somo

On 7/1/2023 at 7:55 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

I've used http://www.pulse-tv.net for many years.  I have a box, but I know others who watch via the website.  Not the cheapest, but reliable. 

Have they closed down? That link says 'App Expired"

Looking for advice. I'd prefer a hotel with some life to it. Not too fussed about the price.

Thanks

11 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

Ah sorry,  my mistake.  It's the PayPal card you are getting in the UK, not a UK Wise card. Hopefully the PayPal workaround does the trick.

Yeah, When I signed up with Wise some months ago I did so purely to transfer money as Santander wanted me to walk into one of their offices to do an international transfer and offered ridiculous rates. At the time I didn't realise Wise is effectively a bank and I could link my old English based Paypal account to it. I received the car withing days and have activated it simply by entering the 'end date' online. Very easy.

so I am now set up but I will still continue arguing my side with Sabtander and have at least got them into an email dialogue. Someone on here suggest I email their CEO as he eventually got to keep his account by being persistent.

On 10/3/2023 at 7:31 PM, Polar Bear said:

If you have funds in your Wise account,  you can withdraw cash from an ATM with a Wise debit card. You can make 2 withdrawals a month, at a max of £200 each, without a fee. More than that,  and they start charging you. As far as I remember,  they don't charge you for overseas spending on it.

 

(By free, I mean they don't charge a specific fee there will still be a markup on the exchange rate.)

Wise do not provide debit cards ifyou joined in Thailand, They say they are working on it. However the Paypal Mastercard debit card I have linked to my Wise account can be used with ATMs around the world for a GBP1.00 fee per transaction. The exchange rate is down to Mastercard and they have some of the best available.

An update which might be useful to some.

I already had a Wise Acc. for transferring funds and only just realised I could use it like a bank. Trouble is they don't issue debit cards to Thailand although that may come. My workaround was to link my paypal acc. to my Wise acc. and then apply for a Paypal Mastercard. The card should soon arrive at my brother's UK address from which I first opened the acc..

This solves most of my problems except you cannot withdraw cash from Wiseor can you?

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

BINGO, postal delivery in Thailand is generally very good, why oh why we have these idiots posting about their slack delivery expecting EVERYONE to enjoy the same service is quite frankly ridiculous, they don't know Thailand.

Please go elsewhere with your argumentative aproach. This thread is about UK banking not the Thai postal service.

7 hours ago, nglodnig said:

I'm not getting into a debate about this but Barclays, Lloyds, Netwest etc. operate branches in Jersey and the Isle of Man which are to all intent and purposes are UK  branches - they have UK sort codes and can receive the all important UK state pensions WITHOUT any transaction charge like sending to a non-UK account would involve. 

 

I have transferred all my DDs to a UK bank 'International' branch in the IoM which you CAN'T do with non-UK accounts.

 

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck - then I call it a duck.

Thanks for that. I'll look into it

9 hours ago, BarstoolChang said:

Did you ever buy crypto or deposit money from a crypto exchange to your bank?

Nope. All I use the acc for is to pay some bills in GBP and buy internationally on occasion which I cannot do with my Bangkok Bank acc which as I understand it is only good within Thailand.

20 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

What reason, if any, did they quote for the closure?

 

You will not get a normal UK bank account as a non-resident.

 

WISE is your best/only option......loads of threads about WISE.

No reason given.

I have used WISE once to send money to Thailand but was unaware they provide banking.

Three months ago Santander threatened to close my account unless I jumped through a number of hoops. These included providing a copy of my mothers will from 8 years ago when a large sum arrived in my acc. + a notified translation of my Tabien Ban as proof of address. I found the whole proccess very streesful and threatening and although I went through with it I complained. In the end they credited my acc. with 200 pounds to compensate for the trouble they put me through and wrote me a letter saying all was fine with my account.
Today my brother in the UK received a letter (I use his address for their correspondence as it takes months to arrive here) saying they are closing my account and I have 2 months to make alternative arrangements.
Although I detest the man I now identify a little with Nigel Farage.

Anyway, I wondered if anyone else has faced this problem of finding a new bank in the UK. I don't want all my money to be here in Thailand so need another UK account or maybe an online one.
Any suggestions much appreciated

52 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Do you have a Thai bank account in your name? A copy of a statement with your name and Thai address may work.

Failing that, do you have a statement from a mobile phone account that is in your name? 

 

 

Yeah I have a Bangkok Bank account but there is no address attached to it. I guess I could ask them to send me a statement but whether they would add an English language address to the header is another matter. 

Just had a call from my Santander bank in UK asking for proof of my Thai address or the will restict my account.

As with all of us everything is in wife's name so have no utility bills etc.

I have asked the UK pension service to send me a letter with my Thai address at the top but I have a 14th August deadline to furnish the document and it can take that long for them just to post the letter let alone for me to receive it.

I have a yellow Tabien Ban book but it is all in Thai and unlikely acceptable to an English bank.

I also have a thai driving licence but the address is on the back in tiny letter which is otherwise totally blank so could be anything so very likely not proof.

Any ideas would be gratefully received

Thanks Brewster. I'll check it out

I use hd prime towatch sport etc but recently the quality has gone downhill with lots of stops and starts despite having high speed internet.

Does anyone know of a web based alternative (not one that requires a box) that can be viewed on a website.

Thanks

26 minutes ago, Chaspul said:

I have been using  Bangkok  bank London for years.

I transfer from HSBC to bkb London. Then to Hua Hin.

Do a search there are 2 accounts numbers ending in 100 or 200. One sends in GBP to Thailand the other use UK exchange rate.

You will have to supply Thai bkb account number and they will issue code with this number plus in my case my initials.

Never had problem money in Thailand  next  day holidays excepted. 

Chas

Also which acc number sends in Pounds?

22 minutes ago, Chaspul said:

I have been using  Bangkok  bank London for years.

I transfer from HSBC to bkb London. Then to Hua Hin.

Do a search there are 2 accounts numbers ending in 100 or 200. One sends in GBP to Thailand the other use UK exchange rate.

You will have to supply Thai bkb account number and they will issue code with this number plus in my case my initials.

Never had problem money in Thailand  next  day holidays excepted. 

Chas

Thanks. That's my idea too. My Santander acc wants me to walk into thier office to do an international transfer and do the conversion themselves at crazy rates.

Can I open a London BB acc online?

I have a Bankok Bank acc. here in Thailand but would like to open one at the London Branch as I understand this can make it easy to transfer money to here.

Anyone know the process particularly if I can do it online as I live in Esaan and the brances here have no idea about international banking.

Any help much appreciated.

18 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So you attended immigration without required paperwork to apply for annual extension? 

 

Aware of the fact from this thread that immigration may overlook short term withdraw. Also you just confirmed that. 

 

How did you think that was sensible...

Geez.

 

 

Geez!!! I didn't go to apply for a marriage extension just to explore my options.

It appears only 10% of respondents here want to offer contructive help while the rest????

16 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So the OP is getting a 60-day visiting the wife extension, and hopefully able to use that time to satisfy the financial / bank deposit requirements of a subsequent retirement extension?

 

Not 'Hopefully" but certainly, as immigration confirmed.

Just to round up. Went to immigration in Chayaphum today. Everyone very helpful and sympathetic but with the big boss not in the office it was decided the best way was to give me a 60 day extension and do the retirement extension later. No one was out to give me a problem just help resolve one.  Interestingly they were happy to give me a marriage extension but we didn't have the paperwork with us for that. All in all no big deal ???? 

On 4/23/2023 at 1:43 PM, CANSIAM said:

A thorough explanation to your wife regarding financial mandatory requirements for yearly immigration visits or there is a good chance you won't be by her side all the time. 

Of course she is well aware of the financial requirements. We have seperate accountsbut for convenience our 2 atm cards have the same PIN and she withdrew money from my account by mistake.

16 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Why "if they are nice" ? 

The OP is entitled to obtain 60 day extension to visit wife.

Nothing nice about it. 

It's immigration rules. 

That's good to know. I still feel they may well forgive the small break in the rules but 60 days would be fine and knowing this stops me worrying.

22 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

What?  There are no 'both sides' to this, you have to care, they don't care at all. As it's you that has broken the rule, their 'easy way out', as you oddly put it, is to just refuse an extension.

 

Sorry to say this, but I think you need to wake up a bit to the reality of Thailand and your own position.  I wish you luck, I think that you may need it. 

I have lived here for 25 years so am well versed in the 'realities of Thailand' and have learned they vary from place to place and person to person. I do not subscribe to the 'them and us' version of reality.

27 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

Note 2: If you have not used yet your one-time 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your wife during your unbroken chain of Permits to stay, applying for such extension would provide you with sufficient time to meet the '2 months 800K' prior to application for your 1-year 'retirement' extension. But hopefully it will not be necessary for you to use that ultimate escape.

Thanks Phoenix - weel explained. I have never use a 60 day extension so worst comes to worst that looks like my get out jail card. I will go see immigration next week and explain my 'accidental' breech of the rules and hope they take the easy way out for both sides.

Thanks all for your input.