Tourism what are they thinking?

[Ian]

I haven't been following this thread closely, but here's my latest findings as of Wednesday April 29th, 2009 in Bangkok.

I tried a Bangkok Bank ATM and was given a notice there would be a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card. I decided not use this ATM and went to a Kasikorn Bank atm. I did not receive any notice of a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card and went ahead with the transaction.

Terry

Don't be fooled, I have carried out some experiments, I tried several different bank ATMs that did not warn of a 150Baht charge, then used online banking to check, each bank had in fact charged the 150 Baht. So what we are seeing is some banks being honest and warning you, other banks being dishonest and keeping quiet. TIT

[Git]

34.88 Bank of Bangkok ATM worst rate of exchange I've seen in a long time. No 150 baht charge showing I think automatically factored it in and are not showing it seperatley. So I doubt I will be seeing any refund this time.

At least the card still works I was bit concerned about that. I will find a better way, in the next month.

[Git]

K-Bank ATM today 35.23 no extra fee, so some are not participating as of yet. They make a margin on the rate of exchange and they now have my business. No one expects the banks to work for nothing. Reasoanable fees are and should be expected.

[NorCalGuy]

Can you get cash back when you buy something at a store? Most stores here in Ca you can get $40 or more back when you buy something.

[villager]

I haven't been following this thread closely, but here's my latest findings as of Wednesday April 29th, 2009 in Bangkok.

I tried a Bangkok Bank ATM and was given a notice there would be a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card. I decided not use this ATM and went to a Kasikorn Bank atm. I did not receive any notice of a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card and went ahead with the transaction.

Terry

Don't be fooled, I have carried out some experiments, I tried several different bank ATMs that did not warn of a 150Baht charge, then used online banking to check, each bank had in fact charged the 150 Baht. So what we are seeing is some banks being honest and warning you, other banks being dishonest and keeping quiet. TIT

Hi Ian, last night a guy who was up from BKK to see his wife,s family informed me that the KASIKORN BANK do not charge the 150 baht fee for ATM withdrawals, as there,s a KB ATM quite near I drew some money out this morning , according to the stub I received with with the cash no fee was incurred .

[Ian]

I haven't been following this thread closely, but here's my latest findings as of Wednesday April 29th, 2009 in Bangkok.

I tried a Bangkok Bank ATM and was given a notice there would be a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card. I decided not use this ATM and went to a Kasikorn Bank atm. I did not receive any notice of a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card and went ahead with the transaction.

Terry

Don't be fooled, I have carried out some experiments, I tried several different bank ATMs that did not warn of a 150Baht charge, then used online banking to check, each bank had in fact charged the 150 Baht. So what we are seeing is some banks being honest and warning you, other banks being dishonest and keeping quiet. TIT

Hi Ian, last night a guy who was up from BKK to see his wife,s family informed me that the KASIKORN BANK do not charge the 150 baht fee for ATM withdrawals, as there,s a KB ATM quite near I drew some money out this morning , according to the stub I received with with the cash no fee was incurred .

It does not always say it on the receipt, I assume you have online banking, check with that before you go any further. Several ATMs I experimented with said nothing on the receipt, but my UK bank showed it as a charge.

[terry]

by Ian on Sun May 03, 2009 1:06 pm [124.121.73.xx]

villager wrote:

Ian wrote:

terry wrote:I haven't been following this thread closely, but here's my latest findings as of Wednesday April 29th, 2009 in Bangkok.

I tried a Bangkok Bank ATM and was given a notice there would be a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card. I decided not use this ATM and went to a Kasikorn Bank atm. I did not receive any notice of a 150 baht fee for using my foreign credit card and went ahead with the transaction.

Terry



Don't be fooled, I have carried out some experiments, I tried several different bank ATMs that did not warn of a 150Baht charge, then used online banking to check, each bank had in fact charged the 150 Baht. So what we are seeing is some banks being honest and warning you, other banks being dishonest and keeping quiet. TIT


Hi Ian, last night a guy who was up from BKK to see his wife,s family informed me that the KASIKORN BANK do not charge the 150 baht fee for ATM withdrawals, as there,s a KB ATM quite near I drew some money out this morning , according to the stub I received with with the cash no fee was incurred .



It does not always say it on the receipt, I assume you have online banking, check with that before you go any further. Several ATMs I experimented with said nothing on the receipt, but my UK bank showed it as a charge.

Further update: Dear Ian and all interested parties. My Kasikorn Bank experience with my credit card did result in a charge of 150 baht, but there was no prior notice on the ATM screen that such a charge would be incurred.

terry

[Ian]

Banks asked to cut foreigners' ATM fees
Since mid-April, foreign cardholders withdrawing funds from local ATMs have been charged 150 baht per transaction.
Dr Twatchai acknowledged that a number of foreign tourists and expatriates had complained about the added fees.
Unfortunately, right now many foreign customers have a negative view of local banks due to the fee issue.

Dr Twatchai said the fee largely came from new transaction charges imposed by international service providers MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Worldwide to cover interchange network costs.
Local banks, which had previously absorbed the expenses, are now looking to pass on their own operating expenses to customers, arguing that the fees charged in Thailand are in line with expenses charged for cross-border ATM transactions in other countries.

A MasterCard spokesman denied that the 150-baht ATM access fee imposed by many Thai banks stemmed from any recent fee change or initiative by the company.
The spokesman said MasterCard last notified member banks in October 2007 about a 0.2-percentage-point increase in fees effective from January 2008 under cross-border agreements.
Since then, no other fee increases have been made related to ATM charges.

Now who do you suppose is telling THE TRUTH Dr Twatchai or MasterCard

If Dr Twatchai was telling the truth we would see similar increases in other countries, not just Thailand.

Terry, you comment simply confirms my suggestion that many Thai banks are dishonest and not warning the customer. My bank (SCB) not only warned me but showed me the official document sent to them by head office advising of this change.

[Git]

I want to thank the Bangkok Post for running this without it doubt anyone would have responded at all.

Now if we could just work out a way to get a retirees a resident visa wouldn't life be grand.

[Git]

Here is the current problem that I see, they want someone to explain to us something that doesn't exist. The Secretary is implying that this came out of the blue and they had no knowledge and will talk to individual banks.

The truth I didn't run into this in any news publication but a poster found it on the Thanachart web site it says the TBA voted it in on April 6 th, how coudl they possibly not be aware of it. They want our trust but treating us in this manner isn't they can get it. They made no news release that I know of.

https://www.thanachartbank.co.th/CDS/THANACHART/NBank_En/main/index.asp

You know I'm not here to complain serves little purpose, this is my home and I love my life here. But certainly would be nice to be treated with the same courtesy and respect I treat them with. Treating me like I'm an \\\ ///// doesn't fall into that category.

You know we as expats have no power in Thailand but we do in our home countries everything we say to our friends there, in a positive manner help Thailand. Everything we say in a negative manner hurts Thailand. Just the mere fact that we came here and made homes makes us subjects of conversations, either good or bad. hundreds of thousands of people all over the world read out comments on the local furums. They want me trust them I will keep an open mind but the first thing they have to do just as I do, conduct themsleves in a trustworthy manner.


It would really be nice if they could recognize what we truly represent to the country. In seven years I have not earned one baht in Thailand, never intended to. I'm retired but I bring 1.2 million into this country every year. I spend in my local community. I employ local labor, one full time house keeper. Sit up college funds for her children so they can have a better life then their parents. I pay for medical insurance here just as I would have in my home country. I am no burden to anyone and i bring benefit on continous basis year after year. I study the language I try to fit in here.

But yet because I don't earn 40K month in Thailand and have work permit, I can't qaulify for a resident visa. So if I take from Thailand I can get that permit, if I give I can't. Anyone see the logic in that cause certainly it escapes me. This additional fee hardly recognized our value actually pretty much treated us like we are idiots.

I really beleive it's time for Thailand to accept the fact that we are assets to the community, not a bunch drunks chasing their women. I'm married and I don't even drink. The more fairly we are treated the more positive e-mails will be going back to our home countries. I will trust someone I know evaluation much more then a expensive add campaign.

We give and take nothing, we simply want to live our lives in peace and enjoy this country it's heritage and it's wonderful people. Sad thing is I'm just an average expat nothing special about how I live my life. I know people who do much more then I do. We are the best advertising they have, and usury fees such as this really don't set well with us.

You want my trust then conduct yourself in a trust worthy manner and you will have it, the TBA missed it by a mile this time around.