topfield

News item (the Nation 20 February ) as well as financial currency matter.

Potjaman stands to gain Baht 14m profit using the onshore rate.

Could this be in the interest of the Thai economy and the Thai tax payer ?

http://backsla.sh/betamax

that's the table of their rates - voipdiscount looks the best.

but on top of it I do have as well internetcalls.com to cal free to some 45 countries unlimited (voipdiscount would give only 200 minutes per week)

WRONG ! This Co is in the same group and has 300 min max as they all have ...and no free mobiles to TH as V/D has. Read your own url !!

Does anyone have any ideas on which is the best pre-paid phone card? My AIS contract is costing a small fortune each month, mostly because of numerous international text messages. I've also had problems receiving and sending messages (messages says it has sent but recipient never gets it) both to Thai and international numbers.

Anyone know which card works out the cheapest (but is reliable), especially for international texts as well as local calls?

thanks

Try this brand new licenced service advertised in Bangkok Post a few days ago. Just three baht a minute and has a free 15 min starter call

www.deedial.com

Let us all know your opinion of the service.

Hiya all,

tried installing voipdiscount computer telephone service but get error message ie. check firewall settings. Disabled firewall etc to no avail..

My computer is attached direct to a cable not through my telephone connection, will this be affecting it?

Does anyone know of any ohter service that provides free calls to Thailand from the UK through computer?

Thanks All

HI...yes working now but would like to answer your final question Yes voipdiscount is one of a dozen services all operated by betamax a german co. Why I inform you this is because each service has different benefits even though the same price ! So if you want to dial uk mobiles one of the services is half the price ! Oher services offer free calls to countries the others dont.

May I suggest a very good and friendly UK website . Click on url below for voip services and you will get every bit of info there is on these .Enjoy http://forum.niftylist.co.uk/index.php?board=15.0

Hey TOP,

If you know somebody in the Phils, it's not gonna cost 16000/year.

Subscription card for the 52 channel package costs 10700 pesos/year, which currently is less then 7500 Baht.

This is calculated at simply 12 monthly fees, when I was last there they also had promotions on the prepaid packages, coming out even cheaper.

Although I think currently their promotions only give you an almost free receiver (which they sell for 5900 pesos or, 4150 Baht anyway, hello UBC !!!)

EMS the card to Thailand and there you go!

Dear Monty...yes I am sure there are dirt cheap subs available in Manila ! But ask yourself why. It's because it's so easy to hack they are lucky to get any subscription pesos at all !!

If and when a new hackproof system is introduced they will have no need to offer give away suscriptions any more. Think about it !

The dealer might be being untruthful or maybe he is giving me the information that he is getting. I have already been to the dream website so I know what it says. I'm just passing on the information on .

Perhaps more importantly is what scrambling system they intend to use if tand when hey change from the current Nagravision. There is only one hack/ foolproof system on the market at present and thats NDS as used by Murdoch's Sky.

.............and you will need a new receiver for that as NDS /Sky does not offer cams to fit other receivers.

Hi K.Bob,

Have seen your numerous postings asking about the uk PO's card to withdraw funds here at ATM'S but think you may have missed one reply where someone wrote to say they found a note in the small print which spoke of a rather hefty commission that would apply for such withdrawals in Thailand.

Yep i missed that one - but to be honest I didnt do the research myself - could have read the T&C's and called to ask. Is a shame as it would have been useful to have an alternative ATM withdrawl to nationwide.

I know it doesnt work for the nationwide credit card - they are quite stiff and expensive over credit card atm withdrawls outside of the UK.

I need to explore the cap one ig24 card (i think that is what it is called) and the hsbc current plus account...

There is an austrialian credit card, that when in credit will allow fee free withdrawls from ATM's but i'm not sure in non aussies can get it...

With respect to the original poster i have thought of some more options :

Open a joint account with your relatives in the UK at nationwide - that way they can pay your cheque in and you can withdraw from an atm in thailand

Allied irish have one of the highest interest paying offshore IOM accounts at the mo. You could send them the cheque and gain good interst tax free then wire (for a very reasonable price) to your thai bank account at a frequency suiateble to you.

Personally nationwide is the best route (for the fee free atm withdrawls in thailand) and you could explore nationwide offshore too - not the best interest but you can doo free transfers between on shore and offshore.

As a side Nova Scotia bank look interesting but I'm not sure how a non canada resident/citizen can get an account with them...

Thanks for that Kun Bob ...very interesting. Can you give a little more info on the card yoiu refered to as ig24 please.

Re Nationwide Credit card you are dead right ...but did you know that a few years back they were also fee free where in credit but changed their terms and conditions ? It was then I stopped using ATM's with them but for hotel bill , car rental payment they are still excellent with same exchange rate as Debit card I believe.

Final comment : you wrote

"Personally nationwide is the best route (for the fee free atm withdrawls in thailand) and you could explore nationwide offshore too - not the best interest but you can doo free transfers between on shore and offshore."

Again you are on the ball K.Bob ...N/W International do indeed offer almost immediate fee free transfers to and from N/W B.S UK so its worth having an a/c with them also.

Seems some people like to pay for getting poor interest and the prospect of the UK Gov asking them about unreported tax on interest for several years when they may have been regarded as UK resident !

Have more than 1 bank and take what is good from them - the banks like people who just want 1 service provider as they make more money from people like that...

Most of the offshore banks I have dealt with have been exceptionally good - much better than UK on-shore and as a rule I dont pay for day-to-day services - of course some transactions do involve a charge. I have noticed that Allied Irish have some good rates for basic services.

Seems we may be getting a bit confused here as there is Allied Irish :

http://www.alliedirishoffshore.com/servlet...hore/Splashpage

and

Anglo Irish :

http://www.angloirishbank.co.im/personal-b...al-deposits.asp

Anyway this is a bit off topic

Any comments on usage of the Post Office credit card anyone ?

HTH

K.Bob wrote :

"Most of the offshore banks I have dealt with have been exceptionally good "

How lucky you are !

My experience with Singapore banks in particular tells a differrent story !

Almost every one offered me favourable charges to get me to open an account and put funds with them only to double/triple the charges within two years , usually giving only 4 weeks notice ! Abnamro the worst as one of their accounts they offered offered ZERO custodian fees then out of the blue introduced a fifty dollar a month fee in direct contradiction of what they had put in writing !!

I'm busy getting a house built in Phuket. One thing I want to do is to install a BIG satellite TV antenna, for reception of alternative channels over the usual UBC offerings.

I'm a techie so happy with the installation and what I might be able to view. But are there any rules in Thailand which restrict the antenna size that you can use?

In the UK its one small dish and then you need planning permission for a second dish or a larger dish.

The size of antenna that I'm looking to install could be up to 6-8 metres diametre if they let me

Simon

In Bangkok I have 15 dishes all sizes up to 12 foot without a complaint. In London Westminster they STILL have a full time planning dept sat officer going round to check for dishes and any dish over a meter has to be taken down immediately.

Isn't Thailand GREAT

I would wait about 2 months before buying a satellite.

Satellite service from Aguilar KU is supposed to stop in 2 months due to equipment upgrades on the upload side of the satellite in the Phillipines.

Aguilar KU is the major English content providing satellite which has a footprint over parts of Thailand (besides UBC).

One satellite dealer in Chiang Mai said service would completely stop. My dealer in Phayao said if they can't break the new code, all F1 receivers would have to be upgraded to ones with card readers. Then annually, you would have to purchase a card to watch tv from this satellite for about 4000 baht.

Your dealer is being untruthful as the cards will cost AT LEAsT four times that amount for all 52 channels.

Go to the Dream website and see for yourself . Also go to www.filsat.com for info/forum on Dream

New cheapest standard ie NOT THROUGH COMPUTER Thai based service just launched 3 BAHT per min prepay

www.deedial.com

Still no answer on what satelite this FOX can be received.

Me ,as well as the OP(I suppose) don't have highspead landlines,so receiving on PC is not possible.

Funny how many people react on a simple question with all kind of moral preaching (pro or con )

It was on the Dream bouquet , Agila satellite , but came off around six months ago .

If you want to know on which satellites ANY channel is broadcast go to :

www.lyngsat.com where they have a section telling you on which sat every known prog is broadcast.

My guess is that its on on Sky Asia but Rupert only sells receivers and cards to hotels with over 100 rooms.

Of course the info above relates to Asia only

Ok thanks from everyone i think for the important link top. Now the horse certainly cleared things up, BUT he didn't say anything about the cirrus rate, whats the deal with that? Does NW debit use the cirrus rate? If so the current rate 69.70 to the £ may be lower right?

TY

For ATM withdrawals The N/W Debit Card (blue colour) uses the Visa Network. Their Cash Card (red colour) works on the Cirrus or Mastercard system.

The fact is that the Debit card is giving a rate approximating the onshore rate while the Cash cards rate is in line withthe offshore rate.

The why's and wherefore's of this is A COMPLETE MYSTERY so plse don't ask as not only dont I know but have also been unable to find out.

well, i dont know when you last had 10000$ in hand; it is anything but slim

Try Singapore cash. They have in circulation ten thousand dollar notes !! Yes each note worth over three thousand pounds or 6500 US !!

Not talking about the US 10,000 dollar bills with Chase on them. These are collectors items and sell for $70,000 No I'm referring the the Singapore notes which are available at all bank branches in the City state.

PS There is also a Thai Baht 100,000 note. The BOT quite keen to offer these and phoned me three times a year or two back!!

Thanks for the thought. Whilst I would guess it is unlikely that Super Rich carries the Sing 10k note using Sing money this might work - because they are high denomination bills and it would be easy to convert direct to Sterling in Singapore and transfer to my HSBC account in HK using HSBC Sing. Plus, a day trip to Sing for this purpose would be cost effective and not wear out the profit margin. I've never been to Super Rich but understand from previous posts that it is accross from World Trade. Can anyone tell me which side of World Trade that is - Sukhumvit/Chidlom, Amari or the long road up the side?

They are in the street alongside to Big C. They might have the 10k note , you can call them to reserve some as these notes are used extensively in Asia for gold trading. They are almost as good as a travellers cheque as people write down the serial numbers so if stolen easy to catch the thief. Unfortunalely there are no 5k Sing $ notes so 1k Sing is the nearest denomination below.

Why ? Well this 10k note was introduced during the early part of the last century to match the Bank of England one thousand pound notes and for some reason they have seen no need for a Sing$5k note. Therefore if not enough Sing 10K's available the next largest is the very popular and much used 500 Euro bill worth around the same as the 1K Sing.or the ever popular 1K Swiss franc note.

Oh yes, the Baht 100,000 note ..it really does exist but I would not recommend it as its too dam-n expensive .

Has anybody actually seen a statement for very recent transactions showing the conversion rate to Sterling after a withdrawal from a Thai ATM using Visa card Cirrus or Mastercard and debiting their UK account?

Firstly : an immediate deduction of available funds comes through. This is an approximate rate which 75% of times is the actual rate.

This is followed up on online banking anywhere between 18 and 42 hours later with the actual conversion rate.

As regards the above question on 25 February when the market fx rate swung between $1.9760 and $1.9580 which equates to 69.5 and 70.25 in Baht to the pound onshore, the Nationwide Debit Card rate on THREE test atm withdrawals of a thousand baht at 1am 11am and 5pm was 69.93. ...you go figure .....as the Americans say.

Finally BEWARE the Cirrus rates are far lower.

well, i dont know when you last had 10000$ in hand; it is anything but slim

Try Singapore cash. They have in circulation ten thousand dollar notes !! Yes each note worth over three thousand pounds or 6500 US !!

Not talking about the US 10,000 dollar bills with Chase on them. These are collectors items and sell for $70,000 No I'm referring the the Singapore notes which are available at all bank branches in the City state.

PS There is also a Thai Baht 100,000 note. The BOT quite keen to offer these and phoned me three times a year or two back!!

OK. All you doubters out there who still will not believe the N/W debit card is giving a rate equiv to the onshore rate here is the info DIRECT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH and updated daily .

It is from the OFFICIAL VISA website in the US of A

http://corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_serv...HB&rate=0.0

I would have thought that was obvious

If it was obvious, I (and Khun Bob) would not have asked..... Sure, it's easy to figure out in general terms what you asked. But Mr. Lock says that whatever you asked "doesn't apply." Hard to fit 'general terms' against that.

Anyway, maybe Mr. Lock doesn't appreciate "attitude" -- and maybe that's why he blew you away.

Wrong, Jimgant...the man is an employee of Nationwide and it is now clear that his job is to deal with problems that arise on customers' accounts with overseas ATM'S and clearly knows absolutely nothing about Thailand or Thai exchange rates.

As for your claim of 'blowing away"...a strange expression to use in this context ....I think you really meant "told to piss off" ....but were too polite to use that expression....he was in fact EXTREMELY polite as befits his job, but he can't provide info he doesn't have can he ?

Sorry that this posting offers no solutions..only questions that could lead to a solution

You state that your bank branch will not permit you to tt baht out of Thailand.

Well I would ask them to show you in their authority for this in chapter and verse. The BOT regs are published in a manual each head office should hold. Alternatively ring the BOT yourself and ask as they do have a public equiry number.

Why do I have reason to believe your branch's info is untrue ?

Well in May '97 at the height of the baht crisis and with draconian rules in place I was permitted to tt baht out of Thailand. To do this all I had to prove was that foreign funds had come in . I was also permitted to send out interest payments I had received on showing proof.

Secondly I wouyld call Bangkok Bank in Singapore . I know several expats who hold baht a/c there. If you are permitted to open a convertible baht a/c there you will be half way to getting the offshore rate which will give you a premium of around ten percent ( 35.75 v 33.25 to the dollar) so surely worth the trouble.

Allied Irish IOM - £2000 deposit - no bank charges and interest of up to 5.65% right now. Parent Co is also incorporated in Ireland which is useful if you are or were a UK resident as the UK gov is now forcing UK bank with offshore banking to disclose information on bank accounts and transactions. Currently HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and another bank have been asked to disclose following a test case with barclays.

If the UK gov think you are UK resident and you have offshore assetts, it is not good to be with a bank that has a UK parent... The EU tax directive however does not apply to trusts and companies in the EU. I understand it is still possible to acheive tax avoidance through these vehicles. However the EU tax directive is scheduled to be reviewed this year.

Be interested to hear from anyone who has a HSBC Singapore account and is UK resident - when I looked at the small print it was a bit scary !!

Unfortunately Anglo Irish like most of the IOM banks is a minimalist bank,

i.e No Debit Cards, No Credit Cards, No ATM cards,No Current Accounts.

(Min Deposit is GBP 5,000) This bank generally only caters to long term deposits.

LloydsTSB Offshore jersey. (Overseas Club)

Min GBP 100. or Euro or US.

Fee GBP 7.5 per month, also you get the name, phone number, fax number and email address

of your personal contact at the bank ... None of this trying to talk to someone in Bangalore.

Cheque book.

Visa Debit Card.

Mstercard Credit Card.

Internet, Phone and Fax banking.

Naka.

Dear friend...you get what you pay for. Anglo Irish pay 5.65/6.05 percent. How much do Lloyds Offshore pay ?

Fox?

All fox viewers own two hats.

Still like to decide for my self.

I hate it when somebody prevent me from looking what I want (legal) and I hate it a little bit if people don't want me to

I can understand that. I don't want to decide for you either.

I find CNN almost unwatchable and how people can think it's liberal is beyond me. BBC seems to be really bad, at least the version I get on free cable - mostly previews of their own programs. Or maybe it's just that I have so much more and so much better information right here in my computer. I love the BBC website, for example, that's excellent.

The BBC TV that you see in Thailand is garbage. It's a small failed attempt to emulate the BBC that we get in the UK. The only decent BBC overseas broadcasts are BBC World Service radio on shortwave (I think they have VHF relays too) which are funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (our State Department). If you want a flavour of 'serious' radio that's heard in the UK choose 'listen live' for BBC Radio 4 from the website. You'll obviously have to bear in mind that the programmes are made for a domestic audience. You may also have to make allowances for our sense (that's sense with an 's') of humour

"The BBC TV that you see in Thailand is garbage"

Thats BBC World. You can see the UK version BBC News 24 for free here on your broadband. Look up "TVAnts" on Google. You will also get National Geographic channel which I'm watching at the moment and dozens of other channels ..

"

Fox?

All fox viewers own two hats.

Still like to decide for my self.

I hate it when somebody prevent me from looking what I want (legal) and I hate it a little bit if people don't want me to

I can understand that. I don't want to decide for you either.

I find CNN almost unwatchable and how people can think it's liberal is beyond me. BBC seems to be really bad, at least the version I get on free cable - mostly previews of their own programs. Or maybe it's just that I have so much more and so much better information right here in my computer. I love the BBC website, for example, that's excellent.

The BBC TV that you see in Thailand is garbage. It's a small failed attempt to emulate the BBC that we get in the UK. The only decent BBC overseas broadcasts are BBC World Service radio on shortwave (I think they have VHF relays too) which are funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (our State Department). If you want a flavour of 'serious' radio that's heard in the UK choose 'listen live' for BBC Radio 4 from the website. You'll obviously have to bear in mind that the programmes are made for a domestic audience. You may also have to make allowances for our sense (that's sense with an 's') of humour

As to why N/W Cash Card uses the offshore rate while their Debit card the onshore rate here is his reply :

"unfortunately, the Cirrus

Network is run by Master card and it is they who choose what exchange

rate to use and secondly, we have no control over how a Country or

company runs it's banking operations. "

So it seems unlikely we will ever be able to unlock the secrets of the use in Thailand of N/W's plastic and we will have to content ourselevs with the indisputable fact that, for Debit card holders anyway, the exchange rate we receive , whether in Thailand or Singapore or elsewhere , is unbeatable.

This is what I read on that thread and I believe I have understood it correctly...Ive read on other threads people are still getting 70bt on that card so that sounds like the onshore rate to me !

Please provide a single thread /posting re a rate of 70 ie the onshore rate currently available with the Nationwide Cash Card ....would be EXTREMELY interested and so would many others esp. markhuahin. Thank you

Well Thaksin had Samak cheerleading him on the airwaves so I am not surprised to see this government have Sondhi. After all everything is about marketing and propoganda. It was under Thaksin and so it remains now.

Goodness me...wrong wrong wrong.

Clearly you have not been viewing Sontee's tv progs on ASTV and now Ch 11 or reading the Manager !

A spokesman for the government ? Nonsense. Rai Sara as they say bin Thai

His criticism of the government and ministers is devastating.

Did you not hear his accusations against Tevakun the Finance Minister demanding he resign ...thats just one example.

Did you not hear his threat to restart demonstrations if the coup leaders do not step down as they had promised.

Sorry but your 6th grade wife should study and read whats going on in Thai politics before claiming Sontee is a pawn of the coup leaders.

My my my.....you really need to read my posts more carefully and then you would see who claimed what! And as to who is the pawn of what....time should make this clearer....I think you have jumped to a premature conclusion based on what?....a few snippets of a Thai news show and commentary taicoon's rantings/posturings/self-positionings?

Chownah

Sontee who I met in London at SOAS after his talk at the university in September has NO politicaL ambitions.

No snippets my friend....we watch his program every single week day at 8.30pm at many progs at the weekend.

His views are independant and in no way reflect those of the government which he is criticising continually.

He is extremely influential ..hence his prog now shown on Channel 11.

Thank you for the additional information but the rate applied by Visa

International is an independent rate calculated by Visa based on the

amount of currency they purchase from World Banks.

We are told that the rate is often favourable to the Visa cardholder.

So whilst you're information is interesting it does not apply, although

the rates might be similar.

Regards

Andrew Lock

Nationwide B.S.

Payment Services

Tel: 01793 652102

Fax: 01793 656041

//email removed per forum rules - lopburi3//

getting through to important people in nationwide is very difficult (still have the tel no above).

My pursuite to get another flex account was in vain as i could not directly talk to the underwriters (or whatever they are called) - jus got told of an unwritten policy to only allow people to have 4 flex accounts. Fine I have 5 all ready ! Still using an alernative address may allow me to do so or applying for a investdirect account from a more distant branch and a monkey cashier may give me a second instance of my identity with natiowide to get additional flex accounts...

Hi Kun Bob,

In case people are scratching their head wondering why anyone should want a dozen flexaccounts I think I have the answer as clearly there is currently a huge advantage to an investor with assets to own these multiple cards.

Kun Bob never answered when asked why on this forum but clearly the ability to carefully time ones ATM withdrawals when the rate is say, over 70 as it is a few times a week, and withdraw a hundred thousand a day can be hugely beneficial. Right or wrong....or no comment........... K.Bob ??

My motives are not for taking advantage of good exchange rates and the limitation of only £250 per day withdrawls. However this is beneficial. The secondary purpose is for redundancy in the event of loss or theft - having a few spare cards allows me to continue despite Nationwides policy on overseas living. The primary purpose, I dont wish to disclose. (maybe I shouldnt say that...) <deleted> I tell it as it is !

Hi K.Bob,

Having five cards is nevertheless an excellent idea as one can wait for a favourable rate ie over 70/71 and withdraw 'saen neung' from an ATM , if ones aim is to place ones money into a rock solid currency which has a good return ...and the baht is flavour of the month in this respect or rather flavour of the year (hopefully)