140 replies to this topic

[kliome]

If you are using a foreign (non-Thai) bank account, I think the amount you can withdraw is up to your home bank and would be the equivalent to what you can withdraw in your home country.

[laptop]

If you are using a foreign (non-Thai) bank account, I think the amount you can withdraw is up to your home bank and would be the equivalent to what you can withdraw in your home country.

I couldnt withdraw more than 10k any where! It was very annoying. At home I can take the equivalent of 20k. One of my bank cards only worked on a select number of Thai Banks. Its odd.

[kliome]

Wow, 10k is very low, I've never had a problem withdrawing less then 15k (£300) from a Thai ATM.

With My UK accounts, I can withdraw £300 and £500 (Barclay/Halifax) in the UK and both have reflect this in the past when using Thai ATMs - being able to take out more with one than the other - So I put it down to the amounts being determined by my UK Bank.

I've had problems before, especially with Barclays randomly having the card blocked - and always having to make at least 1 long agonising (expensive) call to them per trip - despite telling them I'd be based in Thailand before leaving.

[stonefre]

Just called my bank and the limit for me is $400 a day. My bank charges me a 1% fee and the Thai bank atm fee works out close to the same at that amount. I think it would be almost worth that not to have to carry a large amount of cash with me. Will have to think about that a day or so.

[xyzzy]

I heard a few days ago that Bank of Ayudhya ATMs still weren't charging the fee. Someone on the ground might confirm if this is still true. But I heard this last week from someone that lives in Thailand. You can find a list of bank locations here:
http://www.bankthail...attaya-Bank.htm
I was told there is a Bank of Ayudhya ATM to the right as you walk in Tukcom. Also that the ATMs only have Thai writing on them. I can't answer the obvious question you want to ask now but as the gent I know doesn't read Thai I *assume* they do English. FWIW

[rxpharm]

During my last trip May 12 - June 2, Bank of Ayudha started charging the 150 Baht fee near the end of May. The only bank that was not charging the fee was UOB.

All ATM machines have the option to display English if you want, and they will also warn you of the 150 Baht fee (during my last trip at least).

With regard to "eating the ATM fees", be aware that the foreign exchange rate at the ATM is not the listed daily rate, your bank will extract a premium from you on the exchange.

The best exchange rate you can get is if you have service charge free traveler's cheque facility with your bank - either via your account or credit card. I have a gold VISA card and so can get Amex Traveler's cheques without service charge. I use a mix of tcs and cash, and only use my ATM card in case of emergency.

The maximum daily withdrawal from a Thai ATM depends on a couple of factors - your bank's daily withdrawal limit (and it may vary depending if you're overseas) and the Thai ATMs. The single transaction limit for most Thai ATMs is 20k Baht, and some are 25k Baht. I heard the reasoning behind this is that is approaching the maximum amount of bills that will fit through the dispensing slot. I remember around 5 years ago Bangkok Bank had a limit of 30k Baht for a single transction and now it is 25k.

[xyzzy]

During my last trip May 12 - June 2, Bank of Ayudha started charging the 150 Baht fee near the end of May. The only bank that was not charging the fee was UOB.

Bummer, I heard UOB is now charging the fee but then I'm still told the yellow Ayudha ATMs aren't. BTW the guy I know doesn't live in a big city/tourist area FWIW.

With regard to "eating the ATM fees", be aware that the foreign exchange rate at the ATM is not the listed daily rate, your bank will extract a premium from you on the exchange.

I have an ATM card that charges no fees. I typically get at least 0.2 baht per U.S. dollar better rate than the cash exchange rate (for $US50-100). About the same rate as travelers checks. I usually travel to SE Asia for months at a time and money goes into my home bank account monthly. So I can't take all the money I need with me. I use ATMs for all my money in Thailand and keep looking for the elusive free ATM. Guess I am SOL.

I understand Bangkok Bank has a branch in New York that has its own ABA number. It's fairly cheap to send money from the New York branch to Thailand. May have to go that route and transfer funds once a month.

[Rossco]

From personal experience I find it easier to have a Thai bank account and transfer into that from abroad in one larger sum.

The rate is normally better by 2 baht - so if 5K USD/UKP/AUS makes a difference.

The one off transfer now means that you have a local bank/ATM card and no fees. There are so many ATMs that there is the little need to carry much cash.

Before I move here I used to use my foreign ATM and was always disappointed in the exchange rate.

Having a Thai bank account means that you just carry one local card. If you lose it you can do something locally at the time. Leave foreign card locked away in the safe - emergency use only.

Kasikorn bank seems to be the easiest for a foreigner to open an account.
Passport
'Proof' of address - I used a hotel initially
Cash deposit of 500/1000 baht
Fee for card - 250 I think.

Kasikorn do on line banking for free so you may be able to execute transfers into your Thai account from your domestic one.

[Josh69]

I couldn't agree more with you Rossco!!!

That's simple, quick and cheap.

When out, i only carry an ATM card from K bank (i can't buy anything with that card & this is exactly what i want) and a small amount of cash (3k). If i loose it (the card) or if someone still it from me, it's not a big deal i go to my office (at Garden Plazza) and within minutes i have a new one with the code i choose (you can change it at any moment at any ATM point. IMO, it's the best way to free your mind.

[xyzzy]

From personal experience I find it easier to have a Thai bank account and transfer into that from abroad in one larger sum.

The rate is normally better by 2 baht - so if 5K USD/UKP/AUS makes a difference.

The one off transfer now means that you have a local bank/ATM card and no fees. There are so many ATMs that there is the little need to carry much cash.

Before I move here I used to use my foreign ATM and was always disappointed in the exchange rate.

Having a Thai bank account means that you just carry one local card. If you lose it you can do something locally at the time. Leave foreign card locked away in the safe - emergency use only.

Kasikorn bank seems to be the easiest for a foreigner to open an account.
Passport
'Proof' of address - I used a hotel initially
Cash deposit of 500/1000 baht
Fee for card - 250 I think.

Kasikorn do on line banking for free so you may be able to execute transfers into your Thai account from your domestic one.

Well you live there but I don't agree from a U.S. perspective anyway. With an ATM card I get a better rate than the cash exchange rate. I did a wire transfer from my bank to pay a deposit on an apartment rental. I got about 0.4 baht less than the cash exchange rate on that transaction plus it cost me $US40 at my bank for the foreign transfer fee. So transferring even big sums of money from my bank is a bad deal. Maybe it is different from Europe.
** I have to back track on this one a bit. The money I wired to Thailand was sent as Thai Baht. So the poor exchange rate I received was caused by my bank converting dollars into baht (I think). If I sent U.S. dollars to a Kasikorn account and let them convert it I think it would be a bit better. At the moment the
Kasikorn exchange rate for a Telex transfer is about 0.26 baht per dollar better than the cash exchange rate. So I would a get about the same exchange rate on a wire transfer as my ATM card but am still out the $40 fee.

I do agree it is easiest to get an account at Kasikorn. I have been told you can sometimes get an account with a 30 day tourist stamp and address (with no proof required). But unfortunately so far I have no cheap way of getting money from my bank to Kasikorn.

Another possibility is if you have a PayPal account linked to your home bank you can get a Thai PayPal account linked to your Thai bank account and transfer money from one PayPal account to the other. But there seems to be a bit of discussion on another forum on how much of a fee will be incurred.

[Rossco]

Yes I transfer in the currency of the originating country.

So from Euro land, in Euros, and from UK UKP and from US in USD.

I let Kasikorn Central Bank in Bangkok do the conversion upon receipt - it is then I get the best rate. It normally takes 48 hours to be in my local Thai account.

I have tried Forex dealers/Transferring from UK/US/Europe and getting them to convert first.

All have been worse than allowing a wire in original currency to arrive in Kasikorn and accepting their dealing rate.

[Bumblebee]

From this week's stickmanbangkok

"In regards to the 150 ATM fee, amazingly the pink, Government Savings bank's ATMs do not charge the fee for transactions on a foreign account. That said, there are not many of them around. There is a Government Savings Bank ATM across from Emporium, and at the top of the escalator at Asoke BTS going to MTR as well as in the back sois of Siam Square.

Also the HSBC ATM on Rama IV Road does not charge a fee for using a non-HSBC foreign card. As far as I know there is only one HSBC, on Rama IV Road,"

Anybody know where the Government Savings Banks are in Pattaya?