Credit Card In Thailand Without Work Permit - Possible?

[germandude]

Well, just to add a little bit to this thread I contacted yesterday SCB by mail and I received the following reply from them on the requirements:

"Dear Valued customer

Thank you for your interest in our services and

so sorry if we got back to you so late.

With reference to your e-mail concering to have a proper Visa card with SCB. As an individual, you are required to submit teh follwing documents along with the credit card application. We would like to inform you about the guidelines that our bank uses in making the decision.

1.You must be working in Thailand with monthly income of 100,000 baht.

2.You must have your salary deposit via our ATS (monthly income of 70,000 baht)

3.You must have a morgage account of 2 millians or more with SCB.

Reauired Document

1 Copy of ID card or copy of passport (foreigner only)

2. Copy of house registration

3. Copy of Bank statement in the past 6 months.

4. Official letter proof of salary, copy of business registration and official letter of business registration approval (business owner)

5. Copy of work permit (foreigner only)

Minimum incom permonth would be 100 000 B / month"

....to which I only replied:

"Thanks a lot for your reply but those conditions are not acceptable to me and I will have to look for an alternative.

Just wondering how every Thai that earns 10,000 Baht a month can get a credit card, but if you are unfortunate enough to be a foreigner that is living here, owning a company and is working in Thailand things become so difficult...."

Obviously I am not expecting any reply from them and I do understand that my last reply was pointless, but just to vent a little bit I had to do it.

Well, guess I have to use my german credit cards then, that each have a credit limit of 8.000Euro/month without any problem.

[alexth]

Does anyone know the minimum deposit amount for the HSBC credit card in Singapore?

[Backpack_thailand]

The SCB BranchBoss is an old friend from my wife

And there you have it...!!!

[alexth]

The SCB BranchBoss is an old friend from my wife

And there you have it...!!!

Not mentioning off topic, what we are talking here is credit card in Thailand without work permit, he says he's got the company accounts with them, as far as I know, having a company in Thailand means working legally and that, is a work permit.

[bangsaenguy]

Not sure this is enough. I meet the following plus am friends with high ranking officials within SCB and was refused.

With reference to your e-mail concering to have a proper Visa card with SCB. As an individual, you are required to submit teh follwing documents along with the credit card application. We would like to inform you about the guidelines that our bank uses in making the decision.

1.You must be working in Thailand with monthly income of 100,000 baht.

2.You must have your salary deposit via our ATS (monthly income of 70,000 baht)

3.You must have a morgage account of 2 millians or more with SCB.

Reauired Document

1 Copy of ID card or copy of passport (foreigner only)

2. Copy of house registration

3. Copy of Bank statement in the past 6 months.

4. Official letter proof of salary, copy of business registration and official letter of business registration approval (business owner)

5. Copy of work permit (foreigner only)

Minimum incom permonth would be 100 000 B / month"

[rainman]

Just received a call this morning from Central Credit Card department. Apparently my application was approved and they won't require a work permit or deposit from me. Going to pick it up in 7 days -- will let you know how it goes

[cclub75]

Just received a call this morning from Central Credit Card department. Apparently my application was approved and they won't require a work permit or deposit from me. Going to pick it up in 7 days -- will let you know how it goes

It's becoming very interesting.

I read this thread like a movie's script.

Anyway, wish you good luck for what appears to be the last (straight) line, before destination.

Bravo.

[rainman]

Anyway, wish you good luck for what appears to be the last (straight) line, before destination.

Bravo.

stay tuned for the dramatic ending...i head down the apparently straight line before getting hit by a truck.

[SoMeOnEnUlL]

finally!

[diddlysquat]

Anyway, wish you good luck for what appears to be the last (straight) line, before destination.

Bravo.

stay tuned for the dramatic ending...i head down the apparently straight line before getting hit by a truck.

Rainman,

I have just read through this abolutely fascinating thread. You left us with a cliffhanger.

Well, did you get you CC?

[rainman]

remember back in june when they said they would deliver it within 7 days? well, nothing happened and i didn't call them thinking they would end up not issuing it anyways. well this morning i got a call saying they would deliver it this afternoon ..and they did! a few hours later they even called to confirm if i had received it and apologized it took so long to issue it, but there was a delay because i was quote.."VIP". so regular customers get it in 2 weeks but "VIP" takes 3 months?

whatever, i'm happy i have it at all!

funny thing is, i applied with a maximum limit of 20,000 baht (i don't need it for large payments anyways), but on my welcome letter it says the limit is 60,000 ..so its actually 3x higher than the one i applied with bangkok bank (and never got), i did *not* have to make a 50,000 or 100,000 baht "security deposit" and neither did i have to show a work permit.

so to answer my own question...

credit card in thailand without work permit - possible? ..yes!

Edited July 27, 2006 by rainman

[alexth]

remember back in june when they said they would deliver it within 7 days? well, nothing happened and i didn't call them thinking they would end up not issuing it anyways. well this morning i got a call saying they would deliver it this afternoon ..and they did! a few hours later they even called to confirm if i had received it and apologized it took so long to issue it, but there was a delay because i was quote.."VIP". so regular customers get it in 2 weeks but "VIP" takes 3 months?

whatever, i'm happy i have it at all!

funny thing is, i applied with a maximum limit of 20,000 baht (i don't need it for large payments anyways), but on my welcome letter it says the limit is 60,000 ..so its actually 3x higher than the one i applied with bangkok bank (and never got), i did *not* have to make a 50,000 or 100,000 baht "security deposit" and neither did i have to show a work permit.

so to answer my own question...

credit card in thailand without work permit - possible? ..yes!

Congrats, Rainman! This post almost brang tears in my eyes From what bank did you managed to get the credit card? and what branch? I have applied for a credit with HSBC in Singapore, I should be receiving it in a week or so.

Edited July 27, 2006 by alexth

[Crossy]

Well done Rainman, you obviously have an honest face.

Maybe you should publish a guide on how to achieve what has always been AFAIK pretty much impossible.

NEXT TASK :- Own land in your name, now there's a challenge for you

Edited for spellong.

Edited July 28, 2006 by Crossy

[rainman]

From what bank did you managed to get the credit card? and what branch?

Central Card (you know, the Central shopping complexes?). Bangkok Bank wanted security desposits, which they received, then called later and wanted even more, then even wanted the work permit which i had already told them i didn't have and they said was no issue, etc. etc. so i wouldn't recommend for anyone to even try there.

Maybe you should publish a guide on how to achieve what has always been AFAIK pretty much impossible.

NEXT TASK :- Own land in your name, now there's a challenge for you

I guess i could sum it all up, but it was probably more luck than anything else and likely depends on who approves your application if you end up receiving it or not.

As far as owning land, already been there and done that ...just not in Thailand.

[beammeup]

Does anyone know the minimum deposit amount for the HSBC credit card in Singapore?

Yah $50,000US for a US$ card

[alexth]

Does anyone know the minimum deposit amount for the HSBC credit card in Singapore?

Yah $50,000US for a US$ card

Not true. Pasted here is the email from HSBC Singapore. It says:

Hello, and thank you for your email.

Yes, for non-residents we offer a secured credit card which is tagged

against a time deposit placement.

Kindly note that the revised minimum amount for placement of Time Deposit

for Secured card applications are as follows:

· S$10,000 for Classic Visa card

· S$10,000 for Gold Visa card

· S$20,000 for Platinum Visa card

· US$25,000 for US dollar Gold Visa card

You may visit this webpage for more information on this, and also apply

online after your account has been set up:

http://hsbc.com.sg/sg/personal/cards/creditcd/secure/

I have already applied for it and waiting to receive it in a few days.

[samran]

remember back in june when they said they would deliver it within 7 days? well, nothing happened and i didn't call them thinking they would end up not issuing it anyways. well this morning i got a call saying they would deliver it this afternoon ..and they did! a few hours later they even called to confirm if i had received it and apologized it took so long to issue it, but there was a delay because i was quote.."VIP". so regular customers get it in 2 weeks but "VIP" takes 3 months?

whatever, i'm happy i have it at all!

funny thing is, i applied with a maximum limit of 20,000 baht (i don't need it for large payments anyways), but on my welcome letter it says the limit is 60,000 ..so its actually 3x higher than the one i applied with bangkok bank (and never got), i did *not* have to make a 50,000 or 100,000 baht "security deposit" and neither did i have to show a work permit.

so to answer my own question...

credit card in thailand without work permit - possible? ..yes!

good work. The irony of it all is now you'll keep getting unsolicited offers to up your limit every three months.

[rainman]

just received another call, this afternoon, from central mastercard saying that my status had been upgraded to mastercard gold and my limit increased to 200,000 baht. i should be receiving yet another new card this week.

first no bank would give me a credit card without a work permit, now they're throwing gold cards and higher-than-ever-requested limits at me.

only in thailand

[SoMeOnEnUlL]

LOL.. This topic should be sticky!

[rainman]

LOL.. This topic should be sticky!

next thing i know is i'm getting a free car and i haven't even used my credit card yet.

[rainman]

a quick update... 4 months later (and paying my credit card bills on time), i applied for a visa card through central again ...and got it within two weeks. so now i have a mastercard and a visa card, both with a 200,000 baht credit limit. without a work permit and without any security deposit. maybe i'm just lucky

[Mobi]

I can top that!

I was offered, and accepted an Amex Platinum Card, and get this folks - with a 2 million Baht Credit limit

No work permit, no security deposit - nothing.

I guess my good reputation has spread far and wide

[alexth]

I can top that!

I was offered, and accepted an Amex Platinum Card, and get this folks - with a 2 million Baht Credit limit

No work permit, no security deposit - nothing.

I guess my good reputation has spread far and wide

Interesting...from what bank?

[Neeranam]

Rainman - where exactly did you go to get your card?

[jumnien]

Yes, it is possible to get a credit card in Thailand without a work permit. I am married to a Thai woman and have a decent credit history in my home country. I have no business or earnings in Thailand, but I do have some assets. Getting the card was no problem. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

[sprq]

Yes, I have a UK offshore account in my offshore company name. The banking service is fine but no credit-card is offered....

I would be very happy to get a UK credit-card in my own name but my enquiries with the various UK CC companies have been unsuccessful because I am no longer resident in the UK. (I have lived in Thailand for 4 years and am no longer on the electorial register etc since my ex-wife sold our UK home.

It's really only the UK car-hire issue that annoys me - elsewise I'm happy without a CC

Simon

surely it isn't a big deal to get back on the register at a friends/relatives house etc? Given that the basis of all UK credit checks is the electoral roll, it make sense. While I am away from the UK I've made sure that I remain in the system while not being fraudulent. Just makes life easier.

Well. when I left England a few years back, I maintained all my credit cards, and just notrified them of a change of address to my brother's house, as I did with my Uk bank. Since then there's been absolutely no problems, and I access my accounts on line, and my brother keeps me advised of any mail and sends on anything important. No-one checks the elctoral register - they wouldn't for an existing customer.

So you may have burnt your bridges. However there is hope.

Since I have been out here I have opened an offshore bank account with Abbey National in Jersey. I hold most of my uninnvested funds there, and I have an Abbey Visa Gold debit card upon which I can withdraw 300 pounds per day from any machine, and can use the debit card on the internet for payments. I also operate the bank account on the internet and can make a transfer of unlimited funds, anywhere in the world by making one phone call (unlike most UK based banks where there is a phone limit of around 5000 pounds.) I opened this account using my Thai address and Thai proof of residence - like a copy of a utility bill, rental agreement etc - just the same as being in England. These guys are used to dealing with expats so they adapt the rules accordingly.

My documentary proofs of residence, were verified locally ( and some were translated) by a company who acts as my iinvestment intermediary - they are an agent of Abbey so it all went smoothly. No reason you can't do the same with Abbey, or maybe some other Jersey based Bank - may be a bit of a hassle, (like gettinmg the stuff stamped up by the embassy or a lawyer,) but worth it once you get it set up. I also understand HSBC are geared up to offer banking services to expats - and they understand the particular problems/ requirements involved. They were always advertising their services to expats on a Daily telegraph news letter I used to read. Try their web site, (and Abbey's), and take it from there.

Good luck.

Confirming the above, if you have a UK passport and a verifiable address here in Thailand, you can get a debit card from any mainstream offshore bank. Check them out on the internet. I've had a Cooperative Bank Guernsey Visa debit card for donkey's years with a P.O. Box billing address! This is usable online and for car hire in Britain, France and Spain so far, for hotel bills all over the world, etc etc. It should be the same for Nationwide, Lloyds, whatever.

[sprq]

how come SCB won't even give me a savings account without a work permit but others get a credit card? am i visiting the wrong branch?

Definitely. Different branches, different rules. TIT.

[vedantafx]

i understand their concerns, but there shouldn't really be any problems as long as you're willing to place a deposit account in the amount of the credit limit or even higher. i used to have a mastercard in the US for nearly two years while living there and for a non-US citizen its extremely difficult to get unless you have a SIN and all that. but they issued it to me after making a security deposit at their bank for $20,000 ...which was $5,000 higher than the limit the card had ...$15,000.

i don't mind making a deposit of 50,000 baht in thailand to get a credit card in the limit of 20,000 ...you can't over-draw credit cards by more than a few dollars anyways these days so i dont see their logic of it being a risk.

How many credit card companies in the Uk would bother with getting you to make security deposit if, in other respects, you didn't meet their credit requirements? very few I suspect. It's all too much hassle if you don't fit their criteria - time is money - if they lose a few credit worthy customers, better than gaining a few bad eggs.

It's the same here - its just not worth the hassle. Why should they put themselves out for a few transient farangs?

Ok, the whole fabric of the USA is driven by credit and plastic, but we are light years away from that in Thailand. Apart from a relatively small group of middle/upper class elite in Bangkok, nobody uses credit cards. This is still a cash based economy, (even cheques are rarely used outside of the business world), - and if you don't fit the banks' standard criteria, why bother with you?

None of my business, but I don't really understand why you are so bothered about having a credit card? If you carry 20,000 baht in your wallet ,(300 quid), it will surely take care of most bills? ATM's are always on hand, and if you are prepared to put up a 50,000 Baht security deposit, surely far better that you use it to pay your bills? Or is it a status thing? or a face thing?

Just wondering.

I agree. I think a credit card is good for using abroad, and for buying high ticket items if you are from the UK, then you have the protection against not getting the goods, the company that should be delivering your sofa going into liquidation etc etc...Why not apply for the Nationwide credit card(if you are from the UK), and set it up for the payment in full every month. There are no charges with this card. Then for paying non-cash in Tesco, Big C etc etc why not use your bank debit card?

[ArranP]

i understand their concerns, but there shouldn't really be any problems as long as you're willing to place a deposit account in the amount of the credit limit or even higher. i used to have a mastercard in the US for nearly two years while living there and for a non-US citizen its extremely difficult to get unless you have a SIN and all that. but they issued it to me after making a security deposit at their bank for $20,000 ...which was $5,000 higher than the limit the card had ...$15,000.

i don't mind making a deposit of 50,000 baht in thailand to get a credit card in the limit of 20,000 ...you can't over-draw credit cards by more than a few dollars anyways these days so i dont see their logic of it being a risk.

How many credit card companies in the Uk would bother with getting you to make security deposit if, in other respects, you didn't meet their credit requirements? very few I suspect. It's all too much hassle if you don't fit their criteria - time is money - if they lose a few credit worthy customers, better than gaining a few bad eggs.

It's the same here - its just not worth the hassle. Why should they put themselves out for a few transient farangs?

Ok, the whole fabric of the USA is driven by credit and plastic, but we are light years away from that in Thailand. Apart from a relatively small group of middle/upper class elite in Bangkok, nobody uses credit cards. This is still a cash based economy, (even cheques are rarely used outside of the business world), - and if you don't fit the banks' standard criteria, why bother with you?

None of my business, but I don't really understand why you are so bothered about having a credit card? If you carry 20,000 baht in your wallet ,(300 quid), it will surely take care of most bills? ATM's are always on hand, and if you are prepared to put up a 50,000 Baht security deposit, surely far better that you use it to pay your bills? Or is it a status thing? or a face thing?

Just wondering.

I agree. I think a credit card is good for using abroad, and for buying high ticket items if you are from the UK, then you have the protection against not getting the goods, the company that should be delivering your sofa going into liquidation etc etc...Why not apply for the Nationwide credit card(if you are from the UK), and set it up for the payment in full every month. There are no charges with this card. Then for paying non-cash in Tesco, Big C etc etc why not use your bank debit card?

Nationwide has since started to charge, however the UK Post Office Credit Card so long as your in credit still does not charge.

But the main subject of current conversation is ATM charges levied by the Thai ATM operators/banks. Anyone know of any ATM operators not charging in Phuket ?

....