where to buy pre-paid credit card in thailand

[Xa1]

What bank would do this?

Are they sold here at all?

[gerry123]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

[JDGRUEN]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

Edited November 7, 2014 by JDGRUEN

[denishuahin]

You have a facility at Kasikorn bank, which is a virtual credit card, called a shopping card. They just give you "credit Card " numbers not an actual card and debit out your account. When your debit card get's turned down, this works. I had the problem when i wanted to hire a car in the US only credit cards accepted, well the KK virtual Card worked, and has worked many other times when a debit card won't. The beauty of it they cannot draw any more out same as a debit card.

[KhunBENQ]

This sounds interesting for online purchases!

Just read the website:

http://www.kasikornbank.com/EN/Personal/Debit/Pages/KWebShopping.aspx

I will try this out ASAP.

Thanks for the hint.

[dxthai]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

[8OA8]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

[Thaiready]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

some might be interested in the bank names.

[JDGRUEN]

For any Americans on this thread and you want a bullet proof prepaid debit/ATM card... then just go to ...

https://www.bluebird.com/ American Express

And scroll down just a bit - to see the huge array of services... few to no fees. Money from your regular American bank can be transferred to the Bluebird Card via the normal ACH channels, or via your regular Bank Debit/ATM card.

I recently got 6000 Baht at a Bangkok Bank ATM -- the bank fee was 50 Baht and the Bluebird fee was $2.00. No fees for purchase transactions. No international transaction fee.

The Bluebird account / card is also a checking account with paper checks if you want them. And there are Family accounts with separate cards and you are in charge of funding the sub cards... Plus PINs can be changed on line near instantly.

Also if you have a business partner, family member - good friend or someone looking out for you property back in America and need to send them cash immediately -- all they need to do is have their own Bluebird card ... instant card to card transfers.

And of course you only have to use the features that fit your lifestyle... It is a Great Backup Card in case of loss of your regular bank debit/ATM card... Pre register your regular bank card and even if you don't physically have that card you can move money to a safe place - Bluebird - until you find your misplaced or lost card and have money available as you have suspended your lost / misplaced regular bank card - pending cancellation if it comes to that.

[NoshowJones]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

Paysbuys website is garbage, it is in Thai with no facility to change it to English, if there is, it is not beside the little Thai flag at the top which you click, if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom.

[bangkapi]

What's wrong with using a real credit card or a debit card?

[schweizer]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

Actually for many people living in Thailand this is correct, only people on work visas will be considered for a normal non-deposit credit card and even then normally after a waiting period. Also the deposit style credit card requires a deposit of twice the balance you require as a credit limit, so if you wanted 500,000 baht as a credit limit you would need to deposit 1,000,000 baht.

discussed here on TV http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/284299-thai-banks-offering-pre-paid-or-secured-credit-card/

[Strangebrew]

If your an American you can most likely get one at Wells Fargo it is called a secured credit card where your limit is what you deposit say 5,000.00 USD it earns interest you get card and can charge up to your limit. Also capital One I believe has same type product check there I know if you open an account in the Philippines at BDO they do them too.

[Suradit69]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

Paysbuys website is garbage, it is in Thai with no facility to change it to English, if there is, it is not beside the little Thai flag at the top which you click, if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom.

"if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom."

I'm sure they'll be devastated by the loss. What do they think this is anyway, Thailand??

There's an email address for customer support at the bottom right of the page. Maybe you could whine directly to them about the need to cater to customers who are simple and/or speak only foreign languages like English.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Suradit69

[BKKdreaming]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

Paysbuys website is garbage, it is in Thai with no facility to change it to English, if there is, it is not beside the little Thai flag at the top which you click, if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom.

Is the website "garbage" in Thai ?

I would think that less than 1% of Paybuys business is with English speakers

and many times the browser you are using will make a website work or not

[edwardflory]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

AMEX also has the SERVE card....cost $1.00 a month. AMEX treats the SERVE card like a REGULAR AMEX CREDIT CARD. You can have regular deposits ( AUTOMATIC ) made to your SERVE account - from bamk account, or, If you have deposits of $500US, no $1.00 a month charge. Add money by BANK DEBIT CARD, immediate credit to SERVE account - under 30 seconds. US Social Security check can be deposited also.

On computers, this card comes up as a REGULAR AMEX CARD.....great for car rentals - no deposit.

I had a total identy theft ( 3 different cards ) AMEX SERVE department, had my money back in less than 6 days, banks took 3-4 weeks

Have used SERVE both ATM's and purchases in USA, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand ( ONLY 50B charge at ==>>ONE<<== particular ATM in Pattaya - 3 minute walk from where I live )

ANDROID app is on play store.........I would assume there is a APPLE app

[NoshowJones]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

Paysbuys website is garbage, it is in Thai with no facility to change it to English, if there is, it is not beside the little Thai flag at the top which you click, if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom.

Is the website "garbage" in Thai ?

I would think that less than 1% of Paybuys business is with English speakers

and many times the browser you are using will make a website work or not

That's a better answer than from the post above.Nice to see someone with a bit more manners in thir replies.

[NoshowJones]

Paysbuy also do a prepaid virtual Mastercard.

https://www.paysbuy.com/paysbuycard/index.aspx

Paysbuys website is garbage, it is in Thai with no facility to change it to English, if there is, it is not beside the little Thai flag at the top which you click, if they cannot make it simple to get English, they do not deserve our custom.

Is the website "garbage" in Thai ?

I would think that less than 1% of Paybuys business is with English speakers

and many times the browser you are using will make a website work or not

That's a better answer than from the post above.Nice to see someone with a bit more manners in thir replies.

I'm referring to post #15.

[edwardflory]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

AMEX also has the SERVE card....cost $1.00 a month. AMEX treats the SERVE card like a REGULAR AMEX CREDIT CARD. You can have regular deposits ( AUTOMATIC ) made to your SERVE account - from bamk account, or, If you have deposits of $500US, no $1.00 a month charge. Add money by BANK DEBIT CARD, immediate credit to SERVE account - under 30 seconds. US Social Security check can be deposited also.

On computers, this card comes up as a REGULAR AMEX CARD.....great for car rentals - no deposit.

www.serve.com ..... MUST be issued to a USA address

I had a total identy theft ( 3 different cards ) AMEX SERVE department, had my money back in less than 6 days, banks took 3-4 weeks

Have used SERVE both ATM's and purchases in USA, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand ( ONLY 50B charge at ==>>ONE<<== particular ATM in Pattaya - 3 minute walk from where I live )

ANDROID app is on play store.........I would assume there is a APPLE app

[dotpoom]

Siam Commercial made me deposit the equivalent into an a/c to the limit I required on the credit card and they held the book. Kasikorn only asked me to deposit half of the limit I required and they too kept the book. I found it handy for booking air tickets when the rate was more favourable than using my Euro credit card.

[abrahamzvi]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

But I assume the currency of the card is US$, which means that if one uses it in Thailand and pay in Baht the fees and exchange rates are quite excessive.

[edwardflory]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

But I assume the currency of the card is US$, which means that if one uses it in Thailand and pay in Baht the fees and exchange rates are quite excessive.

On my AMEX SERVE......think around 1B to 1 1/4 B to 1 1/2B exchange fee ( rate was around 32.xx--------got 31.24 )..............$0.78 foreign trans fee

Oh, card EXPIRES 6/20 ......good for 5+ more years

Edited November 8, 2014 by edwardflory

[pmarlin]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

But I assume the currency of the card is US$, which means that if one uses it in Thailand and pay in Baht the fees and exchange rates are quite excessive.

you get a better rate than cash exchange and the fees like others have mentioned are $2.50 from bluebird and 50thb from the local bank. Just read the info on their web site. Very interesting.

[SiggiCM]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

then you are thai or you have a monthly income in thailand what is 200000 Baht or more for this Credit limit,

or you have somebody garantie for you and signed at bank with you

[JDGRUEN]

if you are an American I can give you a better suggestion than a pre-paid card issued by a Thai bank...

let me know and I will tell you all about my Amex Bluebird card - outstanding and handy prepaid debit card

But I assume the currency of the card is US$, which means that if one uses it in Thailand and pay in Baht the fees and exchange rates are quite excessive.

you get a better rate than cash exchange and the fees like others have mentioned are $2.50 from bluebird and 50thb from the local bank. Just read the info on their web site. Very interesting.

Well - there are many of Expats and long term tourists that find dealing with our money here in Thailand using home country banks works just fine. I have USAA as my regular American bank and with my Debit/ATM card getting money from the USD converted to Thai Baht works just fine... I am not dealing in huge sums ... so if I need 6000 Baht for spending money I used my USAA Debit/ATM card ... Bangkok Bank delivers 31.5 Baht /USD with slight variance due to the money market exchange rates on a given day... Sometimes down to 30.9 or so...

It goes like this: 6000 Baht taken out by ATM, Bangkok Bank charges 180 Baht (ouch) I got a 31.5 Baht rate as of two days ago for this sum.. USAA on a monthly basis reimburses all of the ATM charges (domestic or international) up to $15.00 per month per each Debit Card account. I have two cards/accounts and I use both - so I always get all ATM charges reimbursed... If USAA is charging an International transaction fee, my math applied to my account cannot find it and it is not entered as a line item entry - as are the ATM fees... So I get relatively cheap ATM usage for conversion of USD to Thai Baht... for the amounts of money I deal in on a typical transaction which may be from 6000 to 18000

With the Bluebird Card used at Bangkok bank to get the 6000 Baht, Bangkok Bank charged me 50 Baht and Bluebird yes charged me $2.50. Thanks for the correction. This is not bad for small time transactions. Making it relatively cheap. Also Bluebird / AMEX says it does not charge an International Transaction Fee... They use another term but as far as I can tell they do not charge one. Also I do not know if Bangkok Bank would charge me - say 100 Baht for a 12000 Baht withdraw twice what I just withdrew. I will check this should I make such a withdraw...

But by in large in consideration of my levels of transactions, I find I am getting reasonable charges and have little need for a Thai bank account or card... For me the combination of USAA and their great services and now Bluebird with many great services, even if I could save a little money using a Thai bank/card - it is not for me... That may change when I marry a Rich Thai woman and have lots more money ... 555.

But I am not one of those guys who says my way is the greatest and yours sucks... Everyone has their own needs and viewpoints about such matters...

I pointed out the benefits of the bluebird card because they are many of them and fair charges or no charges are applied... I use it as my backup Debit / ATM card...

One thing I did notice with my bluebird card... my recent on line transaction was hassle free with Air Asia... My recent attempts to purchase Airline tickets when in Thailand when using my USAA MasterCard Debit and Credit cards have been fraught with difficulty because of the obtrusive security features that MasterCard demands be used.. Good intentions gone bad as the on line processing of this security feature often fouls up and my purchase is denied.. Plus my MasterCard labeled Debit and Credit cards have become hammered and I cannot use them at all for on line purchases now. They still work for over the counter purchases. I had to order new cards... for Credit card and one Debit Card.

Also my recent on line purchase of the airline tickets with the bluebird card show no international transaction fees...

Just trying to pass on some information that may be useful for OP - plus others - if they are an American.

[SteveB2]

Kasikorn Bank (Main Branches only) issued my credit card many years ago. 200,000 Baht cash deposited into an locked account(The bank holds the book) for a 200,000 Baht credit limit VISA credit card, that can be used internationally for any purpose. A friend tells me that he has recently been issued a credit card at this bank without any security deposit, so things appear to getting a little easier.

Note: Issuance of the card is 'discretionary' by the bank - I am not sure one could just walk off the street and get a credit card without establishing some sort of relationship with the bank first, since once the front office minions had finished with the paperwork, the final sign off occurred only after a friendly chat with the bank manager - I have banked with them for 20 years.

[JDGRUEN]

Kasikorn Bank (Main Branches only) issued my credit card many years ago. 200,000 Baht cash deposited into an locked account(The bank holds the book) for a 200,000 Baht credit limit VISA credit card, that can be used internationally for any purpose. A friend tells me that he has recently been issued a credit card at this bank without any security deposit, so things appear to getting a little easier.

Note: Issuance of the card is 'discretionary' by the bank - I am not sure one could just walk off the street and get a credit card without establishing some sort of relationship with the bank first, since once the front office minions had finished with the paperwork, the final sign off occurred only after a friendly chat with the bank manager - I have banked with them for 20 years.

Edited to correct my error - but is this a pre-paid credit card you speak of?

Edited November 8, 2014 by JDGRUEN

[8OA8]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

then you are thai or you have a monthly income in thailand what is 200000 Baht or more for this Credit limit,

or you have somebody garantie for you and signed at bank with you

I'm not Thai and for sure nobody guaranteed anything for me.

My salary wasn't Baht 200K, I would only have been paid the bare minimum salary, which from recollection was either 40 or 50k.

Back then when one of the credit card companies contacted me and asked what my salary was, my answer was "adequate" they sent me a credit card application and approved it one week later.

Don't know if this is still the way today

[8OA8]

i know what you mean but sorry i have never seen such a product here

but having said that even credit cards in Thailand are pre paid as such because even if you as a foreigner can get one you are required to open an account and deposit an equal amount to your given credit limit and i think the deposit cannot be accessed to be used in any other way apart from collateral for that limit that's my take on the situation but again i do not have a credit card so a second opinion might shed more factual info basically go without its easy to manage now i am going to stick my neck out and say if your credit card were say cloned any loss i am sure will be debited initially from your pocket or the security account until such times as you prove different Thai banks have a strict one way policy and its their way loaded

This information isn't correct.

I have a number of credit cards issued by banks in Thailand, none of which I have deposited funds into their banks, or given any form of security. Credit limits on these cards vary from 150,000 to 400,000.

They all require a minimum of 10% of the outstanding paid every month. I would hate to have anything outstanding as the interest rates are very high.

Main reason I have these credit cards are to be able to benefit from their favorable dining promotions, many cases are 30 to 50% off the bill at hotel restaurants

then you are thai or you have a monthly income in thailand what is 200000 Baht or more for this Credit limit,

or you have somebody garantie for you and signed at bank with you

I'm not Thai and for sure nobody guaranteed anything for me.

My salary wasn't Baht 200K, I would only have been paid the bare minimum salary, which from recollection was either 40 or 50k.

Back then when one of the credit card companies contacted me and asked what my salary was, my answer was "adequate" they sent me a credit card application and approved it one week later.

Don't know if this is still the way today

[BKKdreaming]

I think all the USA pre paid cards require that your are a USA citizen and have SS number

How do the illegals get a pre paid card ?

or someone visiting the USA that wants to use the card when they travel around the USA ?

or want to send it back to thailand and fund it from the USA

Edited November 8, 2014 by BKKdreaming