Guest Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Sorry if this sounds trivial but if you answer it I promise you...hmmm... 1 million Turkish lira next time I'm in BKK Question #1: If I use ATM cash machines in Thailand are they mostly free of service charges or did I do the math wrong and I really was getting stuck with a fee? Question #2: If I call Thailand(BKK) from the USA to speak with one(or more) of my fav BG's can I reach her on her cell phone? I know it's kind of a dumb question so if you know the answer to #1 you can skip #2. Thanks in advance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Normally you will be docked either "X" percent of the value withdrawn or a specified value (25 HKD for me) when using your ATM card in a foriegn country. So most likely you will have a charge.. If you open a bank account in Thailand then a monthly charge could apply, for HSBC it is 30Baht per month per card. If you want to contact your BG cell phone then dial 001 661 xxx xxxx Sanukboot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Banks in Thailand (and most SEA countries) do not charge for using their ATM machines. Your bank may or may not have a charge for each withdrawl (my bank, Bank of America charges $1.50 each transaction, same fee for using in USA). For example, I withdrew 10,000 baht on 27-Dec, Bank of America debited my account $229.29 plus a $1.50 fee for an effective rate of 43.33. This is slighly below the listed rate, so there is a built in fee in the exchange rate. You can call a handphone in Thailand from USA. I believe Sanukbootis correct about International access code in USA being 001, but you will want to check with your long distance provider to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Thaihome, HSBC has a 30Baht monthly charge for using ATM cards... I use HSBC in Thailand for my banking needs... Both my wife and I have an ATM card so it costs us 60 Baht per month. It sucks but I want all my cash with the same bank..... Sanukboot. [ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: SanukBoot ] [ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: SanukBoot ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Thanks for the feedback. My bank in the US does not charge a fee no matter where I use my ATM card. A Thai(or other US) bank may however charge me a fee, but it looks like they have not done so. Or, if it is a lower rate, it still looks like it's better then carrying around loads of cash or travelers checks. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicSurfer Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 Now that the ATM question has been answered... The best way to call a Mobile in Thailand is to buy a calling card at www.thaitel.com. I recommend the Platinum Card for the best price/quality. I DO NOT recommend the iCellular card... real bad reception quality. Depending on the Card you buy, you may or may not need to dial 011 before the 66-. Each card comes with simple directions and you will find the ThaiTel site very well organized and clear to understand. Their Customer service is EXCELLENT... I had a problem with the i-Series cards that I bought and they immediately refunded my money on the unused balance. Happy New Year, CS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2002 Report Share Posted January 3, 2002 I agree with CS. Thaitel and the Platinum series is the way to go. The only gripe I have is that the Platinum series is expensive. It's $25 and you basically get HALF the amount of minutes than the other cards. I tried the iCellular card too, it was frustrating as hell. Even though I think the Platinum is expensive, one drunk night I ran outta minutes on the calling card and I dialed direct to LOS. Fuck... I got a $173 phone bill for the same amount of time I could get with a $25 platinum. Phone companies... they're the devil! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 The best rates I have found for calling Thailand are with www.zoneld.com. They are a service that dynamically chooses among various carriers based on lowest cost. I usually pay about $0.21 per minute which is very low to call from New York City to a cell phone in central Thailand (not BKK.) It takes a few days to make them your long distance carrier. Their domestic US rates are about 10% lower than the lowest I had found elsewhere. Khun Pad Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 The best rates I have found for calling Thailand are with www.zoneld.com. They are a service that dynamically chooses among various carriers based on lowest cost. I usually pay about $0.21 per minute which is very low to call from New York City to a cell phone in central Thailand (not BKK.) It takes a few days to make them your long distance carrier. Their domestic US rates are about 10% lower than the lowest I had found elsewhere. Khun Pad Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2002 Report Share Posted January 8, 2002 The best rates I have found for calling Thailand are with www.zoneld.com. They are a service that dynamically chooses among various carriers based on lowest cost. I usually pay about $0.21 per minute which is very low to call from New York City to a cell phone in central Thailand (not BKK.) It takes a few days to make them your long distance carrier. Their domestic US rates are about 10% lower than the lowest I had found elsewhere. Khun Pad Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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