Apologies for starting a new thread on such a piffling subject but I am short of time and need a quick(ish) answer.

I need to transfer some funds fairly urgent to a Thai bank account. Several options available but one is to mail a US dollar check drawn on my IOM bank account to an associate who will pay it into the requisite account (associate in this instance is totally trustworthy).

Questions:-

1. Recipient bank is Kasikorn, will they accept this check deposit.

and,

2. If so approximately how long between deposit and funds being available?

plus supplementaries:-

4. Anyone done this or similar recently?

5. What, if any, problems could I encounter?

Think it can be done but you will probably have to wait 45 working/bangking days to get the cash

I think all countries have their own check clearing syetems. Even within Europe if you try paying a UK check into a French account it will take forever to clear and incur loads of additional charges. Its not the way to go.

Most Bank accounts will do an international transfer.

Not sure if this helps but recently (i.e last week) I wanted to bring in around 2 mil baht from a UK offshore account. Writing a check wasn't an option due to time constraints to clear it so I called the bank and found out that I could transfer 10,000 pounds per day for a 25 pound fee with 3-5 working day arrival time, 30 pound fee for 3 working day 'express' transfer.

3 calls over 3 nights and it was a done deal, all arrived in the requisite Kasikorn foreign currency account without any hassles (3 days for the first two, five for the second because it came over a weekend) and were converted without any problems.

This was from a Lloyds TSB in the channel islands, since you didn't mention who you are banking with your mileage may vary but it's definitely worth calling them to see what the options are.

Simplest way is of course the olf favourite ' Western Union to your freind when he arrives in Thailand'

Best bet is Western Union.

I was going to deposit a Govenment cheque (income tax refund) in my Thai account, and they told me it could take 45 days to clear. The Pattaya branch has to send the cheque to Bangkok. Then it gets sent to Canada, verified, sent back and eventually credited to my account. Didn't matter that the cheque was from the Government of Canada.

As you trust you acquaintance, use Western Union. The money can be picked up (usually) within minutes of them entering the info into their computer. If you have a land-line telephone, you can set yourself up to do the transfers yourself over the internet (but they won't do it if you are calling from a cell phone)

They might want to wake up one day to the fact that not everyone has or needs a land-line telephone, or even lives in an area where that is an option.

I've sent money from here (Kandahar), got back to my luxurious quarters (half a sea can), logged on to Western Union, entered the MTCN and saw that the funds were ready for pick up, barely 10 minutes after I was at the counter.

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I have recently written 3 chequ's to myself for deposit in a Thai savings account - 4 weeks - they may ask the purpose, house purchase or investmnet will generally do.

All cheques, personal, draft take 6 weeks to clear in a Thai bank account. There are no exceptions to this.

Gracias para todos amigos.

Seems the check option is open but should be kept for last gasp saloon time.

Western Union is not an option as the local WU offices are only open weekdays and are located in the provincial capital 30 km away. Even without that hassle I don't have the requisite funds here in VN so would have to write them a check.

I'll try the telephone bank route.

All cheques, personal, draft take 6 weeks to clear in a Thai bank account. There are no exceptions to this.

Yes there are. My last check deposit at Bangkok Bank was on 25/10/07 and payment was in account on 19/11/07 - this is a normal time for Bangkok Bank.

Just shows how much bad advice you can get from the banks themselves.

My mother sent me a UK cheque at christmas and I took it to Kasikorn, only to be told they could not pay it into my account.

since then I have been advising people that they can't bank foreign cheques in Thailand!

Thank heavens for Thai Visa eh?