Banking a UK cheque

[503726]

HMRC, the UK tax authority, sent a cheque for a tax refund to me here in Thailand. I don't know why they sent a paper cheque, they had my bank details and refunded another transaction on line banking 2 days before. 

 

HSBC in BKK said they could not process it to a UK account. The options seem to be sending it to someone in the UK to present in a bank there, trying a Thai bank at a cost, or going back to HMRC. 

 

What is the best way to get round it? 

 

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

If you have a Thai bank account you could deposit it and wait for it clear the bank in the UK before it would be credited to your account.

The fees would be around 400 baht dependent upon the bank.

Moved to here.

 

[503726]

Thanks.  

 

 

[Jip99]

I would at least contact HMRC to ask them why they failed to carry out your wishes.

 

 

If it is self-assessment it can be done online.

[KMartinHandyman]

Better confirm any and all fees for depositing a foreign check in a Thai bank. Once my wife tried to deposit a $500 U.S. check from a friend to BB and it was so arduous and the fees so punitive that I just gave her the money, had her endorse it, deposited it in her U.S. account when I returned and got my $500 from the atm at the same time, lol. I forget the particulars but seem to remember a third party processor fee that was exorbitant.

[503726]

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

I would at least contact HMRC to ask them why they failed to carry out your wishes.

 

 

If it is self-assessment it can be done online.

I have contacted them. The person on the helpline said raising the cheque did not make sense.  She went along with my suggestion that there might be a workstream prohibition as an internal control on processing the two elements of my refund in one go on line as they arise from different aspects of calculation.

 

I'll have a go online, that'd be better than phoning the helpline! 

[dabhand]

Some UK banking apps allow you to deposit cheques via the app by simply scanning the cheque. Halifax have this option.

[Andycoops]

I tried to bank a UK cheque into my Thai acct many years ago and was told it could take weeks to clear.

 

So I sent it back to my UK bank branch with a 17 baht stamp and a covering note asking them to deposit it into my acct.

 

Done it several times since no problem. 

[dabhand]

13 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

I tried to bank a UK cheque into my Thai acct many years ago and was told it could take weeks to clear.

 

So I sent it back to my UK bank branch with a 17 baht stamp and a covering note asking them to deposit it into my acct.

 

Done it several times since no problem. 

Yes, did that many times back in the 80's when working in Riyadh. Paid in Riyals so off to Al Rajhi Exchange every month for a Midland Bank cheque and posted it off to my Bank of Scotland branch. Never failed.

[Letseng]

If you have a UK account send the cheque there.

We had a UK cheque but no longer an account in UK.

Bangkok Bank accepted the cheque with reluctance but agreed after checking with London. As the account was fairly new I had to show activity for this account for 6 months. Clearing took over 2 months. 

Apparently Krungsri will also accept cheques.

[gk10002000]

make sure that if you mail it, you write "For deposit only" and the account # on the back.  Don't just "sign/endorse it".  Mail that looks like it contains checks have been known to be intercepted.