Two French skimmers arrested with fake cards and drugs in Krabi

[CapeThai]

In case thai banks are reading this : micro chips cards have been used for about 25 years in Europe now. Maybe you should look into this new technology.

The Visa card I got from Bangkok Bank in MBK last week has a micro chip.

[JohanB]

French looking guys with french sounding names! And nobody cares to comment this topic, how peculiar.

Yes you're right, never trust frogs......

Edited March 7, 2015 by JohanB

[Beng]

all this skimming and thai bank don't feel it is time to upgrade to chipped one's ?

Both my Thai cards are chipped

How does it look like ??

[ThaiWai]

In case thai banks are reading this : micro chips cards have been used for about 25 years in Europe now. Maybe you should look into this new technology.

The Visa card I got from Bangkok Bank in MBK last week has a micro chip.

Are you talking about the debit card? Can you use it at non BKK Bank ATM's?

[Baerboxer]

French looking guys with french sounding names! And nobody cares to comment this topic, how peculiar.

Several French skimmers arrested this week. Reports of reckless French tourists driving Jet Ski's dangerously and hitting a German. Fights up in the NE at French bars.

What is it with all the French low lives infesting Thailand? Just typical of so many French, gets all us farang a bad name.

There you are mate, the usual daft comment that is normally aimed at Americans. Aussies or British.

[hawker9000]

When travelling, I've always made it a point not to carry credit or debit/ATM cards with me unless I actually plan on using them and/or in an RFID wallet. And I'm very picky about the ATM machines I use, both at home and on the road, as well as watchful. If there's a crowd of any description around, or people are bunching up in line, I'll go somewhere else. And the standalone ATMs that are so common in Thailand are a huge no-no. There's no such thing as eliminating all risk, but you can improve your odds considerably by understanding the threat, and doing sensible things to minimize the risk. The point-of-sale where you use your card is a risk over which you have no control, as are online transactions. I'm currently having one of my cards replaced with a chipped card by the bank because of the Home Depot hack last year (all cardholders; not just me). As I understand it, the chipped cards help with the POS risk (providing the merchant is actually using a compatible cardreader, and not typing in your number, etc. - which I would think completely undermines the purpose of the chip).

Edited March 8, 2015 by hawker9000

[pistachios]

French looking guys with french sounding names! And nobody cares to comment this topic, how peculiar.

Several French skimmers arrested this week. Reports of reckless French tourists driving Jet Ski's dangerously and hitting a German. Fights up in the NE at French bars.

What is it with all the French low lives infesting Thailand? Just typical of so many French, gets all us farang a bad name.

There you are mate, the usual daft comment that is normally aimed at Americans. Aussies or British.

In the other thread, 90% of the posts were among the lines of "those guys are not french, they should be sent back were they belong and stripped out of their nationality".

But now it's typical french behaviour? You can't have it both ways!

[mango66]

French looking guys with french sounding names! And nobody cares to comment this topic, how peculiar.

I feel frenchs are start compeeting with Nigerians !!

[ableguy]

This will never happen to me as I gave up on ATM cards years ago, too easy here to go to the bank and draw cash, I have seen friends use ATM outside the bank they have their money in during the day, brain dead , how could anyone not be aware of the dangers as the news is full of scammers.

[hawker9000]

This will never happen to me as I gave up on ATM cards years ago, too easy here to go to the bank and draw cash, I have seen friends use ATM outside the bank they have their money in during the day, brain dead , how could anyone not be aware of the dangers as the news is full of scammers.

Brain dead, eh. Nice. Well, the simple-minded conceit notwithstanding, there ARE understand-able reasons to do so. To use your ATM card in a thai bank at the counter, you will have to have your passport with you. At least that's been true whenever a Kasikorn ATM has been out-of-order and I've gone inside to try and get the cash at the counter. But I only make ATM withdrawals on the Kasikorn account, (and very seldom using a card from back home) and I don't keep very large amounts in the account. More than I'd like to lose, but not more than I could easily manage to lose if I had to. My wire transfers are free and I just transfer cash into the account in dribs & drabs. I could go one step further and open a second thai account with no ATM card linked to it and make transfers into the carded account only just before a withdrawal - often recommended here in the forums.

The take-a-number-and-wait queue inside a bank branch can be rather time-consuming as well.

[NamKangMan]

This will never happen to me as I gave up on ATM cards years ago, too easy here to go to the bank and draw cash, I have seen friends use ATM outside the bank they have their money in during the day, brain dead , how could anyone not be aware of the dangers as the news is full of scammers.

I think those that go into a bank branch, on a regular basis, and withdraw larger sums of money, to be "brain dead."

Firstly, for walking around with a larger amount of baht on your person, secondly, for letting a Thai bank employee knowing you are, and thirdly, for allowing other cistomers in the bank to overhear and/or see the details of your withdrawal.

"how could anyone not be aware of the dangers as the news is full of scammers" - and bank staff / customers would not sell "intell" for a cut????

As mentioned by another member, my main account does not have an ATM card attached to it. An account that has a few hundred baht in it, just to keep it open, does. Just prior to a withdrawal, I move only the money I require into the account with the ATM card attached. I then make my withdawal. If skimmed, the most I lose is a few hundred baht.

My money is available 24/7, from any location, and bank staff / customers do not know when I have made my withdrawal, and the size of that withdrawal.

Edited March 9, 2015 by NamKangMan