Credit Cards, Points & Award Flights for Thailand Expats

Before I moved to Bangkok, I had my credit card strategy dialed in. Amex Gold for all food and groceries (4x points), Amex Platinum for everything else plus lounge access, and I would book business or first class flights almost exclusively on Amex Membership Rewards points. It was a system that worked perfectly in the US.

Then I moved to Thailand and that entire system broke down within the first week. American Express is barely accepted here. The vast majority of daily spending happens in cash or through QR code payments that do not earn any credit card points at all. My carefully optimized setup was suddenly useless, and I had to rethink everything.

This is the guide I wish existed when I moved. Not a generic "best travel credit cards" listicle, but a practical breakdown of how credit cards, banking, and award travel actually work when you are living in Thailand full-time.

The American Express Problem

If you are coming from the US with a wallet full of Amex cards, prepare for a rude awakening. American Express acceptance in Thailand is poor. Most restaurants, shops, and local businesses do not take it. Even some international chains that accept Amex in the US will only take Visa or Mastercard here.

I have an Amex Gold and an Amex Platinum. Since moving to Bangkok, I have used them for maybe a handful of transactions total. The Amex Gold, which was my daily driver for dining in the US (4x points on restaurants), is essentially dead weight. Thai restaurants do not take Amex. Street food vendors do not take any card. Mall restaurants sometimes accept it, but even that is inconsistent.

The Amex Platinum gets slightly more use for online bookings and the occasional hotel reservation. But the day-to-day spending that used to go on Amex? That all shifted to my Chase Sapphire Reserve, which runs on the Visa network and is accepted almost everywhere that takes cards.

My Card and Banking Setup in Bangkok

After a few months of adjusting, here is what I actually use day to day. This setup covers credit card spending, ATM withdrawals, and avoiding fees across the board.

Chase Sapphire Reserve (Daily Driver)

• Network: Visa (accepted almost everywhere in Thailand)
• No foreign transaction fees
• 3x points on dining and travel worldwide
• Priority Pass lounge access (covers BKK and airports across Asia)
• $300 annual travel credit
• Points transfer to airline and hotel partners
• Annual fee: $795

This is now my primary card for everything. Restaurants, malls, online purchases, Grab, subscriptions. Anything that accepts a card goes on the CSR. I used to barely touch this card when I lived in the US because Amex earned more points per dollar for my categories. Now it is the only card that matters for daily spending.

Mercury Personal (Primary Bank)

• ATM fee reimbursement (all ATM fees refunded)
• No foreign transaction fees on debit
• Clean app, fast transfers
• FDIC insured

Mercury is my go-to for ATM withdrawals in Thailand. Thai ATMs charge 220 THB (~$7) per withdrawal to foreign cards. That fee adds up fast if you are pulling cash regularly. Mercury reimburses all ATM fees, so I never think twice about it. I pull cash whenever I need it and the fees get credited back automatically.

Charles Schwab (Brokerage + Checking)

• ATM fee reimbursement worldwide (all fees refunded, no limit)
• No foreign transaction fees on debit
• Linked to Schwab brokerage account
• Widely recommended in the expat community for a reason

Schwab is my backup for ATM withdrawals and also where my brokerage account lives. The Schwab debit card has the same ATM fee reimbursement as Mercury. Having two accounts with fee-free ATM access means I always have a backup if one card has issues. Between Mercury and Schwab, I have not paid a single ATM fee since moving here.

Before I moved, I set up a Florida domicile to eliminate state income tax and get a stable US billing address for all my accounts. If you are planning a move abroad, this is one of the highest-ROI things you can do before you leave. I wrote a full guide on the process.

The Cash and QR Code Reality

Here is the part that fundamentally changes your points strategy: a huge chunk of daily spending in Thailand does not go on any credit card at all.

Thailand runs on a mix of cash and PromptPay QR code payments. Street food, market stalls, small restaurants, motorbike taxis, laundry shops, many convenience store purchases. These are all cash or QR. No credit card terminal, no points earned.

PromptPay is Thailand's national QR payment system, linked to your Thai bank account. Once you have a Thai bank account set up, you scan a QR code and money transfers instantly from your Thai bank. It is fast, free, and used everywhere. But it pulls from your bank balance, not a credit card, so you earn zero points on these transactions.

Roughly estimating, maybe 40-50% of my monthly spending in Bangkok goes through credit cards. The rest is cash and PromptPay. In the US, I could put 90-95% of spending on cards. That is a massive reduction in points earning potential and it is something nobody talks about in the typical credit card blog.

Where You Can and Cannot Use Cards

Credit cards accepted:

• Malls and department stores (Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, EmQuartier)
• Hotels and serviced apartments
• Larger restaurants (especially in malls and tourist areas)
• Grab (ride-hailing and food delivery)
• Online subscriptions and purchases
• Supermarkets (Tops, Gourmet Market, Villa Market)
• International chains (Starbucks, McDonald's, etc.)

Cash or QR only:

• Street food stalls and carts
• Local Thai restaurants (the good ones)
• Market shopping (Chatuchak, Or Tor Kor, night markets)
• Motorbike taxis and tuk-tuks
• Small shops, pharmacies, and local businesses
• Laundry, dry cleaning, tailors
• Temple entrance fees and most tourist attractions

The irony is that some of the best experiences in Bangkok, the street food, the markets, the local spots, are the ones where you cannot use a card. You are not earning 3x points on the 50-baht pad thai that is better than any restaurant meal.

Should You Cancel Amex While Living Abroad?

This is the question I have been working through myself. I still have a large balance of Amex Membership Rewards points from years of spending in the US. Moving forward, almost all my new points are accumulating with Chase. So what do I do with the Amex cards?

Amex Gold ($325/year)

Cancel or downgrade. The Amex Gold earns 4x on restaurants and 4x on US supermarkets. In Thailand, restaurants rarely accept Amex, and US supermarket spending is zero. The card also has dining credits tied to specific US restaurants (Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, etc.) that are useless here. There is no scenario where the $325 annual fee is justified for a Bangkok-based lifestyle.

Amex Platinum ($895/year)

This one is a harder call. The Platinum comes with credits that can still provide value abroad.

• $200 airline fee credit: Still works. Pick an airline and use it for baggage fees, seat upgrades, or incidentals on flights you are already taking.
• $200 hotel credit: Usable through the Amex hotel portal for bookings worldwide. If you travel around Asia and book hotels, this has value.
• Fine Hotels & Resorts: Access to the FHR booking program with free breakfast, room upgrades, and late checkout at luxury properties. FHR properties exist across Asia. If you book even one FHR stay per year, the value can offset a good chunk of the annual fee.
• Centurion Lounges: There are no Centurion Lounges in Bangkok or anywhere in Southeast Asia. If Centurion access was a big reason you had the Platinum, that benefit is gone.
• Priority Pass: Redundant. Your Chase Sapphire Reserve already includes Priority Pass. No reason to pay for it twice.
• Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit: Still useful when you fly back to the US, which you probably do at least once a year.

My current thinking: if you are actively using the travel and hotel credits, the Platinum can still pencil out at $895/year. If you are not disciplined about using those credits, it is expensive for a card you barely swipe. I am keeping mine for now but re-evaluating at the next renewal.

The Critical Rule: Keep Your Points Alive

The move is: downgrade the Amex Gold to the Amex EveryDay (no annual fee, still earns MR). Cancel or keep the Platinum based on whether you use the credits. Either way, you maintain your MR point balance through the no-fee card. Then when you are ready to book a big redemption, your points are sitting there waiting.

Award Flights from Bangkok

This is where living in Asia actually gives you an advantage. You are closer to some of the best airlines in the world: Singapore Airlines, ANA, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways. These carriers have first and business class products that make domestic US carriers look embarrassing. And they have award availability that is easier to find than US routes.

I fly business or first class on points whenever possible. That is the whole reason I collect points. And I use seats.aero to search for award availability. It is the best tool I have found for scanning multiple airline programs at once to find open award seats.

The Singapore Routing Trick

Here is something most people do not realize until they live in Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) has limited direct long-haul options, especially to the US. There are direct flights to New York on Thai Airways, but award availability is inconsistent and the product is not the best in the region.

The move is to search nearby hub airports, especially Singapore Changi (SIN). Singapore is a short 2.5-hour flight from Bangkok, and Changi is one of the best-connected airports in the world. Singapore Airlines operates multiple daily flights to the US (JFK, LAX, SFO, Newark, Houston, Seattle) with some of the best business and first class products available.

When I search for award flights back to the US, I always check BKK departures first, then SIN. More often than not, the best availability and best product is routing through Singapore. A cheap positioning flight on a budget carrier (Bangkok to Singapore is $50-150 on Scoot or AirAsia) plus a Singapore Airlines business class award seat is usually a better experience than anything direct from BKK.

Transfer Partners That Matter from Asia

Not all transfer partners are created equal. Some are far more useful when you are based in Bangkok than others. Here is how I think about it now.

Chase Ultimate Rewards (My New Priority)

• Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer): The single most valuable transfer partner from Bangkok. Excellent award availability BKK-SIN and SIN-US. Outstanding business and first class. Transfer ratio 1:1.
• United MileagePlus: Good for Star Alliance bookings including ANA, Thai Airways, and Singapore Airlines. United does not impose fuel surcharges on most partner awards. Transfer ratio 1:1.
• Hyatt (World of Hyatt): Hyatt has a strong presence in Asia. Park Hyatt Bangkok, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency properties across the region. Transfer ratio 1:1 and Hyatt points are widely considered the most valuable hotel points. I stayed at the Park Hyatt Bangkok when I first visited.
• Air Canada (Aeroplan): Surprisingly useful. Can book Star Alliance partners including ANA first class and EVA Air business class at reasonable rates. Transfer ratio 1:1.
• British Airways (Avios): Good for short-haul flights within Asia on oneworld partners like Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. Transfer ratio 1:1.

Amex Membership Rewards (My Existing Points)

• ANA Mileage Club: ANA first class from Asia to the US is one of the best redemptions in the hobby. Transfer ratio 1:1. ANA releases decent award space and the product is outstanding.
• Singapore Airlines: Same as Chase. Amex also transfers 1:1 to KrisFlyer. This gives you two ways to top up your KrisFlyer balance.
• Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles): Good for flights within Asia and to the US/Europe on Cathay. Cathay business class is excellent. Transfer ratio 1:1.
• Japan Airlines (JAL Mileage Bank): Useful for JAL flights to the US via Tokyo. JAL business class is solid and they occasionally release first class award space. Transfer ratio 1:1.

Since I have a large balance of Amex MR points from years of US spending, my plan is to use those for big redemptions (ANA first class, Singapore Airlines suites) while accumulating Chase UR points going forward for everyday award bookings and Hyatt stays. Both programs have strong Asia transfer partners, so nothing is wasted.

Lounge Access in Asia

I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass for lounge access. It works at Suvarnabhumi (BKK has several Priority Pass lounges including the Miracle Lounges), and at airports across Asia. Changi in Singapore, Narita and Haneda in Tokyo, Incheon in Seoul. Priority Pass coverage in Asia is generally better than in the US.

The one thing you lose by deprioritizing Amex is Centurion Lounge access. But as I mentioned, there are no Centurion Lounges in Southeast Asia, so this is not a real loss for Bangkok-based travel. If you are transiting through US airports on trips home, you will miss the Centurion Lounges. But Priority Pass covers enough options that it is not a deal-breaker.

• BKK (Suvarnabhumi): Multiple Miracle Lounges and other Priority Pass options in both Concourse D and G. Decent food, quiet spaces, showers. Not luxury, but serviceable.
• SIN (Changi): Excellent Priority Pass lounges. Changi itself is arguably the best airport in the world. Even without a lounge, the terminal facilities are incredible.
• NRT/HND (Tokyo): IASS and No.1 Lounge access via Priority Pass. If you are routing through Tokyo, the ANA and JAL lounges (accessible with a business class award ticket) are among the best in the world.

The Ideal Card Lineup for Thailand Expats

If I were starting fresh today with no existing cards or points, here is what I would carry as an American living in Bangkok.

Must Have

• Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795/yr): Daily driver. Visa network, no FTF, 3x on dining and travel, Priority Pass, excellent transfer partners for Asia. The $300 travel credit effectively makes it $495/year.
• Mercury Personal (debit): Primary bank. ATM fee reimbursement means free cash access at any Thai ATM. Clean interface, fast US transfers.
• Charles Schwab (debit): Backup ATM card with the same fee reimbursement. Also serves as your brokerage account. Having two ATM-fee-free debit cards means you always have a backup.

Nice to Have

• Amex Platinum ($895/yr): Only if you actively use the airline credit, hotel credit, and FHR bookings. Not worth it if you are just keeping it for the card benefits without redeeming them. Consider canceling and keeping a no-fee Amex to preserve MR points.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex ($0/yr): If you want to maximize Chase points earning, a no-fee Freedom card earns 1.5x (Unlimited) or 5x rotating categories (Flex) that pool with your Sapphire Reserve at the higher transfer value.

Skip or Cancel

• Amex Gold ($325/yr): The restaurant and grocery multipliers are useless in Thailand. Downgrade to Amex EveryDay (no fee) to keep MR points alive. Do not pay $325 for a card you cannot use.
• Any card with foreign transaction fees: If a card charges 3% FTF, every purchase in Thailand costs 3% more. Cancel or sock-drawer these.

Practical Tips

• Always pay in Thai baht. When a terminal asks "Pay in USD or THB?" always choose THB. Paying in USD triggers Dynamic Currency Conversion, which uses a terrible exchange rate and adds 3-5% to your transaction. Your bank gives you a better rate when you pay in the local currency.
• Carry cash daily. You will need it more than you think. Street food, taxis, small shops, tips, temple donations. I keep 2,000-3,000 THB (~$65-97) in my wallet at all times.
• Max ATM withdrawal per transaction is 25,000-30,000 THB. Some ATMs cap at 20,000 THB. Since the 220 THB fee is per transaction, withdraw the maximum amount each time to minimize fees (even though Mercury and Schwab reimburse them, it is still good practice).
• Notify your banks before you travel. Chase, Mercury, and Schwab all let you set travel notifications in the app. Set your location to Thailand with no end date so your cards do not get flagged for fraud.
• Get a Thai bank account for daily payments. PromptPay through a Thai bank handles most local transactions. Your US credit cards are for bigger purchases, travel, and subscriptions. You do not need to put everything on a US card.
• Track which spending goes on cards vs. cash. Knowing your card-vs-cash ratio helps you realistically estimate points earning. In Bangkok, expect roughly 40-50% of spending on credit cards versus 90%+ in the US.

For transferring money to fund your Thai bank account, Wise gives you the real mid-market exchange rate with transparent fees. It is what I use for all my regular transfers from US accounts to Thailand.

If you are comparing hotel points value against paid rates in Asia, check prices on Agoda first. They consistently have the best hotel rates in Thailand and Southeast Asia, often beating what you can book through loyalty programs.

For more on setting up your financial life in Thailand, see my bank account guide and cost of living breakdown. If you are still planning the move, the DTV visa guide covers the easiest path to long-term residency.