When we returned from Thailand last year, within 10 minutes of using my credit card at the local Woolworths the CTB rang and advised that I should cancel my credit card because I had used it in Thaland. The only places that I used my card was the Ocean Plaza, Tour East Patong, Optometrist and duty free in Bangkok. What a hassle had to advise all direct debits etc. Has anyone had same problems, we had been to Thailand 3 times before this incident and had not had any problems. Flying out Sat 28th and knowing my wife she will use the credit card again, just hope I don't have to go through it all over again.

I have never had this. Hope we don't We don't use it a lot but in the hotel and if we booked tours.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

There have been problems with gangs tapping in to the phonelines of the cc authorisation points, but that seems to heve been solved now.

Let your bank know beforehand you're going to Thailand, otherwise you run a big risk af having to call them while you're trying to buy something with the card.

CC fraud is big business in SEA. There are so many avenues the crooks use to gain your CC information, this forum isn't big enough to list them all.

To be as safe as you can be, before you go on vacation let all your CC companies know your dates of travel. Use CC's as little as possible. Use your small limit cards for your purchases. As soon as you get back let your CC companies know, and that any future charge outside your country is fraudulent. Watch your CC bills closely for the next few months for the cards you used on vacation.

I had problems a few years ago on one card I used for my hotel. Come to find out the garbage men were sorting out CC charge slip copies, that were being thrown out by the hotels, when they did their recycling at the different stops. Plastic in this bag, glass in this one, and CC slips in this one.

Of all the different ways there are to access money in SEA, CC's are the biggest risk.

koolbreez

If you can, it's safer to withdraw money from an ATM and pay bills in cash rather than with a credit card. That's what I always do and I've never had any problems, but perhaps I've just been lucky.

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“Not all those who wander are lost.” Tolkien.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Well personally I think its a bit extreme to have to cancel your cards without there being any fraudulent transaction actually being detected...I would have said well "forewarned is forearmed "to the financial institution concerned ,
"here are the travel dates in Thailand ;anything after this isn't mine give me a list of current transactions ,I'll check them and then we can all relax'
I live in HK; here they ring you if they are worried and check it WAS you who used the Visa card ie actually while i was in Vietnam...i don't know if you are from Australia ,like me ,but think that CC lot you mentioned were being a bit lazy letting you go through the motions and inconvenience so they didn't have to do any legwork or checking.
That said ,yes ,I agree,I mostly use my debit card in ATMs as cash is king in Asia!

We contacted our bank before travelling to tell them to expct transactions from Thailand between certain dates and they said they couldn't hold that information! I would mention which one it was but it would probably be censored!

Seems that even when you try to be a good customer they just don't give a d***

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Alison

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It's Better to Burn Out than just to Fade Away!

never informed ours before.

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Kiss
God laughs at people who make plans.

I`ve used my cc in Thailand & Philippines with no problems but have been very selective where i`ve used it & what for but you don`t really know totally if it`s going to be safe.Best advise is as stated above, use cash where possible.

On my last trip I used my cc & the company(won`t name them but Richard Branson has something to do with it)actually rang my home & were going to block using it unless I contacted them,so lucky I did check in with the folks back home that day otherwise my card was blocked with me knowing why.

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If you don`t know where you`re going...Any road will take you there!!!

If you contact your bank and let them know youre going to be in SEA for holiday for the next few weeks, then you'll be alright.