It strikes me that most posts on this sub-forum are connected with some sort of "payment problems". But I am not surprised as long as everyone in the possession of a PC can implement a "international payment service". Operating from a boiler room. Receiving little or no support from the "Boiler Room" when something goes wrong.

 

I recommend the old fashioned bank to bank transfers via your "home bank". If something goes wrong, you can show up in person, spewing fire and brimstone if necessary. It costs more than platform boiler room banks. But in the end: You get what you pay for. Once again.

 

🤔🤔

17 minutes ago, swissie said:

It strikes me that most posts on this sub-forum are connected with some sort of "payment problems". But I am not surprised as long as everyone in the possession of a PC can implement a "international payment service". Operating from a boiler room. Receiving little or no support from the "Boiler Room" when something goes wrong.

 

I recommend the old fashioned bank to bank transfers via your "home bank". If something goes wrong, you can show up in person, spewing fire and brimstone if necessary. It costs more than platform boiler room banks. But in the end: You get what you pay for. Once again.

 

In many western countries are not so many branches of "home banks" left. That is mostly a matter of the past.

8 minutes ago, msbkk said:

In many western countries are not so many branches of "home banks" left. That is mostly a matter of the past.

 

Agreed, and most new banks are virtual only so no chance of "showing up in person".  OP out of touch with reality again.

58 minutes ago, treetops said:

 

Agreed, and most new banks are virtual only so no chance of "showing up in person".  OP out of touch with reality again.

Most major banks have e-banking plus branches that you can show up in person. Would never deal with a financial institution where I can not show up in person.

 

That seperates me from posters here, that are seeking advice, when their transaction has "dissappeared".

 

I have nothing against folks that persue a frugal lifestyle in Thailand. But trying to save a little money by (mostly) important financial transfers, to me, it's saving at the wrong place.

 

"Penny wise and Dollar foolish" comes to mind.

In theory, I agree with OP.

In practice: Thai bank branches are plentiful - and quite useless. 

In my home country, my trust in the few remaining branches was a bit diminished when I had to teach the housewife sitting in front of a screen,  masquerading as a banker, how to do her job.

That was 10 years ago, things have gotten much worse since then.

 

The last time I had a question, my branch called me. 

20 years ago, it would have been the branch manager. 

10 years ago, regular staff, but he knew more about banking than I.

5 years ago, a housewife.

Last month, a very sweet young female voice that made me feel like a pederast. But maybe she was 15 already,  certainly didn't sound older than that. 

Whaypt on earth is this nonsense all about, please? 

On 5/7/2025 at 5:53 PM, swissie said:

Would never deal with a financial institution where I can not show up in person.

Nobody needs a bank to show up in person. For what? The last time I have been in a bank branch was about 5 or 6 years ago. Online banking is the king!

6 hours ago, bravo19 said:

Nobody needs a bank to show up in person. For what? The last time I have been in a bank branch was about 5 or 6 years ago. Online banking is the king!

 

Especially when the nearest branch is a 40+ hour R/T flight from where I sleep.  It doesn't seem like sound economics to spend that much time and thousands of dollars to deal with a payment problem.  Unless it's a real whopper.

 

22 hours ago, bravo19 said:

Nobody needs a bank to show up in person. For what? The last time I have been in a bank branch was about 5 or 6 years ago. Online banking is the king!

Unless something goes wrong and you have to call their "service hotline" (if available that is).

 

- Likely one will be talking to a banking specialist who speaks "pidgin english", him/her letting you know that you just woke them up from their merlin sleep.

9 minutes ago, swissie said:

Unless something goes wrong and you have to call their "service hotline" (if available that is).

 

- Likely one will be talking to a banking specialist who speaks "pidgin english", him/her letting you know that you just woke them up from their merlin sleep.

If you are referring to a Thai bank when was the last time you spoke to one of their hotlines? 

My interactions with the SCB call centre suggests they speak and understand English in sufficient depth that I can only call your post  "politely"  misguided......

 

If you mean a "financial company" like Wise or Revolut then I have no experience.

3 minutes ago, topt said:

If you are referring to a Thai bank when was the last time you spoke to one of their hotlines? 

My interactions with the SCB call centre suggests they speak and understand English in sufficient depth that I can only call your post  "politely"  misguided......

 

If you mean a "financial company" like Wise or Revolut then I have no experience.

I refer to "financial companies" , not well established banks that have been in business for decades.

 

It's the low cost operators, residing in exotic places like Eastern Timbuktu etc etc etc.............. An internet presence plus a PO Box number in Panama as the only link to their customers.

6 minutes ago, swissie said:

It's the low cost operators, residing in exotic places like Eastern Timbuktu etc etc etc.............. An internet presence plus a PO Box number in Panama as the only link to their customers.

Sorry I am feeling a little antagonistic but please enlighten me as to which specific "financial companies" fall within your definition from your OP as a "boiler room'...............in terms of posters on here having issues with them..........

 

On 5/7/2025 at 9:24 PM, swissie said:

It strikes me that most posts on this sub-forum are connected with some sort of "payment problems". But I am not surprised as long as everyone in the possession of a PC can implement a "international payment service". Operating from a boiler room. Receiving little or no support from the "Boiler Room" when something goes wrong.

 

40 minutes ago, topt said:

Sorry I am feeling a little antagonistic but please enlighten me as to which specific "financial companies" fall within your definition from your OP as a "boiler room'...............in terms of posters on here having issues with them..........

 

 

I would like to refer to my opening post. Noticing, that most threads here are in connection with some sort of "payment problems". No more no less. The very fact that this seems to be the main subject here should be reason enough to be very careful when it comes to entrust money transfers to a "organisation" that has not been in business 3 months ago, but offering unrelistic low cost money transfers.

That's all.

Strange, I've been living in Thailand for almost 20 years and I've never had "payment problems".

3 hours ago, Caldera said:

Strange, I've been living in Thailand for almost 20 years and I've never had "payment problems".

This thread sails under "Problem Nr 1 here, payment problems".

 

No other problems here are more present in this sub-forum. 

 

I rest my case.

On 5/7/2025 at 9:24 PM, swissie said:

I recommend the old fashioned bank to bank transfers via your "home bank"

 

So are you seriously advising me to make a 12,000-mile round trip to the UK each time I wanted to arrange a transfer from my "home bank" there to my "home bank" in LOS?

 

40 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

So are you seriously advising me to make a 12,000-mile round trip to the UK each time I wanted to arrange a transfer from my "home bank" there to my "home bank" in LOS?

 

No. Every Europen Bank is connected to the  worldwide "SWIFT" transfer  code. Making monetary transfers  visible in case something went wrong.

Is that news for you?

On 5/7/2025 at 4:24 PM, swissie said:

I recommend the old fashioned bank to bank transfers via your "home bank".

20 years ago i would agree. But not today anymore! I have been using WISE regularly since 2016 without any problems and saved a lot of money.

I'll call @swissie's outdated approach and raise it! I bring in cash and change it at the money changers.

Sorry, not that I want to hijack the topic, but, yes, very recently I've had problems with my K-Bank savings account, starting in July...

 

1) An investment fund company repeatedly failed to charge funds from my K-Bank account.

 

2) Trying to pay a hotel booking early, my Visa debit card attached to the account was not accepted for payment.

 

I am not currently in Thailand, and wondering what is going on... (Unfortunately, not using online-banking.) Seems, that my account has either been blocked, or closed very recently. (Visa card could still be used in late June.)

 

Anyone with similar experience?