Do you use a Credit Card in Thailand?

[BuriramRes]

I have always used my home credit card wherever I travel and have never had a problem until now!!

I am an Aussie and still have my main banking base there, including my credit card, debit card & also a business account.

Until now I have never had a problem with using my credit card overseas.

I travelled through most of the EU countries on a BMW 1100LT Motorcycle, including two one-month long trips through Italy. I was always suspicious using my credit card in Italy, especially buying fuel, as nobody ever checked my signature (and most times did not even asked me to sign the receipt) making me get into the habit of always checking through my monthly bank statements. No worries though, never a problem there.

Until now, the only problem I had was with an Australian phone company (AAPT) who has now gone out of business. After getting a new card due to the expiry date finishing, I had to update my c/c details by phone. In doing so I was surprised when the AAPT representatives made me give him my full credit card details, not just the new expiry date, but all of the c/c details.

The next time I got my statement after that, someone had made about 10 payments on my card that same day. That was easily fixed through my bank however as it was obvious who had done it (they were all Sydney based businesses & since I was living in Thailand and AAPT was based in Sydney, not much problem tracing it back to AAPT).

Present Problem

When in Thailand I always buy my fuel at PTT with my credit card. The other businesses are BigC & my favourite restaurant.

On checking my latest statement I find that, as well as a 990B fuel payment, which I had a docket for, there was an additional 390B payment, same day, same PTT station.

Now 390B isn't going to break the bank but I put a query through my AUS bank.

I also visited the PTT station last Wednesday and filled up using my C/C to enable me to match the dockets.

As soon as I verified the location was the same I found the owner of the outlet (PTT is more or less a franchise) and showed him the first docket plus my bank statement. His immediate reaction was that the first docket was from another outlet.

I then showed him the docket I had just received that day & he had to admit his "error".

He did a search of his dockets & pulled out my legitimate docket (signed by me) and the other docket (signed with a poor copy of my signature). Both dockets were produced on the same day & within 26 seconds of each other.

He immediately gave me a refund (not really the point of the exercise) and undertook to track down the cashier that had been on duty on that day. Prior to approaching the PTT Station I had also reported it to "Customer Relations" at PTT head office.

My actions were a matter of principle rather than anything else.

I do not know whether they will take action against the cashier in question, although they said that they would (I will never know).

Question: Has anyone else had similar experiences here in Thailand? Just interested.

[Lantern]

Ni I have never used a credit card in Thailand. I only use a debit card and then only to withdraw cash.

[stoneyboy]

Never had any experience of this myself because I only use my overseas card in major shops such as Lotus.

Given that all you need here is a signature it's best not to use it where the card is taken from view.

Lots of people have had cards cloned this way and like yourself additional transactions often occur also.

[brewsterbudgen]

I have two UK credit cards and one Thai credit card. I've never had a problem (in 8 years of living here) but I try to only use them in department stores, supermarkets, hotels, upscale restaurants and bars.

[CaptHaddock]

We use our US credit cards all the time in Thailand, however, never in a situation where the card will go out of our sight. We don't use them in restaurants, for example.

[rene123]

I only use a credit card for airline tickets. I use a debit card to withdraw cash. I only purchase items and fuel with cash.

[NCC1701A]

"He immediately gave me a refund (not really the point of the exercise) and undertook to track down the cashier that had been on duty on that day."

to have the cashier arrested for credit card fraud?

Edited September 7, 2013 by NCC1701A

[ukrules]

It sounds like the cashier charged extra to your card so he could be ahead with the payments for the petrol dispensed from the pump. In credit if you will.

Then he could pocket the cash from other customers making a purchase later in the day and still keep the pump in balance.

Edited September 7, 2013 by ukrules

[HeijoshinCool]

Airlines only.

390 baht? Consider yourself lucky. A few years back, I had a fraudulent $1500 charge (yes, dollars) through a where shop I bought a $100 gift. They ran it through a Russian merchant visa account called Ali Baba Bar. Never again.

Yes, I got it credited back, but it was a pain and time consuming. Once you claim fraud, the card is cancelled, and they have to issue a new one and get it here.

[Nana Cowboy]

In the USA I never use cash ever. Here I never use a credit card. LOL

[historyprof]

I only use a Thai debit card inside of the bank. I count the cash in my wallet every night before I go t sleep. Old habits die hard,

[jackr]

Op, though CCs are accepted all over, it is best to treat Muang Thai as a cash society and just have the CC as a back-up. Personally, airline seats and hotels online (through the big consolidators) and the odd supermarket/major dept store purchase are ok. Everything else, cash. It's all too lax and open to fraud. Might be more hassle, but as most big fuel stations have ATMs anyway, try to get into the habit of having cash and also avoid 'filling up' to make it harder for them to fleece you that way too.

[ToddWeston]

Cash and debit card - credit card for major purchases only I like those frequent flyer points. Never had any problems at all.

[brewsterbudgen]

Cash and debit card - credit card for major purchases only I like those frequent flyer points. Never had any problems at all.

Agree. I think many people are over cautious about using credit cards. Thais in Bangkok use them all the time, even for ridiculously small purchases.

[bkkbarnstormer]

Use overseas and Thai credit cards all the time for past 8 years in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia Had one problem 5-6 years ago with a large fraudulent air ticket which was quickly sorted.

[geriatrickid]

I restrict my CC to large purchases from reputable businesses, e.g. Thai Airways, Sizzler , Robinsons, and hotels.

I have never had a problem with my Amex, although my recent MC transaction was blocked with the Hilton because it was deemed "suspicious". In the space of 2 years, I had multiple fraud attempts with my Visa card, usually following a trip to BKK or HKG. I lay the blame at a 5* airport hotel in Hong Kong as the frauds occurred shortly after staying there and were the only transactions within 2 weeks .I got rid of my Visa card. Never had a fraud situation in Thailand.

[vtjforyou]

Thai use credit cards to get miles and free plane tickets.

No other reason to use them for anyone except being tracked whatever you do... ridiculous !

[brewsterbudgen]

Thai use credit cards to get miles and free plane tickets.

No other reason to use them for anyone except being tracked whatever you do... ridiculous !

They also use them for insignificant purchases in the food hall of Central Chitlom. Very annoying when you're queuing behind them and they're spending 200 baht on a credit card just to get their points/discount.

[cpofc]

I use my Australian (Bank) Credit Card when I shop for big ticket items at places like Homepro, Lotus. Everything else is cash, drawn from my Bangkok Bank Account. No. I have never had a problem. Also I never let my card out of my sight for a second. Not one second!

AS recently as last week I was reading that Australian Banks are tightening up on credit card security. They are going to introduce PIN Numbers in lieu of signatures, which makes sense. I always have a problem trying to fit my real signature on the back of a credit card. It is inheritantly insecure anyway. There were some other measures that I can't quite remember right now. New Embedded Chip Technology I think.

Last week I purchased an item over the net and paid using my paypal account. The seller came back by email and said they would not process the purchase until I proved my identity by physically scanning my credit card and sending them the image. I told them the reason I use paypal is to avoid credit card fraud and they could go and get nicked. I politely requested a refund through paypal.

[4evermaat]

There have been a few thresds on this. A foreign credit card will most likely have consumer protection, but it can still be a pain.

I would only use the cc at major retailors, and it should never leave your site from the moment you hand it to them until you get it back. NEVER.

I had an issue with a refund with a thai debit card months ago. I had proof of refund and they saw it in the system....long story short, took 2 weeks to get refund after filing claim WITH clear proof. I had to ask myself was it really worth it vs paying cash?

"...the 2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from ThaiVisa app (Galaxy Note 2).

[Razzler1973]

I used my credit card when booking a week in some place on the islands in the south and no issues

I wouldn't use it for bits and pieces tbh

Maybe a respectable looking bar I may use it, have done so in other parts of Asia but usually I take cash

[chrisartist]

I sometimes use a UK-issued debit card. I watch the counter staff like a hawk and snatch the card back if it threatens to go out of sight or when it looks as though they are going to write the number down. I adopted this procedure when I caught a member of the counter staff at B2S clacking away on the computer while looking at my card, which was followed soon after by a transaction on my card for almost GBP1,000, from an insurance company I'd never heard of.

[Gsxrnz]

It sounds like the cashier charged extra to your card so he could be ahead with the payments for the petrol dispensed from the pump. In credit if you will.

Then he could pocket the cash from other customers making a purchase later in the day and still keep the pump in balance.

That's correct - the bigger deal is that during the course of the day he/she might have done it to 5 or 10 customers, and over the course of a month, 200 customers. At say 400 B a pop, that's 80,000 Baht..

A nice little earner, and nice of the owner to offer you the refund..........um, makes one wonder if the owner isn't exactly clueless about this.

[timeinjust]

This is cash country. Most Thai businesses make an additional charge for both debit and credit cards. I only use my Thai bank credit card for online purchases. No need to here since ATM's are in abundance. I did have a recent problem with a Thai business who did not like to make refunds. I paid for an item online from a BKK business. They did not deliver what I ordered and did not contact me to say it would not be coming. After many weeks I did not require the item. By then the business had it back in stock and tried to deliver it. I refused and told them I would contact VISA if they did not refund. They did so quickly. I am guessing they did not want problems with the CC company since their business depended on online sales. Credit cards and Thailand do not mix well together ... ... yet.

[Sheryl]

I limit my use to major expenses and online airticket purchases. Never used at a gas station or the like. mostly at hospitals, airlines, occasionally hotels and never had any problems at these.

[scottishjohn]

Airlines only.

390 baht? Consider yourself lucky. A few years back, I had a fraudulent $1500 charge (yes, dollars) through a where shop I bought a $100 gift. They ran it through a Russian merchant visa account called Ali Baba Bar. Never again.

Yes, I got it credited back, but it was a pain and time consuming. Once you claim fraud, the card is cancelled, and they have to issue a new one and get it here.

What is a 'where shop'? Is this a spelling error or a euphemism?

Or am I missing something

[cdnvic]

No other reason to use them for anyone except being tracked whatever you do... ridiculous !

Loved the irony of the "Sent from mobile" signature

[4evermaat]

^^ I forgot to add that online it is safer for a thai debit card, especially at major thai merchants like airlines, phone and utility company top up, etc. They use VerifiedByVisa/MC securecode which is essentially a separate pin code for online-only gateway as additional proof that the card is yours. It is an extra step in the ordering process, but I think the extra 20 seconds is worth it.

I try not to use it at un-trusted merchants online; the western CC would be best in those cases.

Or paypal which is safest; no card information is revealed to the merchant.

[yoshiwara]

I limit my use to major expenses and online airticket purchases. Never used at a gas station or the like. mostly at hospitals, airlines, occasionally hotels and never had any problems at these.

Same same. Only have used CC for hospital occasionally. Otherwise online booking for airlines and overseas hotels. Cash for everything else in Thailand.

[Pib]

I use my no foreign transaction fee U.S. credit card whenever I can which provides me 2% cash back on most buys in Thailand like at Big C, Lotus, FoodLand, fuel at gas stations to keep my SUV running and 1% on everything else. Usually use it for anything costing more than Bt300 to Bt500 depending on what the store's policy is for the minimum purchase amount to use a credit card. But like at my nearby Tesco Lotus store I use it all the time even for purchases of less than Bt300 as they don't seem to have a minimum amount to make a charge. I use it as much as possible instead of cash for the past two years primarily because of the cash back reward...and as mentioned no foreign transaction fee. No problems to date....knock on wood (my head)...my card also sends me an email within seconds of any "international" transaction....sometimes I get the email before I've had time to leave the checkout counter...other times it takes a few minutes. Since I get 2% cash back on most things I like to think of it as I'm only paying 5% VAT versus 7%.