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Answered4 years ago

What is the acceptance rate of American Express cards in Thailand?

Richard *******
asked Jun 4, 2022
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I have another question.

AMERICAN EXPRESS card

what's the acceptance rate?

rarely gets rejected? or often gets rejected?
Answer summary
The acceptance rate of American Express (Amex) cards in Thailand is generally low compared to Visa and Mastercard. While some supermarkets and expat-pubs accept Amex, many places do not, leading to frequent rejections for everyday transactions. Users recommend linking Amex to apps like GRAB for broader usability. Overall, it may be more practical to rely on cash or other payment methods, particularly for smaller purchases.
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Jonas *************
Jonas *************
Just spend money in really expensive places and they probably take it ...
Jimmy ******
Jimmy ******
I use my amex everywhere in bkk and so sometimes they won't take it but mostly they do
Frank-Steven ***********
Frank-Steven ***********
Despite what people say, there is one payment method almost equally accepted in Thailand: QR Code / PromotPay payment (as it is required by law to offer) and every Thai has it / almost everybody uses it. Formerly, this was only available to those who opened a Thai bank account. It is however now also available via the TrueMoney wallet - which is more easy to setup for foreigners as well. And TrueMoney can then be linked with credit cards to top it up. Thus in theory everybody could now pay for almost everything with QR. I am just not sure AMEX (or foreign issued credit cards) are linkable there. Maybe someone could pitch in.
Terary **********
Terary **********
I dont used cars too much, especially out on the street. There is often a service charge and it seems my cards are often use fraudulently. It seems I have to replace them once a year.

If you have the cash - I would recommend using it.
Dimitri ********
Dimitri ********
@Terary *********
I already got 2 cards blocked after fraud attempts in Thailand. This never happened anywhere before in my life. It helped to put a small sticker on the 3 numbers of the CVV code.
Bobby ********
Bobby ********
Just remembered another, both Boots and Watsons accept it
Bobby ********
Bobby ********
Supermarkets, such as Tops, Big C, Lotus, Villa Market all accept AMEX, and most expat pubs will take it. I haven't found much else. I carry mine as I get extra points for using on airlines, so all my international and domestic flights (Thai Airways accept it) go onto it.
Frank-Steven ***********
Frank-Steven ***********
You can link it to your GRAB app / account. And thus indirectly make use of it quite a bit for your daily needs, i.e. transport, food and groceries.
Keith ********
Keith ********
@Frank-Steven **********
yes I do the same.
Richard *******
Richard *******
OP
@Frank-Steven **********
wonderful advice, im glad you shared that.
John *****
John *****
Some places only
Richard *******
Richard *******
OP
Thank you for sharing!!
Richard *******
Richard *******
OP
Thank you for the information
Michael ********
Michael ********
They charge extra for amex. because of the charges not many places accept
Stuart *********
Stuart *********
I’m not aware of anywhere that accepts them. Probably are some places, like hotels or such, but on the street it’s generally just visa or MC.
Brandon ************
Brandon ************
When I arrive in Thailand I put my Amex in my suitcase and leave it until I return home. So few places accept it, it's not worth the space in my wallet.

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