Maestro and traveller's cheques

[lukylok]

I used to utiise Maestro, my debit card to get money from the ATM.
Last time I was in Thailand I noticed that there was a 10.000 baht limit instead of the previous 20.000.
Which makes the withrawal more expensive due to the 150 baht surcharge.
My banker here assures me that the 20.000 limit has not changed, it should be a thai limit ?
Anyone knows more about that ?

Which leads me to the next question: many years ago I used T.C. ( travellers cheques)
I notice that the change mentioned in the booths is always higher than the bank notes, even of high denomination ( 100-500 тВм )
Is there a charge levied at the payment ?
There is the hassle of changing, passport etc..., but it's safer than bank notes.
Any opinion ?

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[ceejay]

The last time I used traveller's cheques, which is just over a year ago, the banks charged a flat fee of 30 baht per cheque, no matter what the denomination, so you are better off with the highest denomination cheques you can get.

Which reminds me. Does anyone know where, in the UK, you can actually specify the denomination of TC's you buy? I haven't been able to find anywhere. They always include some of the bloody useless ┬г20 (equal to 980 baht ones) and then it gets expensive at 30 baht a time. Ideally, I'd like to buy some ┬г200 American Express TC's.

[Liamog]

The 10,000 is usually the highest amount on the 'quick cash' screen. You can go to 'other amount' and type in any amount up to your limit - I have taken out more than 20,000 many times doing this.

On my Thai account ATM card the highest amount on the quick cash screen is much less (I think 4000 Baht) however I can get up to 50,000 using the other amount screen here also.

I order TCs from my bank branch (HSBC) and you can ask for whatever denominations you want - I usually get ┬г100s only.

[Dick]

I have an ATM card for a savings account with SCB. I didn't know it until one of the staff showed me, but in the on screen menu you can change your daily withdrawal limit... up to 200,000 if I remember rightly.

I just bring foreign currency and convert when in LOS (not at the airport) and then pay into my savings account. I can then use my Thai ATM card to draw out for free as and when needed. No charge so long as I use an SCB ATM and I am in the same province as my bank e.g. Pattaya. If I draw money from an SCB ATM in say Udon Thani, then there will be a small charge.

SCB didn't require me to have any visa in my passport although they did need a Thai address to link to the account (I used an ex pat friend - although over the years he has never received any communication from them), so no problem to open the account. Some banks do require you to have a visa.

[Up2U]

Your home bank sets the daily withdrawal limit and it based on the business cycle in your home country. I use Aeon atm's to avoid the 150 baht fee. I also carry some cash for an emergency.

Last time I used traveler cheques Dwight Eisenhower was president.

[TravellerDave]

Up2u. You mention Aeon Atms which do not charge the 150 fee. Is this still the case ?. Where are these machines to be found in Pattaya ?.
I obtain baht by a mixture of atm withdrawals and changing pounds that I bring from home. The latter is usefull when the atm,s are out of action which seems to happen from time to time, but I find the rate you get is inferior to that at the atm,s thus eliminating the advantage of no 150 fee.
Funny how we try and save relatively small amounts and then blow much larger sums in the bars and on boys !

[Neal]

Yje ;imit is still 20,000. On each machine the withdrwal amounts may be different. All you have to do is select OTHER AMOUNT and 20,000 should pop up or just select that you wish to type in the amount and put in 20,000.

[lukylok]

Thank you for all your answers.
But I know about the change to other amount ! I used to draw 20.000 during my previous visits, but was that was not possible last July. At least with Maestro, Visa was no problem but is more expensive, as there are no third party to pay a commission.
I'll try again in a month.
I would be interested in opening an account and having a debit card to draw from the ATM.
The limits pointed by Dick are for all the banks, same province, bank's ATM, .... ?

[Up2U]

Up2u. You mention Aeon Atms which do not charge the 150 fee. Is this still the case ?. Where are these machines to be found in Pattaya ?.
I obtain baht by a mixture of atm withdrawals and changing pounds that I bring from home. The latter is usefull when the atm,s are out of action which seems to happen from time to time, but I find the rate you get is inferior to that at the atm,s thus eliminating the advantage of no 150 fee.
Funny how we try and save relatively small amounts and then blow much larger sums in the bars and on boys !

There are not many Aeon atm's in Pattaya. I know of 2 locations for sure:

Homeworks @ Sukumvit/Pattaya Tai
Tesco on North Pattaya Rd.

BTW, you can make a one shot withdrawal of up to 30,000 at the CIMB atm on Tappraya Rd., Jomtien next to the View Talay sales office (opposite View Talay 5).

[pong]

there is anOTHER limit working in Thai ATMs as far as how much you can get out:
max is 20 bills/notes (on most) so if the machine is out of 1000s, the max is thus 20x500=10k.
You wont know that untill you try out.
Aeon is indeed still ''free'' they are usually in the big shopping centres BigC and/or Tesco, and of coruse their ''own''= Supervalue (former Jusco=the JPNese firm they are attached to).