Depositing a Cheque from the US treasury in Thailand

[RationalEnquirer]

My Girlfriend worked in the USA for a few months last year, as part of a student work exchange program. 6 months down the line she has received an $800 cheque from the US Treasury department, for her tax rebate. She had it sent to a friend in the US who sent it on to her in Thailand.

The cheque was deposited to her Thai bank account and a fee was paid for processing (328B) and everything seemed to be going ok, however today she received a call from the bank telling her they cannot process the cheque and she was requested to go back to the bank to reclaim her cheque. No reason was given.

I am from the UK and know nothing of the US Treasury department, and I can find little information online, which is why I'm posting here in the hope that a fellow forum member might be able to provide some insight and hopefully some suggestion on how to get this money banked.

Any help or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

[beechguy]

I would first find out why it is being rejected. Those checks are valid for a certain time period, is it possible it has expired? If not, I would contact a larger branch office and see what they say.

[Pib]

Normally U.S. treasury checks are good for one year, but I've heard that some banks may refuse to cash them if they are over 6 months old. Your GF needs to find out the "specific" reason her bank is rejecting it now.

[givenall]

Most banks in US now days have e-deposit option so you can deposit the check electronically without sending the actual check to the bank

Fins a fried who has a US account and deposit to his/her account and get the money from him/her

[wandasloan]

Most banks in US now days have e-deposit option so you can deposit the check electronically without sending the actual check to the bank

Fins a fried who has a US account and deposit to his/her account and get the money from him/her

Most of the US government has stopped cutting cheques completely. You can have direct deposit to your bank account, as you say, or you can get a pre-loaded "credit/ATM card" mailed to you if you don't have a bank account. The Social Security people stopped cutting cheques a year or three ago for example, I read that.

If this poor girl's cheque is actually bounced on her by the bank, then she should instruct the IRS (via online is fine) to redo her payment via card, to her friend's US address. There's no time limit on using the card, which can be used like any Visa ATM card anywhere, up to the limit stored, such as $800.

She may have to call or fill out a form and sign it to return or invalidate the cheque. That's probably going to be the hardest part, telling the IRS she didn't cash the cheque.

She should try at several banks to deposit the cheque in her account, or maybe endorse it to a friend or a company that can help her. If that really fails, then she'll have to go back to IRS, and next time choose something other than cheque. I recommend the "ATM card" solution.

Again, this is for Social Security but it is a guideline on what's available and how the US government is operating.

http://www.ssa.gov/deposit/howtosign.htm

.

[dinger]

One problem I can see is the cheque has already been partially processed, so there will be signatures and bank stamps on it. This may be a red flag to any other bank you try to redeposit it in. Also I thought I just read Social Security just started sending out cheques again

[IMA_FARANG]

If it is a U.S. dollar treasury check from the Internal Revenue Service it used to be that such a check had to be cashed only at the head office of the Bangkok Bank on Silom Road in Bangkok.

Bangkok Bank would not accept my tax refund check for deposit to my account at my branch Bangkok Bank office

I received a U.S. tax rebate in Thailand in 2011 and that is where I was directed by Bangkok Bank to cash it.

I believe only the head office of Bangkok Bank on Silom Road can do that in Thailand.

They use an ultraviolet light and a specimen signature to compare the check signature against,

If the specimen signature and the check signature look the same under the ultraviolet light, they will cash it

She will need a passport and/or some other official I.D. to show them if they will agree to cash it.

Now then, that was as a U.S. citizen cashing a U.S. treasury check.... I'm not sure what the procedure would be for a Thai.

But I would presume, if it is possible, she will need at least a Thai passport and/or a Thai I.D. card to prove her identity.

Also, as someone else mentioned, some of these U.S. Treasury checks have a certain period before they expire. That is usually written on the check.

If it has already expired (past it's time limit) it may need to be re-issued. Frankly, I have no idea how that can be done.

First tell her to go to the Bangkok Bank head office on Silom road to try and cash that check there.

And, not to be picky, but in the U.S. it's spelled check not cheque .... although that may not be relevant.

[zackattack]

You are right I need help cashing my social security disability check where do I go???

[zackattack]

Please help me I'm only 42 but have beautiful thai American boys/and wife 6 years old/ 2 years old

Zack attack

[IMA_FARANG]

You are right I need help cashing my social security disability check where do I go???

If it is a U.S. government check you will need to go to the main office of Bangkok Bank on Silom road in Bangkok on the 2nd floor and speak to them. You will need a passport for I.D.

If you are living outside Bangkok you will to need start the process by going to the main Bangkok Bank office where you live.

Unfortunately the only Bank that the U.S government will recognize to cash such checks is Bangkok Bank. Hopefully thre is someone there who knows the process.

This also applies if you are lucky enough to get a IRS tax refund. In 5 years in Thailand I have had one IRS refund check, when they mistakenly taxed my tax exempt final IRA payment.

Even though I had to go to Bangkok Bank it was worthwhile as I had a $ 330 dollar refund check.

Not much, but better than a swift kick in the A - -.

[Pib]

Bangkok Bank should accept the U.S. Treasury check according to this previous ThaiVisa thread of people depositing the check. Can't speak to the time before they clear and made available to you...may be only a couple of days...may be a month. Could be quick "if", repeat, if handled under this Bangkok Bank method although the method don't specifically mentioned treasury checks: See This Link. There is a fee in the Bt300 ballpark and you get the Sight Bill/Cheque Rate which is 0.1 baht/USD lower than the TT Buying Rate used for incoming wire transfers.