BOT fee standards took effect for basic cards and selected payment services
Bank of Thailand standards effective from 1 September 2026 set availability and fee limits for basic ATM/debit cards and selected payment services, while other transaction costs and product conditions may still apply.
Selected Bank of Thailand service-fee standards became effective on 1 September 2026. The notification applies by covered product and customer type rather than nationality or residence, so covered foreign customers are included.
What changed on 1 September
- Providers offering ATM or debit cards to natural-person customers must generally make a basic card available. Combined joining and annual fees are capped at THB 150 per year for a basic ATM card and THB 200 per year for a basic debit card. Replacement-card fees are outside these caps.
- Covered deposits, withdrawals and transfers at electronic machines and bill payment no longer carry a cross-province or line fee.
- The covered same-day Bulk Payment fee is capped at THB 20 per transaction.
- SME loan-service standards also commenced, but each institution must explain the SME definition it applies.
These rules do not mean that every bank fee disappeared. Other fair, cost-based charges may remain. Cash deposited or withdrawn at a branch across provinces is excepted and may be charged up to 0.05% of transaction value. Basic-card rules also do not guarantee account-opening eligibility.
Other effective dates
Some statement, certificate, dormant-account and credit-card cash-withdrawal standards took effect on 1 July 2026. Separate commission-in-lieu-of-exchange and electronic BAHTNET provisions begin on 1 October 2026; they are not yet effective, and the FX provision excludes foreign-banknote transactions.
What customers should do
Ask the bank whether the exact product or transaction is covered. Natural-person customers can ask for the provider's basic-card option. Compare the charge with the bank's current tariff, retain receipts and use the bank's verified complaint route if a covered fee appears inconsistent.
Official source
The controlling source is in Thai; no controlling English text was located during this review. This article is general information and has not received qualified Thai banking, financial-compliance, tax or legal review.
Sources checked: 4 September 2026.