Banks now charging 150 baht for travellers cheques. Fact or Fiction ?

[philb]

HI everyone !

 

I'm travelling to LOS in 5 weeks and was told by a friend that he had heard somewhere that the banks were starting to charge 150 baht fees for travellers cheques instead of the usual 33 baht.

 

Can anyone confirm that this is true or, as I'm hoping, is wrong information.

 

Can someone also confirm that I can avoid the ATM charges by going inside the bank and withdrawing the cash over the counter with my passport  ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Phil

[Scumbag]

I was looking for some currency yesterday and noticed a sign on one shop. It had something about 150 Baht in relation to TCs. I initially thought that it was a charge per TC then got distracted before looking at it more carefully. It may be true.

[Gobby]

Wtf ? . LOL that's a fucking big jump if it's true

[FROST MEDIC999]

Yep true and all Banks doing it by 9th March I think

 

Ghosty

[Scumbag]

Yep true and all Banks doing it by 9th March I think

 

Ghosty

I guess a lot of people switched from using ATMs (due to the 150 Baht fee) to TCs and now the banks want to cash in on that too....lol I am sure there is no coincidence that the fees for both are the same.

[Lord Jesus]

I guess a lot of people switched from using ATMs (due to the 150 Baht fee) to TCs and now the banks want to cash in on that too....lol I am sure there is no coincidence that the fees for both are the same.

 

Synic

[Ru4Real]

Some ATMs charge 180Bht now depending on your card ... no idea what the official go is but used two different cards in the same ATM and got charged differently :(

[philb]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Can anyone confirm that you can withdraw over the counter without the 150 baht charge ?

[Scumbag]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Can anyone confirm that you can withdraw over the counter without the 150 baht charge ?

I don't know but if you can get to one of the very few Aeon ATMs they apparently don't charge the 150 Baht. Although it may be more effort than it is worth as are not in the normal monger areas. I thing there is one in Tesco Lotus on North Pattaya Rd and another one in Big C on Central Road.

[Ru4Real]

I don't know but if you can get to one of the very few Aeon ATMs they apparently don't charge the 150 Baht. 

 

Charging too now I believe ... think it kicked in from 15 Feb.

[Ru4Real]

Can anyone confirm that you can withdraw over the counter without the 150 baht charge ?

 

No fee, but  I "think" only if you get a cash advance on your credit card; they won't do debit cards. (The debit card issue is only based on a personal attempt at CitiBank in Bkk and confusing info on the net, hence "think" not definitive.)

[Billyboy294]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Can anyone confirm that you can withdraw over the counter without the 150 baht charge ?

 

Yes you can but often they direct you to the ATM outside.

[Teddysad]

With all this said   those that dont charge the fee probably make it up with a not so good exchange rate

[quietguy77]

On Tripadvisor it says that charges for cashing Travellers Cheques will be increased from 33Baht to 153Baht per cheque from 1 March.

[quietguy77]

Just read on another forum that banks are already charging 150Baht + 3Baht tax for each travellers cheque, anyone know if this is happening everywhere?

[butler]

this higher charge will spell the end of the traveller cheque in Thailand .

 

people put up with the hassle of changing up t/c because they were a secure option and cheap , now that the

costs are on a par with atm's not worth the bother .

[altec123]

Seems like bank everywhere are using the same business model regarding ATM fees.  Great money to be made in those fees!

[steamer]

The banks get ~1% premium from Amex and that's why there is room to offer customers with t-cheques a premium over cash. Once the dust settles I figure there is room to move and give the traveller even better rates.

[Wolf Cat]

Some ATMs charge 180Bht now depending on your card ... no idea what the official go is but used two different cards in the same ATM and got charged differently :(

Kasakorn Bank ATMs wanted to charge my card from the US 180 baht,  I cancelled the transaction and stepped over to the SCB ATM and it was the standard 150 (although my bank only let's them take out 30 baht/$1 USD )

[Ru4Real]

Figured out the difference for Aussie cards, well mine anyway; 180 for Mastercard, 150 for Visa.

[ChaNomYen]

HI everyone !

 

I'm travelling to LOS in 5 weeks and was told by a friend that he had heard somewhere that the banks were starting to charge 150 baht fees for travellers cheques instead of the usual 33 baht.

 

Can anyone confirm that this is true or, as I'm hoping, is wrong information.

 

Can someone also confirm that I can avoid the ATM charges by going inside the bank and withdrawing the cash over the counter with my passport ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Phil

 

Hi yes it's defo true about traveller cheques.

 

And yes can avoid a fee by withdrawing from bank by cash advance with passport. You get the xe rate in bank + your banks foreign transaction fee. Mine is only £1.50 so always do this. And debit card is fine. I usually do it @ currency exchange window outside Kasikorn Bank @ the avenue or any of the Kasikorn XE windows on Soi Buakhao. Only been refused at a Sathorn, BKK branch, and central in Ubon as said didn't have the machine for doing it, if anyone says no just move to next bank & remember passport. I always do this as ATM is 150bht fee + your banks foreign transaction fee + some bank cards charge foreign % fee like 2.75% from ATM withdrawals outside banks country, the cash advance seems to bypass % on my card & i just get the £1.50 foreign transaction fee, at Kasikorn rate instead of shitty UK rate.

 

Another tip is to transfer to your Thai bank acc in your currency instead of Baht, so when if goes in it gets exchanged at better local Thai exchange rate

[Cosmic36]

This was the first trip I stopped using t.c.s for backup cash. Also my home bank stopped selling them. I just bring a little more to deposit in my Thai bank account. And will bite the bullet during month 2 here and use my ATM card.

[Live4Hedonism]

Put this under money matters should aware us all about the deal with dealing with banking.

[philb]

Having Returned from LOS I can confirm the following:

 

150 Baht for ATM withdrawal

150 Baht fior travelers cheques

 

I went into Bank of Siam and said I'd lost my PIN for my Prepay Debit Card and they did an over the counter withdrawal without any charge.

It showed up on my account as a transfer, so I didn't even pay the £2.25 withdrawal fee. BARGAIN !

 

Bangkok Bank wouldn't do it.

CIMB Bank said they couldn't, but told me Bank of Ayudyah would, so they may be a possibilty too.

I had to pass Bank of Siam to get to Bank of Ayudyah, which is why I tried them 1st.

 

I hope this info is useful to someone.

 

Regards

 

Phil