msmoby

On 4/10/2020 at 8:48 AM, scubascuba3 said:

to be fair most countries have totally <deleted> up with the exception of Sweden and Japan, the economic catastrophe is slowly unfolding, most people haven't realised yet

I suppose you DO realise that Japan gave up on the "we must think of the economy" ...  ?

On 4/3/2020 at 4:00 AM, Skallywag said:

Anyone here in Pattaya on holiday should have left on or before March 17. 

Enough said

Not enough thought went into this post ...

Got out on the 25th March, having had 2 earlier flights out cancelled ..not for the want of trying.. 

So much for 'arm chair' experts  ...?  

Yet another 3 years on ..

If RU passport holder arrives at BKK without a visa and gets 30 days ...

Can they still do a Visa run to Laos - stay overnight - and come back with another 60 days ? 

Cards in possesion

Ru credit cards drawn on VTB , Sber and Russian Standard..   Debit cards on VTB and Sber bank.

Plus a Paypal debit card attached to a GBP balance.

28 minutes ago, KneeDeep said:

I guess the OP will put an apology in the post.????

 

If your beloved has a standard Barclaycard CC now, then even that over the counter would be MUCH better than the ridiculous Cash Passport. 

 

VISA rate for today is 41.53320. Subtract the 2.99% Barclaycard charge and you are left with 40.287204 baht to the Pound. So better than the Cash Passport exchange rate and of course no 64 baht ATM withdrawal charge to boot.

This is why you needed to pay attention to simple maths in class.

 

Putting all that aside, perhaps it's best to tell us exactly which cards she has at the moment and we will tell you how to proceed.

Bin the Cash Passport once depleted. It really is just a load of old rubbish.

Ok

So again, I am grateful for the responses but this 'wrong' poster was paying no exchange fees and a flat 64 Bhat on the dedicated travel card It was accepted as a local card if used in the appropriate partner bank..in this case Siam.

Kneedeep would be better off asking questions before making incorrect and misleading statements.. Our circumstances are not the same.

My beloved is not  UK  resident ..nor am I ..we live in another EU nation. None of her cards have such generous terms, sadly. 

She is 'not allowed' a Platinum card.

I think kneedeep was trying to be hellpful,  but might have got a mite carried away. 

15 minutes ago, KneeDeep said:

 

The problem is that you are not reading either....

 

You can utilise a credit card, not a debit card, to obtain cash advances over the counter, without incurring a withdrawal fee. This in fact is the best and quickest method. It has been written here twice already.

 

The other thing is the Cash Passport. No! They are bad.

 

Back to the credit card option. It should be one that doesn't charge forex or withdrawal fees itself.

Examples include, Halifax Clarity, Creation Everyday, Barclaycard Platinum Travel, Barclaycard Platinum Cashback Plus, Santander Zero....

 

So if she has any of those cards, her problems are solved.

 

Once again, Cash Passport....No! You were badly advised.

Dear Knee deep

Barclays charge a minimum of £2.99 or 2.99 percent..whichever is greater AND there is still a fee charged at the ATM....The cheapest soln. was the travelcard

iF you had taken the fime to READ, hou would have understood my frustration with scorecard was the suggestion of no other means to get cash....?!

8 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 So is she travelling with just 1 ATM card? If yes, she/you should know better.

She has two credit cards and three debit cards, avaiable, still..The issue is the WITHDRAWAL FEES to get local currency ( and your failing to read or imagining stuff not suggested...) 

Once again, my thanks to all who responded, having READ what I asked..))

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Why doesnt she go and get her card back from the ATM ?

Because it was an ATM outside a 7/11 and when she went next day to a Siam bank there were lots of shrugs and evetually told card would be destroyed ..Hence it was stopped and new one ordered from UK ((

Can you imagine the scene? Russian speakung English to Thai and Husband on Skype switfly using Google translate and sending output to second mobile phone on whatsapp... ))

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Um, trying to be helpful here.  How about approaching a bank branch and explaining the issue.  Others have managed to start a Thai bank account  with just  a tourist visa. Long shot probably,but maybe worth a try. Maybe the bank  here can help on a temporary basis, for a fee.  It's worth asking.  Sorry I can't be more helpful.  

Thanks,  seems that until she gets a replacement card, trying to open an account is the best bet!

33 minutes ago, johng said:

Ohh sorry thought she was Thai....

 

I read Bank of China cards don't get charged the ATM fee is she Chinese ??? ????

))

Not Chinese....Russian...

We were being charged only 64 Baht when using the already converted Thai Baht on The UK based post office travel card and NOT accepting conversion!

https://tastythailand.com/how-to-avoid-paying-200-baht-thai-bank-atm-fee/             

12 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Absolutely Transferwise.  I got totally sick of losing 220 Bhat every time I used my UK debit card in an ATM.  Cash transfer to my Thai bank now costs me less with Transferwise than just one UK debit card fee.  

Except .. sighs .. as previously mentioned ... !

1/ No Thai bank account - we are tourists ))

2/ Can send money instantly .. Transferwise is slow compared to paysend.com or simply transferring between UK bank accounts 

The issue is getting the cash out...without being rilped off.

Thanks for the responses, but:

1/ she is a tourist - no Thai bank account ..Can she open one ? 

2/ Getting the money to Thailand is not the issue - ( I can send money instantly via paysend.com / a UK to UK transfer - and withdrawing using a std UK debit card ) it's getting it OUT without the MASSIVE fees is the issue ((

My beloved left her UK based travel card - in an ATM and it was swallowed ((  It was a Siam bank ATM at a 7/11.  I just transferred the money and stopped the card.

It was a good way of drawing cash as *I* loaded it ( currency conversion in UK) and it had a Thai Baht 'wallet' - so she could draw Baht, relatively cheaply

While she awaits a replacement card she drew 1000 Baht and was WACKED for 220 Baht ( 'access fee' plus a currency exchange rate that would make one weep 

Can any UK expat / regular Tourist advise the best way to move UK GBP to Baht without getting savaged ?

She is there for nearly two months and I'll be coming and going, so will take out the 'best' card 

Thanks in anticipation 

Good question !

The best answer depends on your situation: 

If on a short stay of one month or less - get a local sim and use the codes each operator has for making international calls using VoIP - voice over IP - ( internet ) hence cheaper

If you are staying longer and have property in the UK - change to TalkTalk - take their unlimited UK / landline call boost ( 7.50GBP / month ) and install their Talk2go app on your Apple / Android mobile, before you leave the UK   - keeping your UK sim card in the mobile phone in Thailand

Then when you have Wifi in Thailand start the TalkTalk app, do a test call - and you can call landline and UK mobile calls for up to 59 mins and 59 secs for FREE ...

 I use it on my travels all over the world  and no need to use +44 - just dial the number as you would at home 

Thank you

Info much appreciated

OK

Another Q

Can a Russian get 30 days at Cambodia then another 30 days, a month later  - making 90 in total ?

This would take my Russian partner to 90 days in 12 months 

Hi Jack

Thanks for responding

Two questions now arise 

1/ 'Free'  - You mean the visa is free... but have the firms doing these visa runs dropped their prices :)?  I appreciated there is the cost of getting there and back - plus the hotel fee 

Any recommendations in the Pattaya area folks ?

2/ Sorry, what is this new  "2 Visa-Exempts per calendar year at land-border crossings" rule ... and of course, DOES IT apply to Ruskies ? :)

One year on - same question !

Can the Russian national still get 60 days via Laos ?

Can she still only get 30 days going to Cambodia - it is a shorter distance from Pattaya 

Scenario - she arrived Jan 11 2016, got another 60 days from Laos - leaving 25 March 16 - was out of Thailand for one day

This time arrived Jan 13, 2017 - got 30 days - has a return ticket for 22 March 

Thanks, again in anticipation

Mark

Hi Victor

Thanks for responding - I have found good programmers in another nation  - sorry - but thanks for responding 

Happy to place an ad - but capcha [ verification code ]always says entering incorrect characters  :)

I am looking for a Linux scipt kiddy to write some simple code to report a change of state - e.g a light has turned on -  Harware is Rasperberry Pi 3 with Arduino board- though h/w nbot set in stone

More detail on contact off board

I live in the UK but if i find some good will come to N. Pattaya area Jan / Feb for 1-2 months

Good English essential but I speak rudimentary French and Russian 

Update

Wifey went to Vientiane and applied for a new Thai tourist visa - stayed the night and received a new 60 day Tourist Visa.

Thanks for all your help

All clear, now

Many thanks, ubonjoe

Mark

Sorry, one more question

Wifey, insists that Russians can get 60 days from Laos...but does that involve STAYING there ?

Mark