JamJar

6 hours ago, boike said:

 

I'll send once a year €15000 to Thailand and choose to pay €0.
Later in the year I'll send another €10000 and they charge €15.
Another €10000 to my US account, charge €15. No bank fees as they use local banks to transfer the funds to.
The op has now enough info to make up his mind.


Sent from my XT1572 using Tapatalk
 

 

Are you stating that there is no charge if you send 15000€, contrary to their claim that there is a £2000 limit?

As I don't have an account, there is no way for me to check. 

If that is true, even though their rate is truncated, it is still a decent value option, as it certainly beats the Thailand bank TT rate.

16 minutes ago, boike said:

Sorry but you are wrong.

And no hidden fees and pay what you want up to 2000 GBP.

 

 

Your screenshot is misleading, as the TransferWise figure you are showing will include their fee. So once you go over the Xendpay £2000 limit, the picture changes.

XendPay does have a worse exchange rate, but for up to £2000 per annum on any one account they will allow you to choose your own fee. 

The actual rates currently offered are;

TransferWise: 

43.28116 

Guaranteed exchange rate (24 hrs)

XendPay: 43.04964. So their claim of "no exchange rate mark ups" is just a lie.

But if you choose to pay them nothing for your up to £2000 transfer, you might come out ahead of TransferWise..

TransferWise through a referral link will allow you a free transfer of up to £500. 

So for smaller transfers up to the £2000 limit, Xendpay is good value if you choose to pay nothing. I actually forgot about them. Partially because I haven't utilised them. But another member here does and states that they are fine.

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

My UK bank does not make a charge for the transfers. I transfer in £. At the Thai end up to 500 baht depending on amount.  A single larger transfer would be enough, no silly messing about with multiple charge, multiple transfers. Withdrawals Thai end free in home bank area.

 

Best way is not always cheapest..... that would be cash and using a particular exchange house in Thailand, and accepting the risk of carrying a lot of cash.  Using a 'foreign' ATM also often includes a somewhat hidden percentage charge on the exchange rate, on top of the 150-180 baht whatever it is now. It often introduces lower withdrawal limits too, depending which ATM machine you use.

 

I have had problems with Halifax in the past and will not use them. Not really a bank and clear through others.

Which bank are you claiming make no charge?!

You are definitely having a lark. Your advice is becoming worse with each post. 

Your bank makes a charge, the Thai bank utilises a TT rate(Bangkok Bank currently; 42.835 as compared to the current spot rate of 43.28) , the Thai bank charges a receiving fee.

Three different charges. 

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Exchange rates at the airport are lower. If you are 'penny-wise'  why not use a Bangkok Bank ATM at the airport. Personally I always arrive with baht cash. (I live here).

You aren't paying attention and so are ending up giving poor advice.

11 minutes ago, Elkski said:

I found the exchange rates quoted better at some little exchanges in BKK than at the airport.  But I didn't look for supper rich.   Is it the same rate at the airport as other superich location's!

SuperRich Thailand and 1965 are at the Airport Link

https://www.superrichthailand.com/#!/en/exchange

You can choose the location from the dropdown list

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

There are charges at both ends which make this an expensive option. It should just be a back up only.

 

As to original question. Away from the airport cash can be exchanged at a very slightly better rate, than a transfer will give you, and of course no issue if you have cash left over, as you can take the £ back. Disadvantage, the risk of carrying large amounts of cash. 

I would make a transfer.

 

Actually not if you use the right plastic. Using a fee free card, say the Halifax Clarity and taking out 20000 baht from an AEON ATM comes with a 150 baht charge. So if you have £2000 of spending money, that will take 4 to 5 withdrawals.

600 to 750 baht in total.

If you transfer bank to bank, let's say you use Bangkok Bank, their £20 fee(863 baht) is already more than what you would have paid withdrawing from an AEON ATM. Then you have to add the Thai bank's receiving fee of 200 baht and contend with the inferior TT rate.

So forget the fallacy of bank to bank transfers being the best way.

Transferwise is different. For the £2000, there is a fixed fee of 580 baht. So better than AEON.

So my choices for mattk1 would be cash/Transferwise.

8 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

Quite simple really, when I clicked on your link I got a message that the promotion had ended, seems that it's started again.

Hardly the sort of thing I would make up.

My thoughts exactly...why would he make up such a thing?

Anyway, now we all now that it is back up and they will send the card out on the same day.

11 hours ago, Arandora said:

Banks that do counter or in bank exchange with a debit or credit card and passport don't charge but the rate used is less than the ATM charge and you still have to pay your bank's fees. The best UK cards for this are Halifax Clarity Credit Card, no charge by Halifax and great rate of exchange but interest charged straight away until full amount cleared. On-line banking will do this. Nationwide Flex Plus Account Debit Cards, no charge by Nationwide and great rate of exchange. 

No charge on Halifax Clarity or Nationwide Flex Plus Credit Cards for purchases and great rate of exchange. 

There is no Nationwide Flexplus credit card and your assertion about the rate being less is just not true in all cases. Some dodgy banks do  have their tricks. You just have to avoid them.

Some really strange advice on this thread overall.

The best ways are actually to bring cash or to take over the counter with the likes of the Halifax Clarity.

Once you begin with bank to bank transfers, you are dealing with the Thai banks TT rate, the UK bank's fee and the Thai bank's receiving fee.

With Transferwise, only the fee. So the third best option.

Since they likely don't have fee free plastic, their best options are cash and Transferwise.

Even taking cash out of an ATM with the right plastic is better than a bank to bank transfer.

20 hours ago, theoldgit said:

The jump the queue promotion in that link has now expired and you have to join the queue now.

I don't have any idea as to why you would assert that. I get this when I click through;

Quote

Welcome! Let’s get you set up

We’re working with MoneySavingExpert.com to give you priority access to the Monzo app. If you sign up before 3:30pm, your card will be posted by first class delivery the very same day. Sign up here and skip our queue of thousands!

The bold Monzo link in the post above is the link through which you should apply if you go for that fallback. It gets the card to you more quickly.

A good backup option if you've left it late is to get a Monzo Mastercard prepaid debit card for purchases in shops and supermarkets and a general fallback. Should be with you in a few days. For purchases, that will offer much the same rate exchanging £50 notes at SuperRich.

Anything left over you can spend pound for pound in the UK or keep for travel anywhere else in the world.

Taking pounds in cash is a good option but of course you can lose it. Exchange some or all at the SuperRich Thailand counter at the Airport Link at Suvarnabhumi. Then you can take it directly to a branch of your Thai bank in order to deposit it. But of course walking around with all your money until you get to deposit it is a bit of a risk.

But that is the best value option for you., as currently you'll get 43.07 baht for £50 notes at their airport location. £20 notes; 42.92. But that is still better than what you would receive with Transferwise or a Bank Transfer.

https://transferwise.com/

https://www.xendpay.com

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Words to the wise, if the authorities will dig deeper, the y will find that those

'dark skinned men ' are up to their necks in all sorts of shady and illegal

activities in this country, and they're numbered by the thousands....

are you listening wise men and women of the government? probably not....

When I was a backpacker, I would meet all sorts on the Khao San road, Israelis travelling often to certain South American countries and doing 'business' in Japan. Also Iranians being smuggled in to Japan after either being chucked out or no longer eligible for visas.

People of all colours were as dodgy as.... 

The point being is that you might see low level people on the street, but you never known quite who is behind an operation.

As we know, white and olive skinned foreigners are also up to their necks in dodgy activities. Much bigger and shadier than a few dark skinned low level criminals.

So why the outrage? Not so keen to shop your own kind?

34 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

 

Seems like the OP is trolling away, doesn't seem serious at all :)

Why would you think that of someone who has been a member for nearly two years?

Just now, Chou Anou said:

This is true, the first late day if you're leaving by air is a "grace day" and you're not fined.  However, I'm pretty sure that all airlines worldwide (certainly all of them leaving the US, and Thailand, which I can speak to from my experience) require that you show the credit card used to purchase the ticket at check-in.  This is for international flights only, not domestic.

Not if you buy via a travel agent...such as Expedia. He can book the Air Asia ticket from there right now, No stress :)

Apart from that, you can go to Expedia to buy your ticket or your mother can buy it for you. Then no need to show a card at the airport.

Once again, there is no fine if you leave on the day after by air. A senior officer will sign it off and that is it.

Actually, what no one has told you is that there is no fine if you leave on the 22nd by air.

Also it is not a problem for someone else to buy the ticket for you.

Don't panic. :)

Look here: http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/topping/promotion&activity_en.html

AIS and DTAC have similar packages.

What do you intend to do with unlimited Internet and over how long a period do you intend to use it?

Look here: http://tunecomp.net/google-dns-8-8-8-8/

On 2017-6-5 at 7:06 AM, CLW said:

And show me that hospital that treats foreigners without paying or credit card deposit.
Anyway most travel insurance you have to pay first by yourself and claim afterwards

Actually no. It's usual that you can do that up to a certain amount, perhaps the equivalent of 25,000 baht. Beyond that you need to contact the  if possible for them to agree beforehand. So at that point they can deal directly with the hospital if necessary.

Typical:

Quote

24 hour medical emergency claim and helpline

Our 24 hour emergency medical assistance line is available 365 days of the year and is provided by CEGA Group Services Limited.

You must call this line:

• If you think you need to cut your trip short
• Before going to a hospital
• If you need medical treatment that may cost more than £500

7 hours ago, newnative said:

   All 3 condo suggestions I gave to the OP have at least 1000 units.  On Hipflat they each have over 100 listings of condos for rent.  Granted, some of the listings are duplicates and some are for 2 bedrooms but a quick glance at the listings showed a number of choices for 1 bedrooms for 20,000 Baht or less.  If the OP is interested in any of the condo projects that I mentioned, it's up to him to take it from there and look for the condo himself--using Hipflat, other websites, on-site rental offices, real estate agencies, and so on.  But, yes, let's move on. 

20,000 baht or less short term for at least 34sq.m?

A lot of words but not even a single link showing 20,000 baht for a short term rental for at least 34sq.m.

Seriously, it's boring now. I understand that you don't have any links to back up your assertion for it being easily found. Let's drop it.

34 sq.m for a one bedroom apartment is a joke anyway. Pattaya is hardly Hong Kong or London.

8 minutes ago, balo said:

I believe they are 2 room apartments 45 sqm .  

Should I assume that you mean two bedrooms?  Tiny rooms again it seems if so.  

For me, just holiday apartment size, not a place to live.

So 13k is not a short term price.

Personally, for me, I can tolerate a studio of 40 sq.m. and a one bedroom apartment of 55 sq. m. Those are minimum sizes.

For this reason, I wouldn't recommend anything smaller to anyone else, other than for a few days.

I also consider natural light and airflow. I've been in some of those cheap shoe boxes and they are just hot without aircon.

So floor to ceiling patio doors in both rooms is best. Pretend one bedroom apartments won't have this. So the quality of the accommodation is just as important to me as the facilities.

17 hours ago, newnative said:

Most people are well aware that most condo projects offer a variety of condo sizes--I didn't think I needed to spell it out--although I did take the time in a previous post to give the information that Centric 1 bedrooms range from 32 to 41sqm, The Base has 29sqm and 35sqm 1 bedrooms, and all the 1 bedrooms at Unixx are at least 34sqm.  Some may be 34.5 or so.  Given that information, I can't see how that is misleading anyone. Perhaps I should have said that if a renter doesn't want to go smaller than 34sqm, he can find a condo at each of these projects. 

Still no specific condo project suggestions from you for the OP to check;  just another post about your not liking small condos and not liking my suggestions that the OP might check.   To review, the OP wants to be in central Pattaya and has a budget of 20,000 Baht a month for a 1 bedroom.  I suggested 3 projects by name that might meet his needs.  Obviously, any renter should check the room and the project facilities with his or her specific wants or needs in mind before renting--and that includes deciding if there are enough sunbeds at the pool.   Just as an aside, the project you mentioned with the possibly inadequate number of sunbeds actually has 3 pools, not bad for 1000 units.  View Talay 6, in the same neighborhood, also has 1000 units but just 1 pool.  VT6 might also be a possibility for the OP to check if he would prefer a large studio rather than a smaller 1 bedroom.  Any specific condo suggestions from you to assist the OP?

Nice that you decided to clarify.

I actually read and understood your asking about whether I had suggestions, but deliberately ignored it.

The reason being that I suggested a couple of relatively spacious apartments to the OP in my very first post.

The reason why i didn't actually post the names is that there is limited availability.

One building has around twenty units and one pool.  Apartment perhaps 54 sq. m. and yes that is a pool ratio of 20:1, not 367:1 and the other was for a specific apartment of 80 square metres. So rather than post online, I sent via PM for the OP to check out first if interested.

Once again, nothing wrong with your suggestions. I just took issue with the lack of balance. You wrote more like a salesman, rather than someone giving balanced advice.

Personally, 35 sq. m. with virtually no outside space(ok some have a tiny balcony) is just not acceptable.  But it might be acceptable to someone else and the extra facilities; gym etc may make all of the difference.

Apart from that, you haven't linked to even a single apartment with a short term price of 20k. Not  to state that they are not available, but since you stated that it would be easy, it's seems a bit rum that you cannot link to even a single one. ...and this is low season.

So that was really my point. A little too glib.

Anyway, point made. Let's move along.