Harris Blows an Easy Interview, Trump Pounces: She is Just Joe Biden Redux

[T_Dog]

I've been doing periodic wire transfers with US Bank for eight years and recently requested the updated form for doing a wire transfer. Turns out they can not provide a form as you have to initiate a wire transfer in person at one of their branch locations and verify your identity in person. Below is a response I received from them. I have not checked into Western Union fees but I would imagine they are a lot higher than the fees charged by the bank in the past. If you do wire transfers, you might want to check with your home bank to see if the policies have changed.

-----------------------------------------

Thank you for contacting U.S. Bank using our online services.

I appreciate the opportunity to address your inquiry and I apologize for any misunderstanding. To initiate a international wire transfer, it will be necessary to visit a U.S. Bank branch to complete the request. We do not have a form we can provide for this service.

If you are unable to visit a branch, we do offer a Western Union Money Transfer service. This service can send funds within the United States or to participating agent locations around the world. Fees are charged based on the option selected and the amount sent. However. limitations to the amount and frequency will apply. To learn more about this service, log in to your accounts, select Transfers & Payments and then on Send Money to a Person.

If the amount you wish to transfer is to high for the Western Union Money Transfer, you may wish to inquire with Western Union directly. They can be reached at 1-800-325-6000. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also find a location at the following link..........

[96tehtarp]

Have you contacted your bank branch directly and asked them about this? They can hopefully verify your identity by telephone.

Maybe some other TV members can advise which U.S. based banks facilitate online SWIFT transfers, and which banks don't.

[T_Dog]

Have you contacted your bank branch directly and asked them about this? They can hopefully verify your identity by telephone.

Maybe some other TV members can advise which U.S. based banks facilitate online SWIFT transfers, and which banks don't.

They are checking into that at the moment, but the big push is to use Western Union online and avoid teller time. Looking at it, the fees don't seem that bad with Western Union. Will have to find a Western Union office here in Chiang Mai and visit them personally before trying that route.

[longball53098]

I have banked at Chase Bank for many years. I have internet banking with them. I started making Swift transfers via a telephone call to the wire transfer department back in 2005. Arranged by branch personnel back then (2005). They added the wire(swift) service to the internet banking service in 2007. I started using this. To date I still use the Swift services via internet banking and also the transfer services via ACH to BBL. I have not seen or heard of any changes to this transfer system.

[lopburi3]

Western Union and most of the other transfer services make there money in the exchange rate used. You want to send foreign currency to Thailand and have it converted at local bank where the only charge is a 1/4% fee in range 200 to 500 baht.

The best way to get to Thailand is to use Bangkok Bank NY routing to your Bangkok Bank account number and most banks can do this a low or no fee and not require any presence or special procedures using the ACH transfer method as it is handled as a domestic bank to bank transfer.

[Pib]

Have you contacted your bank branch directly and asked them about this? They can hopefully verify your identity by telephone.

Maybe some other TV members can advise which U.S. based banks facilitate online SWIFT transfers, and which banks don't.

They are checking into that at the moment, but the big push is to use Western Union online and avoid teller time. Looking at it, the fees don't seem that bad with Western Union. Will have to find a Western Union office here in Chiang Mai and visit them personally before trying that route.

The upfront/direct fees may not be, but the lower exchange rate can be the robber. Both WU's and PayPal's downside in doing international funds transfers is their lower exchange rate usually around 2 to 4% percent lower (depends on currencies being exchanged) than the Thai bank TT Buying Rate used for incoming wire transfers. Been highlighted in many TV threads.

U.S. Bank don't do free/low cost online "ACH transfers?" I bet they do but you would need a Bangkok Bank account to take advantage of using ACH to transfer funds to Thailand.

Edit: I just went to the WU webpage where you can determine what fees and exchange rate you'll get using different funding/receiving location options and how fast you want to receive it. While the upfront/direct fee can be low to zero (or a healthy fee if wanting to get the money fast) the WU exchange rate is lower...like at this point in time only 31.08 baht/USD compared to the Bankgok Bank TT Buying Rate of 32.33 baht/USD...the WU exchange rate is 3.9% lower. No doubt about it...WU and the banks offerring the service make a very handsome hidden fee through the lower exchange rate.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Pib

[Pib]

Oh yea as lopburi3 already mentioned, when the funds arrive your Thai bank account, whether in foreign currency or already converted to baht, the Thai bank will apply a 0.25% (Bt200-Bt300 min, Bt500 max) currency receiving fee. For most Thai banks the Minimum fee is Bt200 (approx $6.20) but some banks like SCB charge a minimum fee of Bt300. This fee is applied before posting to your account so it won't appear anywhere...this fools some people into thinking no fee was applied but it was indeed applied. So be sure to add that fee amount into the WU fees/lower exchange if having WU sent the money to your Thai bank account.

[Langsuan Man]

Typical TV incorrect topic heading (punctuation is important people)

This applies to US Bank, not US Banks since it concerns a bank named US Bank

So you only have to be concerned if you use that bank, not all US banks are changing their wiring policies

source: https://www.usbank.com/index.html

[T_Dog]

Typical TV incorrect topic heading (punctuation is important people)

This applies to US Bank, not US Banks since it concerns a bank named US Bank

So you only have to be concerned if you use that bank, not all US banks are changing their wiring policies

source: https://www.usbank.com/index.html

Punctuation is correct but maybe not the capitalization. Just putting out a warning that things might be changing with old forms of doing wire transfers, and knowing early is better than knowing late.

[JDGRUEN]

OP - you must be transferring huge amounts of money at one time ... otherwise the suggestions that others have given so far in this topic thread should be better options. TVF is filled with advice of setting up a bank account with Bangkok Bank in Thailand and in NY, NY , USA... This setup allows movement of fairly large sums of money without problems... And there are other ways ... Wire Transfers - except for very large sums of money seem to be a bit of a dinosaur method.

[Gonsalviz]

I have been making Skype calls to my Credit Union for years. Swift transactions. I call in the evening and the money arrives in my account the next morning. Send USD and get Kasikorn's local rate less 500 baht as I transfer large amounts.

Some time back the federal government had to make sure they were getting their cut and the procedures changed which just made the calls longer. I have a subscription so it doesn't cost me more. They ask more questions, there are more questions and the intermediary bank changed but the fees are the same.

[cnxkoolpunt9]

Just executed an on-line wire transfer from U.S. based Chase bank to an account in Chiang Mai yesterday. Went on-line and checked on the transfer today. The transaction was successful.

[Searat7]

My USA bank has insisted on a personal a personal appearance to process wire transfers for a long time. I have used Bangkok Bank in New York but eventually discovered I could transfer up to $10,000 online from USA bank account to my FX dollar account at Bangkok Bank. Fee to send $10,000 was only $10 and Bangkok Bank charged about $16 to receive $9,990.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[ClutchClark]

Western Union and most of the other transfer services make there money in the exchange rate used. You want to send foreign currency to Thailand and have it converted at local bank where the only charge is a 1/4% fee in range 200 to 500 baht.

The best way to get to Thailand is to use Bangkok Bank NY routing to your Bangkok Bank account number and most banks can do this a low or no fee and not require any presence or special procedures using the ACH transfer method as it is handled as a domestic bank to bank transfer.

Does the Bangkok Bank account have to be in my name, the name on the account initiating the transfer, or can the destination account, the Bangkok Bank account, be in my wife's name?

Thanks

[noendtoit]

I just cannot understand why, with all that has been said on this forum, any American living here would not have a Schwab account. Fully computerized, they make nothing on the exchange rate, they have no fees for most services, they have an international toll free number with live personnel 24/7. You can move any amount of money at the best possible exchange rate (Visa international rate -- interbank rate plus 1/2%) with no fees whatsoever using a Schwab Visa debit card in a counter cash advance transaction at a Thai bank.

I read endlessly about all the problems folks here have moving money and all the fees they have to pay. Wow, who needs it?

Occasionally, I use a Thai bank ATM for some quick cash when I don't wnat to deal with the counter transaction and I get hit with the Thai bank fee for that. But Schwab even reimburses that. I have heard people theorize onTV that if you abuse the Schwab ATM fee reimbursement, they will cut you off. I have had several conversations over the years about this with Schwab Customer Service and they insist that this is a service they have for their customers and they have NEVER cut anyone off for overuse, nor will they.

[JimGant]

You can move any amount of money at the best possible exchange rate (Visa international rate -- interbank rate plus 1/2%)

Visa's exchange rate is slightly below the interbank rate. Yes, they themselves, due to their clout, realize the interbank rate -- but you, the consumer, get a lesser rate. Guess who pockets the spread.....

MasterCard too gets the interbank rate -- but has an even wider spread than Visa when it comes to USD/THB FX pairing.

And, on average, Visa's rate exceeds the buying TT rate -- while MC does worse than the TT rate. And, of course, the buying TT rate is what you get when you do an EFT (ACH or wire) to Thailand.

they make nothing on the exchange rate, they have no fees for most services,

I have Schwab accounts, but have never used them for a wire transfer. Are you saying a SWIFTwire transfer would be free?

[noendtoit]

You can move any amount of money at the best possible exchange rate (Visa international rate -- interbank rate plus 1/2%)

Visa's exchange rate is slightly below the interbank rate. Yes, they themselves, due to their clout, realize the interbank rate -- but you, the consumer, get a lesser rate. Guess who pockets the spread.....

MasterCard too gets the interbank rate -- but has an even wider spread than Visa when it comes to USD/THB FX pairing.

And, on average, Visa's rate exceeds the buying TT rate -- while MC does worse than the TT rate. And, of course, the buying TT rate is what you get when you do an EFT (ACH or wire) to Thailand.

they make nothing on the exchange rate, they have no fees for most services,

I have Schwab accounts, but have never used them for a wire transfer. Are you saying a SWIFTwire transfer would be free?

As I said, Visa gets 1/2% over the interbank rate, which gives the consumer the best possible rate anywhere. Of course Visa gets the spread, every business needs to profit.

With Schwab, you can move money to the Bangkok NY branch free of any Schwab fees, but you get stuck with BKK Bank's fees in both NY and again in Thailand.

If the total of all your schwab accounts exceeds $100,000, you can make SWIFT transfers from Schwab free -- but again, you get stuck with the receiving Thai Bank's fees -- and since you are sending dollars, you are also at the mercy of the receiving bank's exchange rates. If the total of your accounts at Schwab is less than $100,000, Schwab charges $10 for a SWIFT transfer.

By the way, when I check BKK Bank's TT rate and the Visa rate they are usually the same. At this moment, yesterday's rate, Visa is 32.3635 baht/$1; BKK's TT rate (for $100 minimum) is 32.24 baht/$1 -- slightly worse. You can check Visa's daily rate here: http://usa.visa.com/personal/card-benefits/travel/exchange-rate-calculator.jsp

[lopburi3]

Western Union and most of the other transfer services make there money in the exchange rate used. You want to send foreign currency to Thailand and have it converted at local bank where the only charge is a 1/4% fee in range 200 to 500 baht.

The best way to get to Thailand is to use Bangkok Bank NY routing to your Bangkok Bank account number and most banks can do this a low or no fee and not require any presence or special procedures using the ACH transfer method as it is handled as a domestic bank to bank transfer.

Does the Bangkok Bank account have to be in my name, the name on the account initiating the transfer, or can the destination account, the Bangkok Bank account, be in my wife's name?

Thanks

It may have to be as have seen reports of issues with mis-spellings etc - but mine in both my name and wife as joint account and full middle name here but MI from US bank and have not have any issues.

[Pib]

Western Union and most of the other transfer services make there money in the exchange rate used. You want to send foreign currency to Thailand and have it converted at local bank where the only charge is a 1/4% fee in range 200 to 500 baht.

The best way to get to Thailand is to use Bangkok Bank NY routing to your Bangkok Bank account number and most banks can do this a low or no fee and not require any presence or special procedures using the ACH transfer method as it is handled as a domestic bank to bank transfer.

Does the Bangkok Bank account have to be in my name, the name on the account initiating the transfer, or can the destination account, the Bangkok Bank account, be in my wife's name?

Thanks

It may have to be as have seen reports of issues with mis-spellings etc - but mine in both my name and wife as joint account and full middle name here but MI from US bank and have not have any issues.

Ditto to what lopburi3 said.

[JimGant]

As I said, Visa gets 1/2% over the interbank rate, which gives the consumer the best possible rate anywhere. Of course Visa gets the spread, every business needs to profit.

Are you saying Visa realizes, by 1/2%, a better rate than the Interbank rate? I knew they had clout, but not that much.... And interesting you found a figure --1/2% -- that provides the spread.

You, the consumer, never get the Interbank rate with your Visa transactions -- as is apparent to anyone who's looked up Visa daily FX rates, then compared them with Interbank rates. If, indeed, Visa "gets 1/2% over the Interbank rate," then the spread (profit) is even greater for Visa -- by 1/2% -- than the numbers I crunched. Where, may I ask, did you get that Visa does better than the Interbank rate, and by precisely 1/2%?

using a Schwab Visa debit card in a counter cash advance transaction at a Thai bank.

What bank/branch are you able to get debit card cash over the counter? I know several here have pointed out the difficulties of doing counter transactions with a debit card -- but have found using a credit card to do truly a cash advance is acceptable.

[noendtoit]

As I said, Visa gets 1/2% over the interbank rate, which gives the consumer the best possible rate anywhere. Of course Visa gets the spread, every business needs to profit.

Are you saying Visa realizes, by 1/2%, a better rate than the Interbank rate? I knew they had clout, but not that much.... And interesting you found a figure --1/2% -- that provides the spread.

You, the consumer, never get the Interbank rate with your Visa transactions -- as is apparent to anyone who's looked up Visa daily FX rates, then compared them with Interbank rates. If, indeed, Visa "gets 1/2% over the Interbank rate," then the spread (profit) is even greater for Visa -- by 1/2% -- than the numbers I crunched. Where, may I ask, did you get that Visa does better than the Interbank rate, and by precisely 1/2%?

using a Schwab Visa debit card in a counter cash advance transaction at a Thai bank.

What bank/branch are you able to get debit card cash over the counter? I know several here have pointed out the difficulties of doing counter transactions with a debit card -- but have found using a credit card to do truly a cash advance is acceptable.

As to the 1/2%, where did I get that info? Is it accurate? Frankly, I don't remember. I can tell you this: At yesterday's Visa exchange rate going from U.S. dollars (Visa card in $) to Thai baht got an exchange of $1:32.353036; going from Thai baht to U.S. dollars got a rate of 32.406759 ThB, a differential of .053723 ThB. So there's your spread. You can do the math.

I have tried Bangkok bank -- main branch at Phitsanulok, They do nto give me any trouble over it, but always seem to have technical problems, which they blame on Visa. I have never had any trouble at all at the main Branch of TMB Bank in Phit'lok. "Main Branch's" seem to be the best bet. I have gone into smaller branches and they say they can't do it -- don't have the equipment.

Bear in mind that since the bank gets no fee for this, I always do counter transactions for larger amounts (at least double the bank's ATM pull limit) and I come to the counter with a deposit slip and a request to deposit the full amount into my account (it gives them some incentive). I haven't had a credit card for many years now.

[Pib]

I'm not quite sure what you guys mean by "interbank" exchange rate, but from looking at the Bank of Thailand website a few minutes they gave a "weighted-average interbank TT Buying exchange rate" of 32.388 baht/USD...but this is the 2 July data. Looking at the Visa exchange rate website their rate for 2 Jul is 32.353 baht/USD or just 0.1% lower than the interbank exchange rate listed on the BOT website.

Now if I go to some Forex website like xe.com to see what exchange rate they give its 32.379 baht/USD at this point in time which is 3 Jul, not 2 Jul, which is 0.03% lower than the Thai bank interbank rate...but as said we are comparing a 2 Jul and 3 Jul date in this example...plus the Forex website quote the "mid-point" rate which is: The rates that are neither "buy" nor "sell" rates. Instead, they are mid-market rates derived from the mid-point between the "buy" and "sell" rates from global currency markets." Plus these are rates the BIG money exchangers are dealing with...the money exchangers that mabye even Visa/Mastercard do their money trading with...it's not the rates retail customers get...a person really shouldn't be using these Forex-type rates to judge what exchange rate they "should" be getting; for Thai baht I would say they should use the Thai bank TT Buying Rate as that's about the best rate the common man can get for baht. And the Visa/Mastercard rates are usually very close to the Thai bank TT Buying Rate, usually with the Visa rate usually being better than the Mastercard rate. I doubt Visa/Mastercard is slicing off 0.5% of whatever rate they are able to get from the Forex markets...but maybe somewhere in the 0.1% to around 0.25% ballpark...but it's kinda hard to really compare due to date differences as the Visa/Mastercard rate usually lags Forex market rates by a business day or so.

In doing counter withdrawals with debit and credit cards at Bangkok Bank branches, I've only tried two branches so far here in Bangkok...one was a full service main branch and another was a micro-branch in a Lotus mall which I tried just yesterday since this micro-branch just reopened after undergoing renovation. Anyway, the main branch would "not" do a counter withdrawal for a debit card...they just point you to their ATMs; but they gladly do a counter withdrawal with a credit card and I've done 5 such withdrawals so far over the last few months. Fortunately, my credit card is Pentagon Federal Credit Union credit card with no foreign transaction fee or cash advance fee (probably one of the few in the U.S. that does not charge a cash advance fee). I get my cash advance, come back home, log onto my PenFed ibanking, and pay in full the advance same day to prevent an interest charge. Been working good so far. While during the advance I never touch the money as I also have the funds deposited in my Bangkok Bank account in one combo-transaction. Oh, yea, the micro-branch (3 teller positions) wouldn't do it for my debit or credit card...they referred me to a main branch to do it.

I need to try another main branch with my debit card but the main branch I now use with my credit card is close by plus I can get up to $2,000 per transaction using the credit card where the two debit cards I have each only allow $1,000 per transaction/day. I would need to do two counter withdrawals with my two no foreign transaction fee debit cards to equal my one $2,000 withdrawal using my one no foreign transaction fee/no cash advance fee credit card.

[patekatek]

O.P. If you have $25,000 in assets that you can deposit in a Wells Fargo account (can't remember the name of the account) you can get free wire transfers. If the account drops below $25,000 they charge around $40 per wire. I am really surprised about U.S. Banks wire policy. However, this bank is known to suck the wind out of a vacuum cleaner with all their fees. I remember going in to a branch to cash a check a U.S. Bank customer had given me. The teller insisted that I pay a $5 fee to cash the check at their bank. I went to Wells and cashed it for no charge.

[Pib]

O.P. If you have $25,000 in assets that you can deposit in a Wells Fargo account (can't remember the name of the account) you can get free wire transfers. If the account drops below $25,000 they charge around $40 per wire. I am really surprised about U.S. Banks wire policy. However, this bank is known to suck the wind out of a vacuum cleaner with all their fees. I remember going in to a branch to cash a check a U.S. Bank customer had given me. The teller insisted that I pay a $5 fee to cash the check at their bank. I went to Wells and cashed it for no charge.

i'm not with Wells Fargo or US Bank, but Wells Fargo is on this May 14 ranking of the 20 U.S. banks earning the most fee revenue per branch....Wellls Fargo is ranked number 7. US Bank is not on the list.

[patekatek]

Pib, I should have done more research before spouting off about bank fees. Thanks for pointing out the current facts.

[JimGant]

As to the 1/2%, where did I get that info? Is it accurate? Frankly, I don't remember. I can tell you this: At yesterday's Visa exchange rate going from U.S. dollars (Visa card in $) to Thai baht got an exchange of $1:32.353036; going from Thai baht to U.S. dollars got a rate of 32.406759 ThB, a differential of .053723 ThB. So there's your spread. You can do the math.

Yes, I can do the math -- and, yes, there is a market (with a nice spread, since a minor currency is involved) for buying and selling baht to satisfy customers holding either Visa cards denominated in baht -- or denominated in dollars. But, we're talking here only about the latter, when I try and decipher your "Visa gets 1/2% over the interbank rate" -- and the related spread for such dollars in transactions solely buying (not selling) baht.

But, on another thread, you used language that said something like '1/2 point off the interbank rate.' Ok, using that definition, I agree -- and least in direction.

Looking at two relatively stable trading days, 26 and 27 June, on the BOT site, as well as the MC and Visa sites, we get these numbers:

26 June

Interbank Rate: 32.47

Buying TT Rate: 32.31 (they call it buying transfer rate)

Visa Rate: 32.41

MC Rate: 32.22

27 June

Interbank Rate: 32.48

Buying TT Rate: 32.34

Visa Rate: 32.41

MC Rate: 32.24

(25 June figures are almost identical, as FX trading was stable -- however, MC's figures for that day aren't available.)

Anyway, the relationship shown here is representative of what you'll see when trading is stable. And from several weeks of numbers I ran a couple of years ago, here's what we find:

Interbank rate averages 16 satang above the buying TT rate, with Visa between the two, averaging 8 satang better than the TT rate. MC, however, averages 16 satang worse than Visa (again, using a several week average from a few years ago -- but the current example would seem to validate these older numbers).

And. when we use noend's "1/2 point off the interbank rate (.005), we get 16 satang, which is the differential with the TT rate, not Visa. Nevertheless, representative of a buying spread that you, the consumer, are paying. However, compared to the MC spread, what a deal!

Why the MC spread anomaly? Well, we know Visa uses the USD/THB trading pair. Possibly MC uses another (non USD) trading pair, which would build in inefficiencies when finally hooked to the dollar. Or, maybe they have inefficiencies using middlemen. Or (gulp), they're pocketing that entire spread -- and laughing all the way. Hmmmm.

[noendtoit]

I'm not quite sure what you guys mean by "interbank" exchange rate, but from looking at the Bank of Thailand website a few minutes they gave a "weighted-average interbank TT Buying exchange rate" of 32.388 baht/USD...but this is the 2 July data. Looking at the Visa exchange rate website their rate for 2 Jul is 32.353 baht/USD or just 0.1% lower than the interbank exchange rate listed on the BOT website.

Now if I go to some Forex website like xe.com to see what exchange rate they give its 32.379 baht/USD at this point in time which is 3 Jul, not 2 Jul, which is 0.03% lower than the Thai bank interbank rate...but as said we are comparing a 2 Jul and 3 Jul date in this example...plus the Forex website quote the "mid-point" rate which is: The rates that are neither "buy" nor "sell" rates. Instead, they are mid-market rates derived from the mid-point between the "buy" and "sell" rates from global currency markets." Plus these are rates the BIG money exchangers are dealing with...the money exchangers that mabye even Visa/Mastercard do their money trading with...it's not the rates retail customers get...a person really shouldn't be using these Forex-type rates to judge what exchange rate they "should" be getting; for Thai baht I would say they should use the Thai bank TT Buying Rate as that's about the best rate the common man can get for baht. And the Visa/Mastercard rates are usually very close to the Thai bank TT Buying Rate, usually with the Visa rate usually being better than the Mastercard rate. I doubt Visa/Mastercard is slicing off 0.5% of whatever rate they are able to get from the Forex markets...but maybe somewhere in the 0.1% to around 0.25% ballpark...but it's kinda hard to really compare due to date differences as the Visa/Mastercard rate usually lags Forex market rates by a business day or so.

In doing counter withdrawals with debit and credit cards at Bangkok Bank branches, I've only tried two branches so far here in Bangkok...one was a full service main branch and another was a micro-branch in a Lotus mall which I tried just yesterday since this micro-branch just reopened after undergoing renovation. Anyway, the main branch would "not" do a counter withdrawal for a debit card...they just point you to their ATMs; but they gladly do a counter withdrawal with a credit card and I've done 5 such withdrawals so far over the last few months. Fortunately, my credit card is Pentagon Federal Credit Union credit card with no foreign transaction fee or cash advance fee (probably one of the few in the U.S. that does not charge a cash advance fee). I get my cash advance, come back home, log onto my PenFed ibanking, and pay in full the advance same day to prevent an interest charge. Been working good so far. While during the advance I never touch the money as I also have the funds deposited in my Bangkok Bank account in one combo-transaction. Oh, yea, the micro-branch (3 teller positions) wouldn't do it for my debit or credit card...they referred me to a main branch to do it.

I need to try another main branch with my debit card but the main branch I now use with my credit card is close by plus I can get up to $2,000 per transaction using the credit card where the two debit cards I have each only allow $1,000 per transaction/day. I would need to do two counter withdrawals with my two no foreign transaction fee debit cards to equal my one $2,000 withdrawal using my one no foreign transaction fee/no cash advance fee credit card.

The problem with using the TT rate at a Thai bank, even if it is 0.1% better than the Visa rate is all the accompanying fees. With BKK Bank, there is the $10 fee in NY, then there is another fee for your Thai account to receive the deposit. Or, with a SWIFT transfer, there are all the fees associated with that. With a very large transfer, these fees become incrementally small. But with a more modest transfer, such as a retired Americans monthly Social Security, it becomes relatively significant.

Bangkok Bank's main branch in Phitsanolk certainly processes Visa debit card transactions for me. Never mentioned the ATM. Had the mentioned it, I would simply have told them that their daily limit of 25,000 baft was unacceptable. I never do a counter transaction for less than 50,000 baht. Perhaps if I asked for counter transaction for 20,000, they would send me off to the machine. Bangkok Bank's Tesco branch here told me they did not have the equipment to process it, and suggested I go downtown.

[noendtoit]

This thread started with a notice that US Bank had stopped wire transfers or some such thing -- then morphed into a discussion of how best to move mpney to LOS.

All I can say is that I have been here 7 1/2 years. I hate all the bank fees (which prety mush disappeared from banks int ehUS years ago as an artifact of competition). I have tried and investigated all manner of methods, including using international currency exchange services (many of whom make all kinds of wild promises and representations).

Absolutely the least aexpensiveway I have found to move money into the country is throught the use of a Visa card and a no fee bank counter cash advance. I use a Visa debit card. The only way to get a better deal might be to go your native country, come back to LOS with your pockets stuffed with cash and exchange it at Rich Money in BKK or CM. Of course, then you have travel expenses . . .

You guys can endlessly debate the finer points of points and percents, the differences between MC and Visa and where the TT rate comes from. I have nothing further to add; I'm signing off this thread.

[noendtoit]

This thread started with a notice that US Bank had stopped wire transfers or some such thing -- then morphed into a discussion of how best to move mpney to LOS.

All I can say is that I have been here 7 1/2 years. I hate all the bank fees (which prety mush disappeared from banks int ehUS years ago as an artifact of competition). I have tried and investigated all manner of methods, including using international currency exchange services (many of whom make all kinds of wild promises and representations).

Absolutely the least aexpensiveway I have found to move money into the country is throught the use of a Visa card and a no fee bank counter cash advance. I use a Visa debit card. The only way to get a better deal might be to go your native country, come back to LOS with your pockets stuffed with cash and exchange it at Rich Money in BKK or CM. Of course, then you have travel expenses . . .

You guys can endlessly debate the finer points of points and percents, the differences between MC and Visa and where the TT rate comes from. I have nothing further to add; I'm signing off this thread. But I hoped I may have helped somebody.

[noendtoit]

This thread started with a notice that US Bank had stopped wire transfers or some such thing -- then morphed into a discussion of how best to move mpney to LOS.

All I can say is that I have been here 7-1/2 years. I hate all the bank fees (which pretty much disappeared from banks in the US years ago as an artifact of competition). I have tried and investigated all manner of methods, including using international currency exchange services (many of whom make all kinds of wild promises and representations). I have crunched all the numbers.

Absolutely the least expensive way I have found to move money into the country is through the use of a Visa card and a no fee bank counter cash advance. I use a Visa debit card; I no longer have a credit card. The only way to get a better deal might be to go your native country, come back to LOS with your pockets stuffed with cash and exchange it at Rich Money in BKK or CM. Of course, then you have travel expenses . . .

You guys can endlessly debate the finer points of points and percents, the differences between MC and Visa and where the TT rate comes from. I have nothing further to add; I'm signing off this thread. But I hoped I may have helped somebody.