I want to buy a car here in Bangkok . My money is in the National Westminster a/c in the UK. I work here in Bangkok with a work permit and have an a/c with Bangkok Bank in Bangkok.

1) What is best way to pay for my car from a Bangkok car trader ( Tent OR main dealer ) when my money is in the UK bank ?

2) What is the best way to get money transferred here from my NAT WEST a/c in UK to my Bangkok bank a/c here ?

Thanks

Electronic "SWIFT" transfer.

Do two transfers

The first small transfer, say fifty pounds, to confirm the routing and time taken to transfer.

The second transfer for the full amount using exactly the same details.

Instruct Shat-West to transfer Pounds Sterling as the exchange rate will be better in Bangkok.

Never had a problem transfering money from the U.K. pop into the Bangkok Bank branch in St. Mary Axe, London and send as much as you want with I.D. Passport required in all cases for more than 5,000 GBP.

From Nat West, I am not sure. They might route via New York. Also there are new regulations regarding cash transfer from U.K. onshore banks.

Give Nat. West a phonecall and ask them to call you back, when they have a clue.

The standard of banking in the U.K. is dire. Really bad. You won't lose, but you WILL end up frustrated by wrong and bad advice.

Go carefully.

Electronic "SWIFT" transfer.

Do two transfers

The first small transfer, say fifty pounds, to confirm the routing and time taken to transfer.

The second transfer for the full amount using exactly the same details.

Instruct Shat-West to transfer Pounds Sterling as the exchange rate will be better in Bangkok.

That's definitely NOT the best way. You're buying a car so I assume you'll be needing a few thousand GBP. 2 SWIFT transfers (unnecessary anyway) will cost you about 25 quid each, plus conversion charges at the Thai end. It takes 5 working days.

Sign up to www.foreignpayments.co.uk who guarantee a better rate than any bank and charge 10 GBP per transfer. Also consider the Post Office who will almost certainly be cheaper than your bank, but if you really want to save money open up a BKK Bank UK account and merge it with your Thai account.

While UK banks may be backward from some reports do not believe your alternative "foreignpayments" is going to save money as it appears to be based on the UK exchange rate and that is never what you want to use sending money to Thailand. You send UKP and have it converted in Thailand at the current TT rate here. The UK rate of exchange is always much worse.

The charge at the Thai end ranges from 200-500 baht.

The time for US bank transfers is measured in hours - mine never take more than 14.

I do agree two transfers would not be required - SWIFT is a very reliable method. Do not believe post office handles sums we are talking about but could be wrong on that. Know the US post is not exactly fast (to put it mildly).