i guess.

[robblok]

conclusion after 143 posts: there are people who have no problems whatsoever buying online in thailand. and there are people who experience problems all the time (including problems with the local females, the local police, the local landlords, the local food, ...). same old story i guess.

I come to a different conclusion.. Thailand is way back compared to other countries and it is more of a hassle (fact)

That does not mean it cant go well as I buy online and pay with a bank, but sending the proof of payment is a hassle. With some sellers it is not needed and the SMS option is enough to satisfy them.

But hey we all have a different POV

[SlideRiceFC]

Yes, I'm constantly astounded how far behind they are in that respect. I do know some Thai people that use and benefit from Paypal though. Thai ePay and Paysbuy I don't hear too much about but those also work here and I haven't seen any good e-commerce applications that remove the manual processes completely.

Paypal aside, as the OP also mentioned credit cards I feel this is an area that is sorely lacking. I did e-commerce before there was a Paypal and I had a rather pricey credit card processing account. But here although they may be available and I'm unaware of it the fact remains that most Thais don't have a proper credit card. They slap visa logos on all the cards but they are basically just atm cards with some debit functionality. I know some have some one-time-password options and virtual cards but this is still far different from the US where you can use your debit card just like you would a Visa card as long as your bank balance covers the purchase.

As for the person suggesting that using paypal is dumb and asking why the seller should pay...these are the costs of doing business. It's just like paying for rent or taxes. We don't do it for kicks. We do it because it makes things more efficient and saves us time which equates to money and opens the doors to new customers which also equates to more money. If you've had some bad experiences with paypal I assure you I have had the same things happen processing credit cards. There are scammers everywhere and Thailand is no exception. You have to decide what is right for your business. The OP is complaining that there simply aren't many options here. It's part of moving forward. What if all the shopping centers in Thailand suddenly took your backwards approach and said they don't want to process credit or debit because they didn't feel the need to be responsibility for the costs of processing payments or the risks incurred? Customers would be inconvenienced and sales would be lost. If you want run your online business like a noodle stall that's fine. But people don't go to a noodle stall expecting to use their credit card and people don't shop online expecting to have to leave their house and run around making payments and sending faxes.

I have a Maestro debit card and can't use it with Paypal or do any online shopping with it, it is a disgrace as Maestro cards are used all over the world.

K-Web Shopping card works fine with PayPal and you have 2 forms of protection, I think the issue is it's listed as a debit card not a credit card. Altough the Web Shoppingcard functions basically the same as a debit card it is "listed" as a credit card. I've only had a problem with 1 merchant in the States who said they couldn't (or I suspect wouldn't) verify the card as it was an overseas card.

Can you get a K-Web Shopping card in Thailand?

A few people have mentioned this. I wish I could. Kasikorn used to have a very clear policy on their site about foreigners opening accounts. Even those on tourist visas could open one. However, my girlfriend's sister-in-law works at the branch next to my house and I was going to open an account there but she said she couldn't that I needed a work permit. I thought that was nonsense and told my girlfriend as much. But when I checked their site the information I'd read before pertaining to foreigners had disappeared. I'm not sure if there were a policy change after the whole FATCA deal. I'm on a non-immigrant ED visa so it seems ridiculous that someone that has shown intent to stay here long term would not be able to open an account. But I've been in Thailand long enough to know that I probably just need to go try my luck in another more farang-populated area.

[stickylies]

I come to a different conclusion.. Thailand is way back compared to other countries and it is more of a hassle (fact)

depends on your definition of hassle. 3 days ago i wanted to buy something in CMai. no online storefront. e-mailed the firm, got reply in 15 minutes, told them what i wanted and how many, asked for COD, all stuff got here 2 working days later. so what's the difference with speaking (very short email traffic) with human or giving in all details (address, card, etc) with some computerized system?

[RigPig]

A few people have mentioned this. I wish I could. Kasikorn used to have a very clear policy on their site about foreigners opening accounts. Even those on tourist visas could open one. However, my girlfriend's sister-in-law works at the branch next to my house and I was going to open an account there but she said she couldn't that I needed a work permit. I thought that was nonsense and told my girlfriend as much. But when I checked their site the information I'd read before pertaining to foreigners had disappeared. I'm not sure if there were a policy change after the whole FATCA deal. I'm on a non-immigrant ED visa so it seems ridiculous that someone that has shown intent to stay here long term would not be able to open an account. But I've been in Thailand long enough to know that I probably just need to go try my luck in another more farang-populated area.

Not sure what it is now, I've been with themfor a while. All I needed at the time was my passport !! Itused to be the easiest bank to join up with, I am in Phuket, maybe a more Farang populated area would be different.....

I'll try and find out and post the results

[SlideRiceFC]

A few people have mentioned this. I wish I could. Kasikorn used to have a very clear policy on their site about foreigners opening accounts. Even those on tourist visas could open one. However, my girlfriend's sister-in-law works at the branch next to my house and I was going to open an account there but she said she couldn't that I needed a work permit. I thought that was nonsense and told my girlfriend as much. But when I checked their site the information I'd read before pertaining to foreigners had disappeared. I'm not sure if there were a policy change after the whole FATCA deal. I'm on a non-immigrant ED visa so it seems ridiculous that someone that has shown intent to stay here long term would not be able to open an account. But I've been in Thailand long enough to know that I probably just need to go try my luck in another more farang-populated area.

Not sure what it is now, I've been with themfor a while. All I needed at the time was my passport !! Itused to be the easiest bank to join up with, I am in Phuket, maybe a more Farang populated area would be different.....

I'll try and find out and post the results

Yes, I'm in Nonthaburi so I can get into Bangkok with no problem and intend to try soon. I'm sure there are branches in the Sukhumvit area that deal with a large farang clientele and are less likely to be hesitant to open an account.

When I first arrived in Thailand I just had a 30 day stamp in my passport. I walked into the first KTB nearest my condo and was asked if I had a work permit. No. Did I have my passport with me? Yes. They opened an account with no problem. However after multiple trips to different branches I'm yet to get a card that will work with paypal however I do believe my latest trip yielded one that does have a similar OTP setup so I can probably use it online for non-paypal purchases although I haven't tried.

[robblok]

I come to a different conclusion.. Thailand is way back compared to other countries and it is more of a hassle (fact)

depends on your definition of hassle. 3 days ago i wanted to buy something in CMai. no online storefront. e-mailed the firm, got reply in 15 minutes, told them what i wanted and how many, asked for COD, all stuff got here 2 working days later. so what's the difference with speaking (very short email traffic) with human or giving in all details (address, card, etc) with some computerized system?

Thing is that the email conversations and always checking if they got the money and have it. That is all wasted time for nothing if they had a good system. Before I did not know about this and i send money to buy some weightlifting gloves and it did not arrive after a week. So i called them then they told me I had to confirm with them about the money because the could not check it.

Just annoying all that extra work for nothing, but i guess it depends what you are used too. I come from a country where people can see your money arrive to their accounts the same day with all the remarks i put there or even better with an automated system.

This is just extra hassle compared with that, does not keep me from buying stuff online though. Just means i have to jump through a few more hoops.

[Sheist]

Try tohome.com. No fax required. Email works fine. Excellent email customer service, fast shipping, sometimes free ship promotion (with a 1xx baht handling fee), and the two times I ordered online (bank transfer) they had the best prices I could find anywhere online.

[SlideRiceFC]

I come to a different conclusion.. Thailand is way back compared to other countries and it is more of a hassle (fact)

depends on your definition of hassle. 3 days ago i wanted to buy something in CMai. no online storefront. e-mailed the firm, got reply in 15 minutes, told them what i wanted and how many, asked for COD, all stuff got here 2 working days later. so what's the difference with speaking (very short email traffic) with human or giving in all details (address, card, etc) with some computerized system?

Thing is that the email conversations and always checking if they got the money and have it. That is all wasted time for nothing if they had a good system. Before I did not know about this and i send money to buy some weightlifting gloves and it did not arrive after a week. So i called them then they told me I had to confirm with them about the money because the could not check it.

Just annoying all that extra work for nothing, but i guess it depends what you are used too. I come from a country where people can see your money arrive to their accounts the same day with all the remarks i put there or even better with an automated system.

This is just extra hassle compared with that, does not keep me from buying stuff online though. Just means i have to jump through a few more hoops.

I also have not minded so much jumping through the added hoops. But aside from that once you deposit money into someone's account you have very little recourse if the deal goes south. You always hear in Thai news about online scammers selling things and not shipping but what can the buyer do? It seems not much. Even recently my girlfriend saw a shirt on facebook she wanted to buy for me so she made the payment. She waited and nothing. Finally she contacted the seller and they said there was not enough interest in the design so they didn't make it. What the..?? So she waited for a refund. Nothing. She contacted them again and they said they already refunded the payment. Ummm, no. Back and forth and she finally gave up like most do. After all, just 250 baht so who cares. At least when going through a third party be it paypal or credit card there is a better trail and proper dispute and refund system. If a buyer disputes something the burden of proof lies on the seller. It's a pain for sellers but if you're running a proper business you should have invoices and shipping receipts. I've been on both ends of a dispute as a buyer and seller so I can appreciate the added security of actually processing a transaction linked to a particular sale rather than some random amount deposited into someone's account.

[RigPig]

I come to a different conclusion.. Thailand is way back compared to other countries and it is more of a hassle (fact)

depends on your definition of hassle. 3 days ago i wanted to buy something in CMai. no online storefront. e-mailed the firm, got reply in 15 minutes, told them what i wanted and how many, asked for COD, all stuff got here 2 working days later. so what's the difference with speaking (very short email traffic) with human or giving in all details (address, card, etc) with some computerized system?

Thing is that the email conversations and always checking if they got the money and have it. That is all wasted time for nothing if they had a good system. Before I did not know about this and i send money to buy some weightlifting gloves and it did not arrive after a week. So i called them then they told me I had to confirm with them about the money because the could not check it.

Just annoying all that extra work for nothing, but i guess it depends what you are used too. I come from a country where people can see your money arrive to their accounts the same day with all the remarks i put there or even better with an automated system.

This is just extra hassle compared with that, does not keep me from buying stuff online though. Just means i have to jump through a few more hoops.

I also have not minded so much jumping through the added hoops. But aside from that once you deposit money into someone's account you have very little recourse if the deal goes south. You always hear in Thai news about online scammers selling things and not shipping but what can the buyer do? It seems not much. Even recently my girlfriend saw a shirt on facebook she wanted to buy for me so she made the payment. She waited and nothing. Finally she contacted the seller and they said there was not enough interest in the design so they didn't make it. What the..?? So she waited for a refund. Nothing. She contacted them again and they said they already refunded the payment. Ummm, no. Back and forth and she finally gave up like most do. After all, just 250 baht so who cares. At least when going through a third party be it paypal or credit card there is a better trail and proper dispute and refund system. If a buyer disputes something the burden of proof lies on the seller. It's a pain for sellers but if you're running a proper business you should have invoices and shipping receipts. I've been on both ends of a dispute as a buyer and seller so I can appreciate the added security of actually processing a transaction linked to a particular sale rather than some random amount deposited into someone's account.

I agree, but the web shopping "card" is treated as a credit card and you can raise a dispute fairly easily. But yes once you do a direct transfer your pretty well committed.......

[DGIE]

It is not so hard to buy online in Thailand. The seller company

may just have their mode of payment to require the buyer and that

they follow.

When you find it hard then why not go by yourself?

[giddyup]

It is not so hard to buy online in Thailand. The seller company

may just have their mode of payment to require the buyer and that

they follow.

When you find it hard then why not go by yourself?

I assume you mean Buy and not by. The reason is convenience, what else? If the shop was local where I could buy the item I wanted, then obviously I would go there.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Several off topic troll posts (and replies to them) have been removed.

Stick to the topic, and refrain from trolling thanks

[timber]

Brought something from invade IT. Used internet banking and they expressed it to my home

in the country no problem.

[dighambara]

They are smart actually !

Why sellers do have to pay expensive Paypal or credit card fee ? Why facing a chargeback that American abuse and use even when they have received their product and that it's impossible to fight for a seller ?

The customer who wants some products just pay the fee to transfer and use online bangkok. The problem is not the shop it is the customer who doesn't use online bangkok in 2013.

Many are too used to think that they western rules are the best and they are wrong !

Of all the countries in the world, only Thailand is this far behind.

[bangkokstick]

Also, if people want to know why Thai don't accept Paypal or don't want to pay a monthly for an online payment, the reply is easy: THEY DON'T CARE and already make enough money.

I know Thai doing over 100k / month profit with a ridiculous weloveshopping or talad shop that got a little famous, so why would they pay expensive fees ?

This is not the west, nobody is waiting for your money and they fuxxin don't care that you spend it on their shop or not ! They can sell or not, they will still have enough to eat and anyway they don't pay any tax...

[retell]

Guys, they are in the stone age. Pure and simple. Culturally, they do not value efficiency and in fact value the exact opposite.

Please have no illusions about it.

wanted to buy some stuff from england a few year back , could not be done , creditcard i did ot have, banktransfer was not possible cos the amount was under 100 GBp

what a drag

[SeaVisionBurma]

A post advertising a business has been removed, along with a reply quoting it

[PaullyW]

i have bought numerous things online and could always pay by at least one of these VERY easy options:

. cash on delivery

. paypal

. pickup (and pay) at local 7/11

Go to the Soken website and you will see that the ONLY option is to pay by bank transfer, and they aren't the only Thai online company to use this method.

ok and what's the big deal? kasikorn has netbanking (i don't know for other banks) which i use too. the problem is not thailand being in the stone age as some genius mentioned. the problem is that some farang will always complain, no matter what. i don't see any problem with paying with banktransfer. sending proof with fax is optional. if u have netbanking just pay, take a print screen of payment, optionally add to pdf and send it to them. i do tons of payments like that in europe too with firms that don't accept paypal. sending the proof of payment is fully optional. u can also just wait til the accountants mark your order as paid and the goodies get shipped.

Right, what's the big deal? Efficiency and convenience don't matter in business. You must be either 1) Thai-minded or 2) old and irrelevant as a market.

Will your silly print screen stand up to legal scrutiny? Childish.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have ordered online 3 times from Verasu.com -- once they required 'bank transfer only' for special promotion but other 2 used US based Visa card no problem

BTW back in business I guess after last month's fire.

Re Verasu, I think their online operation is distinct from their Wireless Road store, which was damaged by a fire and then temporarily closed. Last time I was by the Wireless store a couple weeks ago, they were still closed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

They are smart actually !

Why sellers do have to pay expensive Paypal or credit card fee ? Why facing a chargeback that American abuse and use even when they have received their product and that it's impossible to fight for a seller ?

The customer who wants some products just pay the fee to transfer and use online bangkok. The problem is not the shop it is the customer who doesn't use online bangkok in 2013.

Many are too used to think that they western rules are the best and they are wrong !

Maybe smart from the Thai business perspective, but not from the farang customer perspective...

If I buy from a Thai merchant and pay via Thai bank transfer, my purchase has no guarantee or warranty -- beyond whatever you might be able to squeeze out of the merchant.

If I buy from a Thai merchant using a U.S. credit card, I have the legal right to dispute/void the transaction and get my money back if the item I ordered is lost in shipping, or if it arrives broken or there's any other similar problem on delivery that the merchant refuses to remedy.

The Thai merchants don't want to deal with credit cards, probably because they don't want to have to pay merchant credit card fees. But if I was ever buying anything of high value here, I'd SERIOUSLY think twice before buying it via bank transfer where if anything goes wrong, you're at the mercy of the (usually not very helpful) merchant.

For anything of high value here, I'd absolutely buy it someplace that accepts credit cards and protects my rights as a buyer. Although, as a sidenote, I don't think Thai bank issued credit cards carry those same consumer protections as ones from the U.S. do.

Edited July 9, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Tohome.com is the most famous Thai shop and it accepts online payment.

It looks like the website you mention is just electronics, books, movies, music, etc... Not quite an Amazon of Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Oh and you can use MyUS.com as a forwarding agent for US companies that don't ship to Thailand, you can quite often get free shipping within the States (or VERY cheap), they will also combine packages from different sources to save money on shipping. They use DHL & Fedex but you get a discounted rate, customs is taken care of. I bought a camera and saved $400 including the duty and shipping compared to what the same one cost here, I have bought computers not available in Thailand....

Because there is so little real market competition in Thailand, there are times when buying something abroad like online from the U.S. and sending it here can be the best way to go.... But because of shipping and potential customs fees, that usually only works for relatively small and light things.

I'm saying that as someone who uses a U.S. shipper (Shipito.com) and has done dozens of shipments here of personal goods.

Many times, if you choose the right shipping method, you can pay zero customs on smaller packages.

But last month, I bought a pair of tennis shoes online in the U.S. that I couldn't buy anywhere in Thailand (because they don't carry my size here). My shoes cost about $50 to purchase onsale. I then spent about $30 to ship them here... And much to my surprise, Thai Customs decided to add on nearly $30 more in customs and VAT.

So the customs duty and VAT was more than half of my purchase price. And the combined shipping and customs/VAT exceeded my purchase price.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTW, Tesco has lately launched a buy online, deliver to your home service in Bangkok for their groceries and household products... And I gather they're planning to expand it to other areas in the future.

I've been using it a lot lately. 60 baht flat delivery fee. Pay online with credit card or can even pay the delivery driver upon arrival by credit card using one of those remote card terminal devices they carry. Prices are pretty much identical to their instore prices, including their various sale items.

Select your products online and schedule online the delivery day and time within two-hour windows. Email confirmation of your online order. Very smooth and easy, although their website needs better English product descriptions, which they've assured me they're working to improve.

By comparison, it's a service that leaves most of the regular Thai retailers in their ancient, old-fashioned dust. Unfortunately, for right now, the Tesco online/home delivery service is only handling grocery type items...and not the larger and other things in their stores.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630941-tesco-lotus-launches-online-grocery/?hl=%20tesco%20%20online