Natwest £26.69 for 1000Bhat?

[ryanhull]

Hey All,

I have been using my natwest card here in Thailand for the last 2 years, I never usually check it and normally get out 5000 bhat in one go as and when,

Anyway I drew out just 1000 bhat few days back, I looked on my online banking today and it was £26.69 for the 1000 bhat?

I know the machine charges you 180 bhat now but that seems alot just for 1000 bhat, I have been doing this for 2 years so god knows how much I have spent on charges and what not!

Who else uses natwest and draws out money here, and what does it cost you? I am popping back to the UK next week so I am thinking of getting a larger amount in cash from the post office, good plan?

Thanks

[Jay Sata]

Your best plan is to open a Bangkok Bank account in Thailand and then do an online transfer from your UK account to the Bangkok Bank.

There is a flat rate fee of £15.00" for this whatever the sum. When you take money from your. Thai account there is no charge.

Details below.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/TransferingFunds/TransferringIntoThailand/ReceivingFundsfromUK/Pages/ReceivingFundsfromUK.aspx

Edited January 31, 2015 by Jay Sata

[Jiu-Jitsu]

A quite awful plan.

You best bet is to get a family member (or yourself if you still have an address in the UK and proof of you staying at that address, such as a phone bill) to apply for a Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard and to use it for your spending in Thailand.

In this case, a supermarket spend of 1000 baht would cost you £20.25. Cash withdrawals should be handled over the counter. Your issue of course, it that if the card is in a family member's name, you'll be forced to use the ATM for cash withdrawals. In this case, take as big a chunk of cash out as is possible at a time. Currently 14,500 baht.

Do it now, so that it is ready to pick up and activate by the time that you reach the UK.

[Jip99]

By now, you should be using a Thai bank account.

[ryanhull]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

[Jip99]

Get your own bank account!

Look here for transfer options via BKB in London:-

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/TransferingFunds/TransferringIntoThailand/ReceivingFundsfromUK/Pages/ReceivingFundsfromUK.aspx

[mrtoad]

Awful.planning. open a thai account

[Jay Sata]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

Forget prepaid cards that is the Micky mouse way of doing things.

Bangkok Bank is £15.00 whatever the sum. Exchange rate is good as well.

Funds normally take one to two days to register.

As your wife already has an account there is nothing stopping you,doing it straightaway.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Jay Sata

[Jip99]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

Forget prepaid cards that is the Micky mouse way of doing things.

Bangkok Bank is £15.00 whatever the sum. Exchange rate is good as well.

Funds normally take one to two days to register.

The Bangkok Bank charge is £15 if you take the London Baht rate offered.

£20 if you remit in Sterling and have it converted in Thailand.

[LuckyLew]

Wow can only imagine how much you have lost over the two years

As mentioned a Thai bank account is the way to go

[dean008]

Are you in Bangkok?

Pop back to the UK and return with a wad of £50's go to super rich 1 or super rich 2 or mega rich (or whatever they call themselves) opposite central world and next to big C change (there are about 4 exchange shops there so its worth checking them all for the best rate) your £ and then go to a bank with your wad of Thai baht and tell them you want to open an account.

[jacky54]

Yes, you never get a need work permit or no can do if you slap a few slabs of baht on the counter, they will soon have you signed up.

[maccraw]

Natwest and Barclays are similar for charges in use of debit cards abroad,

A 2.99 %Non-sterling Transaction fee –on purchase or withdrawal-plus-

A 1.50 pound Non –sterling cash fee on cash withdrawal for each transaction

The Thai atm bank charge of 180 baht is additional

Incidentally if you are getting a UK pension it can be paid directly to a Thai bank account—no charges and a good rate. Transfer occurs monthly—takes a couple of days.

[Expattaff1308]

Take a look at a Halifax account they only seem to be charging £9.50 to transfer. When you get back to the UK it may pay to do a little research.

[Jip99]

Take a look at a Halifax account they only seem to be charging £9.50 to transfer. When you get back to the UK it may pay to do a little research.

Online banking has become good value and I find the Halifax system user-friendly.

HSBC charge is £4 and I like their online banking as well.

As said, do some research - only an idiot would use an overseas ATM in Thailand if they had other options available. The costs now are horrendous and the exchange rate is also less favourable.

[CFC]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

Forget prepaid cards that is the Micky mouse way of doing things.

Bangkok Bank is £15.00 whatever the sum. Exchange rate is good as well.

Funds normally take one to two days to register.

As your wife already has an account there is nothing stopping you,doing it straightaway.

I agree Pre-Paid cards are no good if you are living here or spending alot of time here. Pre-paid Cards are good for going on short holidays with, but the problem with Pre-paid cards in Thailand is you get charged a fee everytime you withdraw money from the ATM'S. Cant remember if its 150 or 180 Baht. That fee with the lower exchange rates you get from a Pre-paid card mounts up after a while. Best way to get the best exchange rate is send your money in GBP and let your Thai Bank change it into baht for you.

Edited February 1, 2015 by CFC

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Your best plan is to open a Bangkok Bank account in Thailand and then do an online transfer from your UK account to the Bangkok Bank.

There is a flat rate fee of £15.00" for this whatever the sum. When you take money from your. Thai account there is no charge.

Details below.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/TransferingFunds/TransferringIntoThailand/ReceivingFundsfromUK/Pages/ReceivingFundsfromUK.aspx

As has been pointed out to you, your post is nonsense.

The fee is actually £20 + 0.25% up to a maximum of 500 baht. So for a grand that is £22.50 in fees. That is 2.25%

With my suggestion the fees would be zero....but clearly not for those who are too stupid to be able to read and comprehend.

If you are going to use Micky Mouse as a metaphor...try not to end up looking like him.

I'm not going to expand on my advice. The information is all there. If you can't see it. I won't help you further.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

Forget prepaid cards that is the Micky mouse way of doing things.

Bangkok Bank is £15.00 whatever the sum. Exchange rate is good as well.

Funds normally take one to two days to register.

As your wife already has an account there is nothing stopping you,doing it straightaway.

I agree Pre-Paid cards are no good if you are living here or spending alot of time here. Pre-paid Cards are good for going on short holidays with, but the problem with Pre-paid cards in Thailand is you get charged a fee everytime you withdraw money from the ATM'S. Cant remember if its 150 or 180 Baht. That fee with the lower exchange rates you get from a Pre-paid card mounts up after a while. Best way to get the best exchange rate is send your money in GBP and let your Thai Bank change it into baht for you.

Don't jump on the 'stupid' bandwagon. I'll say no more than that. When you finally understand....keep the noise down.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Hey,

Thanks for the info, I do have a thai bank account under the wifes name but she has given me the card, I have just been lazy to transfer money to it... it is with bangkok bank,

So to transfer 1000 pounds to bangkok bank would only cost 15 pounds?

For the Kalixa Pay prepaid Mastercard what are the charges for getting cash out the ATM`s?

Thanks for the info and replies

If you can't listen to or follow my advice, do the bank transfer as suggested. As has been pointed out, HSBC and Halifax Bank offer better value than Jay Sata flawed suggestion.

[MrTee]

Halifax charge £9.00 or £9.50 on any amount.. takes 3 working days.
Send the money as sterling and get better rates -- if you send in Thai baht your bank will give you a poor exchange rate..

No local ATM charges if you use your bank's ATM - most ATMs do not charge for withdrawal, but you may find the occasional charges 10baht..
if you are in a a different region to your Banks branch you may get charged 30baht

[WorriedNoodle]

As your wife already has an account there is nothing stopping you,doing it straightaway.

Except opening a Thai bank account in your own name first!

[WhamBam]

If you can, apply for a Halifax Clarity credit card too, if your own personal situation allows you to.

No charges for taking out cash abroad (except the 180 Baht IF you use and ATM in Thailand).

I worked out the costs of using Barclays card and of transfers and was horrified at how much I paid over a year. Now I use FX booths and pay nothing to get my cash.

[WorriedNoodle]

As has been pointed out to you, your post is nonsense.

The fee is actually £20 + 0.25% up to a maximum of 500 baht. So for a grand that is £22.50 in fees. That is 2.25%

With my suggestion the fees would be zero....but clearly not for those who are too stupid to be able to read and comprehend.

If you are going to use Micky Mouse as a metaphor...try not to end up looking like him.

I'm not going to expand on my advice. The information is all there. If you can't see it. I won't help you further.

No one would want to do a bank transfer of just £1000 as the fees would be high on percentage basis. A £1000 won't last long in Thailand anyway, but if thats all the cash going perhaps a free prepaid card option is needed. However, if one transferred larger amounts, say 10 times the amount (also quite small for a married person living here) the percentage of charges becomes 0.3% which seems more reasonable? If one goes for higher amounts less still. Then all the Thai ATM fees are next to zero. One of the o/p's problems doing this at the moment is the Thai bank account is in wife's name! I'd want my own - but each to their own!

I wonder if you have some form of mild NPD (narcissistic personality disorder), as I notice your replies are often quite derogatory and offensive when the point of view differs from your own? Reply above a case in point.

[Jip99]

As has been pointed out to you, your post is nonsense.

The fee is actually £20 + 0.25% up to a maximum of 500 baht. So for a grand that is £22.50 in fees. That is 2.25%

With my suggestion the fees would be zero....but clearly not for those who are too stupid to be able to read and comprehend.

If you are going to use Micky Mouse as a metaphor...try not to end up looking like him.

I'm not going to expand on my advice. The information is all there. If you can't see it. I won't help you further.

No one would want to do a bank transfer of just £1000 as the fees would be high on percentage basis. A £1000 won't last long in Thailand anyway, but if thats all the cash going perhaps a free prepaid card option is needed. However, if one transferred larger amounts, say 10 times the amount (also quite small for a married person living here) the percentage of charges becomes 0.3% which seems more reasonable? If one goes for higher amounts less still. Then all the Thai ATM fees are next to zero. One of the o/p's problems doing this at the moment is the Thai bank account is in wife's name! I'd want my own - but each to their own!

I wonder if you have some form of mild NPD (narcissistic personality disorder), as I notice your replies are often quite derogatory and offensive when the point of view differs from your own? Reply above a case in point.

Valid points but a but a bit of a hiso reply.

I know many people who have less than £1,000 transferred to Thailand each month.

The fact remains that whilst the costs on a transfer of £1,000 via HSBC to, say, Kasikorn Bank, are 0.84%; the actual cost of circa 408 Baht is significantly less than 3 ATM withdrawals on a UK card.

Charges on a £10,000 transfer would be 0.246%

Edited February 1, 2015 by Jip99

[Jiu-Jitsu]

As has been pointed out to you, your post is nonsense.

The fee is actually £20 + 0.25% up to a maximum of 500 baht. So for a grand that is £22.50 in fees. That is 2.25%

With my suggestion the fees would be zero....but clearly not for those who are too stupid to be able to read and comprehend.

If you are going to use Micky Mouse as a metaphor...try not to end up looking like him.

I'm not going to expand on my advice. The information is all there. If you can't see it. I won't help you further.

No one would want to do a bank transfer of just £1000 as the fees would be high on percentage basis. A £1000 won't last long in Thailand anyway, but if thats all the cash going perhaps a free prepaid card option is needed. However, if one transferred larger amounts, say 10 times the amount (also quite small for a married person living here) the percentage of charges becomes 0.3% which seems more reasonable? If one goes for higher amounts less still. Then all the Thai ATM fees are next to zero. One of the o/p's problems doing this at the moment is the Thai bank account is in wife's name! I'd want my own - but each to their own!

I wonder if you have some form of mild NPD (narcissistic personality disorder), as I notice your replies are often quite derogatory and offensive when the point of view differs from your own? Reply above a case in point.

I think that your comment might apply to you...with such a ludicrous statement. On which planet are you residing today?

The guy is pulling £100 at a time from an ATM and you are suggesting that he has £10,000 that he wants to transfer. Even more dopey on your part is that the OP actually asks about transferring £1000.

I don't have NPD, I have an aversion to idiocy. With your ludicrous statement of "No one would want to do a bank transfer of just £1000...", it appears that you qualify.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Jiu-Jitsu

[ryanhull]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the information appreciated, I would not want to put 10,000 into a Thai bank account really I would rather keep that in my UK account yet the wife has given me her bangkok bank card so I am going to look into transferring some money to it. I do have a ffrees cash card yet I am told the rate to draw out abroad is high and I have never really bothered with it, originally I got it for the wife in-case of emergencies when I am not around, I did look into cash cards a while back...

I will be popping back to the UK soon so I'll bring over some sterling to change here as well as dean008 suggested, I always thought I was only paying the 180 bhat each time I drew out and that was it but feel a bit daft now to think of the amount I have actually paid!

Anyway cheers all

[wooloomooloo]

I go to LOS twice a year and take GBP in cash.

I have a Bangkok Bank savings account with ATM card in my name and obviously able to change up GBP for THB and put in my account if I wanted to. Though, I don't do this a lot to be honest. I use my Bangkok Bank account more to pay for Thai domestic flights in order to avoid hefty credit / debit card charges with foreign cards.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

You should listen....if you have the proofs suggested earlier so to get one in your name, get the card suggested and keep it as a backup. You probably don't have the time to apply for and to receive a Halifax Clarity card.

Open it with the minimum, until you get it activated(scan of passport pic page and proof of UK address).. Once activated, you can put a few hundred quid on it and keep it aside for when you need it. Also useful for shopping at Supermarkets etc

Had a look at that ffrees card. Wow....what a load. I hope that you are not paying for that. It's not good.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Jiu-Jitsu

[MAJIC]

This has been a grievance of mine for years.in the UK I can make an instant transfer of funds to another of my accounts or someone else in the UK in seconds. The same instant withdrawal applies to ATMs in Thailand,but when I send a transfer of funds I get ripped off to the tune of £20.The Banks excuse is: "Transfer fees",which is meaningless,when it's done sitting down at your computer I calculate the Bank operater can comfortably handle each transfer in 5 minutes on average,which @ £26.69 each,works out at £320 (15680 Baht) per hour,small wonder they count profits in Billions!

Edited February 1, 2015 by MAJIC

[wgdanson]

Your best plan is to open a Bangkok Bank account in Thailand and then do an online transfer from your UK account to the Bangkok Bank.

There is a flat rate fee of £15.00" for this whatever the sum. When you take money from your. Thai account there is no charge.

Details below.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/TransferingFunds/TransferringIntoThailand/ReceivingFundsfromUK/Pages/ReceivingFundsfromUK.aspx

I just did a SWIFT transfer from Nationwide to Bkk Bank Foreign currency account. 25 quid at N'wide a further 20 quid for intermediary (HSBC) bank and Bht 500 at Bkk bank. A bit expensive for GBP 5000.

Edited February 2, 2015 by wgdanson