ATMs - A Lesson Learnt!

A young boxer at last night's Thai Muay

Thursday, June 14, 2012: Chiang Mai - Lampang

This morning I had it all figured out. I was packed, went for breakfast to my usual hangout in Chiang Mai, Bubbles Live, was ready to check out of my hotel by 12:00 and head to the bus station for Lampang. But first I needed to get money and turned to one of the ATMs on my way, when the problems began ...

3 ATMs next to each other - the first didn't like my card, the second was only willing to dispense 2000 Baht but I wanted 20,000, simply because every time one withdraws money from an ATM in Thailand, the transaction costs 150 Baht! Everything went fine but as I was waiting for the cash or some message on the screen nothing happened ...WT# ...suddenly I noticed that the money was in a slot below but no message or sound, and before I could react, the machine retrieved it again ... AND ... spit out a receipt slip over 20,150 Baht! 

There I was, no cash but a receipt and how could I prove that I had not received the money? Well, finally I managed to get the bank on the phone, 4 people showed up, lots of talk with a Thai woman from a nearby restaurant who helped with translation but no sign of a solution. So, they took me to the main office of the bank which by the way was Krungthai Bank. The manager spoke some English and said that it would take 2 hours as they had to check the money in the ATM. He agreed to have his driver take me back to the hotel, where I got my bags, checked out and back to the bank we went. I also was worried that finally the transaction might have been cancelled and they would tell me that I had to check with my bank back home which might take days until that transaction might have been confirmed.

A Thai Spirit-house

Fortunately, about 90 minutes later the manager handed me the money and also had a colleague drive me to the bus station for my bus to Lampang, which I then caught at 4:00 p.m - what a relief.

Lesson learnt - from now on I will make sure, sure, sure, that I only use ATMs which are located inside an actual bank. If I had withdrawn money last night as I had originally planned to and the same thing had happened, I would have most certainly had a sleepless night.

Details of the day:

1. Bus ticket from Chiang Mai to Lampang 111 Thai Baht - traveling time approx. 90 mins.
2. Songthaew from the bus station to the guesthouse - 20 Thai Baht
3. In Lampang I am staying at the R-Lampang Guesthouse (http://www.r-lampang.com/) - 550 Thai Baht - found it on www.travelfish.org

1 Euro equals roughly 40 Thai Baht, 1 US Dollar about 30 Thai Baht.