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Post by Fletchsmile on Oct 2, 2018 10:54:36 GMT 7
Anyone else here use Citibank?
After StanChart sold their retail business to Tisco, Tisco seemed to realise that they were crap at doing credit cards (among other things), so have sold the CC business on to Citibank.
Selling on to Citi is a poor long term move for them in my view. Their loss though and our gain, as the flip side is Citibank's systems and organisation look great for us as clients.
I like Citi's mobile app and their internet banking looks good. Can activate my card online, change my address, token generator online etc etc. I only have a CC with them at this stage.
Based on what I see, I'm thinking about opening other accounts with them, if everything else is of a similar standard. Good example of if a business get one product right there's an opportunity for them to cross sell. On the other hand Tisco haven't grasped that they are losing our business piece by piece. They can't just pick and choose what they want to give me in terms of product, I want a full integrated service. So far they have largely lost our children's business on bank accounts and their mutual funds have gone. Now our CC's.
Given my RM from Stan Chart went to Citi following the takeover (smart lady), there's a good chance of us moving more business there.
After losing StanChart I'd like another foreign influenced bank. UOB and Citi are looking favourites 
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AyG
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Post by AyG on Oct 2, 2018 11:48:19 GMT 7
Thai banks are great at alienating their customers. Consider Bangkok Bank's stopping issuing Visa debit cards and only offering UnionPay. Good enough reason for me to close my Bangkok Bank accounts once my current debit card expires.
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Post by Fletchsmile on Oct 2, 2018 12:28:12 GMT 7
Thai banks are great at alienating their customers. Consider Bangkok Bank's stopping issuing Visa debit cards and only offering UnionPay. Good enough reason for me to close my Bangkok Bank accounts once my current debit card expires. Rather than close, these days I tend to just reduce them to the minimum to avoid penalty fees. Things seem to go in circles for Thai banks, and it's easier to just restart with an old account than open new ones.
Years back I had a Bank of Asia account, which eventually became UOB. UOB were crap initially in Thailand so I closed all accounts in digust  . Fast forward to recent times and UOB now have a regional strategy and have invested more in Thailand, have a premier service available, so I'd actually like an account with them. Unfortunately I had closed the original UOB I inherited
Bangkok Bank I was similarly disenfranchised with, but kept accounts open. With Stan Chart gone I'm starting to use BBL a bit more again. Stan Chart used to let you use anyone's ATM for free. TMB are OK but their ATM coverage is poor. Tisco are just all round abysmal. So I've started using BBL a bit more again. It's useful to have one of the Big 4 Thai banks to use.
BBL's UnionPay debit card as you mention is disappointing and I'd prefer Visa. But I prefer Visa credit cards to debit cards anyway . When things go wrong credit cards are also better for sorting out, as for CC the money doesn't immediately go from your account like a debit card. CCs also have better reward schemes and other benefits. BBL does have one of the best ATM networks and their internet banking is OK. These and the usefulness of a Big4 bank make my BBL accounts worth keeping. I keep only small balances but use their ATM then top it up by free transfer from TMB internet or mobile.
These things go in cycles so worth keeping the accounts open at minimum levels
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Post by Soutpeel on Oct 2, 2018 14:35:45 GMT 7
Anyone else here use Citibank?
After StanChart sold their retail business to Tisco, Tisco seemed to realise that they were crap at doing credit cards (among other things), so have sold the CC business on to Citibank.
Selling on to Citi is a poor long term move for them in my view. Their loss though and our gain, as the flip side is Citibank's systems and organisation look great for us as clients.
I like Citi's mobile app and their internet banking looks good. Can activate my card online, change my address, token generator online etc etc. I only have a CC with them at this stage.
Based on what I see, I'm thinking about opening other accounts with them, if everything else is of a similar standard. Good example of if a business get one product right there's an opportunity for them to cross sell. On the other hand Tisco haven't grasped that they are losing our business piece by piece. They can't just pick and choose what they want to give me in terms of product, I want a full integrated service. So far they have largely lost our children's business on bank accounts and their mutual funds have gone. Now our CC's.
Given my RM from Stan Chart went to Citi following the takeover (smart lady), there's a good chance of us moving more business there.
After losing StanChart I'd like another foreign influenced bank. UOB and Citi are looking favourites
I am with Citi IPB in Singapore, and cant fault them, outstanding service in fact my Singapore RM is involved with Citi Thailand in some advisory role, and is always in and out of Thailand and he has offered to take me out for lunch on multiple ocassions on his visits.. My one criticism of Citi Thailands gold lounge services, they claim as long as your a Citigold account holder you will get the same service irrespective of where you are in the would, i had issues with my Singapore Citi credit card in BKK, popped into the Citigold lounge for assistance and they couldnt/wouldnt do anything other than let me contact Citi Singapore on their internal phone system, and wasnt overly impressed with the attitude of girl behind the counter The mobile and on line services are good, and if get in a bind, they are pretty quick to help |
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GavinK
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Post by GavinK on Oct 2, 2018 18:01:53 GMT 7
+1 on keeping a few baht in 'dormant' accounts and a making at least 1 transaction per year to avoid fees, rather than close. Also tends to make opening new accounts a bit easier if you're an existing customer. Rather than close, these days I tend to just reduce them to the minimum to avoid penalty fees. Things seem to go in circles for Thai banks, and it's easier to just restart with an old account than open new ones.
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Post by Fletchsmile on Oct 2, 2018 18:12:38 GMT 7
Main negative I've seen for Citi so far are:
1) Lack of branch network. That's why I keep a local bank like TMB and/or BBL to compliment the foreign one
2) Fees on CC seem high. THB 5k a year for Prestige - though it does come with a decent level of travel insurance. First year is free. Also if I have other things with Citi, there'd be a chance of reducing/ eliminating this thru levels of activity/ being Premier customer etc. Might switch to a free card without the bells and whistles though once the year is up.
reminds me of HSBC. Good but always gauging you on fees
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Post by rgs2001uk on Oct 2, 2018 21:11:12 GMT 7
Anyone else here use Citibank?
After StanChart sold their retail business to Tisco, Tisco seemed to realise that they were crap at doing credit cards (among other things), so have sold the CC business on to Citibank.
Selling on to Citi is a poor long term move for them in my view. Their loss though and our gain, as the flip side is Citibank's systems and organisation look great for us as clients.
I like Citi's mobile app and their internet banking looks good. Can activate my card online, change my address, token generator online etc etc. I only have a CC with them at this stage.
Based on what I see, I'm thinking about opening other accounts with them, if everything else is of a similar standard. Good example of if a business get one product right there's an opportunity for them to cross sell. On the other hand Tisco haven't grasped that they are losing our business piece by piece. They can't just pick and choose what they want to give me in terms of product, I want a full integrated service. So far they have largely lost our children's business on bank accounts and their mutual funds have gone. Now our CC's.
Given my RM from Stan Chart went to Citi following the takeover (smart lady), there's a good chance of us moving more business there.
After losing StanChart I'd like another foreign influenced bank. UOB and Citi are looking favourites
I am with Citi IPB in Singapore, and cant fault them, outstanding service in fact my Singapore RM is involved with Citi Thailand in some advisory role, and is always in and out of Thailand and he has offered to take me out for lunch on multiple ocassions on his visits.. My one criticism of Citi Thailands gold lounge services, they claim as long as your a Citigold account holder you will get the same service irrespective of where you are in the would, i had issues with my Singapore Citi credit card in BKK, popped into the Citigold lounge for assistance and they couldnt/wouldnt do anything other than let me contact Citi Singapore on their internal phone system, and wasnt overly impressed with the attitude of girl behind the counterThe mobile and on line services are good, and if get in a bind, they are pretty quick to help , brilliant stuff, been there done that, little miss my shit dont stink soon got her as chewed out, even to this day she wont look me in the eye. |
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Post by rgs2001uk on Oct 2, 2018 21:14:14 GMT 7
Main negative I've seen for Citi so far are: 1) Lack of branch network. That's why I keep a local bank like TMB and/or BBL to compliment the foreign one 2) Fees on CC seem high. THB 5k a year for Prestige - though it does come with a decent level of travel insurance. First year is free. Also if I have other things with Citi, there'd be a chance of reducing/ eliminating this thru levels of activity/ being Premier customer etc. Might switch to a free card without the bells and whistles though once the year is up. reminds me of HSBC. Good but always gauging you on feesWould welcome their return in a heartbeat, it aint always about the money but about attitude and service, I am willing to pay a bit more for a bespoke service rather than deal with some straight of the farm freshie and her effin attitude. |
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Post by Soutpeel on Oct 2, 2018 22:08:53 GMT 7
Main negative I've seen for Citi so far are: 1) Lack of branch network. That's why I keep a local bank like TMB and/or BBL to compliment the foreign one 2) Fees on CC seem high. THB 5k a year for Prestige - though it does come with a decent level of travel insurance. First year is free. Also if I have other things with Citi, there'd be a chance of reducing/ eliminating this thru levels of activity/ being Premier customer etc. Might switch to a free card without the bells and whistles though once the year is up. reminds me of HSBC. Good but always gauging you on fees With a Citigold account, you dont pay the annual fee for the card, at least in Singapore you dont, and there are no bank fees either... I use Citi Singapore for my main banking, simply because of the level of service from them, and the lack of Exchange controls in Singapore I do have a small K-bank account for day to day cash in Thailand, as you havd indicated Citibank Thailand lacks branches and ATMs |
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Post by Soutpeel on Oct 2, 2018 22:10:58 GMT 7
Main negative I've seen for Citi so far are: 1) Lack of branch network. That's why I keep a local bank like TMB and/or BBL to compliment the foreign one 2) Fees on CC seem high. THB 5k a year for Prestige - though it does come with a decent level of travel insurance. First year is free. Also if I have other things with Citi, there'd be a chance of reducing/ eliminating this thru levels of activity/ being Premier customer etc. Might switch to a free card without the bells and whistles though once the year is up. reminds me of HSBC. Good but always gauging you on feesWould welcome their return in a heartbeat, it aint always about the money but about attitude and service, I am willing to pay a bit more for a bespoke service rather than deal with some straight of the farm freshie and her effin attitude. Different strokes for different folks i know, but personally my opinion of HSBC is that they are useless bags of shit...certainly the UK end |
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Post by rgs2001uk on Oct 2, 2018 22:26:46 GMT 7
^^^ not going to disagree, but from my experience, transferring money from my HSBC uk bank account costs me 4 pommie quid to thailand, sent in pommie pesos converted at this end.
I use them as a bank only, I aint interested in their premier customer products etc etc etc.
Got into once with them in the UK, got ferked about, crap service, I asked if there was a Premier Lounge I could use, wearing a Motorhead tee shirt and hadnt shaved for about two days, looked upon as if I was a bag of shit, its upstairs she said.
Thanks said I, went upstairs and the same gobby cow was waiting, was hilarious, she looked at me, looked at her computer screen, then looked at me again, is there a problem I asked?
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Post by Fletchsmile on Oct 3, 2018 12:43:54 GMT 7
Would welcome their return in a heartbeat, it aint always about the money but about attitude and service, I am willing to pay a bit more for a bespoke service rather than deal with some straight of the farm freshie and her effin attitude. Different strokes for different folks i know, but personally my opinion of HSBC is that they are useless bags of shit...certainly the UK end Can't comment too much on HSBC UK. Though years back I was with First Direct and Midland (come and talk to the listening bank and its Griffin), which if I recall correctly were assimilated by HSBC. UK banks in general for domestic banking seem to be a big of shit these days. I'd go as far as to say my Thai banks are more convenient.
I have accounts with RBS and Smile (Cooperative Bank) in UK. Not really impressed with either. Cooperative Bank used to be great, as did its attitude. Unfortunately times have moved on and Coop haven't kept up in the same way.
For HSBC, I was thinking more of HSBC Thailand. Was a shame they left, but totally understandable. Same as Stan Chart. Thailand stacked the odds against foreign banks in so many ways for too long. In terms of return on capital and potential there were better opportunities elsewhere, so they naturally moved on from their retail business in Thailand. |
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Mosha
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Post by Mosha on Sept 6, 2020 13:48:22 GMT 7
I know it's an old topic, but a question re Citibank and UK state pension. It is my understanding that the UK sends the money to Citibank, which then transfers it to the bank recipients use. This turns up as an internal rather than international payment. Would it be worthwhile opening a Citibank Account?
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chiangmai
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Post by chiangmai on Sept 6, 2020 14:29:43 GMT 7
I know it's an old topic, but a question re Citibank and UK state pension. It is my understanding that the UK sends the money to Citibank, which then transfers it to the bank recipients use. This turns up as an internal rather than international payment. Would it be worthwhile opening a Citibank Account? Why? Presumably you already have a bank account in Thailand, a second account would only be useful if you weren't happy with the first bank. A second consideration is that governments change their method of payment distribution from time to time. The US SSc dept. used to use Citibank in Ireland but then after a few years they changed suppliers and today they use Worldpay which isn't even a bank. If the UK changes their supplier you will have a bank account that serves no purpose. |
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Mosha
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Post by Mosha on Sept 6, 2020 15:16:33 GMT 7
I know it's an old topic, but a question re Citibank and UK state pension. It is my understanding that the UK sends the money to Citibank, which then transfers it to the bank recipients use. This turns up as an internal rather than international payment. Would it be worthwhile opening a Citibank Account? Why? Presumably you already have a bank account in Thailand, a second account would only be useful if you weren't happy with the first bank. A second consideration is that governments change their method of payment distribution from time to time. The US SSc dept. used to use Citibank in Ireland but then after a few years they changed suppliers and today they use Worldpay which isn't even a bank. If the UK changes their supplier you will have a bank account that serves no purpose. Because the money showing up in my account will be as if it's been paid in from a Thai source. Or that's my understanding of what the pensioners at TVF were saying. If I go back to a monthly income of 40k plus for my visa extension, it has to be from a foreign source. My company pension comes via WU. |
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. Fast forward to recent times and UOB now have a regional strategy and have invested more in Thailand, have a premier service available, so I'd actually like an account with them. Unfortunately I had closed the original UOB I inherited 
