jfchandler

The Majestic Suites, having stayed there, is a lovely small hotel... good prices...very modern rooms, though a bit small in size... great staff...close to Nana BTS and everything else on lower Sukhumvit... No buffet there, but single plate cafe breakfast.

However, it's also a block from Nana Plaza....and does a good deal of business with local girls and their customers...usually quiet and well behaved.

If that's what you want...it's a good choice. If you have other things in mind, there are many many other choices in your price range.

Have you been to BKK before, and do you have any idea what area you might want to stay???

OK, I've seen the TV posts coming from Pattaya and Chiang Mai...but nothing yet re BKK.

What's going on in the local bar/restaurant scene re opportunities for viewing the Super Bowl early this coming Monday morning???

That's for everyone here who doesn't subscribe to TrueVisions Gold and get TrueSports 4, where the game supposedly will be broadcast.

Count me in as in the same situation - no forum response e-mails for some weeks.

I was getting them fine for many months to my same Hotmail account, straight into my Inbox, no spam filtering problem.

I haven't changed anything at this end, other than upgrading to Windows Live e-mail over the holidays. But I regularly check my Junk mail folder anyway, and nothing from TV is showing up there anyway.

Though, I still am still receiving the periodic news flashes and summariies to my Hotmail account without any problem, same as before. Only the forum reply notifications seem to have ceased.

There's a couple of layers to this, including the good advice that Lopburi gave above.

At the sending end in the U.S., whether and how you can send a "large amount" international wire transfer of U.S. funds to Thailand (while you are not physically there in the U.S.) depends on the policies of your individual bank.

Some will allow you to fill out paperwork in advance (while on a visit to the U.S.) making the general authorization, and then initiate the actual transfer by telephone call and using some pre-established password. Some also will do it without pre-arrangement, but require you to send a signed faxed or mailed request to them with all your personal account info and all the details of the recipient account. Some require you to be physically present in the U.S.

Among the examples I've encountered, Washington Mutual supposedly will only do an international wire when you physically initiate it in their U.S. branch. BofA largely follows the same policy, though they supposedly have an advance authorization form you can use, provided you tell them ahead of time what single account you'll always be sending to. I did that paperwork on my last U.S.visit, but haven't tried to exercise that method yet. A couple of my other banks want signed mailed or faxed letters.

Although I don't have either of these accounts so I can't vouch for the details, other posters on TV have previously reported that CitiBank accounts in the U.S. have the ability to initiate online international wire transfers, and some have said the same thing about Fidelity brokerage accounts.

Then, there's the issue of international (more expensive) vs. domestic (less expensive) wire transfers. One advantage to having a Thai account with Bangkok Bank is that, unlike the other Thai banks, they have a U.S.branch with a U.S. ABA number. So, as others have alluded, if you have a Thai BKK Bank account, you can save a bit by doing a domestic wire transfer to the ABA number of their New York office, and then they automatically credit it to your corresponding BKK Bank account at your branch here.

Speaking as a longtime U.S. newspaper reporter, including lastly from the L.A. Times, there are a couple of bottom lines to understand when it comes to American media coverage of a country like Thailand.

Most American network TV news operations and major newspapers have seen their staffs decimated by cutbacks in the past decade, largely relating to economic downturns and the shift to new media.

So, unless it's a major pedophile or some really uncommon quirky thing, Thailand just doesn't make it onto the U.S. news radar most of the time, especially amid Iraq, the probs with North Korea, and the business sections' focus on larger more industrialized countries like Japan and South Korea.

There are only a couple of U.S. newspapers that maintain any significant network of foreign bureaus anymore (NY Times, Wash Post, and the L.A. Times). So mostly, the American newspapers rely on the Associated Press and either pick their feed up straight or rewrite it in various ways.

So then, when something really big does go down here, you're mostly looking at the papers and TV networks relying on stringers or importing a staffer from a nearby country -- either way, not leading to a situation where there's a great deal of interest or opportunity to put everything in perspective or translate all the pertinent cultural/political differences.

On the other hand, think of things from the opposite perspective. Try picking up a Thai reporter from The Nation and suddenly plunking him/her down in the U.S. all of a sudden to immediately start writing about the current U.S. presidential race. What kind of coverage do you expect you're going to get from that kind move, particularly for the short-term, if you were an American reading it back here in Thailand.

News media everywhere tend to create stereotyped impressions, even in their own backyards. Thailand is a place where... Los Angeles is a place where... etc etc... It's only when you actually live in the place being covered, that you understand the stereotypes exist, but they hardly define the entire society or culture.

Personally, one of the most disheartening things I notice when I read the news coverage these days, about almost anything, is so often what is a TOTAL loss of any real perspective on the subject being covered.

Two simple illustrative examples: The daily stock market article will tell you that the market went up or down yesterday, but probably wont' tell you how it's done for the past week, or even the trend thus far in the year. The daily news article will tell you that some pedophile teacher got arrested and deported, but it pretty unlikely to try to explain how someone who maybe had a prior criminal record elsewhere ended up being permited to teach here (or anywhere else).

I'm not sure why the trend toward loss of perspective has gone that way. Part of it is economics and the loss of staff and commitment to spend the time to do that kind of reporting. Part of it also, I think, is the emergence of the Internet and the 24-hour news cycle where everything needs/wants to be rushed out right away and there's less time to put things in perspective.

Part of it too, I think (boy, I'm beginning to sound old here even though I'm not) is a mindset among the younger reporters (and many now are younger because of turnover in the industry) who grew up in the MTV era where everything comes in flashes and everyone is presumed to have a miniscule attention span where there's no time or interest to go any deeper.

Yikes... no wonder I got out of that freakin' profession. Sounds like a mess!!! Back to watching VH1 :-)

As I mentioned in my post above, PRIORITY mail through U.S.P.S. (the less expensive method) is NOT trackable, and no signature is required. The Thai postal people just leave it at your address.

I haven't done EXPRESS mail international (the more expensive method), so I don't know the exact procedures, except that it IS trackable online.

The Boss Tower apartments are somewhat near Ekkamai BTS off of Sukhumvit Road.

The apartments are OK, have a swimming pool, and priced pretty well, mostly for Thai residents. I had a Thai friend recommend it to me, so I went to look.

But I decided against them, mainly because their location is a pretty LONG walk down a very busy and noisy soi to get to Ekkamai.

Being close and convenient to BTS was important to me, and I wanted to be within a quick/convenient walk. Boss is an easy ride via motorcycle taxi, but I didn't want to be doing that every time I came or went from home.

There are two main "express" methods of sending mail to Thailand via the U.S. Postal Service. Both have flat rate envelope options that are pretty reasonable, especially for documents or smaller items.

The first, Express Mail International, is more expensive, but quicker (they estimate about five business days) and is trackable.

The second, Priority Mail International, is less expensive, slower (they estimate 6-10 business days) and is NOT trackable.

I was having my mail forwarding service use Priority Mail International, and it was taking close to two weeks typically for my mail to go from Texas to BKK (ie, 10 business days)

But over the Christmas holiday, I had a flat rate envelope ship on Dec. 3 and it didn't arrive here until Jan. 5 (in perfect condition, not having been opened or any other sign of distress). I had thought it had been lost and couldn't track it to be sure, but was surprised later when it arrived more than a month after shipping. That was the end for me of U.S.P.S.

So I switched to a more expensive delivery method, I believe my service will now use DHL, and it arrives here 2 or 3 days later. Sometimes time is more important than money.

See the flat rate pricing below for U.S.P.S. to Thailand:

Express Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat-Rate Envelope (9.5" x 12.5"):

$25.00

Priority Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat-Rate Envelope (9.5" x 12.5"): $11.00

May contain items that may be sent as First-Class Mail International. The maximum weight is 4 lbs.

Flat-Rate Box: $37.00

<a name="ep3307392">Merchandise is permitted, but written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted. The maximum weight is 20 lbs. or the limit set by the individual country.

Some Siam Commercial branches in BKK will wrongly demand you have a work permit. But, SCB corporate policy says you can open a savings account and get an ATM card just by showing a passport and at least a non-immigrant visa (I'm not sure they accept tourist visas at SCB).

When I did this some time ago, their branch in Sukhumvit gave me the WP line in denying. But I later called to the SCB call center, and they gave the correct advice, and suggested to try instead at their Siam Paragon or Siam Square branches. I did there with success, but they also wanted to see some housing rental agreement.

On the other hand, as reported above, BKK Bank was easy. Just passport. They didn't care about anything else.

From my experience, you cannot (at least online) use your own credit card to purchase an airline ticket solely for another person.

You can purchase for yourself and others included. But you can't do an online credit card purchase solely for others flying, but not for yourself.

I tried to purchase an airline ticket for a Thai GF before, and got that same response. Caveat: I'm only talking about online airticket purchases using credit cards -- not thru travel agents or other means.

About the credit card problem mentioned above, every time I've flown EVA out of either LA or BKK I have been asked to show the credit card I used to make the ticket purchase. I can't remember ever NOT being asked that. And, as another poster mentioned, the airlines (including EVA) are very clear about that requirement.

What if you are purchasing a ticket for someone else on your credit card? I guess you have to give them your credit card for their trip to Thailand or go with them to the airport.

About the credit card problem mentioned above, every time I've flown EVA out of either LA or BKK I have been asked to show the credit card I used to make the ticket purchase. I can't remember ever NOT being asked that. And, as another poster mentioned, the airlines (including EVA) are very clear about that requirement.

If I had that problem arise (having a lost or stolen credit card after the ticket purchase but before the flight), I'd think a good solution would be to contact the airline/EVA customer service AHEAD of the flight, inform them of what happened, and seek their advice. Perhaps they could update in your travel records in their system, substituting your new/replacement credit card as the one of record.

Either that, or they probably could also issue you a new/replacement E-ticket e-mail with the updated credit card info.

These days, I'd never chance going to the airport unless I was sure the credit card in my wallet matched the one used for the ticket purchase.

Or...depending on how you read the IATA text, do they mean return/onward ticket is required ONLY if you arrive under the 30-day no visa arrival provisions they mention above???? (And not if you arrive on a tourist or non-imm B visa???)

But then, there's the subsequent language after (and separate) from the APEC provisions:

Visitor must hold all documents for next destination.

And that comes just before the general provisions talking about proof of money for the stay.

Yikes...I can't tell....

Hmmmmm.... I always fly EVA between BKK and the States, so this likewise is a concern to me... In the past, I've always had return reservations, even though I live in BKK. So my tickets have always been LA to BKK and then back to LA six months or a year later. But, sometimes it's hard to purchase affordable EVA tickets at the 6 mo or 1 year return validity vs. the shorter 3 month term. So I can see needing to do a one way ticket (LA to BKK) in the future if I can't get the longer return flight.

So, I checked the IATA web site mentioned above for American citizens traveling to Thailand, and believe it shows exactly the opposite answer (return/onward travel documentation required) from what the site says for Brits traveling to Thailand (one way travel OK)... Is that really true????

See copy of IATA info for American traveling to Thailand, below:

/ 28JAN08 / 0718 UTC

National U.S.A. (US) /Transit U.S.A. (US)

Destination THAILAND (TH)

ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW

U.S.A. (US)

THAILAND (TH)

Passport required, which must be valid at least 6 months and

in good condition.

Visa not required for a max. stay of 30 days, provided

coming for touristic purposes. Extension possible.

Fee THB 1,900.- (1 photo required).

Note: there is a max. limit of a total of 90 days stay within

any 6 month period.

Return/onward ticket is required. (emphasis added)

If holding APEC Business Travel Card (clearly stating on the reverse that it is valid for travel to Thailand):

visa not required, for a max. stay of 90 days, provided APEC

card is accompanied by passport and, in the case of being a

resident of Hong Kong, a Hong Kong Permanent Resident Identity Card.

Visitor must hold all documents for next destination.

If being over 12 years old, visitor must also hold sufficient

funds to cover stay (at least THB 20,000.- approx. USD 640.-

per person/family).

Proof of funds includes letter of credit, vouchers, MCO's or

well-known credit cards (not applicable if holding re-entry

visa).

Non-compliance with the visa regulations will result in:

- refusal and immediate deportation of passenger;

- fines for the airline of THB 20,000,-;

- overstay fine for passenger of THB 500,- per day (but not

exceeding in total THB 20,000.-).

CHECK TINEWS/N6 - IRAQI N SERIES PASSPORTS

Timaticweb Version 1.3

It's a long overdue change for Thailand....if hopefully it is enforced or at least adopted.

Went thru the same whining in California a few years back when my former home made this change. Bar and restaurant owners bitched likecrazy, claimed they'd be put out of business. Fast forward a few years, and business is just fine, thanks. And you can go out for a meal or a drink at night, and not have to worry about getting smoked to death sitting inside. The folks who want to smoke take it outside.

It didn't take the heavy hand of the police to accomplish it - just the common sense of people and society moving in the direction away from smoking for all the obvious health reasons.

I remember going to the Hollywood Disco here a few years back. Woke up the next morning coughing like I'd smoked two packs the night before. And my clothes stank of cigarette smoke from those folks around me. I've never gone back there ever since, just for that very reason.

Infact,...now, just the opposite, I often do think seriously about where to go for entertainment, based on how smoke free a place might be, based on their air con/ventilation inside.

Any business that honors the new regulation will get a vote of support and endorsement from me!!!!

Add the Mikkie D's branch at Bumrungrad Hospital to the breakfast locations list.

Had an early appointment at the hosp. Weds. and stopped in afterward for a snack. They had big signs up all over the MD outlet there advertising their breakfast.

For the record, I NEVER eat at Mikkie D's in the states, at least since I was a kid... (can you say... worm burgers....or... Super Size Me????) But, I was hungry and I'd heard from friends that MD's in Thailand are better than the U.S. So I figured I'd give it a first-time Thailand try.

Well, as to better than the U.S., I'd say NOT... I tried a double Big Mac, and it came out perfectly dry and pretty tasteless.... and no sauce of any kind on the burger that I could see. And when I went looking for mustard, the dispenser instead had red/gooey/sweet Thai sauce. YUCK...for burgers....

But because it was breakfast, I also tried one each of their sausage and ham mcmuffin things. Not bad, capable to eat, just the hamburger style bun (not English muffin), the meat, a fried egg patty and some cheese. I think they were going for 49 baht.

They also had a breakfast plate, that seemed to offer a meat patty, eggs, bun, hash brown nuggets and coffee... Don't recall seeing anything about pancakes.

So, I gave it my first and only try. Not anxious to repeat the experience. Too many other better choices to try.

I don't think it's so simple as to say... NEVER use a foreign ATM card here....

If you need to legally document incoming funds transfers for retirement visa or other Thai govt. purposes, then wire transfers from your domestic bank provide a good document trail for that.

Also, many of the larger/major U.S. banks are ripoffs when it comes to withdrawing ATM funds in foreign countries, including Thailand. BofA and HSBC (non-Premiere), for example, both charge 3% foreign currency transaction fees on the amount you withdraw here, if you use their ATM cards. BofA also charges a flat amount per transaction fee in addition to their % fee... So..in those cases, NEVER USE is good advice.

However, there are a lot of credit unions and smaller banks in the U.S. that offer NO FEE ATM card use anywhere in the world, and likewise charge NO foreign currency transaction fees. If you don't need to legally document incoming funds, I do think those kinds of arrangement are good and convenient, and maybe even more cost effective than doing international wire transfers.

Since I don't need to document incoming funds, I regularly use a couple of different U.S. ATM cards to obtain funds here. All of them have no fees and no foreign currency charges. And in my years here, I've never had any technical problem/access issue being locked out of withdrawing funds.

I think it's also a good way of self-budgeting, since you're only pullling down smaller amounts at any given time vs. having a large incoming amount via wire transfer. I also keep and use several accounts, so in case I ever lose a card or have any problem with one, I always have another ATM card/account I can use instead.

As of yesterday, my cash withdrawal from one U.S. account through Siam Comm. Bank's ATM went at a 32.87 exchange rate.

Here in Thailand, you also should consider opening a local account with BKK Bank. The advantage is BKK Bank has a New York office with a U.S. ABA number, which means you can link your U.S. bank accounts online to BKK Bank via that ABA number. It's then possible to do U.S. funds transfers online that go to BKK Bank in New York, and then get credited onward to your Thai BKK Bank account. I've done it, and it works. There have been other threads written here that discuss that in more detail.

By the way, the same general issues apply to U.S. credit cards. Many charge from 1 to 3% foreign currency transaction fees if you try to use them abroad. So make sure you find and pick a U.S. credit card that doesn't carry such a fee.

PeaceBlondie, from all the problems you recite, odds are that you're having one of a couple of problems that PROBABLY should NOT require you to buy a new set of hardware. I looked at the specs on that HP model, and it's a perfectly fine system for the kind of use you're giving it. Not too old or behind the times to warrant replacing.

So, what's happening: Here's some possibilities

(Try No. 1 first, and if that doesn't work, then go to No. 2. If neither solve the problem, then it probably is a hardware thing):

1. It's possible, as others suggested, that you've run out (or running out) of free space on your main Hard Drive. Windows needs elbow room to run well, and if it doesn't have free disk space to use, it starts to do all kinds of squirrely things. If you've got a 40 GB hard drive or something like that, you'd want at least a couple Gigs of free, unused disk space. If you don't have that, consider uninstalling some unnecessary programs and running Disk Cleanup in Windows. HP tends to preinstall a lot of useless programs on their machines that suck up loads of disk space.

So first, you should run Disk Cleanup regardless, since junk tends to accumulate on your hard drive anways. Look for the Disk Cleanup icon in your Programs Start Menu. Then, go to your Settings Menu/Control Panel, and choose Add or Remove Programs. It will show you a list of what is installed on your machine, and go down the list and you can click to uninstall junk you don't need or want.

2. You've got your operating system infected with spyware or viruses. They can cause the kind of mischief you describe. The cure for that is to reformat your HD and reinstall Windows and all your accompanying programs. Given your skills at this, best to leave to a GOOD technician. Doing that and getting everything back right again is not an easy or quick task. As said, make sure to gather up and assemble all the CDs/disks etc. for stuff you've installed through the years, along with any registration codes, etc.

Whatever you do, practice safe computing. If you use any Internet connection other than dialup, always use Windows firewall or even better a hardware router. (Dialup doesn't require that kind of protection). Also, install and use a couple of anti-virus programs, including the free Windows Defender. Other good free choices are Spybot SD and Lavasoft, also free to download.

You didn't say what operating system (version of Windows) your machine has. You want to be running Windows XP for a machine that's a couple years old. Windows ME was and in a mess, full of many problems. Windows 98 is OK, but no longer supported. XP is stable and is supported by Microsoft with upgrades.

Also, another risk area is electrical current to your PC. Make sure it's a clean current and always use a good surge protector. I believe, if you have an erratic or spiking electrical current coming to the PC, it also could cause those kinds of problems, not to mention frying the chips on your motherboard.

Good Luck... --John.

AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So Smooooooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hehehehehe.....

After some months of sleeping on Tesco-purchased 65/35% queen bedding, which felt spectacularly uncomfortable especially in BKK's always warm weather, I made a bit of shopping a priority on my recent Christmas Holidays trip home to the states...

The result: a brand new queen sheet set (1 fitted, 1 flat and two pillow cases) of 100% Egyptian cotton, made in India, at 500 thread count. Kmart, of all places, was having a sale just before Christmas of its Martha Stewart (no jokes!!) brand, so I paid a bit less than $50 (1,700 baht) for what KMART regularly retailed at $90. Put them on the bed today for the first time and they feel GREAT.... So much of a comfort difference in sleeping.

More than a bit galling that the same kinds/quality of sheets here seem to retail in the $150 (5,000) baht neighborhood at the better department stores, and the Thai based products NEVER include the flat sheet that I really want, instead substituting the two long bolster covers that I never use.

I dearly love Thailand, but some things, you just have to get back home. Nighty nite!!!! --John.

Quite clearly, U.S. customs and immigration do have the right (at least at present) to inspect traveler's laptops and other possessions, and they sometimes exercise that right. But against who and under what circumstances, almost impossible to know.

I'm an American citizen, U.S. passport, late 40s, living in BKK now after having traveled here from Los Angeles back and forth maybe 20 times in the past 5 years. Never yet had my baggage searched, though I came close one time. They routed me for a search, and the first question the agent asked was about my work. When I told him I worked for a state university (which was of course true), he let me go without any further inquiry.

Lately, just came back from Christmas holidays in the states, including carrying my laptop with me. Zipped right through customs in Los Angeles, no questions or problems. BUT...before I left BKK, just out of an abundance of caution, I did the same thing with my laptop.. ran a full drive search of all image files to make sure there was nothing that would even begin to cause any question (GF photos, etc etc.).

Prudence would suggest anyone traveling to the U.S. with a laptop should ASSUME they may be searched, and take appropriate precautions to avoid what otherwise could become a very unpleasant encounter -- the last thing anyone needs after 20-24 hours in transit.

Thanks guys...to you both....

Let's each focus on the legal case...and the future settlement payments that hopefully will be headed our way... as a late Christmas present... and hopefully not an early New Year's gift for next year. --John.

Sorry...the graphic charts on Canon A560/SD1000 camera performance got mangled by technology in the prior post...

The two charts can be seen at these links...

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/ca...?tag=prod.txt.1

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/ca...38.html?tag=pop

Thanks Kat... I paid $130 U.S. plus tax (on sale down from a list of $150) for the A560 at Circuit City in Los Angeles (plus $20 U.S. for a 2 GB SD card), whereas the SD1000 and the A570IS (the latter pretty much the same as the 560 except for adding Image Stabilization) both were available on sale at different places for around $150 plus tax...

I actually was planning to get the SD1000 based on the price, reviews and specs... But when I went to the store and tried it "hands on", it felt too small for MY hands... (6 ft. 8 ins. guy), whereas the A560/570IS (which have the same Canon L-shape body) felt nice to hold and grip. But if I were a lady with lady hands, hehehehe...I'm sure I would have gone the other way. All three, technically, have pretty similar main specs.

About the A560, I test used it in the store, and it was VERY fast to start (from switch on to ready to shoot) and its reviews says the shutter lag is pretty quick. But of course, everything depends on the details... what resolution you're shooting at and, I suppose, what kind of SD card you're using to store the images. Some types, I gather, are faster, particularly when storing high res images....

All of the above mentioned cameras top out at 7 mp resolutions, I believe. But for me, for casual use, I rarely see the need to shoot anything beyond 3 or 4 mp. Doing more just takes up more space on the memory card and more space on my computer for all the digital files. It also, of course, makes the camera quicker in recording the current image and becoming ready to shoot the next.

Charts below from CNET.com

Shooting speed (seconds)

(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot time Time to first shot Shutter lag (typical) Olympus FE-190

1.9 2 0.7 Canon PowerShot A550

1.7 1.5 0.5 Canon PowerShot A560

1.6 1.5 0.5 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35

1.4 1.4 0.4 Kodak EasyShare C875

1.4 2 0.2

Shooting speed (in seconds)

(Shorter bars indicate better performance.)

Typical shot-to-shot time Time to first shot Shutter lag (typical) Canon PowerShot SD1000

1.5 1 0.5 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10

1.6 1.4 0.5 Canon PowerShot SD600

1.5 1.5 0.6 Nikon Coolpix S7c

2.1 2.2 0.7

Best...John.

I think you got one of the best deals available with that camera. I was seriously tempted, especially for the excellent value you get with this camera, but I was just tired of chunky point and shoots. I lusted after the SD 1000 and got it, even though it wasn't the absolute best value like the A560.

I bought a chunky Cannon in LOS (I left it there and forgot the type - long story), and it had a delayed shutter reaction; drove me nuts and I hated it. How does that one work with the shutterspeed?

Have fun with it!

Guys...a heartfelt and sincere request... take your argument and leave it outside of this post...

This post is about a legal case relating to international credit/debit card transactions. Your argument has become a personal pissing match.

It doesn't belong here. But... discussion of..and information about...the legal case does belong here.

Give everyone a break..in that regard. Thanks, John.

SD1000 is an excellent choice....very good reviews from almost everyone... and sexy stylish too!!! I am in the U.S. for the holidays, and was looking at that also, and several retailers were running specials on that here.

But I'm a big guy, and have big hands, so I ended up getting the Powershot A560, which felt better for me to hold. I paid about $70 U.S. less here in L.A. than the best price I had found in Thailand... Heading back home soon!!!!

I should be elegible for a nice settlement, having spent in Asia on average 1milbaht/yr over the time period '97-'06 and jumped thru the hoops of ccfsettlement.com and hesitated when they asked sinsitive info regarding my visa cc# and my social security# and then noticed the site with form was not secure. I then googled 'ccfsettlement' and got even more confused at this late hour. yahoo answers says it is a scam altho there are other conflicting reports, so i will look closer tomorrow and maybe call the 800# of my visa provider and get their feedback.

maybe others can do the same and report their findings here on this forum to save us from being scammed or to give us some good news that '$$'S DO FALL FROM HEAVEN'??

This does not look like a scam. See the following report on a very reliable news service (PR NewsWire) from the U.S., which specifcally mentions the web site where all the settlement info is housed:

Settlement Approval Hearing in In Re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation Class Action To Be Held on March 31, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger & Montague, P.C. and

Coughlin, Stoia, Geller, Rudman & Robbins LLP, Co-Lead and Co-Class Counsel

for the plaintiffs in the In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust

Litigation class action suit, announced the following:

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

SUMMARY NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION

TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES WHO WERE VISA-, MASTERCARD- AND DINERS

CLUB- BRANDED CREDIT AND DEBIT/ATM CARDHOLDERS AND MADE A FOREIGN

TRANSACTION BETWEEN FEBRUARY 1, 1996 AND NOVEMBER 8, 2006:

If potential class members (individuals, companies, and agencies) used

a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit/ATM card, or a Diners Club credit card

(including charge cards) to make a foreign transaction between February 1,

1996 and November 8, 2006, they could get a refund from a class action

settlement. The settlement applies to those persons or entities even if

they did not make a foreign transaction, and they will benefit from it.

The lawsuit (called In re Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation)

claims that Visa, MasterCard, their member banks, and Diners Club conspired

to set and hide the price of foreign transactions (including fees,

typically 1-3%) in violation of federal and state law, and that Visa and

MasterCard inflated their base exchange rates before applying these fees.

The Defendants (Visa, MasterCard, Bank of America, Bank One/First USA,

Chase, Citibank, Diners Club, HSBC/Household, MBNA and Washington

Mutual/Providian) deny these claims.

The settlement provides $336,000,000 to pay claims, the costs of

administering the settlement and notice, and court-awarded attorneys' fees

(up to 27.5% of the estimated $313,000,000 expected to remain in the

settlement fund after deducting costs for administration and notice, plus

interest and expenses) and awards for the class representatives. The

Defendants also agree to certain disclosure-related practices. If approved,

the settlement will bind class members. If persons and entities are

eligible to make a claim and do not opt out, they will release all claims

related to any foreign transaction, or the subject matters of the lawsuit,

against the Defendants, the member banks, and related entities and

individuals. Claims in other cases involving foreign transactions will also

be extinguished, but they can still make a claim here, if eligible for a

refund. Settlement agreements have also been signed in some of these other

cases. These agreements include payment of fees and expenses to attorneys,

some of whom have represented the Plaintiff in Schwartz v. Visa (CA). These

payments will not reduce the $336,000,000 settlement.

Class members do not need to go to court but may if they want to. Class

members may also hire an attorney, at their own cost, if they want to. The

court hearing to decide whether to approve the settlement is on March 31,

2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of

New York, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY, 10007-1581. If class members plan

to go, they are advised to check with the court to confirm the time and

date.

All class members who made a foreign transaction with a Visa,

MasterCard, or Diners Club credit or debit/ATM card between February 1,

1996 and November 8, 2006 are eligible for a refund. The amount of the

refund will depend on which claim form is chosen, the amount of total

claims, the dollar value of the claim, the bank that issued their card, and

the amount of money available to pay claims. Class members might only get a

partial refund.

Class members also have other options. They may:

-- Object. Class members must file a written objection and proof of

class membership with the court. They do not have to go to court or hire an

attorney. But can if they want to, at their own cost. The deadline is

February 14, 2008.

-- Opt out. If class members are eligible for a refund from the

settlement but do not want one, and they want to keep their right to sue

for money, they must opt out by sending the opt-out form letter (available

at: http://www.ccfsettlement.com, or by calling: 1-800-945-9890) to: P. O. Box

280, Philadelphia, PA 19105. If they opt out, they cannot get money from

the settlement. Class members cannot opt out of the part of the settlement

involving agreed disclosure-related practices. The deadline is February 14,

2008.

This notice is only a summary. For answers to common questions and more

information, including the amounts of transaction fees involved, visit:

http://www.ccfsettlement.com. For recorded information, call: 1-800-945-9890.

To ask for a refund, class members must file a claim for a refund

online at: http://www.ccfsettlement.com. Or file by mail (get a claim form at

http://www.ccfsettlement.com, or by calling 1-800-945-9890). The deadline is May

30, 2008.

DATED: September 24, 2007

BY ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

s.server=server() s.channel="news release" s.pageName="news_release_settlement approval hearing in in re currency conversion fee antitrust litigation class action to be held on march 31, 2008 at 11:00 a.m." s.prop2="109" s.prop3="12-03-2007" /************* DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE ! **************/ var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code); //--> SOURCE Berger & Montague, P.C.; Coughlin, Stoia, Geller, Rudman &

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