There comes a time in every traveller’s life when you make such a rookie error, it makes you question if you should even be out here anyway. For me, this moment came recently, in the busiest place in Thailand. I’m talking, of course, about Bangkok — The Venice of the East, The Big Mango. (That’s an actual nickname, I didn’t make it up.) My rookie error? Forgetting my bank card at an ATM in Thailand.
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How I lost my card at an ATM in Thailand
The moment I realized I’d ruined my own day came when I pulled my wallet out to fetch my card and tap onto the city’s metro system. Flicking open my wallet, I was greeted by an obnoxious gap where my Revolut card usually sits tucked in. Cue that sinking feeling.
This came for me during an action packed day of sightseeing, and the day began with Naomi and I loading up on cash from what must be the most trafficked ATM in the most touristed part of the city, a Krungsri ATM near Khao San Road.
In the mid-’90s Alex Garland referred to this area as “Backpacker Central” in his book, The Beach. And it has maintained this reputation until today. After pulling cash from the machine Naomi and I faffed about dividing it between ourselves, discreet as secret agents, and headed on our merry way.
On the metro, realizing I’d completely neglected to take my card back after pulling the cash out, I immediately went into my Revolut app to freeze the card and make it temporarily unusable. Bless modern banking technology.
This was around four hours after withdrawing the cash. And since then, we’d been on a journey involving no small amount of walking, and even catching a river ferry to another area of the city. I’d left my card in one of the busiest ATMs of the busiest city in Thailand on a Saturday.
The way I saw it, there were four possible outcomes at this stage.
- A: Somebody found it and stole it.
- B: Somebody found it and handed it in to a nearby business.
- C: Somebody found it and would try to contact me.
- D: Somebody found it and decided they didn’t want to touch it, then options A, B, or C happened.
I checked the transactions on the card, and none had been attempted since we withdrew cash, meaning that if somebody had picked my card up, they hadn’t tried to use it yet. I assume when stealing a card you’d try to empty it as soon as possible. So this was a reassuring sign that if somebody had picked it up, they might have good intentions. Looking good for options B through D.
At this stage we were all the way over at the Wat Paknam giant Budda. So our journey back looked liked this: 20 minute walk to the metro – 10 minute metro ride – 20 minute river boat to Phra Athit – 10 minute walk back to the Krungsri bank near Khao San Road.
Wat Paknam
I knew the bank was closed over the weekend, but there’s a Western Union right next to it.
A quick Google search revealed it would be open until 8 PM. When I entered my imagination and stepped through finding the lost card of a stranger, I envisioned handing it over to nearest official-looking person.
Once we’d made the journey back by land, rail, and river, we marched directly to the bank. Of course, my card was nowhere in sight. We asked the security guard, and even showed him Naomi’s identical Revolut card. The security guard pulled out his wallet. For a glorious nanosecond I thought that he had picked it up and saved the day. No such luck — he had a random assortment of forgotten cards, but mine was not among them.
I asked the two tellers at the neighbouring Western Union stall if anybody had handed in the card, and they quickly said no. It also became obvious to me at this point that this happens all the time.
The lady working there grabbed a slip of paper and scribbled four digits down (1572) from memory. She told me to call the number, and I even have an eSIM that lets me make local calls. But the bank is closed until Monday. So I’ll have to wait two more days to see if they have it.
Fortunately we'd already pulled our cash from the ATM to get us through the weekend.
Here’s a key piece of information I wish I’d known when I first discovered that I’d left my card: ATMs in Thailand “eat” cards that are left behind after about 30 seconds. This info I learned at the University of Reddit helped me relax a bit.
I play back the time we’d taken to split the cash between us, dividing it between our bags and wallets. And fortunately, I can easily imagine that by the time we’d finished, the card was probably already in the belly of that ATM.
In countries such as mine (New Zealand), ATMs typically return your card to you before they dispense cash to stop this from happening. In Thailand, however, you get your cash before your card is returned. Pavlovian banking meant that once the cash was in my hand, I felt like the job was done. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
There was nothing left to do but wait until Monday.
I’d been unable to reach the bank via that number, so I resolved to show up to the bank as soon as they open on Monday morning. It was lucky that I had left my card in a machine that was connected to an actual bank, rather than a standalone machine next to a 7-11 or a gas station. I took a picture of the ATM number, because the internet told me to. I was starting to feel good about getting my card back. But still anxious to find out if it was even in the machine or in somebody else’s pocket.
Come Monday, we’d moved accommodation, away from the Khao San area to the Chinatown area of Yaowarat. So I packed my bag for a day trip, walked to the river ferry, and caught it back to Backpacker Central.
At 8 AM when I got to the Krungsri, I sat down with a banker who, like the lady at the Western Union, seemed exasperated by yet another tourist who left their card in the ATM. That was a good sign. He gave me a small form to fill out with my details, those of my bank card, and the ATM number. He then told me to come back at 4pm to see if they have it.
I headed out for the day, did some writing, got some lunch, and wound myself through all the side-alleys of the area. Tried on a counterfeit Patagonia hat, loitered in a 7-11, y’know, Thailand stuff.
When I returned at 4 PM, the Krungsri bank security guard made an "X" with his arms through the glass door. And mouthed the word "closed."
I did my best charades through the door, pointing around the corner to the desk where I sat with the banker, miming a small card, filling in a form, pointing to my watch. Three words, third… word… sounds like…pleasejustgivemycardback.
The guard looked to the bankers inside in confusion, then eventually turned and opened the door. I found my banker and handed him my passport for identification. He opened a drawer and pulled out two cards. One of them was my colourful Revolut card. I filled out another form, and he returned it to me after days of separation. I took the opportunity to ask about whether there’s a way to withdraw cash without the expensive 250 baht ATM fee. But he told me I needed to leave so he could go home.
Don’t worry, we got to the bottom of it eventually: How to Avoid Expensive ATM Fees in Thailand
How to get your card back if you forget it at an ATM in Thailand
If you’re here reading because you’ve lost your card at an ATM in Thailand and you’re panicking, have no fear. Here are the steps you can follow to (probably) get it back.
- Freeze your card. Digital banks (like Revolut or Wise) let you do this in-app. You can unfreeze it later unlike cancelling your card through your home bank.
- Check your transactions. If there aren’t any changes, there’s a decent chance it’s still in the machine.
- The ATM likely ate it. in Thailand, cash comes out before your card. If you walked away after grabbing the cash like I did, it was probably swallowed back into the machine.
- Note the ATM number. There’s usually a sticker or plaque on the machine. Take a photo.
- Go inside the bank branch. The bank staff deal with this regularly. You’ll fill out a form with your details and the ATM number.
- Come back when they say. They won’t go straight to the ATM to check, but they’ll know when it’ll be opened next.
- Bring your passport. You’ll need official ID to prove your name matches the card.
This was a huge learning opportunity. And one of the best ways to avoid losing your card forever in an ATM in Thailand is to use a machine attached to a real bank branch. Yes, there are always ATMs outside 7-11 or standing alone. But it’s worthwhile going to a real bank so you have someone to contact if you make the same mistake.
Travel essentials for Thailand
📶 eSIM
Stay connected with internet access all over Thailand.
💸 TravelSpend
Track your budget easily (ft. a colourful doughnut chart with stats).
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💳 Wise or Revolut
Compare the best multicurrency cards for spending when you're overseas.
FAQs about ATMs in Thailand
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about using Thai ATMs.
Do all ATMs in Thailand charge a withdrawal fee?
Yes, unfortunately all ATMs in Thailand charge a fee around 250 THB.
Then of course your bank may also charge a foreign transaction fee. Whatever you do, DO NOT let the Thai ATM do the currency conversion for you. It will give you a bad rate and you’ll lose money unnecessarily. (And that’s on top of the ATM fee!)
How much are ATM fees in Thailand?
You’ll pay between 220 THB and 250 THB at every ATM in Thailand. Some airport ATMs are cheeky and charge even more. There’s no way around this for travellers. Even a Wise or Revolut card that sort of gives you a virtual Thai bank account still registers at the ATM as a foreign card.
Read more: Choosing Between Wise and Revolut
How much money can I withdraw from an ATM in Thailand?
Most ATMs in Thailand will let you withdraw up to 20,000 THB.
But there’s one exception: Krungsri is the only bank that will let you withdraw up to 30,000 THB. This is the bank we always use because it’s the most reputable and widely available.
What is the best ATM to use in Thailand?
Krungsri, Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank, and UOB are the best ATMs to use in Thailand. They have the best reputations and you can find them all over the country.
Especially after our debacle with the forgotten ATM card, Krungsri has proven itself to be the best Thai bank! You can find them all over, including ATMs at 7-11s and outside bank branches. I recommend always opting for an ATM outside of a bank branch, based on our mildly chaotic experience.
Chesney McDonald
Chesney grew up across South Africa, the US, and New Zealand. When travelling, he's always looking for the next good meal, the next place to rock climb, and the next reef worth snorkelling.