Credit Card Fraud in Thailand

Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club are widely accepted for purchases and cash advances from ATMs or currency exchange locations.

Smaller business and those at markets, for example the Chatuchak Weekend Market, usually don't accept credit cards. Be extremely careful with your credit card. Don't let it out of your sight.

It isn't a question of someone running off with it. It is a matter of someone making a counterfeit of your card.

• Bring appropriate telephone numbers in case your card is lost
• It is sometimes difficult to contact offices in Thailand
• Bring at least two cards with you in case there is a problem with one
• Keep them in different places - for example, one in your wallet and one in your money belt. Leave one in the lock box in your hotel room

Frequent visitors to Thailand find it convenient to have a bank account in Thailand. That way they can have an ATM card and not worry about changing money back and forth all the time.

You can open a bank account at any bank in Thailand. To do so, you must have an address and this cannot be a hotel.

It is perfectly legal and OK to use the address of a Thai or expat friend.

You might want to check out the info on credit cards above.