19 replies to this topic

[Bob]

My bank (SCB) won't let me have a Thai credit card because I don't have a work permit (I do have a long-term visa but that apparently doesn't count). While my guess is SCB is just doing what other banks do, I'm wondering if any of you have a Thai credit card and, if so, how you got it?

I don't need one but, since my US cards won't work over here (in spite of my repeated bitching to them to allow charges from Thailand), I'd like to have one if I ever needed one (plus it'd make buying domestic airline tickets online a whole lot easier).

[lvdkeyes]

Sometime ago I applied for a credit card from SCB. I had to deposit the amount I wanted as my credit limit into an account and they hold the passbook for that account. It is the same as a secured credit card in the US. At least I have a credit card to use here.

[Thaimo]

lvdkeyes, on 04 January 2010 - 08:32 AM, said:

Sometime ago I applied for a credit card from SCB. I had to deposit the amount I wanted as my credit limit into an account and they hold the passbook for that account. It is the same as a secured credit card in the US. At least I have a credit card to use here.

Do you get that back at some point or do they hold the money permanently? If you have established credit in good standing with them, do they ever raise the limit? Do you know the interest rate?

[rucus7]

Bob, on 04 January 2010 - 06:20 AM, said:

My bank (SCB) won't let me have a Thai credit card because I don't have a work permit (I do have a long-term visa but that apparently doesn't count). While my guess is SCB is just doing what other banks do, I'm wondering if any of you have a Thai credit card and, if so, how you got it?

I don't need one but, since my US cards won't work over here (in spite of my repeated bitching to them to allow charges from Thailand), I'd like to have one if I ever needed one (plus it'd make buying domestic airline tickets online a whole lot easier).

I have never had a problem with my American credit cards. Is this a recent development? I don't use credit cards often and could have missed something.

[Bob]

lvdkeyes, on 04 January 2010 - 08:32 AM, said:

Sometime ago I applied for a credit card from SCB. I had to deposit the amount I wanted as my credit limit into an account and they hold the passbook for that account. It is the same as a secured credit card in the US. At least I have a credit card to use here.

That rather tees me off.....I use the "800,000 baht" routine to hold on to my long-term visa and have a fair amount more than that in their account. I'll have to ask/bitch again!

[Bob]

rucus7, on 04 January 2010 - 12:45 PM, said:

I have never had a problem with my American credit cards. Is this a recent development? I don't use credit cards often and could have missed something.

I never had a problem until a year ago. I've got a VISA from US Bank (had it for years, never an issue or late payment, big credit limit, etc.) and, all of a sudden, they stopped accepting any charges from Thailand. When I called and complained, they said that the policy of a lot or most of US banks changed because of the amount of fraudulent credit card purchases from Thailand. When I asked why couldn't I simply authorize the charges (i.e., tag my account in advance), they simply told me that they couldn't do that. All they offered to do is maybe authorize the charge if the vendor telephoned them in the US (I told the guy he was crazy and my days with US Bank were numbered).

My second card is a Mastercard from HSBC (again, had it for years, big credit limit, never an issue) and they just started refusing charges in the last 4-5 months (it started with me trying to get an Air Asia ticket online). Again, in spite of my calling and bitching and moaning, the best the guy would do is say they probably would authorize the charge if the vendor called them (like I told him, the likelihood of me finding some Air Asia employee in Kuala Lumpur that was willing to call some dork in the US was about nil).

Like I said, I don't need a credit card but on rare occasion (like getting an online domestic air ticket or paying for a hotel here on rare occasion), it sure would be handy.

[lvdkeyes]

Thaimo, on 04 January 2010 - 10:52 AM, said:

Do you get that back at some point or do they hold the money permanently? If you have established credit in good standing with them, do they ever raise the limit? Do you know the interest rate?

The money is held until I cancel the card. The rate is 20% on unpaid balance.

[lvdkeyes]

Bob, on 04 January 2010 - 02:46 PM, said:

That rather tees me off.....I use the "800,000 baht" routine to hold on to my long-term visa and have a fair amount more than that in their account. I'll have to ask/bitch again!

It would probably be best to talk to the branch manager and present your case to him/her.

[rucus7]

Bob, on 04 January 2010 - 02:52 PM, said:

I never had a problem until a year ago. I've got a VISA from US Bank (had it for years, never an issue or late payment, big credit limit, etc.) and, all of a sudden, they stopped accepting any charges from Thailand. When I called and complained, they said that the policy of a lot or most of US banks changed because of the amount of fraudulent credit card purchases from Thailand. When I asked why couldn't I simply authorize the charges (i.e., tag my account in advance), they simply told me that they couldn't do that. All they offered to do is maybe authorize the charge if the vendor telephoned them in the US (I told the guy he was crazy and my days with US Bank were numbered).

My second card is a Mastercard from HSBC (again, had it for years, big credit limit, never an issue) and they just started refusing charges in the last 4-5 months (it started with me trying to get an Air Asia ticket online). Again, in spite of my calling and bitching and moaning, the best the guy would do is say they probably would authorize the charge if the vendor called them (like I told him, the likelihood of me finding some Air Asia employee in Kuala Lumpur that was willing to call some dork in the US was about nil).

Like I said, I don't need a credit card but on rare occasion (like getting an online domestic air ticket or paying for a hotel here on rare occasion), it sure would be handy.

When you said Air asia it jogged my memory, I used a Mastercard online to pay for plane tickets in early September. The trip is scheduled for this coming April I booked very early, I can't see how that would make any difference though.

[Bob]

rucus7, on 05 January 2010 - 02:10 AM, said:

When you said Air asia it jogged my memory, I used a Mastercard online to pay for plane tickets in early September. The trip is scheduled for this coming April I booked very early, I can't see how that would make any difference though.

Only thing I can tell you is what's happened and what they said. Air Asia uses an asian bank to process their credit charges and, since it emanates from asia (and given what the banks have been telling me is a history of fraudulent credit card charges in this area), they're refusing the charges (at least for me). My mastercard used to work here but that stopped this fall (October).

Next time I'm at my home branch of SCB, I'm going to try lvdkeyes' suggestion and talk to the manager. Maybe he'll work something out if, as lvdkeyes said, I can isolate some funds in a separate account that they can use as a hedge against my charges. We'll see.

[patong]

Bob, on 04 January 2010 - 02:46 PM, said:

That rather tees me off.....I use the "800,000 baht" routine to hold on to my long-term visa and have a fair amount more than that in their account. I'll have to ask/bitch again!

Me too. I have asked about a Thai credit card in the past. Response I get from Thai Farmers (Kasicorn) is blank looks followed by not a chance. I just take the 'mai pen rai' attitude.

[Beer Chang]

Why isn't a Thai debit card good enough for this purpose? Am I missing something?

[patong]

Beer Chang, on 05 January 2010 - 05:12 AM, said:

Why isn't a Thai debit card good enough for this purpose? Am I missing something?

I don't think that a debt card can be used for Internet purchases, such as booking airline tickets. I might be wrong, correction welcomed.

[Bob]

Beer Chang, on 05 January 2010 - 05:12 AM, said:

Why isn't a Thai debit card good enough for this purpose? Am I missing something?

Frankly (at the risk of being considered a dumb-ass dinosaur), I've never used a "debit" card. What you're implying, I think, is that I could get one of those and use it the same as a credit card (other than the withdrawal by the vendor is directly from my bank account). If that's the case, fine with me - in fact, saves me the effort of having to pay the credit card bill each month. So, how do I get one?

At the risk of sounding actually even dumber (no risk probably there as it's "fiat accompli"!), think I could use my SCB ATM card in that manner? I've only ever used it as an "ATM" card (meaning I stick it in the machine and get money) but it does have the Mastercard Electronic logo at the bottom right and also says "Valid only where Mastercard Electronic is Accepted."

(I'm really not that dumb in most other matters....or at least that's what my mentor, Jethro DeBodine, tells me...)

[Thaimo]

Beer Chang, on 05 January 2010 - 05:12 AM, said:

Why isn't a Thai debit card good enough for this purpose? Am I missing something?

The only truly practical purpose I can see would be to make a purchase that requires credit in the event that you don't have enough cash to pay for it outright or simply don't want to part with whatever amount of cash at one time. But I must say I'm surprised that the interest rate on the unpaid balance turns out to be 20%. OMG! Do you know that's the same rate illegal loan sharks in Thailand charge? In that case, you might as well borrow from the illegal loan sharks rather than bother with a credit card. You're going to pay the same rate and you don't have to keep a balance of your credit limit in the bank. Of course with the loan sharks, you're going to pay that 20% on the balance even if you pay off the entire balance at once within the first month.

[patong]

Thaimo, on 05 January 2010 - 12:25 PM, said:

The only truly practical purpose I can see would be to make a purchase that requires credit in the event that you don't have enough cash to pay for it outright or simply don't want to part with whatever amount of cash at one time. But I must say I'm surprised that the interest rate on the unpaid balance turns out to be 20%. OMG! Do you know that's the same rate illegal loan sharks in Thailand charge? In that case, you might as well borrow from the illegal loan sharks rather than bother with a credit card. You're going to pay the same rate and you don't have to keep a balance of your credit limit in the bank. Of course with the loan sharks, you're going to pay that 20% on the balance even if you pay off the entire balance at once within the first month.

I think that's 20% per annum. Illegal loan sharks in Thailand charge 10% per month. So that's 120% per annum .. compounded. Not even close to 20% annum. Borrower BEWARE.

[Bob]

Yo Beer Chang - wondering if you could offer me some insight to the questions I posed in my last post above? Would be appreciated (the dinosaur needs to be educated).

[Beer Chang]

Bob, on 06 January 2010 - 05:19 AM, said:

Yo Beer Chang - wondering if you could offer me some insight to the questions I posed in my last post above? Would be appreciated (the dinosaur needs to be educated).

Bob, Your SCM Bank ATM card with the Mastercard logo is what *I* refer to as a debit card.

But I remember trying to use my Kasikorn card to book an Air Asia flight and it was refused but my American credit card was accepted. But I've used the Kasikorn card at my dentist and Big C.

[lvdkeyes]

I use my US debit card to make internet purchases all the time.

[Beer Chang]

Not directly related to this discussion but some may find this article about Visa debit cards interesting.

http://finance.yahoo...=bb-creditcards