Bangkok Bank ATM card in United States

[BudRight]

My TGF is visiting the US soon and will be using her Bangkok Bank ATM card to withdraw money from a US ATM. This used to work fine, the last time was a year ago, but does anyone have more recent experience using a Bangkok Bangkok or Thai bank ATM card to withdraw cash from an ATM in the US?

Edited May 8, 2015 by BudRight

[mikebell]

Went to LA with my Thai wife. We stayed at the Marriott near the airport. I used my UK bank card to make the reservation. When I came to check out the next day I was told there was a problem with my card. In desperation I produced my BKK debit card. Smooth as silk.

[TheAppletons]

Does the ATM card in question have a chip? If so, it may be problematic as the U.S. is far behind everyone else in implementing that system. If no chip (and you say it's worked before so I'm guessing not) then it shouldn't be a problem.

[craigt3365]

Does the ATM card in question have a chip? If so, it may be problematic as the U.S. is far behind everyone else in implementing that system. If no chip (and you say it's worked before so I'm guessing not) then it shouldn't be a problem.

My bank in the US is replacing all ATM cards with chipped cards. Maybe they are finally catching up there?

FYI...I've had problems with my chipped card here. If you are remote areas, it can be hard to find an ATM that will accept it.

[Pib]

Does the ATM card in question have a chip? If so, it may be problematic as the U.S. is far behind everyone else in implementing that system. If no chip (and you say it's worked before so I'm guessing not) then it shouldn't be a problem.

It could be problematic at some U.S. ATMs or shops with old Point of Service (POS) machines, but the chances are low and getting lower everyday.

The Bankgok Be1st "Smart" Card (the one with the chip) has a chip and magnetic stripe. For a "cash withdrawal" the ATM must be chip reading capable (they use the technical term of EMV-capable); for a "purchase" like paying hotel/rental card bill, buying something at a store, etc., the magnetic strip works or the chip can be used if checkout does not have Point of Service (POS) chip capable machines. The great, great majority of POS machines used at checkout counters now days are chip reading capable. The majority of my U.S. issued debit/credit cards now have a chip (and magnetic strip)...the ones that don't just haven't reached their expiration date yet but when replaced will come with a chip according to the card-issuing bank/credit card company...and that's what been happening...replacement cards showing up have the chip.

[TheAppletons]

OP, one other point. If you/your friend intend to use the card as a debit card in shops, you might want to visit Bangkok Bank prior to departure. I was recently in Malaysia and tried to use my card to purchase something at a store and it was declined....twice. No problems taking money out of the ATM, though.

[NickJ]

What about K Bank. I have a couple of those ATM cards that were 800b ea.....Anyone have info.I was going to California for a couple weeks.

[masuk]

I asked at BKK bank about using my card as a debit card, and was advised that I must have a fixed deposit account.

[Pib]

I asked at BKK bank about using my card as a debit card, and was advised that I must have a fixed deposit account.

Me thinks you and BKK had a big miscommunication disconnect.

[KarenBravo]

My old BKK bank Be 1st ATM card could be used in any ATM in Thailand and worked in ATM machines in other countries.

The newer Be 1st ATM cards only work in BKK bank ATMs in Thailand.

[Pib]

My old BKK bank Be 1st ATM card could be used in any ATM in Thailand and worked in ATM machines in other countries.

The newer Be 1st ATM cards only work in BKK bank ATMs in Thailand.

The newer ones will work in any Visa EMV-capable (i.e., reads chips) ATM worldwide. It's just in Thailand Bangkok Bank is the only bank to have upgrade their ATMs to EMV capability....for other Thai banks EMV capable ATMs is still a work in progress.

[masuk]

I asked at BKK bank about using my card as a debit card, and was advised that I must have a fixed deposit account.

Me thinks you and BKK had a big miscommunication disconnect.

Nope.

The Appletons" above got it right. ok for cash out of an ATM in most countries, but not for charging things at a store or whatever.

Expats/farangs must have money in a fixed deposit. As if a farang would do a runner!

[KarenBravo]

My old BKK bank Be 1st ATM card could be used in any ATM in Thailand and worked in ATM machines in other countries.

The newer Be 1st ATM cards only work in BKK bank ATMs in Thailand.

The newer ones will work in any Visa EMV-capable (i.e., reads chips) ATM worldwide. It's just in Thailand Bangkok Bank is the only bank to have upgrade their ATMs to EMV capability....for other Thai banks EMV capable ATMs is still a work in progress.

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Oh......that's good to know.

[Pib]

I asked at BKK bank about using my card as a debit card, and was advised that I must have a fixed deposit account.

Me thinks you and BKK had a big miscommunication disconnect.

Nope.

The Appletons" above got it right. ok for cash out of an ATM in most countries, but not for charging things at a store or whatever.

Expats/farangs must have money in a fixed deposit. As if a farang would do a runner!

No requirement for a fixed account to get a debit card with your savings account. Now I wouldn't put it pass some branch to try to get a farang to get the most expensive debit card, buy insurance, and/or imply they need to open some other account like a fixed account. Their debit card works for cash and purchases worldwide.

[TheAppletons]

No requirement for a fixed account to get a debit card with your savings account. Now I wouldn't put it pass some branch to try to get a farang to get the most expensive debit card, buy insurance, and/or imply they need to open some other account like a fixed account. Their debit card works for cash and purchases worldwide.

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No, it doesn't always work for purchases. Please read my previous post in this thread...masuk has stated a similar problem in his post.

I have a debit card attached to my savings account at Bangkok Bank. I have had no luck using it for purchases in foreign countries...the transaction gets declined by the bank. (And it's not an issue of non-sufficient funds in the account.) Works great for purchases in Thailand.

I have encountered no problems withdrawing cash from ATMs in foreign countries and from ATMs in Thailand using the same card. In fact, when my purchase was declined, I simply left the store and withdrew the money from an ATM, returned to the store, and paid in cash.

It's great that the website says you can - in practice, not so much.

Edited May 10, 2015 by TheAppletons

[TacoHell]

I can confirm, even though its nauseating as I posted in many other threads about this:)

If you register your chip or no chip card HERE the Be1st card can be used EXACTLY as a credit card, including online purchases and in-store transactions anywhere in the world. Its linked to your name and address just like a credit card. This includes refunds to the card in case of product returns or deposits such as hotels etc.

As to the OP's question, you can set the limit to 500,000THB a day for ATM withdrawals or about $15,000 per day.

You can of course, set this limit to a more reasonable amount per day I think 50,000THB is the lowest and you can do automatically by calling 1333 within Thailand.

In the USA for 100% sure, as I've just done it 2 weeks ago, most ATM's will limit the withdrawal to USD $1000 per time. No problem. You just do it 14-15 times one after a another and you get your $15,000USD per day. So technically, you could withdrawal $95,000USD per week on the Bangkok Bank be1st card while in the USA and I would assume Europe too.

Another pro tip. If you are at a shopping market like Target or Walmart or another place like a petrol station where you swipe the card yourself, DO NOT select debit when you swipe your card. Select credit. Again this will only work if you register your card HERE

In any other case for shopping at a physical store, just tell the cashier to use CREDIT not debit for the sale. Cashiers will assume debit because there is no name on the bes1st cards, so before you hand it over, tell them it's a CREDIT transaction.

Edited May 10, 2015 by TacoHell

[Pib]

No requirement for a fixed account to get a debit card with your savings account. Now I wouldn't put it pass some branch to try to get a farang to get the most expensive debit card, buy insurance, and/or imply they need to open some other account like a fixed account. Their debit card works for cash and purchases worldwide.

Capture.JPG

No, it doesn't always work for purchases. Please read my previous post in this thread...masuk has stated a similar problem in his post.

I have a debit card attached to my savings account at Bangkok Bank. I have had no luck using it for purchases in foreign countries...the transaction gets declined by the bank. (And it's not an issue of non-sufficient funds in the account.) Works great for purchases in Thailand.

I have encountered no problems withdrawing cash from ATMs in foreign countries and from ATMs in Thailand using the same card. In fact, when my purchase was declined, I simply left the store and withdrew the money from an ATM, returned to the store, and paid in cash.

It's great that the website says you can - in practice, not so much.

What has Bangkok Bank told you about the problem?

I had kinda a similar issue with one of my U.S. credit cards I got about 6 months ago from Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed). I already had the credit card for a couple of years, been using it in Thailand for purchases & counter withdrawals (a no foreign transaction and no cash advance fee card), it was a magnetic stripe card only...never a problem. But the replacement card that showed-up had a Chip & Magnetic stripe just like the Bangkok Bank Be1st Car has. Basically PenFed was upgrading its cards to include a chip. Activated the replacement card, had the PIN code if I needed to use it, when using it for purchases the clerk would always automatically insert chipped portion of the card into the machine, but the transaction approval would fail....they would then try swiping the magnetic stripe and it would be approved. This occurred each and every time for about 5 times over a week or so at various stores before I called PenFed about the issue. Spent about 10 minutes on the phone with PenFed who checked things in their system regarding the card, said it could be a defective chip, they will send me a replacement card, and we hung up. But during that call I pressed them hard.repeatedly asked I want to ensure it just wasn't something setup wrong on their end...like maybe the chip portion was not really activated in their system. Anyway, next day at the store checkout the card was now working when using the chip and it continued to work each and every time for purchases and counter withdrawals/cash advances regardless of the store I used it at. I did get the replacement card in the mail which was supposedly to replace my card which maybe had a bad chip, but I never tried it since the other card magically started working after my phone call to PenFed...I have that replacement card locked away as a spare and continue to use the first chipped card they sent me that magically started working on the chipped portion after the call.

Summary: although PenFed didn't' admit it, I expect they just didn't have something setup in my account right for usage of the "chip" portion of the card; but the magnetic strip portion was setup fine....it's like the chip portion and magnetic stripe portion has it own set of coding and account settings. Maybe your Bangkok Bank card account has a similar issue and the chipped portion is not activated in your account for foreign purchases.

Question: when using it outside of Thailand for a purchase, did the checkout clerk try using the chip "and" the magnetic stripe? If so, did that work? Also, in some countries like Europe apparently the "chipped" portion of a debit or credit card is the only one accepted/tried by merchants and they won't even try the magnetic stripe...so if the chip portion is not setup for "foreign purchases" by the card-issuing bank (maybe just domestic purchases) the transaction will fail. Maybe just a call will fix the issue...if that call has already been made, maybe call again.

[TheAppletons]

Pib: My card is mag stripe only so it wasn't a chip issue. I haven't called or visited the bank because it isn't really a big deal for me; my reason for posting in the thread was to alert OP to check with the bank prior to travel to make certain he doesn't encounter the same situation.

[Pib]

Pib: My card is mag stripe only so it wasn't a chip issue. I haven't called or visited the bank because it isn't really a big deal for me; my reason for posting in the thread was to alert OP to check with the bank prior to travel to make certain he doesn't encounter the same situation.

10-4. Definitely a good practice...some banks get down right picky about foreign travel notifications; other don't. Cheers.

[elephant45]

NOT WORKING MAY 28th Ohio...new card Be1st at any ATM...BKK Bank says its.... ok mai pen rai

[elephant45]

Hello,

Just come back to USA to find out from BKK Bank that the B1st Card will not work anywhere at all in any ATM or even inside a card reader. I tried many ATM's and one guy at the Bank said that Thailand is blocked. Customer service through telephone numbers on back of cards (credit and B1st never answer phone after seven or more calls, so for this info this I had to call the bank manager assistant to find out. She said "Sorry it is blocked for this year" Oh well Mai pen rai, will get a sign and beg for food..