180 Baht Charges for ATM.

[getthaid]

Only bangkok bank has held at 150. All others seem to have increased to 180b for using farang bank cards.

Is there any cheaper ones around? I know there are ways to avoid such as transferring funds in bulk to Thai accounts and also using debit cards in banks for cash advances - but it often happens that I do need to suffer this charge.

Does anyone know of any other banks that are atill at 150? Or lower?

This is one of the most irritating charges.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Gumballl]

I remember when I used to use my foreign ATM card to withdraw 20K baht at a time. If I were to be charged 150-180 baht for the service, I for one would not lose sleep over it. Isn't it the same as about the cost of two beers? Whoop-tee-do!

[RolandRat]

How dare people run businesses to make a profit or charge for a service they provide, what are they thinking!

After all, the ATM machine itself is free,the installation free, the electricity to run it is free, the staff to service it and reload it etc is free the computer systems and hardware, it was all free so why should they charge the customer.

Edited August 17, 2014 by RolandRat

[mrtoad]

Wasn't there a whole thread on this some years back?

[Pib]

AEON ATMs are still Bt150 as far as I know.

[Pib]

How dare people run businesses to make a profit or charge for a service they provide, what are they thinking!

After all, the ATM machine itself is free,the installation free, the electricity to run it is free, the staff to service it and reload it etc is free the computer systems and hardware, it was all free so why should they charge the customer.

And I expect Bt150-180 covers that cost many, many times over. It's just a very high ATM fee focusing on expats/foreign cards. Pretty much like how foreigners are charged 2 to 4 times the admission fee of a Thai to govt-owned tourist attractions.

If the installation, electricity, staff service, reload, etc., was so expensive why are ATM withdrawals using a "Thai bank card" free or maybe Bt20 if out of region/province? Maybe a Thai debit card uses less electricity, gets different kind of money from the ATM, etc., than a foreign debit card? I don't know...you tell me.

[BKKSnowBird]

I have an ATM card that does not charge anything and REFUNDS me the ATM fee up to 5 a month. I just take out 20k at a time and the $6 is refunded to me on the last day of the month.

I bet banks love people who think paying $6 is no big deal! I know I have saved hundreds over the years by doing a bit of research!

Edited August 17, 2014 by BKKSnowBird

[phuketjock]

I have an ATM card that does not charge anything and REFUNDS me the ATM fee up to 5 a month. I just take out 20k at a time and the $6 is refunded to me on the last day of the month.

I bet banks love people who think paying $6 is no big deal! I know I have saved hundreds over the years by doing a bit of research!

Well Snowbird how helpful of you to tell us how clever you are and not verify how you do it.

Or maybe it is just a fairytale???

[jspill]

I believe he's referring to Schwab bank accounts which do refund fees, but they're only available for Americans - http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/the-top-11-checking-accounts-for-avoiding-foreign-atm-fees/

That link references Citibank ATMs having no fee which used to be the case (e.g. by the Asoke interchange in Bangkok) but not anymore I've heard.

[JDGRUEN]

Bangkok Bank charges 180 Baht ... I use it often -- I have receipts... Now they all charge 180 - except maybe Aeon ... but not sure of that...

[JDGRUEN]

My bank in the USA... USAA Savings Bank reimburses ATM charges - even those from Thailand up to about $15.00 each account. And to the best of my account research USAA does not charge a foreign transaction fee for ATM charges -- but does for Credit Card charges ... which I believe is mostly due to MasterCard...

[RioMist]

Just take your card with your passport to most exchange places at the banks... no ATM charges at all..Draw as much as you want as long as your card has credit of course.

[scubascuba3]

Isn't it 180 for MasterCard and 150 Visa?

[Bender]

180 thats not a fee, thats a robbery

[danmarnj]

I use the Citibank ATMs in Silom. they allow me to withdraw 30K. Most of the other ones I used limited me to 15K. I still get socked with the ATM surcharge, but on average use only the Citibank ATM half the time as other ATMs.

[khrab]

TMB takes "only" 150 ฿ when using your MasterCard. A plus is that you can get up to 30,000 ฿ per transaction.

[dagobert]

$5 non bla bla bla atm withdrawal fee, in Bali.

$5= thb 150 withdrawal fee in LoS.

It appears to me this is our home bank fee.

[Sandman77]

My bank refound me charges of foreign banks worldwide wish drawl free!

Can confirm checked 1o ATMs in Korat shopping mall only bk and aon bank charge 150 b

[Andrew65]

I have had an offshore Citibank Singapore for many years before they had branch in Thailand. I've never been charged to use the ATM on the corner of Asoke.

[Pib]

My bank in the USA... USAA Savings Bank reimburses ATM charges - even those from Thailand up to about $15.00 each account. And to the best of my account research USAA does not charge a foreign transaction fee for ATM charges -- but does for Credit Card charges ... which I believe is mostly due to MasterCard...

USAA debit card charges a 1% foreign transaction fee. See fine-print/Note 1 below from their webpage. And obtaining an ATM fee refund from foreign ATMs can be problematic with USAA due to the way their transaction system sometimes combines the fee into the amount withdrawn based on my on test withdrawal several years back when first getting the card and using a Bangkok Bank ATM for a test withdrawal...had to email in a copy of the receipt showing the fee to USAA before I got the reimbursement.

1 USAA Bank refunds up to $15 in other banks' ATM usage fees each month and does not charge a fee for the first 10 ATM withdrawals. Subsequent transactions will be charged $2.00 each. A 1% foreign transaction fee applies to withdrawals outside the United States.

Due to the 1% foreign transaction fee and the problem I had in getting a refund, the USAA card now lives in my safe and I use a couple of no foreign transaction fees debit cards (Schwab and St Farm) which reimburse no problem. But I use them sparing in Thai ATMs to avoid killing the Golden Reimbursement Goose.

[asdecas]

I believe he's referring to Schwab bank accounts which do refund fees, but they're only available for Americans - http://thepointsguy.com/2014/02/the-top-11-checking-accounts-for-avoiding-foreign-atm-fees/

That link references Citibank ATMs having no fee which used to be the case (e.g. by the Asoke interchange in Bangkok) but not anymore I've heard.

As of a couple of weeks ago, Citibank made no charge for using a UK-issued MC or Visa card. I cannot vouch for other countries' cards, though I have read that only American-issued cards are charged the fee at Citibank.

[UncleE]

Waaay overpriced already and now even more so. ATM's in USA charge between $1.50 and $3.00 on average for using a foreign card (or any card at all). That's 50-100 baht. I'll admit you can find some which charge $5 USD but it's easy to find the cheaper ones.

[jacko45k]

180 baht, might as well round it off to 200.

You can expect some charge from the bank at the Thai end, but on top of a 2% currency exchange charge and a £5 overseas usage fee, and a maximum withdrawal of maybe £200 (10,000 baht), it takes the edge of the cheaper street food.

[nidieunimaitre]

Just take your card with your passport to most exchange places at the banks... no ATM charges at all..Draw as much as you want as long as your card has credit of course.

Are you sure that you get the same exchange rate as Visa / Mastercard use for ATM?

Not some "dynamic conversion rate" or whatever the scam is called?

[AlphMichaels]

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I have an ATM card that does not charge anything and REFUNDS me the ATM fee up to 5 a month. I just take out 20k at a time and the $6 is refunded to me on the last day of the month.

I bet banks love people who think paying $6 is no big deal! I know I have saved hundreds over the years by doing a bit of research!

For the OP, when I use my Chase card, I found the same increases in recent months. But SCB and TMB still charge only 150THB.

I also carry a personal Money Market fund card from my brokerage in USA that refunds fees but I can't use it at many banks here. HK and SG..., no problem. Only SCB accepts it and because I have an account there. Citibank in Asoke used to but I'm now told there's a relationship issue between my brokerage and Citibank in the states so they no longer refund the fee which has also gone to 180THB.

[AlphMichaels]

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Just take your card with your passport to most exchange places at the banks... no ATM charges at all..Draw as much as you want as long as your card has credit of course.

Are you sure that you get the same exchange rate as Visa / Mastercard use for ATM?

Not some "dynamic conversion rate" or whatever the scam is called?

The OP's account summary should reference at what exchange rate the transaction was paid. My US accounts always charge the then current rate.

[thrilled]

I use schwab.They reimburse me all ATM fees

[Gecko123]

In 10 years have never used a foreign credit card or debit card here; transaction fees too high and exchange rate is usually lousy too. Surprised to see how many posters seem to regularly do this. In today's low interest rate environment, have to manage those nasty transaction fees better.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Gecko123

[Pib]

Just take your card with your passport to most exchange places at the banks... no ATM charges at all..Draw as much as you want as long as your card has credit of course.

Are you sure that you get the same exchange rate as Visa / Mastercard use for ATM?

Not some "dynamic conversion rate" or whatever the scam is called?

I do counter withdrawals regularly now using a no foreign transaction fee Visa card...no bank fee charged and you get the Visa exchange rate.

Sent from my Samsung S4

[thailand49]

I reported this a few month back about the increase to 180, especially by Siam, and as noted Bangkok bank has held firm at 150 and Aeon once free is now for sometime at 150.

I fully understand the need of banks all over the world to charge but here increasing the fee to 180 is just greed and it exceeds what is the norm? And at 150 baht the banks are making a killing so when Siam raise the fee I stopped using their ATM, I now just plan whenever I need money to use just Bangkok banks and there are plenty of them around. Planning is the key but I know it is a matter of time before it all catches up with us?