Do you have Bangkok bank account?

[chubby]

oh sorry, hmm, i did set up a test deposits thing last year, not sure if that qualifies ? but i should check on the balance , is there any minimum that can be deposited through BBL NYC?

[Pib]

oh sorry, hmm, i did set up a test deposits thing last year, not sure if that qualifies ? but i should check on the balance , is there any minimum that can be deposited through BBL NYC?

You can use their ACH routing number to transfer any amount of funds to your "in-Thailand" bank account, but be sure to take in account the Bangkok Bank New York Branch and in-Thailand Bangkok Bank currency receiving/conversion fees which will be sliced off the amount you send. Up to $50 there are no NY branch fees but you will still have the 0.25% (Bt200 min , Bt500 max) fee on the in-Thailand branch receiving end.

You can find the New York branch ACH transfer fees at this Link by clicking the "Fees" heading. No fee up to $50, but a $3 fee for over $50 up to $100. Other fee amounts for larger transfers.

Your goal should be to get/maintain "at least" a 2,000 baht balance in the account if you don't want to worry about account fees/closure if you stop using the account for more than 12 months. So, since 2,000 baht is about $62, let's say you send $100...Bangkok Bank NY slices off $3 as it flows through them...when it arrives your in-Thailand branch they slice off another Bt200 (a little over $6), which means you end up with around $91 or Bt2900 being posted to your account. Sending small amounts gets pricey due to the fee structure...sending larger amounts knocks the fee "percentage-wise of the total sent" way down.

And if you had an ATM/Debit card issued with the account remember there will be an annual fee of a couple hundred baht charged to your account (depends on which card you signed up for) which would lower your balance so be sure to keep that in mind regarding whatever balance you decide to keep in your account. If I was you and just wanted to not worry about the account for a few years and annual card fee lowering the balance below 2,000, I would just send enough to get the balance to up around 4,000 baht which approximately whopping $125.

[ozyjon]

I have had a Bangkok Bank account for years,, just remember a few things i have done,, change your pin number when you can, every time you use your account outside your area of issue you will be charged a fee (at least for deposits) so be aware of this.

[NanLaew]

If "Hmmmm" means I don't believe you, I don't really care. What I posted is a fact, I've had a Be1st card for years and it works in any atm. Maybe it doesn't have a chip in it, I don't know, but I do know what it is and which machines it works in.

What you have posted isn't fact, you have posted on your limited experience and even more limited powers of observation. You don't even know what a chipped card looks like.

There are at least TWO sorts of basic Be1st card, the bog-standard one that doesn't have a chip and can be used in any ATM including other banks as well as at POS. The newer one has a chip (hands up anyone who doesn't know where to find the chip on their card or what it looks like) and can be used in Bangkok Bank ATM's ONLY as well as at POS.

[chubby]

thanks pib, I have a be1 visa card, can I cancel that if i'm being charged for it ? when I call Bualuang phone, it asks for "card" number, if i turn off the card then I would not be able to check account balance ?

Edited April 7, 2014 by chubby

[ericarinduque]

Or.... You could open a PayPal account and link it to your new ATM Card/VISA Debit Card... I do this, and I can do whatever I like on the Internet--shop for things via my VISA/debit card which is linked to my savings account . I can also accept VISA/MC payments back to me too... The only downside is that it takes a week (5-7 days) to transfer money from your PayPal Account back to your Savings Account. If I remember correctly there was also a 50 THB fee from either my Bank or PayPal....

[IMA_FARANG]

Regarding the Be1st card.

I know from personal experience it works in non Bangkok Bank ATM machines as I personally have used mine to withdraw funds in another country's currency ..... I've used mine in Malaysia and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) in Malaysian and Vietnamese banks ATM machines.

There will be a small fee if you take your money in Malaysian or Vietnamese currency in those countries with your Thai Be1st card.

In Vietnam it was about 20k Dong (roughly 1 dollar U.S.) to get 500K Dong ($250 U.S.) as I recall.

Don't remember what is was in Malaysia.

If you use your Be1st card in Vietnam don't be shocked if the receipt shows your balance after you receive your money as 0.00.

It scared the hell out of me the first time it happened ... but it is just a computer fluke, your money is still there in your Bangkok Bank account.

That's because the Vietnamese banking system does not yet allow direct balance connections with Thai banks .... so after you withdraw your money the Vietnamese bank ATM receipt will show your balance as 0.00.

That was back in August 2013 ... perhaps they are interconnected now.

As I said, scared the hell out of me at the time.

Edited April 7, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[Bababooey]

Sure you can use the NY branch ACH routing number for funds transfers and some govt pension transfer info,

And if by chance when you left in 2012 and left less than 2000 baht in the account, after 12 months of no user account activity they will start charging a 50 baht/month account maintenance fee until the balance is down to zero

I just use Bangkok Bank for big transfers through the New York branch.

I do have to check that my balance is above 2000 baht, thanks for the heads up.

Wouldn't it be quite expensive to do monthly government pension transfers as you'd be paying a transfer fee every month?

[Bababooey]

Regarding the Be1st card.

I know from personal experience it works in non Bangkok Bank ATM machines as I personally have used mine to withdraw funds in another country's currency ..... I've used mine in Malaysia and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh) in Malaysian and Vietnamese banks ATM machines.

Does the card work in Cambodia?

It is better for me to use an American card there so there is no currency conversion, but I like to have backup plans in effect in case of energencies.

[lucifer666]

Sounds the same as mine mate, the card will only work in a BKk Bank atm. Had mine a few years and have never had a problem. i use it for Paypal transactions and if i need cash, i transfer online, from BKK Bank to my Krung Thai account ( which works in any atm) takes seconds.

[Kripe]

To be able to purchase online you need to register your phonenumber with Bangkok Bank

https://ipay.bangkokbank.com/bblenroll/bkkCard.aspx

You not signing the bank book seems wrong, how will they check your signature if you go in the bank to take out money with your bank book (not your card)

[Pib]

thanks pib, I have a be1 visa card, can I cancel that if i'm being charged for it ? when I call Bualuang phone, it asks for "card" number, if i turn off the card then I would not be able to check account balance ?

Yes, you can cancel the card but I don't know if you must visit your home branch, call Bangkok Bank, or maybe you could cancel it in a Bangkok Bank ATM. I expect you could cancel by calling after they confirm who you are by your passport number, passbook number, etc...you can sure cancel the card by calling when you are notifying them you have lost the card. Anyway, I would not cancel it, if that's the only account you have and don't have ibanking, because it only cost 200 baht a year (about $6), you then wouldn't be able to withdraw money from any ATM in the world, and yes I guess it would impact your banking by phone unless maybe they accept your passbook number and current balance to get more info. Naw, keep your card...and like any debit card treat it like cash along with the PIN...and don't stick it in any ATM that looks like its been tampered with--a person wouldn't do that with any ATM/Debit card from any country. Personally I think a lot (not all) of these Thai bank ATM/debit card horror stories (i.e., my card was just for unauthorized withdrawals/purchases) are just stupidity of the owner in not practicing safe banking.

[Pib]

Sure you can use the NY branch ACH routing number for funds transfers and some govt pension transfer info,

And if by chance when you left in 2012 and left less than 2000 baht in the account, after 12 months of no user account activity they will start charging a 50 baht/month account maintenance fee until the balance is down to zero

I just use Bangkok Bank for big transfers through the New York branch.

I do have to check that my balance is above 2000 baht, thanks for the heads up.

Wouldn't it be quite expensive to do monthly government pension transfers as you'd be paying a transfer fee every month?

Not expensive at all. Let's say your monthly govt check is $2000. The Bangkok Bank New York branch would slice off $5 as it flowed through them. So, the in-Thailand branch receives $1995...they then convert to baht...lets say 32 baht/USD just for example which gives you Bt63,840...then the branch applies their 0.25% (Bt 200 min, Bt 500 max) currency receipt/conversion fee which means the Bt200 min fee ($6.25) is deducted in this case and then the remaining Bt63,640 is posted to your account. So, $11.25 on $2000 sent equate to 0.56% in fees. In fact, that same exact $11.25 in fees would apply for any govt payment ranging from $100.01 up to $2,000. However, over $2,000 the Bangkok Bank fee goes to $10 but the in-Thailand branch fee remains 0.25% (Bt200 min, Bt500 max). Note; neither of these fees will show up anywhere on your Bangkok Bank account as they are applied before the money is posted to your account...that's why a lot of people think no fees were applied and/or can't figure the exact exchange rate used.

But for a U.S. govt pension you would need to setup a special Bangkok Bank Direct Deposit saving account which has no ATM/debit card access, no ibanking transfer-out capability, and you must do all withdrawals/transfers out in-person. Also, the account can only be in your name; no joint owner allowed. Go to this Link where it talks about U.S. govt pensions for more info. Since U.S. govt pension payments have special coding Bangkok Bank will eventually catch you if trying to send to your regular Bangkok Bank account, freeze the incoming payment, send you a letter telling you to come in and setup of a Direct Deposit account or they will send the payment back to Uncle Sam.

Personally, if you had a U.S. bank account that does not charge an ACH sending fee (many don't) or just a low fee, I would just have the govt pension flow to your U.S. bank account and then you have an "automatic" monthly ACH transfer set-up to send an amount approx equal to the pension payment to your regular Bangkok Bank account that can come with ATM and ibanking. Ex: let's say your money govt pension payment arrives by the 3d of each month; have an automatic transfer setup to transfer funds to your Bangkok Bank account on the 4th of each month...the transfer will arrive 2-4 business days later...therefore each and every month your pension payment is arriving early in the month into your regular single owner or joint owner Bangkok Bank account which has no restrictions like a Direct Deposit account.

[oneday]

Actually I have an ATM with them and never used it as a debit card until my GF said I could when we were short of money at Makro a few months ago. It was a bit of a pain in the ass, because we had to go to another counter and it took them a fairly long time to process it, but it did work. Wouldn't have any idea if it worked in another country, but somehow I doubt it.

As far as good rates go, BKK Bank almost never has the best rates. The two banks that seem to always have the highest interest rates in a non-taxed fixed time limit account are SCB and the Green Bank. I currently have a large sum on deposit at the Green Bank at 2.95% interest for 3 months. These rates have varied over the last year of so from 2.75% to 3.25% for 3-6 months and higher for longer periods. I think the longest period I've seen is 14-15 months. Each week the rate changes and the time periods available change. You want to check with the banks on a Tuesday as that begins a new week for them.

[Pib]

Actually I have an ATM with them and never used it as a debit card until my GF said I could when we were short of money at Makro a few months ago. It was a bit of a pain in the ass, because we had to go to another counter and it took them a fairly long time to process it, but it did work. Wouldn't have any idea if it worked in another country, but somehow I doubt it.

The only reason it was a pain at Makro because the only debit/credit card Makro will accept is the Makro credit card issued by Citibank, unless an exception is allowed. That's why in every Makro I've been in there is Citibank booth/person in checkout area trying to get folks to sign up for their credit card. Otherwise Makro will require you to pay with cash...and the Makro's I shop out have no shortage of ATMs from various banks on premises. There have been a few times where I flipped out my Bangkok Bank debit card to pay as a press-to-test and they just waived me off...said cash or special Citibank card only...and they told my Thai wife standing next to me the same thing,

There have been a few times where I have been behind a person in Makro checkout, they didn't have cash, didn't have a Makro-Citibank credit card, and wanted to use their credit card from another bank. After a couple minutes of discussion between the clerk and customer, the clerk took the customer's card from another bank to another POS transaction machine in the office to process the charge versus using one of the numerous POS transaction machines right at checkout apparently geared for the Makro-Citibank card. Of course I'm just thrilled to be watching and waiting for this discussion to end so I can check out. Makro's payment policy is cash or their Makro-CitiBank credit card only except in case-by-case exceptions.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Pib

[jcnbkk]

As per Pib above, I too signed a detachable page that displays signature under black light.

I was with them for 6 years but closed the account due to hassle with OTP. This is the one time password sent to your mobile phone when moving money via Internet banking. If uou change your sim as I did, the telephone number on the account can only be changed in Bangkok H.O. after waiting over 3 weeks I gave up waiting and closed the account.

Very long winded given todays technology, so I simply closed it.

Regarding your card, if it has a chip in it its a B1st card, can ONLY be used in B1st ATM machines if it has no chip, it can be used in ANY ATM

You can disable the OTP on the banking website. you can change it to send and email notification instead.

I didn't know about the difference in cards and the chip.

Edited April 7, 2014 by jcnbkk

[dighambara]

HMMMM - From your description, I must presume you have never had a bank account - even in your home country...!!!

[chubby]

Does this Be1 card go for any and all types of accounts? As the account still has 300 baht in it, after 2 years, with nothing but some test deposits as activity

oh sorry, hmm, i did set up a test deposits thing last year, not sure if that qualifies ? but i should check on the balance , is there any minimum that can be deposited through BBL NYC?

You can use their ACH routing number to transfer any amount of funds to your "in-Thailand" bank account, but be sure to take in account the Bangkok Bank New York Branch and in-Thailand Bangkok Bank currency receiving/conversion fees which will be sliced off the amount you send. Up to $50 there are no NY branch fees but you will still have the 0.25% (Bt200 min , Bt500 max) fee on the in-Thailand branch receiving end.

You can find the New York branch ACH transfer fees at this Link by clicking the "Fees" heading. No fee up to $50, but a $3 fee for over $50 up to $100. Other fee amounts for larger transfers.

Your goal should be to get/maintain "at least" a 2,000 baht balance in the account if you don't want to worry about account fees/closure if you stop using the account for more than 12 months. So, since 2,000 baht is about $62, let's say you send $100...Bangkok Bank NY slices off $3 as it flows through them...when it arrives your in-Thailand branch they slice off another Bt200 (a little over $6), which means you end up with around $91 or Bt2900 being posted to your account. Sending small amounts gets pricey due to the fee structure...sending larger amounts knocks the fee "percentage-wise of the total sent" way down.

And if you had an ATM/Debit card issued with the account remember there will be an annual fee of a couple hundred baht charged to your account (depends on which card you signed up for) which would lower your balance so be sure to keep that in mind regarding whatever balance you decide to keep in your account. If I was you and just wanted to not worry about the account for a few years and annual card fee lowering the balance below 2,000, I would just send enough to get the balance to up around 4,000 baht which approximately whopping $125.

[chubby]

so, 1 ACH of $100

and a 2nd one of $25 ?

All I see on the BBL NY link is this :

"Benefits of the service

• Fees for funds transfers via the US ACH system and Bangkok Bank's New York branch are up to USD 20 lower than most other international wire transfer services in the US. "

and I did look, the FAQs just list the BKK side of the ACH fees....

I'm doubting I've been charged 200 baht/year for the Be1 visa/ATM card, somehow. Can I list US contact addresses and phone numbers ? , I got someone on the line, but did not ask yesterday....

oh sorry, hmm, i did set up a test deposits thing last year, not sure if that qualifies ? but i should check on the balance , is there any minimum that can be deposited through BBL NYC?

You can use their ACH routing number to transfer any amount of funds to your "in-Thailand" bank account, but be sure to take in account the Bangkok Bank New York Branch and in-Thailand Bangkok Bank currency receiving/conversion fees which will be sliced off the amount you send. Up to $50 there are no NY branch fees but you will still have the 0.25% (Bt200 min , Bt500 max) fee on the in-Thailand branch receiving end.

You can find the New York branch ACH transfer fees at this Link by clicking the "Fees" heading. No fee up to $50, but a $3 fee for over $50 up to $100. Other fee amounts for larger transfers.

Your goal should be to get/maintain "at least" a 2,000 baht balance in the account if you don't want to worry about account fees/closure if you stop using the account for more than 12 months. So, since 2,000 baht is about $62, let's say you send $100...Bangkok Bank NY slices off $3 as it flows through them...when it arrives your in-Thailand branch they slice off another Bt200 (a little over $6), which means you end up with around $91 or Bt2900 being posted to your account. Sending small amounts gets pricey due to the fee structure...sending larger amounts knocks the fee "percentage-wise of the total sent" way down.

And if you had an ATM/Debit card issued with the account remember there will be an annual fee of a couple hundred baht charged to your account (depends on which card you signed up for) which would lower your balance so be sure to keep that in mind regarding whatever balance you decide to keep in your account. If I was you and just wanted to not worry about the account for a few years and annual card fee lowering the balance below 2,000, I would just send enough to get the balance to up around 4,000 baht which approximately whopping $125.

[Pib]

Does this Be1 card go for any and all types of accounts? As the account still has 300 baht in it, after 2 years, with nothing but some test deposits as activity

See this Bangkok Bank webpage talking about its Be1st card. It's issued for regular savings and current (checking) accounts.

See this Bangkok Bank webpage talking about fees...the Account Maintenance Fees are listed at the very top regarding an what happens for an account with an balance of less than 2,000 baht "and" inactive for over 12 months. To show account activity I expect the account owner needs to deposit/withdraw/transfer in or out at least 1 stang; the semi-annual interest payment in Jun and Dec is bank initiated activity and not account owner initiated activity.

Any kind of deposit you the account owner initiates like ACH transfer test deposits in setting up a transfer link between your home country bank account and Bangkok Bank account would be account owner initiated. Doing an ATM withdrawal using your debit account anywhere in the world would qualify...don't know if doing just a balance check with your debit card work qualify since it wouldn't change the account balance.

[chubby]

hmmm, but at some point I was told I don't have a real expat (eligible for inet service, etc) , I have some other kind not requiring work permit , etc ; and perhaps maybe this is why i don't think i've been charged the 200 B / year for the card

from the web page,

• Joining fee: 100Bt
• Annual fee: 200Bt
• Monthly statement fee: 200Bt per year
  (apply at your home branch)

sorta sounds like i would apply to be charged the fee, maybe they just mean, to get a card

was looking more for the NYC branch > $100 fee schedule .....

Edited April 8, 2014 by chubby

[Pib]

so, 1 ACH of $100

and a 2nd one of $25 ?

All I see on the BBL NY link is this :

"Benefits of the service

• Fees for funds transfers via the US ACH system and Bangkok Bank's New York branch are up to USD 20 lower than most other international wire transfer services in the US. "

and I did look, the FAQs just list the BKK side of the ACH fees....

I'm doubting I've been charged 200 baht/year for the Be1 visa/ATM card, somehow. Can I list US contact addresses and phone numbers ? , I got someone on the line, but did not ask yesterday....3

Why would you want to incur fees twice in this case by sending two transfers of $100 and $25 versus one $125 transfer, when in each case the "in-Thaland Bangkok Bank branch fee of 0.25% (Bt200 min, Bt500 max) would apply. For the $100 transfer the NY branch would apply a $3 flow-thru fee; for the $25 transfer no flow-thru fee. For a $125 transfer there would be a NY branch $5 flow-thru. But as mentioned you still get hit with the in-Thailand branch fee for any transfer amounts. Cheaper to do one $125 transfer than breaking it up into two transfers. One $125 transfer $11.25 in Bangkok Bank fees, one $100 transfer $9.25 in fees, one $25 transfers $6.25 in fees. Combine the $9.25 and $6.25 for the two transfer you have a total $15.5 in fees....but one transfer for the entire $125 amount would be $11.25 in fees. Review the Bangkok Bank NY branch sliding scale fee structure for transfers...you can play with other transfer amounts/combinations to see what might be cheapest for you Bangkok Bank fee-wise to transfer X-amount into the account.

And in my other post I only recommended an approx $125 amount to keep you above the 2,000 baht amount along with plenty to spare for annual debit card fees in case you don't use the account for a fair amount of years...such an amount should cover you for numerous years without worrying about the balance dropping below 2,000 baht, showing account activity, annual card fee hitting your account, etc.

I can only speak to the Bangkok Bank side of the transfer based on their website and my own past personal experience...I can't speak to your home country Sending bank fee they may apply...many don't charge any ACH sending fee but some of the more greedy one do. Contact your bank for that info.

The annual card fee occurs during the anniversary month of you getting the card as far as I know versus a specific month each year like the interest payments in Jun and Dec.

See the Bangkok Bank website for contact details.

[Pib]

hmmm, but at some point I was told I don't have a real expat (eligible for inet service, etc) , I have some other kind not requiring work permit , etc ; and perhaps maybe this is why i don't think i've been charged the 200 B / year for the card

from the web page,

• Joining fee: 100Bt
• Annual fee: 200Bt
• Monthly statement fee: 200Bt per year

  (apply at your home branch)

sorta sounds like i would apply to be charged the fee, maybe they just mean, to get a card

You "will" be charged the annual fee during the anniversary month of getting the card. If you got a card say Apr 14, come Apr 15 they would charge the annual fee.

[joealx]

"Not expensive at all. Let's say your monthly govt check is $2000. The Bangkok Bank New York branch would slice off $5 as it flowed through them. So, the in-Thailand branch receives $1995...they then convert to baht...lets say 32 baht/USD just for example which gives you Bt63,840...then the branch applies their 0.25% (Bt 200 min, Bt 500 max) currency receipt/conversion fee which means the Bt200 min fee ($6.25) is deducted in this case and then the remaining Bt63,640 is posted to your account. So, $11.25 on $2000 sent equate to 0.56% in fees." Re: 52 post

Just remember, the TT (about the same as the Visa or Master Card companies charge at ATMs) rate is about 1% less than the physical dollar rate than you would get at a bank or exchange kisok, so in reality it's 1.56% in fees. So when AEON wasn't charging, it was about 1% to get cash.

Edited April 8, 2014 by joealx

[Pib]

Just remember, the TT (about the same as the Visa or Master Card companies charge at ATMs) rate is about 1% less than the physical dollar rate than you would get at a bank or exchange kisok, so in reality it's 1.56% in fees. So when AEON wasn't charging, it was about 1% to get cash.

Note entirely correct. Just go to this Thailand Bank Foreign Currency Web site which shows various buying rates for TT, Notes, etc. For example, I went to it at 2:01pm a few minutes ago, the SuperRich (i.e., a very popular cash exchange known for some of the best cash rates) cash/note buying rate is 32.3 baht/USD... then change the currency type from Notes to TT to show the various Thai bank TT Buying Rate used for incoming wire transfers....the "average" TT Buying Rate among Thai banks at 2:01pm was a little more than 32.27 baht/USD (or only 0.01% below the SuperRich rate. And several of the banks offerring 32.29 baht/USD almost being identical to the SuperRich. But yes, Thai bank "Notes" buying rates are usually around 1% lower than their TT Buying Rates.

And as we've talked before the comment at above website about just select the "TT Rate to see the ATM Rate" is completely bogus for website hit/ad purposes because banks use the Visa/Mastercard exchange rates...that's why banks don't publish their ATM Rates since they use the Visa/Mastercard rates...unless a person select a bank ATMs offer to use the bank's Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) ripoff rate which will be about 3 to 4% lower than the Visa/Mastercard rate.

But Visa/Mastercard full exchange rates are indeed usually very close to the TT Buying Rate plus or minus a few stang. For example, the current Visa exchange rate is 32.41 baht/USD per their exchange website, which means today the Visa exchange rate is better than both SuperRich and Thai banks.

In closing, don't confuse any foreign transaction fee which a debit/credit card may charge against the Visa/Mastercard full rate...yes such cards can a 1% or usually higher foreign transaction fee but there are cards that do not charge any foreign transaction fees. Like in my case I have two U.S. debit cards and two 3 U.S. credit cards that do not charge any foreign transaction fee...so I always get the full Visa/Mastercard exchange rate which is mentioned is plus or minus a few stang of of Thai bank TT Buying rates or exchange booths like SuperRich....and today my Visa cards are beating both Superrich and Thai bank exchange rates.

In fact, with the Visa rate beating other rates right now (about rate is good until 11am tomorrow) I think I will go do a periodic bank counter withdrawal using one of my no fee cards to recharge my Thai bank account....doing the counter withdrawal don't incur the ATM foreign card 150/180 baht fee....assuming your bank allows counter withdrawals versus just pointing you to their ATM.

[Pib]

OK...using my foreign Visa card I went and made a Bt64,000 counter withdrawal since my card has a $2,000 daily withdrawal limit getting the Visa 32.412809 baht/USD exchange rate for the day...I knew the rate before going by checking the Visa website....a $1974.53 charge will hit my foriegn account...no counter withdrawal fee...and the card I used has no foreign transaction fee. So, I beat what SuperRich and any Thai bank TT Buying Rate offerrred for the day and got the funds immediately with absolutely no fees anywhere along the way. But today was one of those days when the Visa exchange rate was a little better than other rates like the Thai bank TT Buying Rate; on other days the Visa rate is a little less....all depends on the Forex markets and how often banks & Visa/Mastercard change their rates on a daily basis. Visa only changes once every 24 hours; Mastercard usually only once every 24 hours but sometimes twice daily. While at the counter I had the clerk deposit the entire amount into my Thai bank account...I never touched any of the money...in fact neither did the clerk as it was basically a combo withdraw and deposit transaction with no touching of any baht notes. The only downside was the 30 minute queue wait to see a clerk...normally it only takes around 5 minutes...the bank was very busy this afternoon; however, the wait was completely offset by the female scenery in the bank and a very pleasant clerk handling my transaction.

[HooHaa]

If "Hmmmm" means I don't believe you, I don't really care. What I posted is a fact, I've had a Be1st card for years and it works in any atm. Maybe it doesn't have a chip in it, I don't know, but I do know what it is and which machines it works in.

What you have posted isn't fact, you have posted on your limited experience and even more limited powers of observation. You don't even know what a chipped card looks like.

There are at least TWO sorts of basic Be1st card, the bog-standard one that doesn't have a chip and can be used in any ATM including other banks as well as at POS. The newer one has a chip (hands up anyone who doesn't know where to find the chip on their card or what it looks like) and can be used in Bangkok Bank ATM's ONLY as well as at POS.

we could go on rewording it infinitely and it wouldn't help.

[chubby]

I still can't find where it says for NY branch 0-$50 is free, 50-100 is $3 etc

I'm wondering if it is possible to link my Schwab high yield checking directly to the BKK bank account , it seems to be linked via "moneylink" in the brokerage, but then the Schwab page is saying "money link is not allowed for bank accounts" , and I don't quite understand if "moneylink" is the same as a transfer link , emailed to ask them , but if anyone knows.......(looks like they want to mail in some form to directly link HYC -> BKK bank(external account), hmmm.

Edited April 9, 2014 by chubby

[Pib]

I still can't find where it says for NY branch 0-$50 is free, 50-100 is $3 etc

I'm wondering if it is possible to link my Schwab high yield checking directly to the BKK bank account , it seems to be linked via "moneylink" in the brokerage, but then the Schwab page is saying "money link is not allowed for bank accounts" , and I don't quite understand if "moneylink" is the same as a transfer link , emailed to ask them , but if anyone knows.......(looks like they want to mail in some form to directly link HYC -> BKK bank(external account), hmmm.

Go to this Bangkok Bank webpage and then click the heading titles Fees.

Regarding setting up a transfer link in your Schwab checking to Bangkok Bank, yes you can but you must mail in the form setting up the transfer link. Once they approve the form it will appear in your Schwab online account. If wanting to setup for your Savings account you must also mail in a form, but the link won't appear online once approved...you must call-in to initiate the transfer. But setting up external bank transfer links on the Brokerage account can all be done online with trial deposits. MoneyLink is just Schwab's fancy name for their funds transfer system that uses ACH/wire transfer....fancy name that's all. Schwab bascially tries to herd folks towards use of their brokerage account by making money transfers easier/simple from the brokerage account, but for their checking and savings accounts they make it harder...force use of mail-in forms to setup transfer links...or at least that's the way it was when I opened by Schwab brokerage/checking/savings accounts back in 2011...I still got the notes I made to myself when trying to setup the Schwab checking and savings account external bank transfer links.

Easiest thing to do is just setup a transfer link to Bangkok Bank on your brokerage account using the standard online trial transfers. Then when you want to transfer funds from your Schwab checking/savings account to Bangkok Bank just do an "internal" Schwab transfer from checking/savings to brokerage which occurs immediately...then go to the Brokerage account and do the transfer to Bangkok Bank. Or do all of that mail-in forms stuff to setup online and telephone transfer links directly from checking/savings.

[chubby]

thanks