Buying online in Thailand, why so hard?

[smokinfun]

My questions is why is there no Amazon equivalent in Thailand?? They can deliver all kinds of food (I hear the Food by Phone guy has done very well); why not shoes, towels, books, etc. Seems there is huge opportunity - so why hasn't it been filled??

[Donnie Brasco]

Yes ****that's**** the site.

Click it and get a headache.

The Thai approach to online commerce invokes echoes of "cargo cult"

[JLCrab]

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.

[sms747]

Soken is off param 2, go with big envelope full of cash-the Thai way!

[giddyup]

Soken is off param 2, go with big envelope full of cash-the Thai way!

I live in Pattaya.

[Tatsujin]

Why can't you order it from another country, thru Amazon, or any other online store that DOES have good online payment facilities? I'm sure that the Thai sites are no cheaper than another from overseas.

[stickylies]

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.

[stickylies]

Why can't you order it from another country, thru Amazon, or any other online store that DOES have good online payment facilities? I'm sure that the Thai sites are no cheaper than another from overseas.

. customs

. longer delivery time

. higher p&p costs

. some firms don't ship to thailand

. etc

[RigPig]

Kasikorn Bank has their K-Cyber Banking, any transaction requires a One Time Password they send by SMS to your phone. You can add any others account to it for funds transfers, they will send SMS and / or email confirmation to the recipient of the payment made. It's pretty well instant. They also have their K-Web shopping card, a "virtual Visa Card", you can limit the amount tied to it, attach in to your PayPal account and use it for transactions via phone or Internet. You don't get a physical card just all the details (number, CVV etc.). I've had good success with it, takes the hassle out of those pesky bank transfers. Sending money overseas is easy using PayPal or the Web Shopping Card but on overseas account is a different story, but that's to do with the law not the bank. PayPal will not allow you to purchase things from a country other than where your account is held with the exception of E-Bay purchases or a direct request to your email account, purchases made direct to an overseas store can be impossible sometimes.

Edited July 7, 2013 by RigPig

[Hecate]

Pay Pal cut off my account when I tried to use it in Thailand and wanted me to fly home to fix it. (I called before I left twice and heard nothing about this.) I spent quite a bit of cash calling them, so sent an email question instead last time. They took 24 DAYS to reply. I don't really trust them.

[giddyup]

Pay Pal cut off my account when I tried to use it in Thailand and wanted me to fly home to fix it. (I called before I left twice and heard nothing about this.) I spent quite a bit of cash calling them, so sent an email question instead last time. They took 24 DAYS to reply. I don't really trust them.

I've been using Paypal both in Thailand and out regularly for more than 10 years, never had a problem.

[RigPig]

Kasikorn Bank has their K-Cyber Banking, any transaction requires a One Time Password they send by SMS to your phone. You can add any others account to it for funds transfers, they will send SMS and / or email confirmation to the recipient of the payment made. It's pretty well instant. They also have their K-Web shopping card, a "virtual Visa Card", you can limit the amount tied to it, attach in to your PayPal account and use it for transactions via phone or Internet. You don't get a physical card just all the details (number, CVV etc.). I've had good success with it, takes the hassle out of those pesky bank transfers. Sending money overseas is easy using PayPal or the Web Shopping Card but on overseas account is a different story, but that's to do with the law not the bank. PayPal will not allow you to purchase things from a country other than where your account is held with the exception of E-Bay purchases or a direct request to your email account, purchases made direct to an overseas store can be impossible sometimes.

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......

Edited July 7, 2013 by RigPig

[luckizuchinni]

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.

On the other hand, as a consumer, I like the ability to take issue with a merchant.

I had a kitchen put in, and the company who did it installed thing incorrectly, broke parts during the installation, and never finished. Despite many attempted calls and e-mails, i could get no response. When I finally e-mailed them that I was going to initiate a chargeback, suddenly the company CEO got involved, and low and behold, three days later, a team was out at my house fixing most of the problems.

[stickylies]

Pay Pal cut off my account when I tried to use it in Thailand and wanted me to fly home to fix it. (I called before I left twice and heard nothing about this.)

i don't believe this. when u log in from here you must tell the system your country is Thailand (which the account will check with IP). if u select home country the account gets blocked (system thinks your account got hacked) and you can DE-block it when u follow the instructions. i used Paypal professionally between 2002 and 2009 with over 750 unique transactions/month. i never had a problem for which i had to call them, not once. sure, i had all classic issues (account blocked, payment blocked, buyer-fraud etc) but these were all solved by following their (standard) instructions.

typo corrected

Edited July 7, 2013 by stickylies

[NoshowJones]

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.

[NoshowJones]

Pay Pal cut off my account when I tried to use it in Thailand and wanted me to fly home to fix it. (I called before I left twice and heard nothing about this.) I spent quite a bit of cash calling them, so sent an email question instead last time. They took 24 DAYS to reply. I don't really trust them.

Paypal are about the most incompetent people I have ever dealt with.

[stickylies]

On the other hand, as a consumer, I like the ability to take issue with a merchant

paypal went through a lot of changes since its start in the late '90s. initially the buyers protection policy was UNFAIR to non-US sellers. anyone buying from me before 2009 (if i remember well) could claim he didn't receive the parcel even when I shipped signed-for and had proof from post. paypal didn't accept that proof. they got MANY complainst about it and changed the policy. but then, honestly, i was ripped off like that only once in 10 years of activity and thousands of transactions.

paypal is necessary evil these days. i don't like the company but no proper alternative has popped up. these anti-globalization kids should invent something "better" and "free" instead of wasting their time with demonstrating on the streets.

[stickylies]

Paypal are about the most incompetent people I have ever dealt with.

sure, that's why they were bought by ebay and make billions a year...

[RigPig]

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.

[NoshowJones]

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?

[NoshowJones]

Paypal are about the most incompetent people I have ever dealt with.

sure, that's why they were bought by ebay and make billions a year...

Michael Jackson could not sing, but look at the money he made.

[RigPig]

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?

yes it's just an extra you apply for as part of K-Cyber Banking

[stickylies]

Michael Jackson could not sing, but look at the money he made.

technically MJ was a very talented singer (especially in his younger years).

[NoshowJones]

with Lazada you can pay at 7/11 or cash on delivery.

Went to Lazada website, everytime I clicked on something, it just disappeared.

[Tatsujin]

Why can't you order it from another country, thru Amazon, or any other online store that DOES have good online payment facilities? I'm sure that the Thai sites are no cheaper than another from overseas.

. customs

. longer delivery time

. higher p&p costs

. some firms don't ship to thailand

. etc

None of which I've ever had a problem with when ordering online for delivery in Thailand. Always works out cheaper than buying here too.

[NoshowJones]

Michael Jackson could not sing, but look at the money he made.

technically MJ was a very talented singer (especially in his younger years).

Never heard him in his younger years, but when I did he sounded like a wee lassie. Sorry Mod, for going off topic.

[pizzachang]

I've had the same experiences trying to buy items inside Thailand. I am married to a Thai woman and she has had continuing problems obtaining a receipt for money paid to some government departments [a public school] For the life of me, I do not understand why a receipt has to come 2 months after money is paid....not the case in the private sector in Thailand. My bank has always asked me "what is the money for?" when I've made large withdrawals. I've wondered if there is something they are trying to prevent.

[marstons]

Pay Pal cut off my account when I tried to use it in Thailand and wanted me to fly home to fix it. (I called before I left twice and heard nothing about this.) I spent quite a bit of cash calling them, so sent an email question instead last time. They took 24 DAYS to reply. I don't really trust them.

Paypal are about the most incompetent people I have ever dealt with.

there is a website called ceo address, e mail paypal CEO, you will get a response from escalations team very quickly and usually a very quick resolutiuon.

[robblok]

For those of you saying Thailand is not behind, they are behind if you look at stuff like IDEAL back in the Netherlands where if you pay you will be directed to your bank and log in with your identifier and pay. The site then gets an confirmation that you paid (guaranteed by the bank). So they know it instantaneous and can ship the same day. Thailand is nowhere near as advanced. The problem is often they cant even send much details with payment or check payment they have to match it on amount.

I work with the European system a lot and I can tell you they are way ahead of Thailand (not so strange anyway). It works safer and better as a credit-card. Though in the Netherlands now you have to verify your credit-card transactions with a identifier (calculator) and that makes it safe too.

So its not a matter of nagging or what its pure fact. Try getting good statements here of your bank and try sending money with a long description and see if that description appears on the receiving bank.

[stickylies]

with Lazada you can pay at 7/11 or cash on delivery.

Went to Lazada website, everytime I clicked on something, it just disappeared.

reply within 2 working day

Edited July 8, 2013 by Tywais
email removed