Credit card from a Thai bank

[machersjohn]

I tried to pay my isp bill on line using my Bangkok Bank Visa Debit card but it wa not accepted becaue it has no security numbers on the rear of the card .

I enquired some time ago form the Bangkok Bank re a credit card and was told i needed to have a work permit. No work permit no credit card.

[Norseman]

I have checked Thai Farmers and Bank of Ayudhya.

1. You need a deposit of 250.000 Bhat that can not be touched by you.
Same as a guarantee. (They don't want you to leave the country as soon as you draw your card).

2. Work permission and regulary income.

That's it.

[lomuamart]

I've just never been able to understand the Thai thinking on banking/farangs.
Sure, you're not going to get a credit card in the UK unless you can show some history (maybe). So, why different in Thailand?
But why do some banks make it difficult for a farang to do business with them, particularly when the money comes from overseas?
The farang is losing on interest rates, currency conversion rates.
If you've got it, just leave your money back home.
Thailand will never attract investment on any serious scale until they realise that most businesses are risks - including their economy.

[Burger]

I too can not understand the strange workings of Thai banks.
But on the credit card thing, when we worked on Hong Kong airport a while back, all the farangs automatically qualified for a Visa card when opening a bank account, with limits varying from 5,000-10,000 pounds.
When their contracts on the airport finished, many many of them left without paying off the balance or leaving forwarding addresses.
Maybe banks in Asia have wised up to this practice ??

Burger

[lomuamart]

That's a good point.
When I had a UK cc at first here in Thailand, there was no way the issuer was going to give a new one, when the old expired, unless I gave an address in the UK.
There was also no way that a new card would be sent by the issuer to Thailand. In those days Thailand had one, if not the worst, number of cc fraud cases in the world.
So, maybe a bit 50/50?
Still dosn't help the OP.
I suppose we're all big time fraudsters?

[buksida]

Thanks for the research Norseman.

250k that I cant touch ... dont like the sound of that. Oh well there goes another idea.

[tuktukmike]

That was exactly what i was told at Ayudhya.

I agreed to pay the 250000 as deposit and was told i could increase the limit if i put 500000 as security, no problem.

Exept to date no card, i even showed them my British cards and told them they could check my status with them.

Never mind, also those Thai cards that are Visa Electron for some reason dont work for the internet.

Mike.

[buksida]

To update on this I have just been into Kasikorn (Thai Farmers) Bank and applied for a credit card.

The requirements:

1) Work Permit ... the longer you've had it the better.
2) At least 6 months remaining on your non-B visa.
3) Bank account or statements showing your income.

Asked about the minimum balance in the account and was told there isnt one, however you may need at least 250k in the account at the time of application. They also upgraded the standard savings account to an internet banking one where I can do everything online so that is possible too.

[Mart]

I've got a Siam commercial bank 'Easy Master Card'. It's basically an ATM card, which I can also use to pay for goods at shops only.
This is the info from SCM.

http://www.scb.co.th/html/eng/retail_ca ... card.shtml

It would be good to be able to pay for some things on-line though.

Mart

[Big A]

I was turned down on one and am trying for another. I think Thailand is easy money and will only get easier.

[Jonathan]

Getting a credit card isn't difficult if you've been working here for more than a year. I even know teachers who have them. Thai Farmers bank is one institution that gives credit cards to lots of foreign workers that I know. Getting one from Bangkok Bank is harder.

[Nisakiman]

I live in Greece, and when I opened a bank account here, they gave me a "Visa Electron" debit card. It has security numbers on the back, and as well as being a cash card, I use it to make internet purchases all the time. I paid with it for my flight with Thai Air Asia from bangkok to Phnom Penh earlier this year well in advance, and I've used it to buy stuff from USA, Aus, UK, Thailand, India to name a few. I just type in the info into the "Visa Credit Card" box, and away it goes!
I thought they were an international thing, so it might be worth making some enquiries.
You never know..........

[buksida]

To all those that keep telling me to use the debit card ... it wont work online despite having the Visa sign on it, I've tried it several times.

Still awaiting approval for the CC application, will keep you posted.

[buksida]

Well five weeks on and still nothing so either this stuff takes months or farangs can't get credit cards.

[Wanderlust]

Keep us posted buks!

To all those that keep telling me to use the debit card ... it wont work online despite having the Visa sign on it, I've tried it several times.

Are you referring to a UK debit card? Because if you are you can pay for stuff online etc almost exactly like a credit card, except your purchase limit is whatever is allowed by your bank - some will only allow purchases from your existing balance but mine (Barclays) will allow me to go to an agreed overdraft linit. Thai banks are probably different though, if that is what you were referring to.