ATM card dependency

[Guest thaiworthy]

I have come to the conclusion that ATM cards are to farangs what cell phones are to Thai boys. You just can't live without 'em. Or so it seems. But I would like to minimize their use since nearly every bank has a fee for them. I already know that Kasikorn Bank purportedly has a free ATM card, probably for use within their own network, but that's not my real issue.

 

I asked this simple question on another forum and got no where. Can you not simply walk into the bank with your passbook during normal operating hours and get cash without incurring a fee? That's it, plain and simple. This question alone has nothing to do with ATM cards. I am trying to find a way to get money out of a savings account without using an ATM card. If it's inconvenient to walk into the bank, then fine, I don't care. I know in the US you can do this, but US banks generally don't have ATM fees, either.

 

The discussion of ATM cards has run the gamut of odd strategies as one poster suggested-- by feeding the ATM account from another account. Then there's the topic of a lost ATM card and how to replace them. I've always thought of ATM cards as a way to get emergency cash. Are we really so dependent on ATM convenience that we can't subsidize our pockets any other way? With a little planning and forethought, can we not walk a few steps further, past the doors and guard and talk to a real live teller?

 

One would think the answer to the question is YES, you can walk into your bank and take out money from your account for free. That's the logical answer. But in Thailand, I question anything that appears logical. Sometimes I get the feeling that just breathing in Thailand will incur a fee.

 

Anybody know for sure, so I can start stuffing my mattress again?

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Can you not simply walk into the bank with your passbook during normal operating hours and get cash without incurring a fee?

The plain and simple answer is yes you can withdraw your money from your savings account here in Thailand without incurring any fees, as long as you are withdrawing baht and be sure to have your passport with you.

[Gaybutton]

The plain and simple answer is yes

I'll second that. There is no fee for withdrawing money from an ATM from a bank at which you have an account and there is no fee for withdrawing money from a teller.

 

Lvdkeyes is also correct that you must have your bank passbook and your passport, your genuine passport, not a copy. When you withdraw funds they make a copy of your passport and have you sign the copy. You can withdraw funds at any branch of your bank provided you can produce those two documents and there are no fees.

 

So, I think we've addressed your question. If you prefer to withdraw from a teller instead of using an ATM card, yes you can and there are no fees.

 

Oddly enough, I actually was being charged a 30 baht fee to deposit cash to my account for about two months, but that policy has been stopped. Now there is no fee for depositing cash.

 

I'm not sure, but I suppose you could get away with not taking your passbook. People do lose their passbook, but you'll probably experience a hassle if you don't have it.

[Bob]

Good for you guys but I'm not so lucky. Prior to 2009, the only charges I ever incurred at SCB (Siam Commercial Bank) was when I used the ATM card outside Chiangmai province (where I opened the account).

 

But, from January to April, the buzzards charged me 20 baht every single time that I used the ATM (in and outside of Chiangmai province), every time that I updated my passbook (whether inside or outside of Chiangmai province and regardless if I did it myself with an indoor or outdoor machine or if the bank person did it), and every time I used the passbook to withdraw money directly from the bank.

 

And it's not due to some low amount in my account (given I maintain the long-term visa amount or more in the account).

 

So, maybe time for me to speak to the manager or just go to another Thai bank.

[Guest thaiworthy]

Thanks, Bob. This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. My bf also has a savings account at Siam Commercial Bank. I have access to view his account online so that when I send him money via bank transfer, I can see the deposit and tell him about it.

 

I noticed recently he was making multiple ATM withdrawals, all on the same day. There were 3, at 20 baht apiece. 60 baht buys him an awful lot of rice! My next email was to advise him to plan his withdrawals more prudently, or go inside the bank and use a teller. Now it appears even the teller won't save him any money.

 

Surely, he gets statements from the bank. Doesn't he know what these fees are for? I haven't addressed it with him for fear he won't understand, since he has yet to circumvent his ATM usage when it clearly shows up on his bank statement. Now I have to tell him to find another bank and he may have reasons of his own for not wanting to do that. For example, he already has a car loan with SCB. And the town he lives in is very small. There may be no other choices!

 

About the best I can do for now is to make sure he knows about the 20 baht fee. He is spendthrift, so it might sink in. He doesn't like spending 9 baht to send me an SMS or even 2 baht to use the toilet at MBK!

 

 

[Guest fountainhall]

I have savings accounts at HSBC and Bangkok Bank. I have never been charged for withdrawals in Bangkok. I can also use the HSBC card at any other bank's ATM machine without charge.

[Gaybutton]

Based on these posts, apparently there is no consistent policy. The way I see it, even if you are charged 20 baht per transaction, that still beats hell out of 150 baht per transaction. I don't know what to tell you other than the fact that I am never charged a fee when I use an ATM card to withdraw from an ATM owned by the same bank. I have never been charged a fee when I withdraw money from a bank teller with use of my passbook.

 

Thaiworthy, I don't know what to tell you. Are you certain that he is making withdrawals from Siam Commercial ATMs? The 20 baht fee is assessed if he withdraws from a different bank's ATM, but he shouldn't be charged a fee when making withdrawals from a Siam Commercial ATM. If that is occurring, I have no idea why he would be charged, but I don't get charged, unless it's a recent policy that they did not grandfather in for older accounts.

 

The only two suggestions I can come up with are to let your boyfriend know you are serious about the 20 baht fee being charged every time he makes a withdrawal and you're going to keep a record of the days he makes multiple withdrawals and deduct those fees from the amount you send to him. The other suggestion is to send a fixed amount to him. That way, if he starts losing money due to those 20 baht fees, now it's his problem instead of yours.

 

[Bob]

Are you certain that he is making withdrawals from Siam Commercial ATMs? The 20 baht fee is assessed if he withdraws from a different bank's ATM, but he shouldn't be charged a fee when making withdrawals from a Siam Commercial ATM. If that is occurring, I have no idea why he would be charged, but I don't get charged, unless it's a recent policy that they did not grandfather in for older accounts.

 

GB, I can assure you that I was charged 20 baht for using the SCB ATM (only one I ever use) both in Chiangmai province (the home province) and in Hua Hin. I've had the account for about 5 years and I was never charged a dime for anything (other than using any ATM outside the "home" province) before January of this year. I was mad about that but what really pissed me off was the 20 baht fee for using the passbook update machine and the fact they also charged me 20 baht for the one time in Chiangmai where I withdrew funds at the SCB home bank with my passbook and a withdrawal slip. When I get back in the fall, I'm going to have a chat with the SCB branch where I opened the account in Chiangmai and either they'll agree to eliminate those fees or that account will be closed in short order.

[Guest gwm4sian]

My bf also has a savings account at Siam Commercial Bank. I have access to view his account online so that when I send him money via bank transfer, I can see the deposit and tell him about it.

 

I noticed recently he was making multiple ATM withdrawals, all on the same day. There were 3, at 20 baht apiece. 60 baht buys him an awful lot of rice! My next email was to advise him to plan his withdrawals more prudently, or go inside the bank and use a teller. Now it appears even the teller won't save him any money.

 

Surely, he gets statements from the bank.

 

Just to add my 2Bahts worth!

 

I also have a savings account at SCB (have had it for the last few years) in Pattaya and have never been charged for withdrawals at an SCB machine in the province, or for depositing cash using the cash deposit machine in the province, or for using the passbook update machine in the province.

 

If you have access to the SCB online system, then in the "historical statement" section, will be a list of transactions. If a fee is applied it ison the line above the transaction to which it applies, with the same date/time stamp.

 

Cash withdrawals are annotated with the name of the location of the atm, and "foreign" ones have the code for the bank in brackets - for instance (BAY) in the description means Bank of Ayudha (sp?)

 

There are no statements for a savings account, the only record is in the passbook

 

Hope this helps

 

[Gaybutton]

GB, I can assure you that I was charged 20 baht for using the SCB ATM

Of course I do believe you and I'm beginning to think I've been mistaken about these fees. Maybe I've been charged fees and just didn't notice. On the strength of your post I just now double-checked my Siam Commercial Bank passbook. Sure enough, there is a 25 baht charge for the update showing in the passbook. I never noticed that before. I hold a few different Thai bank accounts, mainly because I can pay different bills via online banking that way. I just checked the passbooks for those as well. Thai Military Bank also assesses a 25 baht fee for the passbook update. There was no fee assessed on any of my other accounts, though.

 

From now on I'm going to have a much closer look at what I am and am not being charged fees for. I don't know what you can do about it, though, other than complain. I have a feeling, though, the complaints are going to fall on smiling faces, but deaf ears.

 

Still, a 20 baht or 25 baht fee beats a 150 baht fee, so I don't feel that I have very much to complain about.

[Guest thaiworthy]

Are you certain that he is making withdrawals from Siam Commercial ATMs? The 20 baht fee is assessed if he withdraws from a different bank's ATM, but he shouldn't be charged a fee when making withdrawals from a Siam Commercial ATM. If that is occurring, I have no idea why he would be charged, but I don't get charged, unless it's a recent policy that they did not grandfather in for older accounts.

 

I had already taken GWM's suggestion to decipher the codes. This is his local ATM in his own town where he lives.

 

TIT. I rest my case.

 

[Gaybutton]

TIT. I rest my case.

I'm completely stumped on this one. I just looked at my passbook and online statements and there are no charges for withdrawals I've made at their ATMs. I have no idea why your friend is being charged, but I'm not.

 

[Up2u]

My bf is charged 20 baht when making ATM withdrawls at TMB locations outside of the province of Chonburi (his home branch is in Pattaya).

[Guest jtrack33]

Yes, you don't get monthly statements with passbook accounts.

 

SCB is generally quite famous for it's fees and seemed to me to charge higher inter-bank rates for local bank atm use than any other bank. Every person I know who had an SCB account, changed to another bank.

 

In the case of the car loan with SCB, he could still maintain a dormant account and move to another bank for atm transactions. If you use Bangkok Bank's on-line fund transfer to fund your boyfriend, the bank SMS's instant notification free to the recipient in Thai or English and with no transfer fee for local banks.

 

GB says the Bht20/25 fees are better than the Bht150 fee. Sure it is but that's only charged for receiving cash from overseas banks and not a reasonable comparison. Any way, only some banks are charging the Bht150 fee...Bangkok Bank yes, but Ayudhya bank is still not adding a fee for withdrawals on foreign atms. There may be others but I have no reason to try...yet!

[Guest lvdkeyes]

..Bangkok Bank yes, but Ayudhya bank is still not adding a fee for withdrawals on foreign atms. There may be others but I have no reason to try...yet!

As far as I know only Ayudhya Bank and Kasikorn Bank are the ones not charging the 150 baht for withdrawals using foreign ATM cards.

[Gaybutton]

GB says the Bht20/25 fees are better than the Bht150 fee. Sure it is but that's only charged for receiving cash from overseas banks and not a reasonable comparison.

I'm going to disagree with you about that because I'm not trying to compare the two in that respect. I have been suggesting that people open a Thai bank account and place their holiday funds into that account as a solution to avoiding the foreign 150 baht ATM fees. That's why I'm saying 20 baht is better than 150 baht.

 

There are a lot of reasons to open a Thai bank account if you travel to Thailand on any kind of regular basis. That's just one reason. Another reason is there are no guarantees that the 150 baht fee won't eventually be raised even higher. It's getting to be very difficult to open a Thai bank account at all any more unless you are in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa. So, if you anticipate any need at all for a Thai bank account, I advise getting one while you still can. I think it's better to have it and not need it than to later wish you had it, but can't get it. Don't forget, if you are contemplating retirement in Thailand, you must have a Thai bank account in order to get the visa. Better to get one now than to end up having real problems and hassles later if you do decide to get the retirement visa.

 

Again, if you are someone who comes to Thailand, even if only once in a while, opening a Thai bank account is the smart move, in my opinion.

[Guest gwm4sian]

I had already taken GWM's suggestion to decipher the codes. This is his local ATM in his own town where he lives.

 

TIT. I rest my case.

 

Thaiworthy, looking at the statement and comparing it to my own, i would make 2 comments.

 

1 The Thai word ค่าธรรมเนียม is used by SCB on my passbook when I withdraw from an atm of another bank. My b/f says it can also be used if you withdraw from atm of same bank but outside the home province. I can find no way of checking on-line which is my home branch, however the first page of the passbook has the branch name on it. Is the name there the same as that of the ATM where withdrawals were made?

 

2 All my withdrawals say SCB/...... whereas the example you show has SCB2/..... as the place of withdrawal. I don't know if this is significant.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I am being charged 10 baht every time I take money from a Bangkok Bank ATM with my Bangkok Bank ATM card. Is this not right?? Could it be that I am taking money out in Ubon, with my account in Pattaya??? I will have to check on this when i return from the US (leaving for about 5 weeks)

[Guest jtrack33]

GSG, the Bht10 charge seems normal for a BBank atm withdrawal in a region other than where the account is based. All last week I was in Ubon (Det Udom and Nam Yeun) and note from my statement on-line that I was charged Bht10 for every atm withdrawal in Ubon, whereas there is no fee added for withdrawals at BBank atms in Bangkok where the account is based.

And yet in the most remote areas of south-east Isaan 4 kilometers from Cambodia and maybe 12 from Laos, you can withdraw as much as you like from a UK building society account at an Ayudhya atm with no fees whatsoever(although I do believe the building society...Nationwide...will start a 0.8% charge sometime this month).