British Embassy - Payment For Pension Letter

[PETERTHEEATER]

Application for letter confirming pension amounts.

 

The Consular Section in BKK contacted me to say they have a problem with the VISA Debit card offered for payment with my application and have asked for a 'bank draft' or 'cheque' in the sum of ThB 2400 made payable to 'the British Embassy' (sic).

 

I think Drafts are for foreign currency transactions.Should I be asking my bank for a Cashier Cheque or Bank Cheque?

 

I have a feeling that when the Embassy present the cheque to their bank they will have to pay a fee and will reject the cheque/draft if I send the incorrect article.

[ubonjoe]

You can get a bank draft in Baht at most banks.

This is from the instruction for obtaining the letter. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/631665/Attachment_2.pdf

Quote

Draft/Cheque Payment will be taken in THB Go to any bank and get a draft or a cheque in the amount of THB 2,400 made payable to the British Embassy

This in Thai from another embassy website you can show a bank so they know what you want.

You can show this to the bank:
ลูกค้าท่านนี้ต้องการซื้อแบงค์ดร๊าฟ (สกุลเงินบาทเท่านั้น)
ตามจำนวนเงินที่ระบุด้านหลังสั่งจ่ายถึง

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

The Consular Section in BKK contacted me to say they have a problem with the VISA Debit card offered for payment with my application

As a matter of interest, was this a regular Visa debit card or the (more common in Thailand) Visa Electron card which is much more restricted in what it can be used for?

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thanks Joe, I had already downloaded the Embassy website instructions for payment and found them unclear like the card payment instructions which indicate that a UK Debit card is accepted but only a Credit card if a local card is used.

 

Last year my Bangkok Bank VISA Debit was accepted. BBL now issue only the useless UnionPay as a replacement.

 

BritTim - Since Unionpay is unacceptable to the Embassy, my wife signed an authorisation to use her Krung Thai Bank VISA Debit card but that was rejected. Why is unclear.

[BritTim]

42 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

BritTim - Since Unionpay is unacceptable to the Embassy, my wife signed an authorisation to use her Krung Thai Bank VISA Debit card but that was rejected. Why is unclear.

I have not checked recently, but a couple of years ago KTB was issuing their PALLADIUM Visa Debit cards which are Visa Electron cards mostly only usable for some electronic uses (not as a general purpose debit card).

[PETERTHEEATER]

You are correct Tim, I just checked and it is a Palladium card however It has been used without problem on Amazon and PayPal and in European ATMs without problem.

[OJAS]

10 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

You are correct Tim, I just checked and it is a Palladium card however It has been used without problem on Amazon and PayPal and in European ATMs without problem.

Is this the card you are referring to?:-

 

https://www.card.ktb.co.th/en/cards/detail/71

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Pretty close. Hers has, on the bottom front face 'KTB CONVENIENCE CARD'

[wgdanson]

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get a bank draft in Baht at most banks.

This is from the instruction for obtaining the letter. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/631665/Attachment_2.pdf

This in Thai from another embassy website you can show a bank so they know what you want.

You can show this to the bank:
ลูกค้าท่านนี้ต้องการซื้อแบงค์ดร๊าฟ (สกุลเงินบาทเท่านั้น)
ตามจำนวนเงินที่ระบุด้านหลังสั่งจ่ายถึง

The Embassy's Payment Authirisation Slip, says that the price is £52, just as it should be for the BRITISH Embassy. It also says that 'if paying in local currency, the amount will be the equivalent using the Consular Rate of Exchange at the time of payment'. On another Retirement Visa, no such thing,  page it says that £1 = Bht 46 ,we wish.. Strangely though, a BRITISH Visitors Visa must be paid for in USD.

[OJAS]

19 hours ago, wgdanson said:

The Embassy's Payment Authirisation Slip, says that the price is £52, just as it should be for the BRITISH Embassy. It also says that 'if paying in local currency, the amount will be the equivalent using the Consular Rate of Exchange at the time of payment'. On another Retirement Visa, no such thing,  page it says that £1 = Bht 46 ,we wish.. Strangely though, a BRITISH Visitors Visa must be paid for in USD.

And equally absurd, arguably, is that new UK passports can only be paid for these days in GBP with a limited range of credit and debit cards (predominantly UK-based) deemed acceptable by HMPO - who, in their infinite wisdom, have decreed that THB payments by bankers draft are not to be accepted under any circumstances.

 

Looks like the OP is going to experience major problems in renewing his passport in due course, then, unless HMPO choose to adopt a rather less intransigent and inflexible attitude towards acceptable payment methods in the meantime, of course! 

[pontious]

On 12/9/2017 at 8:08 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

Thanks Joe, I had already downloaded the Embassy website instructions for payment and found them unclear like the card payment instructions which indicate that a UK Debit card is accepted but only a Credit card if a local card is used.

 

Last year my Bangkok Bank VISA Debit was accepted. BBL now issue only the useless UnionPay as a replacement.

 

BritTim - Since Unionpay is unacceptable to the Embassy, my wife signed an authorisation to use her Krung Thai Bank VISA Debit card but that was rejected. Why is unclear.

Slightly off topic but Bangkok Bank do issue Rabbit VISA cards but are reluctant to issue and you may have to wait seven days. There is a thread about this in the Banking Forum. 

[wgdanson]

40 minutes ago, OJAS said:

And equally absurd, arguably, is that new UK passports can only be paid for these days in GBP with a limited range of credit and debit cards (predominantly UK-based) deemed acceptable by HMPO - who, in their infinite wisdom, have decreed that THB payments by bankers draft are not to be accepted under any circumstances.

 

Looks like the OP is going to experience major problems in renewing his passport in due course, then, unless HMPO choose to adopt a rather less intransigent and inflexible attitude towards acceptable payment methods in the meantime, of course! 

Sorry to disagree, but it is a BRITISH passport so should be paid in GBP. How can you pay in THB when the exchange rate varies from hour to hour. Bet you cannot pay for a US passport in Vietnamese Dong.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, wgdanson said:

Sorry to disagree, but it is a BRITISH passport so should be paid in GBP. How can you pay in THB when the exchange rate varies from hour to hour. Bet you cannot pay for a US passport in Vietnamese Dong.

 

I paid for mine a couple of years ago in Thai baht with a bankers draft from the KBank.

 

The British Embassy gave the explicit instructions on how it should be done and the correct wording.

 

Now the embassy will not accept cash in any denomination, we are not allowed to visit the embassy to renew the passport. I have no UK credit or debit card and the embassy will not accept my KBank debit card.

 

How am I to renew my UK Passport unless I use a bank draft in Thai baht?

[evadgib]

3 hours ago, billd766 said:

How am I to renew my UK Passport unless I use a bank draft in Thai baht?

By asking a sibling, adult child, fellow veteran, trusted friend or better still do it during a planned visit to UK (NHS run?) up to 9 months before yours expires.

[evadgib]

On 12/10/2017 at 1:44 PM, wgdanson said:

Strangely though, a BRITISH Visitors Visa must be paid for in USD.

I formally complained at paying an extra 15 quid by stealth as a result of this. As far as I'm aware the system has or will be changed as it is clearly unacceptable; especially when applicants/spouses pay via a UK a/c.

 

Quote

The Embassy's Payment Authirisation Slip, says that the price is £52, just as it should be for the BRITISH Embassy. It also says that 'if paying in local currency, the amount will be the equivalent using the Consular Rate of Exchange at the time of payment'. 

Their fee table takes a bit of finding but it covers everything relating to the OP inc THB 200 to cover bank charges if paying by bankers draft/counter cheque (same thing!) and 100 for return EMS.

 

HTH

 

 

[pontious]

Whatever card you use make sure you check your online account.

They took 104 pounds [ 52 x 2 ] in an instant. Naturally it took six days and numerous phone calls to get reimbursed..

[OJAS]

On 12/11/2017 at 9:25 AM, wgdanson said:

Bet you cannot pay for a US passport in Vietnamese Dong.

But our American cousins can pay for their new passports by bank draft in THB if they submit their renewal applications at a local consular outreach session. And, as will be evident from the link below, this is the only way in which they can pay for their new passports in these circumstances!

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/consular-outreach/

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, OJAS said:

But our American cousins can pay for their new passports by a bank draft in THB if they submit their renewal applications at a local consular outreach session. And, as will be evident from the link below, this is the only way in which they can pay for their new passports in such circumstances!

 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/consular-outreach/

 

If applied for at the US embassy or the consulate in Chiang Mai it can be a paid for in US dollars or baht in cash or credit/debit card.

They can also be applied for by mail with payment made by a bank draft in baht.

[OJAS]

On 12/11/2017 at 4:12 PM, evadgib said:

By asking a sibling, adult child, fellow veteran, trusted friend or better still do it during a planned visit to UK (NHS run?) up to 9 months before yours expires.

And if you have no sibling, adult child, fellow veteran, trusted friend or UK visit planned during the 9 months before your passport expires.....?

[billd766]

5 minutes ago, OJAS said:

And if you have no sibling, adult child, fellow veteran, trusted friend or UK visit planned during the 9 months before your passport expires.....?

 

I haven't been back to the UK since 2004. I do have my son and family in the UK plus a couple of good friends but as my passport doesn't expire until June 2024 I have no idea of what will happen in the meantime. The rules will probably change a couple of times by then.

[OJAS]

25 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I haven't been back to the UK since 2004. I do have my son and family in the UK plus a couple of good friends but as my passport doesn't expire until June 2024 I have no idea of what will happen in the meantime. The rules will probably change a couple of times by then.

Hopefully this will be the case. But, if, heaven forbid, the current crazy arrangements were still with us then, you would presumably have little choice other than to post the credit card authorisation form to 1 of your trusted UK contacts and get them to post the completed form back to you after they had done the necessary - a process which, in itself, could take a at least couple of months depending on the then prevailing snail mail delivery speeds between Thailand and the UK.

 

And, since as well documented elsewhere on here, UK banks are adopting an increasingly negative attitude towards providing banking services for expats living in this part of the world (which is resulting in the arbitrary closure of accounts), it follows that the overall availablity of UK cards acceptable to HMPO locally may well eventually dry up completely in the medium to long term.

 

[evadgib]

On 12/13/2017 at 1:52 PM, OJAS said:

And if you have no sibling, adult child, fellow veteran, trusted friend or UK visit planned during the 9 months before your passport expires.....?

...we'll find out in 2024 

 

Your later comment re snail mail is a red herring as it is perfectly possible for cardholders to authorize payment regardless of geographic location with no such delay.

[OJAS]

23 hours ago, evadgib said:

Your later comment re snail mail is a red herring as it is perfectly possible for cardholders to authorize payment regardless of geographic location with no such delay.

So how is this possible then? By transporting the HMPO credit card authorisation form around through multi-dimensional wormholes, perhaps??