I had a small dispute with a Thai company, who are now offering to mail a small (4 figure) check for compensation.

Only problem is, I don't have a Thai bank account. Can you walk into a Thai bank, show them some ID, and swap the check for cash? Is there a fee?

It depends on how the cheque is written.

If the cheque is issued to your name or "cash" then you can simply cash it at any branch of the issuing bank using your passport or similar ID. there is often no fee, but in case there is, it will be negligible.

If the cheque is issued to a company name, then you will have to provide proof of ownership of that company if you do not want to clear it through a company account with that same name. This can be a bit tricky depending on the bank and your papers, so best to avoid that option if possible.

If the cheque is stamped "account payable only", then you have to open an account to clear it. Some cheques have two parallel pencil lines at the top left corner of it instead of the account payable stamp - it means the same, and therefore needs an account to clear it.

OK, I'll ask them for the check. I can always ask for another form of payment if it doesn't work out. It's not a huge amount of money anyway. Thanks for the advice!