TofuHead

8 hours ago, rwill said:

If you can afford to open a schwab one international account it is one of the best options.  It takes $25,000 to open it.  If you already own stocks you can transfer them to satisfy that too.  With the schwab account you can use your foreign address and telephone number.  Wire transfers are free.  And if you ask for a debit card there are no fees and they also pay the foreign Thai ATM fee for you too.  They will call you after you apply to talk to you, also part of the KYC thingy.  

 

It's really a plus to me not to have to maintain a US address and phone number.  Lots of US banks now want to send you an SMS to do transactions  and only take US numbers.

I would like to know how you manage to wire to a foreign account for free.  Every time I try to do that, they remind me of $15 fee for that service.

You must request the SecureCode service on Mastercard website.

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/payment-technologies/securecode/securecode-sign-up.html

It seems Bangkok Bank does not participate in the program.

Thank you guys for your replies, I am relieved to know I don't have to show a work permit.  I will visit my Bangkok Bank branch next month as planned.

I opened an account with Bangkok Bank five years ago and have my Visa debit card supposedly valid for another five years.  I heard that it will be obsolete next year and should be exchanged with a new Unionpay debit card at a branch.  Since I still live in Japan, I planned to visit Bangkok next month just to do so.  I have just seen a blog, however, which says now they require a work permit just to renew a debit card!!!

I know the bank changed their rule in July to require a work permit to open an account but they also require it to renew my debit card?

Did any of you who have renewed your Bangkok Bank debit card recently have to show your work permit?

If that is the case, I want to cancel my trip because I am going to visit there on visa exempt and most probably will be declined to get my new card.

Are they still selling traveller's cheques?

At leasest, I can no longer buy them  anywhere in Japan.

Besides, the link below clearly shows the social status of traveller's cheques in today's society.

http://thefinanser.com/2016/11/american-express-book-mormon.html/

Hello allane,

Thank you for the reply.

14 hours ago, siam2007 said:

on-native speaker WITHOUT a degree

What kind of degree is needed?

Is it supposed to be related to English or teaching?

I am a non-native speaker of English but earned a master's in engineering and MBA in the US.

Am I qualified to teach English in Thailand?

I did take TOEIC recently and scored 990, so TOEIC is no problem.