Reader Submission: Hooray, my credit card!
TK Kurikawa / Shutterstock.com
Having a credit card is not an elitist gadget these days, but simply indispensable, especially for internet shopping, hotel booking and car rental. That's why it was a bit of a shock when ABN-AMRO kicked me out as a customer after 20 years and immediately made my credit card worthless.
So I immediately reported to my Thai bank Krungsri. There are 2 accounts with nice balances. There I received conflicting messages in a few visits and finally the head office in Bangkok decided “we don't issue credit cards to old farang” full stop.
Good advice was expensive, visits to Krungthai and SCB nope, at first Bangkok bank also nothing. Finally arrived at Citi bank where I got a card for a hefty 7.000 Thb per year. Spending limit 100.000 Thb per month, I don't need that much but still. I was also inundated with generous offers from discounts at elite shops and from hotels and restaurants I wouldn't normally even venture into, so expensive!
Given that 7.000 Thb, I walked into another branch of the Bangkok bank. There it turned out to be possible to get a card if a Thai government official wanted to vouch for me. There is no shortage of that in the family. Card is therefore possible, free and a limit of 30.000 baht, sufficient for me.
After a few very lengthy visits and a gigantic mountain of paper with dozens of signatures, the wait was over. After 8 weeks I now have my card and can make the first purchase! Finally.
Foreign. I received a message from my Bangkok Bank if I wanted to exchange my regular debit card for a real credit card. Of course against payment of 200 THB. And I am also an old falang.
In addition, I also still have my AbnAmro account.
You can convert the old bank card into a debit card for 200 baht p/y. Not a credit card
But you can pay with it on the internet. Only it will be debited immediately
Really don't understand why the urge in Thailand to have a credit card :
as my 2 KK accounts have a Kwebcard account with which I can do the same as a credit card as long as they have sufficient balance, and can set the limit myself, of course if sufficient balance is available.
Have already done flight tickets (KLM) and Hotel bookings for Belgium without a problem.
Can stop the card(s) concerned at any time and create a new one online .
Other than that, regular debit cards work in the same way
KK works with Visa support as its logo
I've conveniently created 2 pseudo cards myself with data on them as a convenient reminder, except for the resume numbers for security (remember), so I don't even have to log in online to use .
Completely free use and limit is what it says and that's more than those 100 000 from poster are Citi bank offer
That urge to have credit cards is twofold, on the one hand the convenience, but on the other hand the many discounts you can get with it.
Take a good look around you in the shopping malls.
At every store there is a promotion of a credit card.
That is also one of the reasons that the Thai often have several credit cards. In addition to the fact that they can easily go into debt with it, that discount is also a nice bonus.
Nice example, I almost always walk on Jesus Nike's (slippers) and to reward my feet a little for the kilometers that I can walk through the shopping centers with my wife, I swear by Birckenstock. Previously not available in Thailand, but in recent years in large stores.
So picked out a nice pair during one of the famous sale periods (old model doesn't matter to me) with a discount of 30%. The saleswoman asked if we paid cash or by credit card because then we would get an extra 20% discount on top.
Fortunately, the daughter-in-law had a whole arsenal of credit cards, so that extra discount was a bonus.
Also at restaurants you often get an extra discount or an extra free dish or something if you pay with a paid credit card.
A salient detail, I think, is that there is no such thing as BKR in Thailand.
My daughter-in-law has access to, I estimate, about 6 credit cards. Opened an account with every bank and applied for a credit card. She pumps her salary (THB 20.000/month) over those accounts and thus has regular income everywhere. The disadvantage of this is that a debt is of course easily and very quickly built up that cannot be repaid. Fortunately, she is aware of that.
There is also a savings program for various credit cards (I don't know exactly how that works) because my daughter has given a partner card to mothers and asked if we want to make larger purchases via her card, she will receive extra savings points. However, the friendly request to deposit the amounts back into her account 🙂
SO you see that in addition to the major disadvantages, there are also many advantages to having multiple credit cards in Thailand.
I have also experienced several situations in Thailand where, if I wanted to pay with my credit card, the bill was increased by 3%…….
I/we have never experienced this.
Maybe a non-Thai credit card.
For now it only benefits us.
If there is indeed a surcharge of 3%, I will simply pay in cash, after all, we will remain Dutch
Was indeed a Dutch credit card.
@Bert
From the second part of the explanation I understood why many people feel that a credit card is so pleasant and especially that they are richer than in reality.
However, these can run into problems if card(s) are unexpectedly withdrawn when they are called . daughter-in-law's solution nl.de " Wisselruiterij " (bank term) is discovered ", because do not forget that those credit card companies are connected, precisely to block such abuses
(switch mill = make pits to fill other pits, but always lack sand) 5555
For real world travelers I can also understand that you always have a certain amount in reserve , but not necessary for online purchases nowadays , provided that PayPal and related .
Renting a car, yes otherwise it will not work, maybe in cash deposit, but that is risky.
Let me just pass it by, those ccards, I'll get by with my own money, everything works fine with my 4 bank cards and PayPal, Skrill account in reserve then again, and everything neatly under electronic control.
(this is because plastic can be swallowed for any reason)
@David H. Fortunately daughter-in-law is wise enough to put the consumption to the trade.
Credit cards are only used for purchases on which a discount is granted if one pays for one's credit card. You can guess who makes most of those purchases, not the daughter-in-law. And we transfer the amount immediately, so standing in the red is not an option either.
I doubt whether those banks check that, I know several Thai people who have several credit cards available in this way. I doubt if they can all handle it equally well.
Just ask for a debit card. Don't really see the advantage of a credit card?
Smoe, when renting a car they explicitly ask for a credit card, they refuse a debit card.
I experienced it in Belgium (2019) at SIX at the airport that our (Belgian and Thai) debit cards were refused because they could not “reserve” an amount, and last month at Phuket airport it was also price again … Some hotels Also “block” a guarantee amount on a credit card, which is apparently not possible with a debit card.
If you order a rental car + pay online, including the 2 insurance policies, on the GOLDCAR website (with collection at Barcelona airport) you no longer need to present a credit card at the collection. At least that was two months ago. I don't know if this also applies to other EU cities.
I have also had a credit card for some time now.
Not that I ever wanted it, but because I had to order something online outside of Thailand.
Credit card and pay pal were the only options to pay and in order to open a pay pal account I had to have a credit card.
It took me a few months to get it, mainly due to ignorance of the bank branch.
The first rejection was based on the fact that I was a foreigner, but the bank employee never read the email.
When I asked about the credit card after a few weeks, she saw that it had been rejected.
Things went wrong a few more times and then the bank came up with a proposal for a construction with a life insurance policy.
I told the bank that I would have died of old age by the time the insurance paid out.
Eventually I could get a credit card if I put the limit amount in a separate account.
No problem, because I didn't need a high limit.
When I was finally able to place my online order, I turned out to have a monthly installment on the credit card instead of collecting my debts in one go.
Spent a few hours at the bank there before.
But now it seems to work.
And sometimes it's easy with larger amounts, otherwise you have to wait every time at the bank with a number to be able to withdraw money, because I hate withdrawing money from an ATM - always have.
And yes, my credit card from ABNAMRO has also been stopped, but the account is still working.
@ruud
I just entered my Kweb card at PayPal , test take 70 baht through PayPal , and everything was ok .
as mentioned in my post, my Kwebcard falls under the Visa logo as well as my KK debit cards, Payment via PayPal goes smoothly from Kasikorn account, as well as from my 2 Belgian bank accounts, depending on what I prefer as a preferred payment method (account), Aliexpress, Klm, hotel in Eu . everything works smoothly Kasikorn or Be. banks
I understand that you want a credit card to be "red". Fine. But I can use my debit card from the Bangkok bank, even in the Netherlands. Order online, pay large amounts, pay hotels worldwide, etc. There must be enough money in the account, but never had a problem.
What I wonder, do you have the same option with a debit card to claim money back, insurance, etc. Everything that they advertise with a credit card.
And what does it cost you every time you pint in the Netherlands because Bkk Bank doesn't know how to tell me.
thx
A well-known phenomenon. It also happened to me a little over a year ago after having a drawing there (AMRO side) for more than 60 years. It was annoying because the generous arrangement connected to my credit card was suddenly stopped and I also suddenly had to cough up the balance. With my lifestyle, I used the card as a buffer with a comfortable limit of 7.500 euros. But I was able to solve it fine by opening an account at the ING Bank, where it is also very easy to get a credit card. All this while I live in Thailand and didn't even have to use a Dutch address. Meanwhile, my Visa debit card from K-bank works fine for purchases on the net and for airline tickets.
When I moved to Thailand, I abolished my credit cards. When I was still working and traveling a lot, I could pin for free with such a card. Last year, however, I had to take out a credit card again, because I canceled my bank account in Germany. However, to be able to fly with a big discount, I needed this.
Applied to the Bangkok Bank. Nothing was put in my way. I have a small limit of 20.000 baht per month, enough to pay for my flights. Thanks Covid I haven't used it yet.
Dear Klaas, I too have been a banker for more than 15 years at the Krungsri or terwel de bank of Ayuthaya yellow color, and I was also a victim of the ABNAMRO affair just like you.
But you can get a credit card at the Krungsri without a problem.
You deposit an amount that must be at least 50 K in bath in a new account.
You may withdraw 80% of the total amount deposited to use your krungsri credit card.
I received that card after approufel a week after the application.
Your industry probably didn't inform you properly or they weren't aware.
I had also submitted an application to the TMB bank where I am also a customer, but I received zero on my request.
Normally a credit card with real credit can only be issued at Thai banks if you have a regular income from work in Thailand, such as a teacher.
Jan Beute.
That's right Jan and that is also possible at Bangkok Bank.
1st deposit 50K
A very simple solution is the card from TransferWise.
You can upload it and use it as a credit card. The amount you upload can be used. AliExpress, Lazada etc accept this.
You can upload in dollar, thb, euro etc.
If there is too much on it, you can transfer it to your Thai bank.
Skrill also has this debit card.
Even a virtual account is possible.
You can use the Bangkok bank to make purchases online.
In 2016, while applying for my bank account at the SCB in Narathiwat, I immediately asked if I could get a credit card. No problem, but only with a monthly salary of 200.000+ baht.
I'm a simple teacher so that didn't happen. Other banks are just as difficult or even make it completely impossible. So, despite my business visa and work permit, I cannot get a credit card.
That's just the way it is. Own people first.