180 Baht Charges for ATM.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As a VERY general rule, the most economical ways of accessing foreign funds in Thailand are (in descending order):

1a. Thai ATM withdrawals with a no foreign currency fee VISA debit card that also fully reimburses the Thai bank ATM fees.

1b. Counter withdrawals with a VISA debit or credit card that has no foreign currency or other home bank fees (such as cash advance or accrued interest).

2. for Americans or Brits, using BKK Bank's New York or London branch international funds transfer facilities. The larger the transfer amount, the lower the fee ratio.

3. After that, you've got other varieties of Thai bank ATM withdrawals with Thai and home country ATM fees charged vs. various flavors of international wire transfers that also have fees charged by the sending, intermediary and recipient banks. Which transaction is better depends entirely on the amount being accessed and the various fees that pertain to the transaction.

4. After that, I'd lump together the commercial money transfer services such as Paypal, Western Union, Moneygram etc, which usually have transaction fees and typically exchange the funds at a lower rate than what the VISA and MC card networks provide.

[Pib]

Aeon is 150 for all cards and also it's good for exchange rate as the conversion is done directly by your home bank. Other banks ask you if you want it your home bank currency and the rate is a lot lower as it's the bank that you are withdrawing from who are fixing the rate.

Well, actually Visa/Mastercard accomplish the conversion; not your home bank.

You have misunderstood. He is describing DCC. So it is the local merchant bank that is fixing the rate.

No I haven't. His first sentence was describing the Visa/Mastercard exchange conversion but he appeared to think his home country bank did the conversion when actually it's the Visa/Mastercard network accomplishing the conversion. His second sentence was describing a DCC transaction where you get the bank's ATM or merchant's exchange rate.

Just clarifying to him his home country bank is not accomplishing a non-DCC currency conversion as it's Visa/Mastercard.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Aeon is 150 for all cards and also it's good for exchange rate as the conversion is done directly by your home bank. Other banks ask you if you want it your home bank currency and the rate is a lot lower as it's the bank that you are withdrawing from who are fixing the rate.

Actually, when using a foreign debit card of either the VISA or MC variety, most Thai bank ATMs will automatically give you the VISA or MC network exchange rate for the network of the card you're using. As a general rule, for ATM transactions with foreign VISA and MCs, the Thai banks aren't setting their own exchange rates for ATM withdrawals. And neither is your card issuing home country bank.

There are some exceptions for that, though, where the bank ATM will ask the customer if they want the withdrawal shown in their home country currency. That's known as Dynamic Currency Conversion, and results in a 3-4% lower exchange rate, but ONLY if the customer specifically agrees to accept it when asked. The ATM display won't tell you you're getting 3-4% less. But it will ask you if you want the transaction to be shown in your home country currency. You NEVER want to accept that.

Last time I checked, SCB and Bank of Ayudhya were among the Thai banks asking customers to accept DCC when foreign MasterCards were being used. I don't think/am not sure those same ATMs will attempt DCC when a VISA logo card is being used.

He was describing DCC in the first place. Though of course he was generalising when he wrote "other banks".

AFAIK, the offer of DCC is not practiced by all or most Thai banking company ATMs when the customer is using a foreign card. It is done by at least a few Thai banks, particularly when the customer is using a MasterCard logo card.

And, as I said, even when using an AEON ATM, it's not the customer's home country bank that's setting the exchange rate. It's the VISA or MasterCard network rate, depending on the flavor of card. Home country banks may deduct from those networks rates by then piling on their own foreign currency or other fees.

[jpinx]

The obvious alternative is to (1) open an account at a Thai bank that can accept wire transfers of funds from banks outside of Thailand and has an ATM card associated with it, which 99.44% of Thai expats already have -- if you don't, you should.

-----> Which banks will allow a farang to open an account and accept foreign transfers at a decent rate of exchange and will give said farang an ATM card with at least 30K withdrawal per day/whatever -- all without fees ?

(2) Transfer larger amounts ($10,000+) of money from your foreign bank account (or brokerage account) to your Thai bank account periodically (depending on how long that amount will last given spending patterns)

-----> That's going to mean interest lost on the home deposit which needs to be taken into the equation of comparisons. Has to be said that US$10k (300k Baht) would last a very long time. Monthly outgoings are more likely to be in the region of US$2k unless beer is involved.

or open an account at BKK BK and use ACH transfers to its NY branch if you have an account in the US. Setting it up the first time takes a bit of effort, but after that it is mindless and effortless -- I expect that even you could learn to do it with practice.

-----> I don't have that.

Total cost of the transfer to Thailand from the foreign bank will be about B1,500 (or less), which on $10,000 amounts to B93.75 on each B20,000 pull (16 pulls of approx. $625 (most banks limit each ATM pull to B20,000) to get $10,000), or about 1/2 of the foreign bank ATM withdrawal charge (B180) in Thailand. And the more you send in one transfer, the lower is the "per pull cost" as almost all of the costs are fixed.

-----> Which "home" bank charges 1,500 Baht per transfer, and what about transfer receipt fees in the Thai bank? 1,500 Baht on US$2,000 per month for 2 x 30,000 Baht ATM transactions makes it 750 Baht per transaction.

(3) Once the money is in your account in Thailand, use your Thai ATM for free anywhere within your home province or pay B20 for a ATM pull outside. Too difficult for you?

-----> Not at all, but my query is as a result of doing some research and reading many threads in here. At present I pay 180 Baht to the Thai ATM and roughly the same to my "home" bank per 30kBaht transaction. That's about I get a good enough rate of exchange and I have the same card available for all my other business worldwide -- plus, my home bank pays decent interest on what I don't use. I am genuinely looking at alternatives and I appreciate your input, but so far I do not see a compelling reason to change my system, but I am more than willing to keep looking at options.

Sorry, I took your post as setting up a "straw man", and responded accordingly. And while all of the information in my responding post is correct, my tone was a bit abrasive -- sorry for that.

Of course, the amounts held in your Thai bank account will be larger than required at the time of transfer. But most Thai banks pay much higher rates of interest than most banks in the US and Europe. So, you will gain, not lose on holding money in a Thai bank rather than in a foreign bank. You can easily get 2% on passbook accounts here, where such accounts pay near 0% in the US and I assume also in Europe. Not sure about Australia or NZ. I get 2.75% on my passbook account here in Thailand (LH Bank) and 0.2% on my checking account in the US. The fees for opening a Thai account are B0 at all of the major banks. Most banks only require a passport for a foreigner to open an account -- if a bank wants more, just go to a different bank or a different branch of the same bank. It is getting more difficult for Americans because of new bank account reporting requirements. For an ATM card, you will be charged a 1 time fee of B300, that's it. I can only speak of transfers from the US, but a wire transfer is about $30 and BKK BK charges B500 ($15) to process the incoming wire, which is where I came up with the B1,500 for a $10,000 incoming deposit. Transfers from banks in other countries should be in that ballpark, but you would need to check with your bank.

But if you only require $2,000 per month, which is 3 ATM pulls, the cost is only $20 per month for using the ATM (about $10 per month more than using the wire transfer method), so maybe it isn't worth the effort for you. My cash requirements are much more, especially when I have to pay school fees for 2 girls in international school, etc.

Thank you for clarifying Indeed it is a very marginal benefit in my situation being a single retiree here. Sorry for tarring you with the "bar-user" brush. You having a Thai family shows the wide range of life styles of farangs who stay in Thailand, and the vastly different requirements. I keep my eye on the more coherent postings in here for any news of alternatives that may suit me better, but none have surfaced yet. Bear in mind that quite a few Thai banks do now have an upper limit of 30,000 Baht. Another thing to bear in mind is that not everyone is stuck with crappy interest rates on deposits in their home country

[Pib]

This Visa webpage provides a short and layman's overview of how it handles currency conversion, exchange rate, fees it applies, fees your card-issuing bank my apply/add-on, and DCC. Only takes a couple minutes to read. Good info I think.

A lot of people blame Visa/Mastercard for a low exchange rate when it fact a low rate is caused by your "card-issuing bank" not absorbing the Visa/Mastercard currency conversion fee that can range from 0.15% to 1% depending on the agreement between Visa/Mastercard and your card-issuing bank, your card-issuing bank possibly adding on additional foreign transaction fees like maybe charging up to a 3% foreign transaction fee plus maybe even an additional x-dollars fee, or a person selecting a DCC transaction where Visa/Mastercard is not involved in the exchange rate given as that rate comes from the local bank operating the ATM or the merchant. Preaching to the choir for many I know...but may be new info for others.

[Naam]

what you "would much rather" or what "i might consider" is completely irrelevant. people "should rather" accept a reality which cannot be changed by complaining ad nauseam in a public forum.

accepting reality also applies to wrong assumptions such as "the Thai banking system is not competitive". fact is and remains that Thai banking is extremely competitive because competition does not exist.

next!

No one is complaining, ad nauseam or otherwise. Just trying to call a spade a spade, and not accepting that the fees charged by Thai banks for use of their ATMs by customers withdrawing money from foreign bank accounts is somehow justified on a "higher cost" basis -- that the fees are justified because the money is coming from an account in Duluth. When AEON stopped giving "free" withdrawals for foreign bank ATMs, I stopped using ATMs in Thailand -- transfers via ACH to BBKBKs NY branch provide a more cost effective means to transfer money to Thailand. I liked using the ATM vehicle because I could take advantage of currency exchange fluctuations more quickly and easily, especially during periods when currency exchange volatility is high, as has been the case recently. Transferring smaller amounts each time helps diversify the exchange risk. But that opportunity is now gone, so be it... Not a big deal in any event.

And whether banking systems elsewhere are "competitive" is not really the issue. Competition is not all or nothing -- it is a continuum from strong to weak. Banking systems in other countries demonstrate less evidence of collusion and offer ATM services at lower prices than Thai banks. Whether you agree or not is entirely up to you. But don't, on a public forum, claim that the higher fees charged by Thai banks for use of their ATMs by customers withdrawing money from foreign bank accounts is justified because of higher costs in providing the service -- that is patently wrong. Hopefully, you now see your mistake (but, some how, I doubt it). Next.....

i don't like to waste my time with people who put words in my mouth i neither said nor meant. that applies also to those who pretend/claim that hundreds of posting covering the whole range from lamenting to ridiculous bitching (e.g. "racist ATM fees") do not exist.

[AlanAunuum]

why not open a thai bank accout then KRUNGTHAI BANK BANGKOK BANK TMB BANK you only get charged inter region fee of 15-20 baht and no fee if its in the same region as the bank,just tranfer your money to these banks,and for <deleted> sake,stop whinging its only 150-180 baht charge (about 2 bottles of leo in nana plazaat happy hour)

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Aeon is 150 for all cards and also it's good for exchange rate as the conversion is done directly by your home bank. Other banks ask you if you want it your home bank currency and the rate is a lot lower as it's the bank that you are withdrawing from who are fixing the rate.

Well, actually Visa/Mastercard accomplish the conversion; not your home bank.

You have misunderstood. He is describing DCC. So it is the local merchant bank that is fixing the rate.

No I haven't. His first sentence was describing the Visa/Mastercard exchange conversion but he appeared to think his home country bank did the conversion when actually it's the Visa/Mastercard network accomplishing the conversion. His second sentence was describing a DCC transaction where you get the bank's ATM or merchant's exchange rate.

Just clarifying to him his home country bank is not accomplishing a non-DCC currency conversion as it's Visa/Mastercard.

Indeed, perhaps using an incorrect description.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Aeon is 150 for all cards and also it's good for exchange rate as the conversion is done directly by your home bank. Other banks ask you if you want it your home bank currency and the rate is a lot lower as it's the bank that you are withdrawing from who are fixing the rate.

Actually, when using a foreign debit card of either the VISA or MC variety, most Thai bank ATMs will automatically give you the VISA or MC network exchange rate for the network of the card you're using. As a general rule, for ATM transactions with foreign VISA and MCs, the Thai banks aren't setting their own exchange rates for ATM withdrawals. And neither is your card issuing home country bank.

There are some exceptions for that, though, where the bank ATM will ask the customer if they want the withdrawal shown in their home country currency. That's known as Dynamic Currency Conversion, and results in a 3-4% lower exchange rate, but ONLY if the customer specifically agrees to accept it when asked. The ATM display won't tell you you're getting 3-4% less. But it will ask you if you want the transaction to be shown in your home country currency. You NEVER want to accept that.

Last time I checked, SCB and Bank of Ayudhya were among the Thai banks asking customers to accept DCC when foreign MasterCards were being used. I don't think/am not sure those same ATMs will attempt DCC when a VISA logo card is being used.

He was describing DCC in the first place. Though of course he was generalising when he wrote "other banks".

AFAIK, the offer of DCC is not practiced by all or most Thai banking company ATMs when the customer is using a foreign card. It is done by at least a few Thai banks, particularly when the customer is using a MasterCard logo card.

And, as I said, even when using an AEON ATM, it's not the customer's home country bank that's setting the exchange rate. It's the VISA or MasterCard network rate, depending on the flavor of card. Home country banks may deduct from those networks rates by then piling on their own foreign currency or other fees.

I assumed that he used 'home bank' for VISA/Mastercard to save on a more long winded description.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

why not open a thai bank accout then KRUNGTHAI BANK BANGKOK BANK TMB BANK you only get charged inter region fee of 15-20 baht and no fee if its in the same region as the bank,just tranfer your money to these banks,and for <deleted> sake,stop whinging its only 150-180 baht charge (about 2 bottles of leo in nana plazaat happy hour)

Do you feel that you have added something intelligent to this discussion? Seems that you've already had more than those two LEO beers.

[Berinek]

An evergreen topic

Bangkok Bank: 150 Baht, see here:

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BANGKOKBANK/WEBSERVICES/HELPCENTER/Pages/FeeTable.aspx

Cash withdrawal using an electronic card issued by a foreign bank or non-bank card issuer in Thailand and not an ATM Pool member

• Cash withdrawal using an electronic card issued by a foreign bank

  (Transaction fee will be waived for ATM withdrawals using AMEX cards and cards within the MEPS/ATM Pool network.)

150Bt per transaction

Krungsri 150 for Visa, 180 for MC:

http://www.krungsri.com/en/banking-rates05.aspx?flag=0

http://www.krungsri.com/inc/download.aspx?file=../download/Interest_792advance_notification_atm13.pdf

Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited changes the fee for cash advance

transactions at Krungsri ATMs for MasterCard credit cards issued outside of Thailand,

the Bank would collect fees at Baht 180 per transaction and Visa credit cards issued

outside of Thailand at Baht 150 per transaction.

Not in the mood to search all banks.

AEON 150 from own experience.

Dear KhunBENQ,

it is nice to have these price lists and say its evergreen topic. But how would you explain the fact that I am charged 150 THB on all of my VISA cards and 180 THB on all of my MasterCards by any of Thai banks. It does not matter if I go to ATM of Bangkok Bank, or Krungthai Bank, or Kasikorn, TMB, Krungsri Bank, City Bank, just any Thai bank ATM I go, I am charged 180 THB for MC and 150 THB on Visa. Then your pricelists above are absolutely useless, because it does not apply for all foreign cards and the rule is somehow a bit of mistery then. Why pricelist of Bangkok Bank says any foreign ATM card is 150 THB and I am charged this only for VISA but for MC 180 THB? The only ATM which charge me 150 THB for both types of cards is AEON. Also the limits are somehow a kind of mistery. While on some cards Bangkok Bank gives me 25.000 THB on the other cards not, in KTB on some cards gives me 20.000 THB but on some only 10.000 THB no matter how high limit per withdrawal I have on the card and be sure it is far more then that. I think there is probably simply no real rule and every foreign bank and every foreign card has it different. And people must check for them self first what ATM is the best deal. Because nobody was able to explain the rules. There are no strict rules applicable for all cards. This is what I think.

[AlanAunuum]

as i don't drink yes i have added something relevant,if you are whinging about paying the 150-180 baht charges then the other option is to open a thai bank account.It is quite easy to do or maybe opening a thai bank account is beneath your level jiu-jitsu

[Berinek]

as i don't drink yes i have added something relevant,if you are whinging about paying the 150-180 baht charges then the other option is to open a thai bank account.It is quite easy to do or maybe opening a thai bank account is beneath your level jiu-jitsu

I do not think this is again solution for all. Because of all different banks all over the world, different package deals etc. To wire 25.000 THB from my European account to my Thai Bank Account would be arround 800 THB. So its better, faster and cheaper to get it from ATM for 150/180 THB. Wire transfers in my case are worth it for realy higher amounts, when you would need to make a multiple withdrawals and it would become expensive. And I always get a better exchange rate on ATM withdrawal then wire transfer, because we do not have EUR, so I have to buy EUR or USD, then send it over here and it get changed to THB again. But some guys get transfers free, some get them even more expensive. And to open the bank account in Thai bank is not that simple anyway. It depends where you live in Thailand. Its different in Bangkok, its different in tourist areas with many foreigners, and its different in rural areas where you barely see a foreigner. The each branch have different procedure and different document requests and you never know untill you try to open a bank account. In some banks and branches you are fine just with a passport and address confirmation from your landlord, somewhere you must have a Thai driving licence and somewhere you must even hold a work permit. Etc. etc. Regarding Thailand it is so impossible to create some general rules or manuals which would be valid for all places and people, that it is realy loosing the time and energy. I would say all guys must try it themself what works the best for them. That would be the only rule. They might loose some small money on the beggining for testing it, but then they will know what is the best option. This is the only way in Thailand with nearly everything. What is valid here for me, is probably not valid for my friend from different country who lives just the next door. Thanks.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

as i don't drink yes i have added something relevant,if you are whinging about paying the 150-180 baht charges then the other option is to open a thai bank account.It is quite easy to do or maybe opening a thai bank account is beneath your level jiu-jitsu

If you don't drink, then why are you posting nonsense about buying beers in Nana Plaza?

There are other options than putting your money into a Thai bank account. You can take your fee free card and withdraw over the counter or simply paying with your card and getting access to the full VISA/Mastercard rate without deductions. Superior value compared to having a Thai bank account.

Many stories of money going missing from a Thai bank accounts and it being difficult to recoup.

I'm happier dealing with a UK bank.

So it is not the other option. It is another option.

If you think that you are the first person to mumble "get a Thai bank account", you should think again.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Dear KhunBENQ,

it is nice to have these price lists and say its evergreen topic. But how would you explain the fact that I am charged 150 THB on all of my VISA cards and 180 THB on all of my MasterCards by any of Thai banks. It does not matter if I go to ATM of Bangkok Bank, or Krungthai Bank, or Kasikorn, TMB, Krungsri Bank, City Bank, just any Thai bank ATM I go, I am charged 180 THB for MC and 150 THB on Visa. Then your pricelists above are absolutely useless, because it does not apply for all foreign cards and the rule is somehow a bit of mistery then. Why pricelist of Bangkok Bank says any foreign ATM card is 150 THB and I am charged this only for VISA but for MC 180 THB? The only ATM which charge me 150 THB for both types of cards is AEON. Also the limits are somehow a kind of mistery. While on some cards Bangkok Bank gives me 25.000 THB on the other cards not, in KTB on some cards gives me 20.000 THB but on some only 10.000 THB no matter how high limit per withdrawal I have on the card and be sure it is far more then that. I think there is probably simply no real rule and every foreign bank and every foreign card has it different. And people must check for them self first what ATM is the best deal. Because nobody was able to explain the rules. There are no strict rules applicable for all cards. This is what I think.

The bottom line re using non Thai debit cards for ATM withdrawals at Thai banks right now is....

--most and probably all Thai banks (perhaps excluding AEON which is not a bank) are charging 180 baht for a MasterCard ATM withdrawal.

--for a VISA debit card withdrawal, the fees are mixed. Some ATMs are still charging 150 baht, including BKK Bank, AEON and TMB, and perhaps others. But quite a few are already charging 180 baht for VISA card withdrawals, including Ayudhya, Kasikorn, UOB and others.

[Ling Kae]

Just thought I'd let readers know that I have an international Visa Debit card and I was charged 180 baht for my withdrawal at a Krungsri Bank ATM today. The good thing is you can pull out 30K in one hit and thus making less withdrawals per Month.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Ling Kae

[Pib]

Just thought I'd let readers know that I have an international Visa Debit card and I was charged 180 baht for my withdrawal at a Krungsri Bank ATM today. The good thing is you can pull out 30K in one hit and thus making less withdrawals per Month.

I can second that as I used my Visa card at a Krungsri ATM to pull 30K with a fee of Bt180 around 3 weeks ago. Ditto for using the card in a Thai Military Bank (TMB) ATM about 2 weeks ago.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Non-Thai VISA debit card ATM withdrawals:

150 baht fee:

TMB, max 30,000

BKK Bank, max 20K or 25K

AEON, max 20K

180 baht fee:

Ayudhya

Kasikorn

Krungsri, max 30K

UOB

BTW, I should have added, AFAIK, all MasterCard withdrawals at present, regardless of bank, will incur the 180 baht fee, with the possible exception of AEON ATMs, which last time I checked, had a 150 baht fee and 20K withdrawal limit.

Edited August 23, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pib]

Just thought I'd let readers know that I have an international Visa Debit card and I was charged 180 baht for my withdrawal at a Krungsri Bank ATM today. The good thing is you can pull out 30K in one hit and thus making less withdrawals per Month.

I can second that as I used my Visa card at a Krungsri ATM to pull 30K with a fee of Bt180 around 3 weeks ago. Ditto for using the card in a Thai Military Bank (TMB) ATM about 2 weeks ago.

Correction...I just remembered I still have the TMB ATM receipt...looked at it...I was only charged Bt150 for the 30K withdrawal. Also still had the Krungsri ATM receipt also...my memory didnt' fail me there as it was Bt180 for 30K withdrawal as in my post above.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Pib

[jpinx]

Do we know if there is a consistent difference between the charges for a debit card versus a credit card ?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My last TMB VISA card withdrawal was only 150 baht... maybe a week or two ago.

[Pib]

My last TMB VISA card withdrawal was only 150 baht... maybe a week or two ago.

Yea, mine too..I found the TMB receipt showing the Bt150 fee...I corrected my post of a few minutes ago where I said Bt180.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Pib

[jpinx]

Non-Thai VISA debit card ATM withdrawals:

150 baht fee:

TMB, max 30,000

BKK Bank, max 20K or 25K

AEON, max 20K

180 baht fee:

Ayudhya

Kasikorn

Krungsri, max 30K -- * Visa CREDIT card the same

UOB

BTW, I should have added, AFAIK, all MasterCard withdrawals at present, regardless of bank, will incur the 180 baht fee, with the possible exception of AEON ATMs, which last time I checked, had a 150 baht fee and 20K withdrawal limit.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

AFAIK, the Thai banks will treat foreign credit cards the same as foreign debit cards, in terms of the Thai bank ATM fees.

In other words, a TMB ATM ought to charge the same 150 baht withdrawal fee against either a VISA debit or VISA credit card.

However, as has been explained previously, credit cards usually (there are some exceptions) are not the most economical way to withdraw funds from an ATM.

Because apart from the Thai bank ATM withdrawal fee, the issuer of the credit card will also tend to have cash advance fees and interest charges on the withdrawal amount that debit cards don't have, and may also have foreign currency fees

[Pib]

I expect the same Bt150/180 ATM Use Fee applies to either a foreign Visa/Mastercard debit or credit card. Going to the Bangkok Bank webpage were they talk foreign card ATM fees they don't even use credit or debit card terminology...they just refer to them as "electronic" cards as quoted below

Cash withdrawal using an electronic card issued by a foreign bank or non-bank card issuer in Thailand and not an ATM Pool member

[jpinx]

Whilst Thai banks might not differentiate between credit and debit cards, for sure the home banks do, as I found to my cost.! Credit cards get hit with "cash advance fees", but debit cards get hammered with a very much larger "foreign use fee". I think the banks rely on their interest charges on cash advances on credit cards withdrawals, but I short-circuit that simply by depositing the required amount into the credit card account online a few days before withdrawing the cash. I still get the "cash advance fee" but no interest charges.

None of this impinges on the Thai ATM transaction - I just pay the 180Baht at YellowBank and get 30k. I haven't found any Thai bank ATM that has a 30K upper limit and 150Baht fee.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

For VISA cards, I believe you can still do a 30K withdrawal for a 150 baht ATM fee at TMB ATMs.

As for credit vs debit cards, it's going to depend on the particulars of the cards someone has to use.

But in general, among the major U.S. banks, I'd say a 3% foreign currency fee is common, but that's all.

But for the major bank credit cards, it's going to be a typical 3% foreign currency fee AND a credit card cash advance fee typically of a flat $5 PLUS 3% or more of the amount withdrawn, PLUS potential interest charges. For the typical mega US bank credit card, foreign currency ATM withdrawals tend to be VERY costly.

Edited August 23, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[hawker9000]

I know my Visa credit card (from a CU) charges no cash advance fee and no foreign transaction fee, only a finance charge 2% above the rate on normal purchases. So if I make a withdrawal at an ATM (subject to the 150 or 180B fee being discussed in this thread), and go online to pay off the balance immediately, other than that fee to the bank that owns the ATM, I pay no fees (well, actually, possibly one day's finance charge depending on timing; and I don't see why I couldn't actually make the online transfer BEFORE I go to the ATM), and get whatever exchange rate Visa is giving, which I expect is going to be at least as good as what I'd get at any exchange window, and probably better. (I would of course turn down the "Dynamic Currency Conversion" if offered by the ATM.)

The main fly in the ointment for me is the risk involved with the use of a credit card in a Thai ATM...

Edited August 23, 2014 by hawker9000

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Hawker, Pentagon Federal Credit Union and State Department Federal Credit Union are the two I know of that have credit cards with no foreign currency fee and no cash advance fee.

Do you have another credit union with a similar credit card???

As for your concern, with that kind of credit card, like Pib does, you ought to be able to do a credit card cash advance at most Thai bank teller windows. No ATM fee involved. Most banks will accept your credit card for doing a cash advance. And you'll avoid your concern about ATM security.

And yes, depending on your credit union, you ought to be able to prepay or simultaneously pay an amount into your credit card account to cover the amount of your cash advance, thus avoiding accrued interest charges.

Edited August 24, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Ling Kae]

Non-Thai VISA debit card ATM withdrawals:

150 baht fee:

TMB, max 30,000

BKK Bank, max 20K or 25K

AEON, max 20K

180 baht fee:

Ayudhya

Kasikorn

Krungsri, max 30K -- * Visa CREDIT card the same

UOB

BTW, I should have added, AFAIK, all MasterCard withdrawals at present, regardless of bank, will incur the 180 baht fee, with the possible exception of AEON ATMs, which last time I checked, had a 150 baht fee and 20K withdrawal limit.

However, as has been explained previously, credit cards usually (there are some exceptions) are not the most economical way to withdraw funds from an ATM.

Thanks to both of you. My situation is that I need 60K a Month. So for me (according to the fees) it would benficial to do 2 x 30K pulls out of the TMB ATM and get charged 300 baht a Month. So for about $9 to $10 USD my Monthly transfers are covered in full, not too bad really.