ATM withdrawals from overeas account

[mahtin]

SCB is equally guilty.

[Pib]

Krungthai, Kasikorn, Krungsri...

I have first seen it at Krungsri, but seems like the DCC scam spreads more and more.

Knock on wood (my head) I have never experienced the DCC ripoff attempt at any Thai ATM or during a counter withdrawal in the bank. I've used Krungsri, TMB, Bangkok Bank, KrungThai, and AEON ATMs over the years when using my foreign cards. And I've used Bangkok Bank and Krungsri Bank for counter withdrawals approaching two years now...never an attempt to use DCC. My cards are U.S. issued Visa cards.

Now, I've seen many posts over the years where Mastercard cards tend to draw a DCC option at an ATM. Maybe they do also within the bank for a counter withdrawal but I would think that would be driven by the clerk processing the counter withdrawal and you could tell them to process the transaction in baht vs the card's issued foreign currency.

Now when it comes to "purchases" Visa and Mastercard can easily draw a DCC transaction as that is solely determined by the merchant. When I'm unsure whether a particular merchant defaults to DCC when using a foreign card (credit or debit) I tell them to charge "Thai Baht, Not USD" when handing them my card...I try to get eye contact with them while saying it. That way I don't have to tell them to cancel DCC transaction and rerun the transaction in baht otherwise I won't sign the receipt....but this does still happen once or twice a year when the sales clerk brain apparently didn't understand what I told them when handing them my card....so far, they have always cancelled and rerun the transaction without a fight (only takes about 1 to 2 minutes). Only a small number merchants I deal with always default to the DCC option...the three HomePro stores I frequent for example...but they gladly process in baht when telling them so as I hand them my foreign card.

By chance are your cards Mastercard?

[4evermaat]

Are the ATMs updated individually, or is the updates pushed centrally from one computer? I tend to think the latter. Like one kasikorn atm here in a smaller town that is a atm/cdm combo....when depositing with atm card but without having to put in the pin, the menu will be in thai asking if the amount is correct, add more, or cancel. I know from experience which option is which, but it is odd that they do not first ask language like I've seen on other machines.

I say this because it could be that the DCC option may not be at all banks ATMs yet. I usually only use Bangkok Bank, TMB, occassionally Kasikorn, and much less recently AEON. Visa debit card. I tested with Krung Thai and I can confirm they do promote the DCC option. Read it carefully to DECLINE the DCC conversion. It might be phrased slightly differently, but decline it.

Edited December 22, 2015 by 4evermaat

[Pib]

I couldn't say for sure whether all ATMs can be updated centrally from a computer....guess it all depends on their design and the bank network interface. I do know that a couple years ago when AEON started charging the Bt150 and I was seeing plenty of posts for folks getting hit with the fee, the AEON ATM I was using here in Bankgok continued fee-free for a good month after I started seeing all the posts of folks getting hit with the Bt150.

And if they do update them all centrally maybe they do it in phases where X-amount of ATMs are updated one day....the next day some more...etc. Wouldn't surprise me if some ATMs (maybe older ones) require a tech to come to the machine and do the update.

Regarding the DCC option...itbeen part of Thai ATM withdrawals for many years...seen years worth of ThaiVisa posts complaining about that. I think it's the particular card you have (Visa or Mastercard) and what country/bank it was issued from is also player. From posts I've read seems European bank issued Mastercards get offered the DCC option frequently. All I know is for my U.S. bank issued Visa debit cards I have never been offered the DCC option....I now probably jinxed myself and my next ATM visit will display the DCC option...but so far I never been offered the option.