I suffer like many people on this forum with drawing money from ATM on my Barclays Connect card. I make one withdrawal then it's blocked.
I went to use online banking with them today and on the home page menu is a link about using your card abroad. You pick the country you are going to from a drop down menu (Thailand is listed), and put the dates you will be there.
I am in LOS from 18th March so I have registered and fingers crossed and will provide an update when I return.
Anyone else tried it yet ? Or if you do then post your results, positive or negative.
Good news for Barclays customers in Thailand
Good news for Barclays customers in Thailand
'If you didn't have a wasted youth you wasted your youth'
Man in pub circa 1987.
Man in pub circa 1987.
Yes, No, Yes, No, no no
Arrived at airport and used ATM as usual on arrival with no problems.
Flew to Koh Lanta and after a few days tried the ATM with my Barclays Connect Card...............please contact your issuing bank and no cash ! I then used my Goldfish Mastercard in the same machine and got my cash. Forming snotagram in my head to write to Barclays as I walk back to my apartment.
After a week took the train from Trang to HH. Needed some cash so went to Market Village and tried my Barclays card again..........success ! received my cash OK and mentally cancelled my snotagram to Barclays.
Finally one day to go and needed more cash. Tried same ATM in Market Village and about 5 others in there with no success with my Barclays Card. Frustrated and annoyed and snotagram back in my head when I get home.
Anyone else tried registering online that they are in LOS ?
Flew to Koh Lanta and after a few days tried the ATM with my Barclays Connect Card...............please contact your issuing bank and no cash ! I then used my Goldfish Mastercard in the same machine and got my cash. Forming snotagram in my head to write to Barclays as I walk back to my apartment.
After a week took the train from Trang to HH. Needed some cash so went to Market Village and tried my Barclays card again..........success ! received my cash OK and mentally cancelled my snotagram to Barclays.
Finally one day to go and needed more cash. Tried same ATM in Market Village and about 5 others in there with no success with my Barclays Card. Frustrated and annoyed and snotagram back in my head when I get home.
Anyone else tried registering online that they are in LOS ?
'If you didn't have a wasted youth you wasted your youth'
Man in pub circa 1987.
Man in pub circa 1987.
I've just tried my internet banking with Barclays and I don't see that message, although there are sometimes announcements in between log in and security details. I must admit I don't really take much notice of them.
All I can say is that I've grown used to the security over the years. In as much as it only costs me 100 Baht maximum from my wife's mobile to telephone the centre in Northampton and clear things up. ATMs are activated within 15 minutes of that call. Naturally, that dosn't help if you're stranded.
So, it's plan ahead and try never to forget the date that Northampton have told you. I diarise it and call a day before.
If you go to another country in the area - I did to Penang a few months ago - it's best to spend that 100 Baht and let them know first.
The number is 00 44 (0)1604 614812.
From my wifes telephone, in Thailand, to get the cheap rate, you need 009 441 604 614812.
Hope that helps.
All I can say is that I've grown used to the security over the years. In as much as it only costs me 100 Baht maximum from my wife's mobile to telephone the centre in Northampton and clear things up. ATMs are activated within 15 minutes of that call. Naturally, that dosn't help if you're stranded.
So, it's plan ahead and try never to forget the date that Northampton have told you. I diarise it and call a day before.
If you go to another country in the area - I did to Penang a few months ago - it's best to spend that 100 Baht and let them know first.
The number is 00 44 (0)1604 614812.
From my wifes telephone, in Thailand, to get the cheap rate, you need 009 441 604 614812.
Hope that helps.
On a similar note, I've had a problem with NatWest this week for the very first time. My daughter holds one of my cards, and whenever I need to pay for anything in Thailand, I simply tell her to use the card.
She needed to draw 26,000Baht (my card limit is £250 per day). Day 1 she successfully drew 13,000 Baht.
Day 2 she was refused 13,000, but was allowed to draw 10,000 Baht.
Day 3 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 4 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 5, I contacted NatWest (expecting a fight because I'm in the UK and my card is in Thailand). They advised it had been blocked by their fraud department. We then went through a long conversation with them explaining the error of my ways (not paying their £20 costs every time I needed to spend money in Thailand) - I agreed that it was my risk, and they unblocked the card within 15 minutes.
An imbuggerance, but painless.
She needed to draw 26,000Baht (my card limit is £250 per day). Day 1 she successfully drew 13,000 Baht.
Day 2 she was refused 13,000, but was allowed to draw 10,000 Baht.
Day 3 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 4 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 5, I contacted NatWest (expecting a fight because I'm in the UK and my card is in Thailand). They advised it had been blocked by their fraud department. We then went through a long conversation with them explaining the error of my ways (not paying their £20 costs every time I needed to spend money in Thailand) - I agreed that it was my risk, and they unblocked the card within 15 minutes.
An imbuggerance, but painless.
Championship Stoke City 3 - 0 Plymouth Argyle 
Points 48; Position 20
Points 48; Position 20
I had a problem with the Halifax last year, I wanted to draw cash, the atm's constantly refused, phoned the Halifax they told me to go to a bank branch, did that - declined.
Phoned the Halifax again and they said "sorry cannot help any more", "any more", I thought.
On my return to the UK wrote a snotogram, they wrote back offering me a £100 for my trouble. I wrote back saying that was not enough, bit of a cheek really. They then phoned me and asked me how much I wanted, I said £200, ok they said, we will credit your account.
Flippin thing has worked ever since, so no more bonus.
It wasn't very funny at the time, looking at an atm that wouldn't give me any money, and refused to argue.
Phoned the Halifax again and they said "sorry cannot help any more", "any more", I thought.
On my return to the UK wrote a snotogram, they wrote back offering me a £100 for my trouble. I wrote back saying that was not enough, bit of a cheek really. They then phoned me and asked me how much I wanted, I said £200, ok they said, we will credit your account.
Flippin thing has worked ever since, so no more bonus.
It wasn't very funny at the time, looking at an atm that wouldn't give me any money, and refused to argue.
I arrived in BKK and without thinking tried to draw out 20000 baht, as it was over my £250 a day they blocked the card. Luckily had a bit of cash to get me to Hua Hin and then rang Natwest, as BigBoy said, 15 minutes it was working again.Big Boy wrote:On a similar note, I've had a problem with NatWest this week for the very first time. My daughter holds one of my cards, and whenever I need to pay for anything in Thailand, I simply tell her to use the card.
She needed to draw 26,000Baht (my card limit is £250 per day). Day 1 she successfully drew 13,000 Baht.
Day 2 she was refused 13,000, but was allowed to draw 10,000 Baht.
Day 3 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 4 she was refused 3,000 Baht.
Day 5, I contacted NatWest (expecting a fight because I'm in the UK and my card is in Thailand). They advised it had been blocked by their fraud department. We then went through a long conversation with them explaining the error of my ways (not paying their £20 costs every time I needed to spend money in Thailand) - I agreed that it was my risk, and they unblocked the card within 15 minutes.
An imbuggerance, but painless.
My home phone number in England had a call from the fraud department within 30 minutes.
Never had any other problems.
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Korkenzieher
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Why not open a Thai bank account? Go to Market village, walk into a bank and tell them you are thinking of buying a condo. They will bite your hand off to run the account. You will not need a sponsoring letter, or residency permit. You need to supply a Thai address (they don't send anything, but they have to do it as a part of the 'know your customer' stuff imposed on them), and to take along your passport. I made mine up (address that is), though it is plausible. It passed any tests, anyway. You get the cash card straight away if you put up 300 Baht, along with info about how to fund the account 'for your purchase'. I stuck in a thousand, just to see how the book got updated. I had the cash card, and a book with 700 baht in it immediately. The e-banking is set up on line overnight, do a cash transfer by swift, and Robert is your mother's brother. 
I don't own a house here, but I take care of my wife.Korkenzieher wrote:Why not open a Thai bank account? Go to Market village, walk into a bank and tell them you are thinking of buying a condo. They will bite your hand off to run the account. You will not need a sponsoring letter, or residency permit. You need to supply a Thai address (they don't send anything, but they have to do it as a part of the 'know your customer' stuff imposed on them), and to take along your passport. I made mine up (address that is), though it is plausible. It passed any tests, anyway. You get the cash card straight away if you put up 300 Baht, along with info about how to fund the account 'for your purchase'. I stuck in a thousand, just to see how the book got updated. I had the cash card, and a book with 700 baht in it immediately. The e-banking is set up on line overnight, do a cash transfer by swift, and Robert is your mother's brother.
The aggro of setting a bank account up here in Thailand and the poor interest rates don't interest me. I've never had a Thai bank account in 10 years and I don't intend to start now.
Maybe Immigration will make me step down. But not for now.
As I long as I can certify my income through The Embassy, that's all that's needed.
There's no requirement to bring the dosh into Thailand, unless you want to.
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Korkenzieher
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- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:45 am
- Location: Hua Hin.
Well, each to his own of course, but it was no agro at all to open an account.
I had some issues with a credit card being cloned over the new year period, which created the incentive. You only need to transfer in what you want to use - obviously - and leave the rest outside doing whatever it is doing. Whether it is a more or less expensive solution than other methods will probably depend on individual circumstances, but it certainly beats having to deal with an Indian call centre over New Year, trying to work out what is going on, and then tidying up the mess because the UK card issuers can't correctly connect together the card, the PIN and the internet banking. It is still an issue 3 months later
I should emphasise, perhaps, that you don't have to actually buy a condo or even prove intent; just tell them that you are considering it.
I had some issues with a credit card being cloned over the new year period, which created the incentive. You only need to transfer in what you want to use - obviously - and leave the rest outside doing whatever it is doing. Whether it is a more or less expensive solution than other methods will probably depend on individual circumstances, but it certainly beats having to deal with an Indian call centre over New Year, trying to work out what is going on, and then tidying up the mess because the UK card issuers can't correctly connect together the card, the PIN and the internet banking. It is still an issue 3 months later
I should emphasise, perhaps, that you don't have to actually buy a condo or even prove intent; just tell them that you are considering it.
I’ve given up on using UK cards in Thailand as well. I’ve had a local account for a long time now and I just transfer money into it as required. I survived living overseas in a variety of countries for years with a UK card, but Thailand just got too much of a bother. I had the thing stopped so many times it was getting silly and in the worst case it took me three days to get it working again.
Niggle : I wish I could. I do not have a UK address so opening a bank account is near impossible in the UK.
BTW I forgot to mention in my post, 3 ATM withdrawals and paid 2 hotel bills with credit card and checked my bank/credit card online and all 5 transactions were less than 60 Baht to the pound, the lowest I have ever experienced in 5 years of going to LOS.
BTW I forgot to mention in my post, 3 ATM withdrawals and paid 2 hotel bills with credit card and checked my bank/credit card online and all 5 transactions were less than 60 Baht to the pound, the lowest I have ever experienced in 5 years of going to LOS.
'If you didn't have a wasted youth you wasted your youth'
Man in pub circa 1987.
Man in pub circa 1987.
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Korkenzieher
- Guru
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:45 am
- Location: Hua Hin.
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Korkenzieher
- Guru
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:45 am
- Location: Hua Hin.
Pagey: I'm currently in (the socialist republic of) Beverley. I got back here about 12 march from HH, and return there on (give or take) 1 May. I should be in Malaysia about 1 week before that, largely dependant on when I can be bothered to get the boxes out of the flat and into storage. I grew up in North Yorkshire though, and have lived in a whole bunch of places since then.