thai bank card[to have or not to have]

[meatboy]

as I have posted previous me or the mrs.have never had a bank card in the last 25yrs we have been together,well what I have just seen on ch.3 news confirms our decision.2 farangs have been caught with skimming devices and a total of

364 credit cards already for use.a pin point camera was used to record peoples pin no's.i know this goes on all over the world but what chance have you of getting your money back here in Thailand.everybody needs to be on their guard exspecially in tourist area's.

[Langsuan Man]

People die every day on the roads but you still drive don't you !

I think the danger having a lot of cash or money on your person or in your house is much more dangerous than having an ATM card that may possibly be skimmed

If you are happy with not having an ATM card great for you, but for me, so long as I practice situational awareness and only use ATM's outside of bank branches I am not losing sleep over the small possibility of being "skimmed"

[meatboy]

People die every day on the roads but you still drive don't you !

I think the danger having a lot of cash or money on your person or in your house is much more dangerous than having an ATM card that may possibly be skimmed

If you are happy with not having an ATM card great for you, but for me, so long as I practice situational awareness and only use ATM's outside of bank branches I am not losing sleep over the small possibility of being "skimmed"

no its not in my pocket or in the house or in an atm.machine its behind the counter or in their safe at the banks.

so when I or the mrs.wants some we have the strenuous task of going inside filling out a slip having a sit down in an air conditioned room and waiting for some loverly smart bird to give it tooooooooooo me.

[Langsuan Man]

I wish I lived in such a structured life that I was guaranteed that the bank was open every time I needed cash

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[meatboy]

I wish I lived in such a structured life that I was guaranteed that the bank was open every time I needed cash

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

we are lucky the banks are only 2minutes from us and the fridge with my cider in is only 2mtrs.not far for the wife to go.

I do wander out of the gates morning and evening with my beloved[dog] that's as much structure as I need.

t.i.t. taffy in Thailand.

[noodle]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

[Naam]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

[JesseFrank]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

Edited April 9, 2014 by JesseFrank

[Pib]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

One thing for sure paying with card or cash takes about the same time give or take a few seconds (and I use both methods). And I would also say paying with a card is faster at many stores versus the fumbling with/counting of cash by the customer and clerk.

Sent from my Onda V971 tablet

[Naam]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

it's the clowns who insist paying cash, searching in their wallets for coins and what not who hold up the queue!

[Gomyway]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

it's the clowns who insist paying cash, searching in their wallets for coins and what not who hold up the queue!

LOL - for your next big shopping I wish you a only 30 minutes power failure with NO cash in your pocket and MANY clowns waiting behind you to pay, have a nice day @Naam...

[Pib]

Heck, when the power goes off now days paying for anything using cash, card, or gold bars comes to a halt in most stores as the checkout clerks can't scan the bar codes...and most of the time they can't even get the electronic cash register machine drawer to open until the power comes back on. It's pretty much everyone just starts looking at everyone else...and also complain about how hot it's getting since the store air con also went down with the power outage.

[samran]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

Yep that is us. Swiping he Amex for normal daily transactions. Normally get one or sometimes two free trips on points down to OZ per year doing that. And yes we pay off the amount in full each month.

[Shurup]

Nope, no Thai bank cards for me or my wife. Too much risks for very little convenience.

We're using cash for all the small purchases and Canadian CC for the large amounts.

My Canadian bank card too only comes out of my wallet when in Canada.

[JesseFrank]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

Yep that is us. Swiping he Amex for normal daily transactions. Normally get one or sometimes two free trips on points down to OZ per year doing that. And yes we pay off the amount in full each month.

Normally get one or sometimes two free trips on points down to OZ per year doing that

I assume to buyout complete supermarkets these days, if only the points collected from daily consumptions earn you 2 free trips to Oz per year. Or was that bicycle trips you had in mind

[fxe1200]

No Thai bank card for me. When I need cash I just walk over to the BKKBK branch and fill out the withdrawal slip, and receive my cash at the counter. Not using a bank card, will keep the staff in their jobs.

[bmanly]

Couldn't someone just knock off your passbook, check the blue light signature and copy it and just pose to be you and withdraw that cash by filling out the form?

[Spoonman]

Couldn't someone just knock off your passbook, check the blue light signature and copy it and just pose to be you and withdraw that cash by filling out the form?

what about the ID that must be shown ?

[bmanly]

That's why I asked, ok so everyone must show ID card or passport, Thai and farangs is that right, everybody? I've only ever used an ATM card so really don't know.

Sorry, I'm out of touch, I haven't done a counter withdrawal in 20 years or more, I forget what is required....

Edited April 11, 2014 by bmanly

[DoctorB]

When I opened the account I currently hold with TMB about 10 years ago I was told that it was a condition of the account that I must have an ATM card. Prior to that, during the 90s, getting money from a bank used to to be a nightmare, with large numbers of punters milling about and slapping their bank books on a pile in front of the cashier. The cashiers always made a point of pretending to be busy with other paper work and at then, at their leisure, would turn over the pile, take the book at the bottom, and call the holder's name. Needless to say some crafty Thais would try to sneak their pass books into the bottom of the pile. This ritual used to take place in both the Thai Military Bank and the Bankok Bank where I had accounts and typically it could take up to 45 minutes to get cash. Thankfully in the day of the ATM this has long gone.

[dotpoom]

To answer your question,.... I have just read in the article concerning chips in debit cards from next year that ...yes....the banks do cover any loses from fraud.

It annoys me too when people pay by card at a check out. I think it is much slower than by cash...there again....I'm the type of person that always has the money ready in my hand before we get to the check out, It baffles me no end why some people (mostly women and in all countries) wait until they get the bill in their hands before they start actually rooting for their money in the bottom of a handbag. It's like it comes as a shock to them that they actually have to pay for their purchases. One of my many jobs in a previous life was driving a taxi. Occasionally a woman (are there any women or girls in Thailand or are they all ladies?) would jump into my taxi and ask me to get her to a bus or train station as quickly as possible...to oblige her I would do everything I could to get her there quickly, even broke the traffic lights on a couple of occasions. Then I would pull up outside the place where she was going, she would ask me "How much do I owe you"...I would tell her (even though she could see it right in front of her on the meter) and then, only then would she started looking for the money....can you figure that...just like at a check out...but this time she would have been in a desperate hurry. Eventually, I simply had to tell people to get their money ready to avoid delay if they asked me to get them somewhere pronto.

I think I might try that again the next time there's a lady in front of me in a Que....simply tap her on the shoulder and say to her..."You could be getting your money ready now while your doing nothing". On second thoughts, maybe not such a good idea. Oh,.... maybe the stores could place signs along the lines waiting to check out...."Please have your money ready"....Remind me to go see the manager of Big C tomorrow.

[Acharn]

Thailand (and Asia in general) is way more cash friendly than the west, it is a great place to do without a bank card.

i find it very unfriendly getting a handful of notes, coins and a sales slip which takes minutes to sort out. a debit card is a great way to use for shopping.

Oh that's you who's always holding up the queue at the checkout, because he insists on paying by card.

it's the clowns who insist paying cash, searching in their wallets for coins and what not who hold up the queue!

You heard the story about Bill Gates? Many years ago, but he was already a very rich man. Seems he went to a grocery store and when he got to the check-out counter he couldn't find a coupon he thought he had brought. A coupon for 25 cents on a purchase of ice cream. He fumbled through all his pockets over and over while the line behind him grew longer and longer. Finally some working stiff behind him said, "For &%*@#$ sake, here's a quarter! Pay for your s**t and get out of the way!!!" He took the guy's quarter.

[Benmart]

To answer your question,.... I have just read in the article concerning chips in debit cards from next year that ...yes....the banks do cover any loses from fraud.

It annoys me too when people pay by card at a check out. I think it is much slower than by cash...there again....I'm the type of person that always has the money ready in my hand before we get to the check out, It baffles me no end why some people (mostly women and in all countries) wait until they get the bill in their hands before they start actually rooting for their money in the bottom of a handbag. It's like it comes as a shock to them that they actually have to pay for their purchases. One of my many jobs in a previous life was driving a taxi. Occasionally a woman (are there any women or girls in Thailand or are they all ladies?) would jump into my taxi and ask me to get her to a bus or train station as quickly as possible...to oblige her I would do everything I could to get her there quickly, even broke the traffic lights on a couple of occasions. Then I would pull up outside the place where she was going, she would ask me "How much do I owe you"...I would tell her (even though she could see it right in front of her on the meter) and then, only then would she started looking for the money....can you figure that...just like at a check out...but this time she would have been in a desperate hurry. Eventually, I simply had to tell people to get their money ready to avoid delay if they asked me to get them somewhere pronto.

I think I might try that again the next time there's a lady in front of me in a Que....simply tap her on the shoulder and say to her..."You could be getting your money ready now while your doing nothing". On second thoughts, maybe not such a good idea. Oh,.... maybe the stores could place signs along the lines waiting to check out...."Please have your money ready"....Remind me to go see the manager of Big C tomorrow.

So many people in a hurry. Easy Does It.

[ableguy]

People die every day on the roads but you still drive don't you !

I think the danger having a lot of cash or money on your person or in your house is much more dangerous than having an ATM card that may possibly be skimmed

If you are happy with not having an ATM card great for you, but for me, so long as I practice situational awareness and only use ATM's outside of bank branches I am not losing sleep over the small possibility of being "skimmed"

no its not in my pocket or in the house or in an atm.machine its behind the counter or in their safe at the banks.

so when I or the mrs.wants some we have the strenuous task of going inside filling out a slip having a sit down in an air conditioned room and waiting for some loverly smart bird to give it tooooooooooo me.

Me too buddy stopped putting cash in my ATM account long time ago.

[ableguy]

To answer your question,.... I have just read in the article concerning chips in debit cards from next year that ...yes....the banks do cover any loses from fraud.

It annoys me too when people pay by card at a check out. I think it is much slower than by cash...there again....I'm the type of person that always has the money ready in my hand before we get to the check out, It baffles me no end why some people (mostly women and in all countries) wait until they get the bill in their hands before they start actually rooting for their money in the bottom of a handbag. It's like it comes as a shock to them that they actually have to pay for their purchases. One of my many jobs in a previous life was driving a taxi. Occasionally a woman (are there any women or girls in Thailand or are they all ladies?) would jump into my taxi and ask me to get her to a bus or train station as quickly as possible...to oblige her I would do everything I could to get her there quickly, even broke the traffic lights on a couple of occasions. Then I would pull up outside the place where she was going, she would ask me "How much do I owe you"...I would tell her (even though she could see it right in front of her on the meter) and then, only then would she started looking for the money....can you figure that...just like at a check out...but this time she would have been in a desperate hurry. Eventually, I simply had to tell people to get their money ready to avoid delay if they asked me to get them somewhere pronto.

I think I might try that again the next time there's a lady in front of me in a Que....simply tap her on the shoulder and say to her..."You could be getting your money ready now while your doing nothing". On second thoughts, maybe not such a good idea. Oh,.... maybe the stores could place signs along the lines waiting to check out...."Please have your money ready"....Remind me to go see the manager of Big C tomorrow.

So many people in a hurry. Easy Does It.

This is thailand mate, why do people do this , drive , die , it goes on and on, accept i5

[martijn12345]

Why are so many people so scared of an ATM card. I really don't get it. I am not the kind of person who has ONLY plastic in his wallet. There is some cash in their for smaller amounts. But I feel uncomfortable not having my card with me. Right now I have perhaps 1000 baht cash on me. It's enough for me small expenses but it will soon run out. Where do you guys get money in the evening? Or you always think ahead and have say 5000 baht on you at all times. Or you leave it somewhere in the house? Besides all that I also enjoy internet banking but I probably shouldn't get you started on that.

Cash, internet banking, ATM cards, Credit cards, they all have their pros and cons. They all make life easier but there are certain things to be careful with. I think if you use your brain you will be fine, and using all options just gives you a lot of convenience and choices.

[Langsuan Man]

I want an ATM card in the unlikely event that I have to pay a bribe. I consider it a get out of jail card in this country

[lopburi3]

If you fear skimmers Bangkok Bank has had a chip card available for some time now - only drawback is that it can not be used on anything but Bangkok Bank ATM's until other banks convert.

As for cash/card payment they are usually about the same at checkout if computer access to bank is working well - often there is an extended delay which should not happen. But believe the cash payment has the same or worse factor of customer not having enough money to pay so must make the long decision as to which product to not buy this trip. There are much longer delays for couples where one is still shopping so register has to wait than for those using cards for payment (I do not see the overdrawn so have to try three cards often here but that can happen and takes a lot of self control when behind them).

If in fear of fraud keep one account with major funds without card but have internet access (if you trust) to transfer to your daily ATM card account when needed.

[JimGant]

If you fear skimmers Bangkok Bank has had a chip card available for some time now

Had the wife switch our non chip debit/atm card to the "smart" chip variety just a couple weeks ago. We'd already zeroed out available debit for POS transactions -- as that would be the easiest path for a cloned debit card. But a cloned card, with a known pin, used at an ATM could still ruin my day -- unless my account would only work with a "smart" ATM card (as the chip function can't be cloned, as far as I know...).

Took about 5 minutes for her to switch the old Be1st debit/atm card for a "smart" chip variety. Not exactly sure how the technology works, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of the switchover -- at a small branch in the sticks, no less. Thought they would have to send to Bangkok.

Still have other ATM cards for when a Bangkok Bank ATM is not handy. But that's not often.

Edited April 18, 2014 by JimGant

[isawasnake]

I agree with the op in that a card is just not needed. I did break down and get a card finally, as my better half wanted one. Only have one card, but have a few accounts.

I find it very easy to get cash when i need it. A little "buffer" of say 5 or so thousand baht I usually keep nearby, and a little foresight helps of course. It is not all that hard.

I also find this "technique" helps me spend less money I feel.

Edited April 20, 2014 by isawasnake