ianguygil

Whenever you have a problem, please call 1333 so we are aware of it. We can monitor internal resources and from some external endpoints. But due to the complexity of the Internet it is impossible for us to monitor from every location and provider combination.

Thanks again for the heads up on this.

Ian

bangkok bank in london different bank to bangkok bank in thailand.

transfer from any bank in UK has same problem.

You get no advantage using bangkok bank in london for anything.

They use SWIFT same same everyone else.

Bangkok Bank in Thailand charge 200-500bht for all foreign incoming transfers.

But not shown anywhere in passbook or paperwork.

This is just not correct.

Our London Branch is just that. A wholly owned Branch of BBL, operating in the UK under the regulations of the FSA.

The customer transfers from the UK bank via a low cost local clearing mechanism (BACS) to our London Branch.

Then we make the transfer to our Head Office internally. We meet all bank regulations on both sides, and we base it on SWIFT formats, but we do not use theSWIFT network. The end benefits to our customers are a better effective FX rate through a combination of lower fees and a better rate.

We send you an SMS when the funds arrive. And you can get a breakdown of all charges upon request. However, it is the effective exchange rate that always matters THB/GBP = Effective Exchange Rate

Can you explain why so many branches of banks tell Farangs that they must have a work permit to open an account when it is not a requirement? And why one branch of say, Bangkok Bank, insists on a WP but the one down the road has no problem opening an account without one?

Should we report these branches to their head office as being negligent?

Really! With 6,000 odd posts and presumably a wealth of experience in Thailand, surely you know the famous answer to that?

TIT

I would take the website reference along with a print out. Here it is for the Bangkok Bank

http://www.bangkokba...ount%20new.aspx

There is an extremely clear table of requirements towards the end.

I asked the question as I know Ian works for Bangkok Bank and was curious as to why their managers seem to think Farangs need work permits to open an account when it's not a regulation, and apparently not an instruction from the head office.

Ian, Bangkok Bank main branch in Pattaya (Second Rd.) required a work permit when I went to open an account.

Carrefour branch didn't but I don't know if that's because I already had an account with BB.

Thank you. I will ask somebody on the Operations side in Silom to follow up with them.

Just to be clear, Thai banks enforce the regulations from the Bank of Thailand. And please remember that many of these regulations are part of a global effort to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, and I know all contributors to this site will agree that these are noble and valid goals.Without them you end up with this complex mix of criminals (drugs, people trafficing, extortion) and terrorism which become more intertwined every year.

If you have proof that you transferred these funds in to Thailand you should be able to transfer them back out again. Please ask your banks to look for the original transfer.

If you find a bank, or a branch of a bank, which is not following these rules they should be considered to be negligent. And they will not be able to get away with it as all Thai banks transfer funds internationally via their head office SWIFT interfaces.

So I would encourage you to try to find the original transfer details.

Ian

My financial advisor reckons that if I have a few million dollars to move from drugs money or arms deals he can do it with no problem, but getting a bank account to pay my monthly salary into is a big problem.

Can you explain why so many branches of banks tell Farangs that they must have a work permit to open an account when it is not a requirement? And why one branch of say, Bangkok Bank, insists on a WP but the one down the road has no problem opening an account without one?

Should we report these branches to their head office as being negligent?

Yes please. Either tell our Head Office or tell me, and we will ensure that they receive the required training so that they give customers the correct answer. Those who say no when it should be yes need to be corrected so we can offer customers the products and services they deserve. And those who say yes when it should be no also need special attention.

Ian

Just to be clear, Thai banks enforce the regulations from the Bank of Thailand. And please remember that many of these regulations are part of a global effort to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, and I know all contributors to this site will agree that these are noble and valid goals.Without them you end up with this complex mix of criminals (drugs, people trafficing, extortion) and terrorism which become more intertwined every year.

If you have proof that you transferred these funds in to Thailand you should be able to transfer them back out again. Please ask your banks to look for the original transfer.

If you find a bank, or a branch of a bank, which is not following these rules they should be considered to be negligent. And they will not be able to get away with it as all Thai banks transfer funds internationally via their head office SWIFT interfaces.

So I would encourage you to try to find the original transfer details.

Ian

Forget it ,you will lose out big time.

Thanks, but I was hoping for a more factual reply, i.e. does anybody actually have their UK State Pension paid directly into their Thai bank account, and if so how does the rate compare?

I no longer have a UK bank account and as I live in Thailand I am not able to open one, the pension authorities will pay into a Thai bank, but only in Baht.

Obviously just forgetting it isn't an option, my pension isn't going to be a great amount, about £87 per week after tax, but every little bit helps.

Thanks for the details of the Bangkok Bank service 'ianguygil' that's certainly an option worth considering, looks like it wouldn't be cost effective just for my state pension, the transmission fee would probably wipe out any savings, but I also receive a retirement pension from my employers, which would probably make it cost effective, this is why I really need an indicative rate to enable me to make a comparison.

Could you answer me one thing 'ianguygil' my private pension and employers pension will be paid on different days of the month, I'm assuming they would be forwarded automatically, each having their own fee, and there would be no way I could control transfers so they were lumped together.

Thanks all for your replies so far.

I am sorry for not replying. I was traveling then back and busy. So I just was not looking at this forum often.

Please PM me and I will get somebody in our Global Payments group or London Branch get in touch with you and take you through the options. All I will need as this is not a specific case of a transaction problem, is an email address. Please PM me with that and I will forward it to them. Thanks

Ian

30-40,000 baht for a THAI National yes; but you would be able to receive the same salary (if not more plus assistance with Insurance, Housing and car) as in Russia the problem is that many Company's just do not want the Work Permit hurdles that come with NonThai workers

100,000 Baht is actually not such a high monthly salary for Professionals in Thailand, I know quite a few Thais who earn this plus bonus and they only ever seem to be networking (drinks and food meetings)

I have a very large number of staff. All Thai. They range from systems admin, to programmers, creative services, testers, various levels of managers.

The numbers given are about right for normal programmers or system admin staff with 5 years of experience and a good education. Some exceptional staff make more. Some less. Some senior staff get much higher compensation. But his question was pretty specific about his type of work, so the answer I gave confirmed those numbers.

The 30K-40K is about right for a person with good skills and 5 years of experience.

You can transfer to Bangkok Bank via our branch in London.

Please follow this link for instructions

http://www.bangkokba...%20pension.aspx

For 3.5 million Baht we can negotiate a better rate for you than quoted. Larger amounts like this are more "wholesale" than "retail". Please PM me and I'll get somebody to contact you via phone or email. Our London Branch next to the Gherkin can even handle this to make calls and timezones easier. I am sure they can fix in a rate for you that you will like. Thanks.

I typed a long answer to this last night around midnight, then the net failed on me and the dog ate my homework.

Without getting too far into a specific case.... As stated, the Bank was entirely correct in not crediting funds to an account whose name differs from that in the payment instruction (SWIFT message). This is one of the basic checks in place to ensure there is not a mistake in the account number, which happens suprisingly often.

There are real (hard) costs involved here in all SWIFT messages, including the one back to your sending back which asked us to make the payment (this does not include the soft costs of the Bank staff time etc.). This is an exception from the Bank's standpoint, and things which do not go "straight through" cost money.

If you want to send me a PM, I will send you my Bank email address and I can put you in touch with our Global Payments people. They will then explain any charges made by Bangkok Bank. But you need to make contact with us and we will not get any further into this on a public forum like ThaiVisa.

You can then post what you want. Cheers.

Ian

Many thanks for your replies.

What I am anxious to avoid is wasting hard earned cash on commission, bank charges and the like.

Grace Hotel in Soi 3, Sukhumvit seems well worth a try. Thanks for that Razzler. Failing that I think i will have to buy Euros here in Thailand to take with me, though where I stay in Turkey is more remote and local shops, bars and restaurants favour Turkish Lira over Euros.

Ima_Farang: Yes they do still have the coin operated luggage trolleys. 1TL coin, which looks a bit like a 10 Baht coin.

Regards,

Aphid

I'd suggest changing from Lira to Euro as the EU is by far your leading trading partner, so you will get a better rate. Then change Euro to THB. As stated it is 2 conversions but given that the Lira and the THB are not widely traded it would almost definitely be the best, most cost effective route.

My sincere thanks to the three posters for your kind words

While I have no problem with this other person choosing not to deal with me, I want to ensure that others are not discouraged from reaching out. I am in a very fortunate position and hope to be able to make things easier for expat or Thai customers on this forum who may be unused to the system here and\or experiencing frustrations and problems

Thanks again. As noted, customers even help us in understanding how we can improve our services so this is a win win situation

Thank you Ian.

Happyjune, you are most welcome

On a separate note (and not referring to happyjun), if any posters ask me to help with a specific case I will need you to provide your name at least so I can help.

I will provide my Bank email address via PM and I will insist you communicate with me there to ensure your privacy. In the past this has never been an issue with anybody but today somebody objected and I totally respect that person's choice. However, we have about 15 million customers and there is absolutely no way I can really help with your specific issues unless I know who you are. General questions are fine without a name and I try to answer them. But not a specific question dealing with a transfer or an account.

Ian

nobody in their right mind would give their bank details to an e-mail address.

Well, plenty of people on this site have given their name to me and have been helped by the Bank. As I said in my post i respect your decision. But if you want to call these other people somehow foolish I think you are inpolite to them, not me. Giving your name is not giving your Bank details. Even account numbers are not sufficient for authentication.

Anyway, as I said if anybody wants my help they will need to provide at least a name. You chose not to, and that is fine with me.

Duplicate. Site froze. Sorry

Duplicate. Site froze. Sorry

Thank you Ian.

Happyjune, you are most welcome

On a separate note (and not referring to happyjun), if any posters ask me to help with a specific case I will need you to provide your name at least so I can help.

I will provide my Bank email address via PM and I will insist you communicate with me there to ensure your privacy. In the past this has never been an issue with anybody but today somebody objected and I totally respect that person's choice. However, we have about 15 million customers and there is absolutely no way I can really help with your specific issues unless I know who you are. General questions are fine without a name and I try to answer them. But not a specific question dealing with a transfer or an account.

Ian

today i went to bangkok bank to up date my account,i had a telex swift transfer which arived on 7june sent in £sterling,i had been checking the rates so i had a good idea what i should recieve,tues8.30am ex.rate49.3700,14.50 ex rate49.37,wed 8.30 49.44 checked weds.rate at the bank [staff did] ex49.44,but when my account had been up dated i recieved a rate of 49.14 i had been ripped off for 2250bht on £10000 allowing for 500bht service charge.i spoke to head office reply sorry sir that was the rate,so this is my reply to bangkok sorry but i am going to move elswhere,and the wife,just renewed our house ins.last week so next year that will be moved.this is not the first time i have queried the rate i had recieved

Before you move, please PM me and I will see if I can help. Thanks.

Just to avoid confusion, it was meant to be BK bank fee on the end. My silly typo, was not referring to green team bank in that post.

When using Westpac, I always seem to be missing about 1.3% from the BK Bank TT Buying Rate after factoring in the Aust fixed fee and the 500b K Bank fee.

Thank you ianguygil for the above post and information

EDIT: Oops, after looking at the BK Bank site that is now up, I think I screwed up, ANZ has a relationship with the green team K bank, I can find no reference to ANZ on the Bangkok Bank site when using the search function. I think my mistake. Just clearing up so pleople in the future reading this get better information.

happyjune

Sorry for the delay. I have been pretty busy.

ANZ do have a direct relationship with us as the largest bank in Thailand (all the major OZ banks do).

Apparently the "do not convert" no longer applies. If you make it clear to your sending bank that you want to send the funds directly to Bangkok Bank (SWIFT BKKBTHBK) then it all should be fine. You can even say to them that you do not want to use an intermediary bank. Otherwise what happens is your funds hit the other bank in Thailand which is often not a Thai bank at all - call them Bank B.. Then Bank B convert the funds at their rate and they send them on in THB to us. So you get hit with a less than optimal exchange rate and the charges for a Domestic transfer in THB which can cost a fair bit.

I hope this explains all. Please PM me if you want more info or if you need help to do another transfer.

Ian

Please all try now and the services should all be fine, including the Public Website (BangkokBank.com), iBanking, Biz, iCash and all other services.

Again, we apologise for the interruptions in service. All your data is safe and your privacy is assured. If you feel you are still having a problem, of if you are unsatisfied with the service for any reason, please PM me. Thanks

Ian

I saw that the Australian bank ANZ is a 'partner' bank for bangkok bank on their website, (on BK Bank website, the one that is down now). So would one expect it to be in my favor to send AUD from a ANZ account?

When using Westpac, I always seem to be missing about 1.3% from the BK Bank TT Buying Rate after factoring in the Aust fixed fee and the 500b K Bank fee.

Maye it's the middle man?

You can put instructions in your payment to prevent the use of an intermediary bank if an existing correspondent relationship exists between your bank and us. I will post on this in the morning as I do not remember the exact term to use in the SWIFT message. Please remind me if I have not posted this by noon tomorrow. It is late here and I'm still in the office. Thanks

I apologise for not posting on this earlier

We had a problem with the access to our services which was intermittent throughout the day. As of late evening the system normalized for domestic users (in Thailand). There are still a few problems outstanding with access from international locations which will hopefully be resolved soon.

At no time was any data compromised or leaked. So those posts earlier which showed concern about the security of your funds were unfounded.

Again, we sincerely apologise for this interruption to our services and for any impact on our customers.

A kind of shop CMS ? Not for me thank you, but interesting to know.

It is a lot more than just a CMS (Content Management Server for those non geeks in the forum), and is intended to make it much easier for Thai companies to present their products on the NET and to receive payment without getting ripped off with huge fees. I think MICROSOFT should be congratulated for doing this, as stated previously this is part of their CSR effort. Until now it has been expensive and often risky to have your site hosted in Thailand and to receive payment. The idea here is to kickstart the local market. By pre-integrating with our Payment Gateway it makes it much easier to setup the site and get the funds.

Thai banks can definitely offer a great rate for a larger amount. As I have explained several times before, the rate at FX booths is like the retail price. For a larger amount you can negotiate a wholesale deal. If you want to deal with Bangkok Bank please just PM me, I will send you my BBL email address, and you can contact me. I will then get our Global Payments people to deal with you, Treasury will offer you a rate. I have done this for several TV members before, all were very happy.

I have absolutely no information on this Hi-fx company, so this is in no way a criticism of them. But please always remember to consider the credit worthiness of the companies you use to move your hard earned money. Should they fail one day, those with funds "in flight" will be out of luck and, probably, uninsured.