Getting a Thai Credit Card

[Fookhaht]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I got two from Kasikorn Bank and I never even asked for them....Visa and Mastercard. They are still lying in a drawer unopened.

Are they backed by a fixed deposit account?  Or unsecured?

[Fookhaht]

26 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I dare say you are a rare and disciplined breed.

 

I would suggest peoples attitudes are different to your and my attitude, which would be, get what you can today, worry about it tomorrow....

I think there are more of us around that you think.  I've often read on TV about members who regularly pay off their balances each month.  I've had credit cards since the early 70's, and have paid off my balance every month, with the exception of 2-3 times when I was really strapped for cash, and bit the bullet to pay the high interest rate for a few months in order to pay back the balance.  That was 2-3 times in 45+ years.  

Of course, the banks make the most of their money off the masses who cannot control their spending and see credit as "easy money."  Those long-term paybacks of the balance at 20%+ have the bankers, pardon the expression, laughing all the way to the bank.  

[4MyEgo]

2 minutes ago, Fookhaht said:

I think there are more of us around that you think.  I've often read on TV about members who regularly pay off their balances each month.  I've had credit cards since the early 70's, and have paid off my balance every month, with the exception of 2-3 times when I was really strapped for cash, and bit the bullet to pay the high interest rate for a few months in order to pay back the balance.  That was 2-3 times in 45+ years.  

Of course, the banks make the most of their money off the masses who cannot control their spending and see credit as "easy money."  Those long-term paybacks of the balance at 20%+ have the bankers, pardon the expression, laughing all the way to the bank.  

Good to hear, and yes agree with you 100%

[BruceMangosteen]

Inquired at KTB and got a low limit VISA card which I topped up 200,000.Baht.

 

As some don't know, you can't use a VISA Debit card to rent a car in at least the USA. Has to be an actual credit card.

 

K-Bank only did secured VISA, 30,000.Baht min..

 

The KTB was set up for direct debit of the min payment(ten percent) should one be needed on the credit aspect.

 

No SMS service offered on everyday transactions at KTB. Major, which I think they deem 10,000.Baht up, do trigger an SMS notification.

 

God Bless You. Some people just don't grasp that an actual Credit Card also gives you dispute/theft protection. Always better to be discussing a dispute/theft when the bank is also involved credit wise. In the case of Debit cards you won't get the money back while it's resolved.

[jacobsladder]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I find it difficult to understand that people require credit cards.

 

From my humble observations when credit cards were introduced to this day, I see them as the banks brainstorm idea to trap the masses into debt, by charging ridiculous interest rates as high as 20%.

 

we want a credit card so we can pay for flights on line, without having to use a Canadian card (and thus have to then do a bank transfer to pay it off). We pay the bill every month.

[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, jacobsladder said:

we want a credit card so we can pay for flights on line, without having to use a Canadian card (and thus have to then do a bank transfer to pay it off). We pay the bill every month.

Like I said, each to their own.

 

I book my flights on line using my Mastercard Thai debit account, i.e. the funds come straight out of my account, no credit card.

 

It costs me nothing to transfer funds to Thailand through BahtSmart if I require money from Oz, as it is a transfer from my account back in Oz to their bank account in Oz, and then from their account to my Thai account, and the rate is very good.

[jacobsladder]

I was told I could't do that with my debit card. That's interesting.

[chiang mai]

1 minute ago, jacobsladder said:

I was told I could't do that with my debit card. That's interesting.

I second the use of a debit card to book flights, I just did so with Thai and a UOB Visa debit card.

[4MyEgo]

38 minutes ago, BruceMangosteen said:

Inquired at KTB and got a low limit VISA card which I topped up 200,000.Baht.

 

As some don't know, you can't use a VISA Debit card to rent a car in at least the USA. Has to be an actual credit card.

 

K-Bank only did secured VISA, 30,000.Baht min..

 

The KTB was set up for direct debit of the min payment(ten percent) should one be needed on the credit aspect.

 

No SMS service offered on everyday transactions at KTB. Major, which I think they deem 10,000.Baht up, do trigger an SMS notification.

 

God Bless You. Some people just don't grasp that an actual Credit Card also gives you dispute/theft protection. Always better to be discussing a dispute/theft when the bank is also involved credit wise. In the case of Debit cards you won't get the money back while it's resolved.

I dare say it might not be as forthcoming in Thailand as you would expect: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/kasikornbank-agrees-refund-thb986700-after-customer-staged-sit-protest/

[Don Mega]

18 minutes ago, jacobsladder said:

I was told I could't do that with my debit card. That's interesting.

Have used my visa   debit card many times online .

[4MyEgo]

21 minutes ago, jacobsladder said:

I was told I could't do that with my debit card. That's interesting.

I booked my families tickets for Oz in May with my Smart card Siam Bank with Mastercard feature.

 

You might want to switch banks or ask another person in the bank, but I am pretty sure when I got the new card, I had to call the call centre for them to activate the feature.

 

It may well also be that you have an old card with less security features, because I know before I got the new card, I couldn't do it.

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I find it difficult to understand that people require credit cards.

 

From my humble observations when credit cards were introduced to this day, I see them as the banks brainstorm idea to trap the masses into debt, by charging ridiculous interest rates as high as 20%.

 

Think about it, you say earn 1.5% interest on your savings account, yes correct, however did you think that they lend that money back to you at 20% for the privilege of using a card, a (credit card) and in some instances charge you an annual fee for the card (not talking about Thailand as I am not familiar with their system).

 

The trap is set when the masses take out the credit cards and cannot afford to pay back the amount borrowed, so to reduce the loan shark tactic, they allow you the option to pay a certain low amount monthly, while interest is being compounded on the amount you originally borrowed, last time I checked the Jones's and the Smiths in Australia owed something like $32,000,000,000 dollars or $4,300 per credit card issued.

                                                                                                                                                 (Billion)

 

Spend more and earn points, sure spend more and earn point, the carrot being dangled to further entrap you, suffice to say, never, ever had one, never ever will, the savings debit card allows you to do everything a credit card does without paying up to 20% interest any any annual fees, if any.

 

To go one step further, have a look at booking a rental car in Australia, you will be lucky to find one rental car company that will accept a debit card, Avis, the rest are credit cards, why, they are in bed with the banks, some airlines would do the same, so by choice, I don't use the others, and the more people start to realise that its a big trap, the more they will be paying from their pockets.  

 

Remember when your parents said, if I haven't got the money, I will wait till I save for it, well, that is good learning passed down, and as the Greek Tycoon once said, "borrow the banks money, to make money"

 

Enjoy your free annual domestic flight 555

I have a no annual fee credit card that I have had for over 30 years - never once paid interest as I pay my bills on time. 

 

I only use it for booking things online, like hotels mostly and airfare... how do you pay for hotels if you pre-book? It has also come in handy in a rare time of emergency. Nice to have. 

[4MyEgo]

10 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

I have a no annual fee credit card that I have had for over 30 years - never once paid interest as I pay my bills on time. 

 

I only use it for booking things online, like hotels mostly and airfare... how do you pay for hotels if you pre-book? It has also come in handy in a rare time of emergency. Nice to have. 

I have said it before and will say it again, each to their own.

 

Good that you are disciplined, most others are not, and good that you are not charged fees, in Oz, they get slugged hard.

 

I pay using a debit card, which includes a hire car in Oz for May, most car hiring places refuse debit cards, I booked my families flights as well, using the debit card or Mastercard is using my own funds, there was a time that airlines didn't provide you any alternative, they wanted credit cards, but people like myself protested and obviously over time they saw that not everyone wanted credit cards, and in Oz you could lodge complaints to the relevant government departments which act on behalf of the consumers.

 

Debit cards work for me, credit cards work for you, the world keeps a spinning 555 

[1FinickyOne]

13 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I have said it before and will say it again, each to their own.

 

Good that you are disciplined, most others are not, and good that you are not charged fees, in Oz, they get slugged hard.

 

I pay using a debit card, which includes a hire car in Oz for May, most car hiring places refuse debit cards, I booked my families flights as well, using the debit card or Mastercard is using my own funds, there was a time that airlines didn't provide you any alternative, they wanted credit cards, but people like myself protested and obviously over time they saw that not everyone wanted credit cards, and in Oz you could lodge complaints to the relevant government departments which act on behalf of the consumers.

 

Debit cards work for me, credit cards work for you, the world keeps a spinning 555 

ah.. thanks for the update... I do have debit cards but having the CC have never tried to use them online... the debit cards work great at ATM and then I mostly use cash from there...

 

 

[Xobtsiwt]

2 hours ago, Don Mega said:

My balance is auto payed on the 1st of every month. if those than cannot maybe they should cut their cards..

That's the miraculous thing about the ThaiVisa forums - they're chok-full of people who have never been cheated, have never fallen for a scam, always get into the national parks for the Thai price, invariably buy at the cheapest prices, and pay off their credit cards before interest accrues without fail.

It makes one wonder where mere mortals live.

[BruceMangosteen]

11 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I dare say it might not be as forthcoming in Thailand as you would expect: https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/kasikornbank-agrees-refund-thb986700-after-customer-staged-sit-protest/

 

Good morning. The context was a fraudulent charge or dispute of a sale. Your kindly provided link shows how stupid people can be and doesn't give the context. I was merely suggesting that if the bank, any bank, is involved as in extended credit to the card user, and a charge appears which isn't legitimate, use of a credit card is much safer because your money isn't on the line. If the bank sides with the vendor, they can take their credit and write it off. It's not like there is real recourse in cases where the items are in dispute. 

[chiang mai]

10 hours ago, Xobtsiwt said:

That's the miraculous thing about the ThaiVisa forums - they're chok-full of people who have never been cheated, have never fallen for a scam, always get into the national parks for the Thai price, invariably buy at the cheapest prices, and pay off their credit cards before interest accrues without fail.

It makes one wonder where mere mortals live.

I'm with Don Mega, my credit cards pay off in full every month, 20% interest or greater is far too high for a sensible loan. A credit card is a convenience tool, if you want a loan, get a loan at a decent rate of interest.

[BruceMangosteen]

5 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

I'm with Don Mega, my credit cards pay off in full every month, 20% interest or greater is far too high for a sensible loan. A credit card is a convenience tool, if you want a loan, get a loan at a decent rate of interest.

What if you want to rent a car or reserve a hotel room? In the case of the hotel room, you might cancel said reservation in a timely manner but the hotel/agent doesn't issue a credit on said card. There you sit with a hassle on your hands. Better as said to have the bank's money involved, not just your cash via a debit card. Many of the online agencies want full payment up front of say eight nights. Who needs such hassles in his busy life?

[theoldgit]

14 hours ago, Dan5 said:

Why not just use one of your debit cards. The ones you get when you open Thai bank accounts? I know there are rare exceptions where you might need a credit card instead of a debit, but in all the years I've been here, I've only run into that one time. Otherwise, Thai debit cards have worked fine for me.

Debit cards are ok for buying over the counter, but you try renting a car with a debit card or booking into some hotels with one and you'll have a problem, they want a credit card so they can dip into your account later if you've run up charges. Bizarrely I've even had a debit card refused in hospitals and restaurants, staff have been unable to explain why, just the blank smile and "cannot". 

[4MyEgo]

25 minutes ago, BruceMangosteen said:

 

Good morning. The context was a fraudulent charge or dispute of a sale. Your kindly provided link shows how stupid people can be and doesn't give the context. I was merely suggesting that if the bank, any bank, is involved as in extended credit to the card user, and a charge appears which isn't legitimate, use of a credit card is much safer because your money isn't on the line. If the bank sides with the vendor, they can take their credit and write it off. It's not like there is real recourse in cases where the items are in dispute. 

Agreed, I still consider anything, including credit cards iffy in Thailand, but each to their own: http://www.bangkokbank.com/download/Wk10_Rights_Eng.pdf

[chiang mai]

4 minutes ago, BruceMangosteen said:

What if you want to rent a car or reserve a hotel room? In the case of the hotel room, you might cancel said reservation in a timely manner but the hotel/agent doesn't issue a credit on said card. There you sit with a hassle on your hands. Better as said to have the bank's money involved, not just your cash via a debit card. Many of the online agencies want full payment up front of say eight nights. Who needs such hassles in his busy life?

Managing cash flow with suppliers who don't refund in a timely manner is an issue although using decent suppliers helps on this front. Personally I wouldn't use a supplier who wanted full payment for an entire hotel stay up front. Last week I booked and paid for a flight to the UK and several hotel stays using a credit card, less than one day later I had to cancel and all the funds were returned in near real time. Also, for the first time ever I used my UOB debit card to pay for an internal flight with Thai and found it to be a very efficient process.

[theoldgit]

8 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

I'm with Don Mega, my credit cards pay off in full every month, 20% interest or greater is far too high for a sensible loan. A credit card is a convenience tool, if you want a loan, get a loan at a decent rate of interest.

 

Likewise, my Thai credit card, issued by Amex with no hint of a work permit or deposit, is a convenience tool and a good one at that. I've used it around the globe to rent cars where, as in most, cases a debit card isn't acceptable, and booked into decent hotels where a credit card is required.

I'm not sure why the fact that I don't pay interest, accrue points and take advantage of the convienience my card offers should attract criticism, but that's par for the course I suppose.

[BruceMangosteen]

3 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

 Personally I wouldn't use a supplier who wanted full payment for an entire hotel stay up front. 

 

I try and book direct with the hotel, but often it's forwarded to a third party. My experiences are limited, I don't travel that often and usually BS my way into a reservation. With that said, I was looking at hotels in Manila using agoda and hotels , for the Songkran period, and both were asking for full up front payment. Songkran isn't a holiday in Manila. 

[chiang mai]

1 minute ago, BruceMangosteen said:

 

I try and book direct with the hotel, but often it's forwarded to a third party. My experiences are limited, I don't travel that often and usually BS my way into a reservation. With that said, I was looking at hotels in Manila using agoda and hotels , for the Songkran period, and both were asking for full up front payment. Songkran isn't a holiday in Manila. 

FWIW I use Booking.com for a lot of my hotel reservations, their prices always seem competitive plus it's often the case that only a single nights deposit is needed by the web site which defaults to the hotel if you don't show, it's a pretty good system and you can cancel right up to the date of stay - plus refunds are very quick.

[4MyEgo]

6 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

Debit cards are ok for buying over the counter, but you try renting a car with a debit card or booking into some hotels with one and you'll have a problem, they want a credit card so they can dip into your account later if you've run up charges. Bizarrely I've even had a debit card refused in hospitals and restaurants, staff have been unable to explain why, just the blank smile and "cannot". 

I can't accept that, well at least 1% of it.

 

I have been using my debit card for as far back as I can remember, i.e. to book flight, car rentals, hotels, etc etc, now the 1% they I disagree on is rental car hires, they can be a bit tricky, that's why I use Avis, as they accept debit cards, if an airline doesn't accept a debit card, i.e. I remember before changing my old Siam debit card for the new one with "security chip" the option for a domestic flight with say AirAsia, was you could pay at a 7/11 store, AirAsia providing you with a reference number to take along within 24 hours and the flight booking was confirmed once paid at the 7/11 store.

 

As for hotels, have always transferred a nights booking fee from my account to theirs, don't give them my card details, pay cash when I arrive, i.e. if I stay at the usual place, if staying at a hotel that I haven't been at before and I don't like what I see, not as it was advertised, I walk and they can have the nights booking fee, has only happened once out of about 20 hotels.

 

I will agree credit cards are a convenience for most, and if you can pay them off before the due date, great.

 

But do note, debit cards have come a long way, IMO they are better than credit cards, sure if there is a fraud, well you have to try to get your money back from the bank, and I doubt you will successful, sure using credit cards is using the banks money, but don't forget you are also liable to pay the bank back if they disagree with the fraudulent claim, even if it is an unsecured loan, they can still chase you, as expensive as the process maybe.

 

But like I have said all the way along, each to their own 555  

[BruceMangosteen]

4 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

that's why I use Avis, as they accept debit cards,

 

I have my doubts about this. Can you kindly support your assertion with some references i.e. where you rented a car from Avis using a debit card? Thanks and regards. 

[BruceMangosteen]

On this same topic, your KTB Visa or KTB Debit(VISA logo) can't be used to make deposits on gambling websites. Some code, it's bank policy. Skrill also doesn't work from Thailand.

[JimmyJ]

16 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

To go one step further, have a look at booking a rental car in Australia, you will be lucky to find one rental car company that will accept a debit card, Avis, the rest are credit cards, why, they are in bed with the banks, some airlines would do the same, so by choice, I don't use the others, and the more people start to realise that its a big trap, the more they will be paying from their pockets. 

"...you will be lucky to find one rental car company that will accept a debit card...why, they are in bed with the banks..."

 

 

No, it's because they pay a cheaper rate when accepting the credit card over debit card.

 

The same reason Amazon has "pinless debit card processing", it lets them get the credit card merchant fee rather than the debit.

 

(The above is based on what I've read online in a credit card related forum)

 

I do agree with you that the interest rates for those who don't pay monthly is legal usury.

[theoldgit]

28 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I will agree credit cards are a convenience for most, and if you can pay them off before the due date, great.

 

So we seem to agree on the major benefit of a credit card for most people, convenience.

[JimmyJ]

Many or most credit cards these days also:

 

1) Refund with points 1% minimum up to 5% on purchases;

 

2) Extend warranties for an additional year;

 

3) Take care of auto rental insurance or at least the deductible;

 

4) Offer trip cancellation refunds and other travel coverages

 

among other benefits.

 

I agree though that if one cannot make payments in full before interest is due or one will compulsively use the card above one's means, they should not be applied for/used.