New Year festival: ATM fee waivers among domestic travel incentives sought

[webfact]

TOURIST
ATM fee waivers among travel incentives sought
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry has prepared several measures to boost domestic travel during the year-end period.

MinisterKobkarn Wattanavrangkul said the ministry had asked all commercial banks to waive ATM withdrawal fees between December 31 and January 4. The banks were also asked to feature attractions and promote travel on the screens of their automated teller machines during the New Year festival.

Kobkarn said her ministry had also urged 3,000 PTT petrol stations that provide rest areas to clean up and improve their facilities as well as to promote tourism by providing travel information to motorists. About 300 stations will join the campaign in the first phase before it is extended to other PTT outlets.

Another measure is to invite general people to join a social-media campaign. Tourists can photograph themselves and share "selfies" with friends with the hashtag Thailandonly. Selected photos will be displayed on 1,250 screen at BTS Skytrain stations, 84 screens at train stations, and 1,000 screens at buildings. Eight giant 200-square-metre LED (light-emitting diode) screens will feature the photos.

Furthermore, 100 participants will have a chance to win free packages to travel to 12 destinations promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. About 164,000 photos are already stored at the TAT. Meanwhile, the TAT and insurance firms are promoting a special deal on travel insurance for foreign tourists while the Kingdom is under martial law.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/ATM-fee-waivers-among-travel-incentives-sought-30249626.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-12

[Kooweerup]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

[Bluespunk]

"The banks were also asked to feature attractions and promote travel on the screens of their automated teller machines during the New Year festival."

Can I pay the fees and not watch advertising on the screens?

Edit: Actually, what fees?

Edited December 12, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Fiddlesticks]

These great ideas should have tourists flocking to Thailand very soon. As soon as the word gets out that there are clean toilets at 3,000 service stations and that you can get good deals on travel insurance (in case you get killed on the roads or murdered on the beach or fall off a balcony in Bangkok) all while having your face plastered on huge screens at BTS stations, there will no way to stop the flood of tourists!

[kalbo123]

International bankcard fees or just for Thai banks?>

[Kooweerup]

International bankcard fees or just for Thai banks?>

I think they are talking about domestic tourism/tourists

[Diplomatico]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

False. Some Thai banks charge an ATM fee if you use your card outside of the province where you opened your account, even if using that bank's ATM.

[canuckamuck]

The reasons tourism is down: Martial law, dead tourists, corruption, pollution, greed/scams.

The answer: Clean gas stations toilets, no ATM fees for five days (after Christmas), and selfies?

Clueless

[Chang_paarp]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

It would appear you do not have a Thai ATM card, or do not travel much. Thai banks charge 30B to use your account outside of the province of it's origin, ie if your branch is in BKK, you pay 30B to your account in Pattaya, it doesn't matter if you use your ATM card or passbook.

I don't think waiving this fee will actually make any difference to people travelling. Another piece of deluded thinking by some shiny-ass in an office with a view.

[KhunMoo]

As other stated, you do pay when using ATM's "out of your district".

But the interesting part here, is that this DO show, that booking numbers is waaaaaay down, or they would not do this. No matter what bullshit TAT sprays out.

I had a chat the other day with a mate owning a resort south of Hua Hin. And they down about 50% points, from last year. And January is DEAD right now.

[LuckyLew]

They are truely grasping at straws here

What the are proposing is irrelevant

No matter what happens and what incentives are on offer .... Thais will travel during the holidays

!0 baht savings on ATM fees is hardly an incentive

A clean crapper or dirty crapper is not gonna stop Somchai from dropping his payload

[NongKhaiKid]

Waiving ATM fees will be irrelevant if over an extended holiday period many machines run out of cash, as is often the case, and refilling will not start until the first working day on Monday 05.

It's no fun trying to be part of the govt's projected ' spending spree ' and having to trek from ATM to ATM trying to get money.

[Friendly Stranger]

Saving 5 bucks for fees is supposed to be an incentive? How about throw in telling the police to cut out their ridiculous charade and you got a deal lol.

[AjarnMartin]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

There is a fee chargeable if you travel outside the province where your bank account is located, albeit small. Hence, if one is travelling during Xmas and New Year, when you withdraw from your own account, at the SAME BANK, you get charged.

[Somtamnication]

It will never happen. Too lucrative for them and during the high season? Never!

[jaltsc]

"...asked all commercial banks to waive ATM withdrawal fees between December 31 and January 4. The banks were also asked to feature attractions and promote travel on the screens of their automated teller machines during the New Year festival."

No F.... Chance. If the murder of tourists don't stop them from coming, then ATM fees won't deter them. The banks here do everything to chisel a baht out of everyone who use their services. Their attitude is: "They are here already and they need to use the ATM. Either they pay the fee or they don't have any money".

After all, in what other country can you open an account and deposit over a million baht (or whatever currency of the country) and then they charge you 300 baht for your ATM card? It is this lack of common business sense and peasant mentality that will doom Thailand when ASEAN comes into full operation. Hopefully, ASEAN will allow banks from other member nations to open up shop in Thailand. Watch how quickly people will switch.

Edited December 12, 2014 by jaltsc

[Commerce]

I'll be stocking up on dosh from ATMs on 29th Dec, to get me thru to Jan 6th 2015 - just in case there's an ATM ban....can't go without my dosh celebrations during the festive season. Am I allowed to use ATMs in public, or only the internal swipe and walk in ones?

[Kooweerup]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

It would appear you do not have a Thai ATM card, or do not travel much. Thai banks charge 30B to use your account outside of the province of it's origin, ie if your branch is in BKK, you pay 30B to your account in Pattaya, it doesn't matter if you use your ATM card or passbook.

I don't think waiving this fee will actually make any difference to people travelling. Another piece of deluded thinking by some shiny-ass in an office with a view.

Actually I do at KCB but didn't realise they charged you to use their ATMs. I'm use to Australia where I can have an account in Melbourne and use the ATM in Darwin over 4K kms away at my bank without any fees. Maybe Thailand the branches are franchised out where as in Aust it is exactly the same bank whatever state or city you are in.

[NongKhaiKid]

The BP website is reporting that banks WILL waive all ATM fees for inter regional and inter bank withdrawals from Dec 31 to Jan 4 but there's no actual bank related source quoted only that it will be part of a Ministry of Tourism promotion.

All other quotes about the holiday promotion are attributed to the nation's current favourite lady, the minister herself !

[Ulic]

This is a great idea, they should extend in to year round, perhaps once or twice a month. The first and third Thursday

of the month or some such schedule. Even public holidays or alcohol free days. Save ex-pats/ tourists a few baht.

But I am not holding my breath.

[Pib]

waive withdrawal fees? If you use your banks ATM then you shouldn't have withdrawal fees.

It would appear you do not have a Thai ATM card, or do not travel much. Thai banks charge 30B to use your account outside of the province of it's origin, ie if your branch is in BKK, you pay 30B to your account in Pattaya, it doesn't matter if you use your ATM card or passbook.

I don't think waiving this fee will actually make any difference to people travelling. Another piece of deluded thinking by some shiny-ass in an office with a view.

What Thai bank charges Bt30? I've never been charged that much for any Thai bank ATM withdrawal outside my home province and don't remember seeing any Thai bank websites saying they charge that much. The fees I've experienced and read on Thai bank websites are Bt10 to Bt20.

[Pib]

The distance between some govt official (not even a finance or banking official either) "asking" Thai banks to waiver ATM fees over the holidays and the banks actually agreeing is probably about a 1000 light years.

And even if the banks agreed, which would cause me to probably die from shock, I bet it would only be for Thai bank issued cards and foreign cards would still see that very healthy Bt150-180 fee because farangs are rich.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Pib