General Reports

[Turgid]

Service providers are occasionally arrested just waiting for customers, notable example being the girls on Pattaya Beach Road. They're normally fined 500-1000 baht and released, but obviously what they're doing is not legal. Not sure what exact crime it falls into, perhaps soliciting. Fortunately, customers are not routinely arrested.

The reason most of us here haven't seen the specific section of Thailand Penal Code you're alluding to is that we never read one single word out of that book. It proves nothing. Unless you're a Thai lawyer, your opinion on Thai law isn't worth much. In addition, specific laws on the books matter less than what the authorities are cracking down on today.

Who here remembers New York city in the 1970's? Not much different from Bangkok or Pattaya today. Numerous street walkers and massage parlors where I had my best mongering. Occasional police raids where owners forgot to pay the cops or for show for one reason or another. In those days I thought it would never end. Enjoy while you have it folks!

[Syzygies]

But an adult discretely consenting to have sex with other adults in exchange for money? I have yet to see that specific law on the books. Nor have I heard or read of arrests for either the service provider or the customers for it. Maybe I just missed it.

Yes so its not like Sweden or USA, etc. Where cops might be trying to catch hookers' customers. Sure if the girl is under age or in special categories as you say, big trouble possible.

Most of us long time mongers have likely done girls under age accidentally especially at MPs, and ST hotels from a bar, merely because we did not suspect and think to check. However if Hotel desk checks her ID, could be a problem. I know I did a girl probably under age by accident who was a mother already, and only found out later. I certainly was aware off girls in bars non Thai or not quite the right age, but this has been largely stamped out by police raids.

Solo Hotel in Soi 2 once denied my girl who was age 19, as a room visitor (to stay the night). Yet I was able to check her in as a permanent guest and had booked a room for 2. How does that make any sense? Naturally I would not stay at such stupid Hotels.

My personal view is if a girl has a baby already and needs money to support her family, I don't see why she should not be allowed to work, her choice. Some girls and their children are under great hardship, without the government trying make things extra hard for them, and putting them into all sorts of categories.

The reality of Police Raids in bars and MPs, can be that the Police want to extract cash fines (bribes) from some of the hookers. However underage girls might be taken away to the Police Stations.

[EihTooms]

Service providers are occasionally arrested just waiting for customers, notable example being the girls on Pattaya Beach Road. They're normally fined 500-1000 baht and released, but obviously what they're doing is not legal. Not sure what exact crime it falls into, perhaps soliciting. Fortunately, customers are not routinely arrested.

The reason most of us here haven't seen the specific section of Thailand Penal Code you're alluding to is that we never read one single word out of that book. It proves nothing. Unless you're a Thai lawyer, your opinion on Thai law isn't worth much. In addition, specific laws on the books matter less than what the authorities are cracking down on today.

I would categorise a sweep on the street whether it is Beach Road in Pattaya or Sukhumvit Soi 4 as responding to the "crime" of flaunting or making a public spectacle (nuisance) of prostitution.

Same with the joke walk down Walking Street where the cops proudly announce there is "no evidence" of prostitution going on. I think the only busts they would or could make (according to Thai law) is on grounds that the bars ares established not for entertainment, the fine art of the dance, and drinking, but in order to live off the proceeds of girls exchanging sex for money.

If there is a consenting adult man or woman in Thailand who has been busted solely for one of them handing the other money for sex or asking to have sex for money without any of those other co-factors involved I have not read or heard of it.

Sure, the cops could bust anyone effectively for "prostitution" by claiming one of those co-factors was involved even if it wasn't.

[Crocodilexp]

But an adult discretely consenting to have sex with other adults in exchange for money? I have yet to see that specific law on the books. Nor have I heard or read of arrests for either the service provider or the customers for it. Maybe I just missed it.

Service providers are occasionally arrested just waiting for customers, notable example being the girls on Pattaya Beach Road. They're normally fined 500-1000 baht and released, but obviously what they're doing is not legal. Not sure what exact crime it falls into, perhaps soliciting. Fortunately, customers are not routinely arrested.

The reason most of us here haven't seen the specific section of Thailand Penal Code you're alluding to is that we never read one single word out of that book. It proves nothing. Unless you're a Thai lawyer, your opinion on Thai law isn't worth much. In addition, specific laws on the books matter less than what the authorities are cracking down on today.

[EihTooms]

So prostitution is illegal. Anyone get busted for it before. What they haul you off to jail and you pay a fine? Just trying to manage the risk if it happens.

Have you or anyone else seen a section of the Thailand Penal Code specifically stating that it is a crime for consenting adults to exchange sex for money? This issue comes up here and elsewhere every now and then but I don't recall ever seeing such a citation.

However, I have seen laws cited penalizing people for forcing someone to have sex for money, for coercing them unduly to do so, to engage in the exchange with someone under the age of 18 or in some other way unable to give their consent, for living off of THEIR income from working as a prostitute (as in a pimp or perhaps even setting up a bar or shop specifically intended to take a cut of the prostitutes' income) or for becoming a public nuisance while selling their services, as in gathering in large numbers, shouting out or waving down customers in an area not suitable for such behavior.

Whenever I have heard or read of busts "for prostitution" in Thailand it is invariably directly associated with one or more of those factors.

But an adult discretely consenting to have sex with other adults in exchange for money? I have yet to see that specific law on the books. Nor have I heard or read of arrests for either the service provider or the customers for it. Maybe I just missed it.

[Kerrstar]

That's a lot of sick water buffaloes!

Your home bank should not be charging you money to transfer money, especially if your account has sufficient funds to handle withdrawals of $10-12 k per month.

It's an account I have in Singapore that I get paid through and then on-transfer some money to Australia. It's all a bit complex to explain here, it's for tax, income splitting and asset protection reasons. I'm self employed and work overseas. I get paid in UD $ and use my Singapore account for my day to day living as my debit card doesn't have fees and I don't pay ATM fees in China.

Banks generally charge for sending money out, just the fees vary. Receiving banks also have fees but you can either elect to pay them from your account or not. If you don't then the fee just comes off what has been sent, so you wouldn't notice it.

[Nyezhov]

That's a lot of sick water buffaloes!

Your home bank should not be charging you money to transfer money, especially if your account has sufficient funds to handle withdrawals of $10-12 k per month.

Did you ever see a Bank branch manager turn white when you say. Really going to charge me that $20 fee? Yes sir I'm sorry its policy. OK, well I'd like to close my account, here. Sir we don't have that amount of cash here. Well start making phone calls then bud, I'm in a hurry. Well sir maybe we can talk more about the fees? Sure lets talk to your boss when he has to to start pulling cash from 6 branches. No need sir, how about we just waive the fee. In the future too? No problem then, sure.

[Etaoin2003]

So prostitution is illegal. Anyone get busted for it before. What they haul you off to jail and you pay a fine? Just trying to manage the risk if it happens.

More likely you'll suddenly sprout wings.

[Goyo61]

So prostitution is illegal. Anyone get busted for it before. What they haul you off to jail and you pay a fine? Just trying to manage the risk if it happens.

[ShimShimHeyo]

Found this place called "Seoul Barber Shop" while getting some dry cleaning done. It's near Asoke Station a little off Sukhumvit on Soi 15.700 Baht got me a hair wash, foot scrub, back massage, manicure and pedicure, face massage, face mask and a straight razor shave. The shave was not as good as Tew's in Siam but I was not disappointed as it was super close to my hotel. The ladies are cute but there is no happy business here, which was just fine by me.

[Banana Boi]

The fee is $26 outgoing from my bank and $30 ingoing to the Currencyfair bank. I usually transfer between $10,000 and $12,000 per month

That's a lot of sick water buffaloes!

Your home bank should not be charging you money to transfer money, especially if your account has sufficient funds to handle withdrawals of $10-12 k per month.

[Syzygies]

That sounds about right. It is BofA that is making the foreign transfer to TransferWise and why they (BofA) charge $20.04 USD for doing that. And it is why TransferWise only charges $3.23 USD for what they do on their end.

In the previous ACH method, BofA only charged $3.00 USD for doing essentially the same thing TransferWise does (a 3-day domestic bank to bank transfer). But it was Bangkok Bank's New York branch that took another $5.00 USD out of it to deposit it into my Thai account as a "Foreign Transfer." My Thai account then took another 200 baht out of it, apparently to make the USD to THB exchange, not sure why else.

If TransferWise could figure out a way to flag and notify Thai banks that the money they deposit for us did indeed come from a foreign account and should be noted as such that would solve the issue and, BTW, greatly expand their retired expat customer market as well.

Hmmm. I don't see any charge at my home country bank when transfer money to TW account (presumeably that is also in my home country), unless it is hidden in the amount which I assumed is a TW fee deducted. Perhaps BofA is special, trying to defeat TW. TW tries to have the very best exchange rate but still makes a charge Fee. Obviously they have to make a profit somehow. The total fee is normally well under $20 for transfer of much larger amount than 100 dollars. The fee is higher if do not first Xfer to TW account.

Transferwise has multiple techniques of paying. Transfer firstly to TW account is the most cost effective. No credit fee or Eftpos fee.

Before I used a bank to transfer in my home currency, since their exchange rate was woeful, and Thai bank gave a better exchange rate. Overall I do better with TW, but possibly neither of those is best for transfer of a very small amount, and neither was instantaneous. Transfer to Bangkok Bank takes a day or 2.

For small money instantaneous I can use Western Union. I found a Thai video and groceries shop catering especially for Thais to use WesternU in home county that had a much lower xfer fee than normal. I would only go that path in emergency. Not totally convenient.

Bit Coin might be the answer eventually if buy and sell overheads can be low (I don't know what they are) since xfer is digital and instantaneous, and assumes bitcoin valu is reasonably stable (ha ha).

I have heard of companies with lower overhead than Transferwise, but also reports of them being unreliable.

[Kerrstar]

That sounds about right. It is BofA that is making the foreign transfer to TransferWise and why they (BofA) charge $20.04 USD for doing that. And it is why TransferWise only charges $3.23 USD for what they do on their end.

If TransferWise could figure out a way to flag and notify Thai banks that the money they deposit for us did indeed come from a foreign account and should be noted as such that would solve the issue and, BTW, greatly expand their retired expat customer market as well.

All these transfer companies work the same, they don't move money internationally unless they are short. It's basically a matching system that offsets people in country A sending to be with people doing the opposite.

Currencyfair allow you in add a line in as a reference to show where the money is coming from.

[Kerrstar]

The cost of $56 makes little sense unless you indicate what it is a percentage of the total transfer. Sounds high but not if you are transferring 10000 dollars. I agree important to get the best exchange rate so that the remaining fees can be considered to be realistic fee amount. No fees but a bad exchange rate can be much worse.

The fee is $26 outgoing from my bank and $30 ingoing to the Currencyfair bank. I usually transfer between $10,000 and $12,000 per month, so the fee is small and I usually make up more than that on the better exchange rate. I get an email from currencyfair after the transfer saying how much I saved, it's usually arounf EUR 400.

[EihTooms]

Not an expert being so might not explain it properly here.

When it comes to TW, the reason their exchange rate is high because they aren't wiring money from your country to your Thai Bank. The Baht they are putting into your account is already here in another local account so once TW has confirmed your foreign funds they place the Baht into your account reason it doesn't come across as FTT, how it was done in the past not sure I heard a number of reasons but last year prior to the changes all my ACH transfers came across FTT.

That sounds about right. It is BofA that is making the foreign transfer to TransferWise and why they (BofA) charge $20.04 USD for doing that. And it is why TransferWise only charges $3.23 USD for what they do on their end.

In the previous ACH method, BofA only charged $3.00 USD for doing essentially the same thing TransferWise does (a 3-day domestic bank to bank transfer). But it was Bangkok Bank's New York branch that took another $5.00 USD out of it to deposit it into my Thai account as a "Foreign Transfer." My Thai account then took another 200 baht out of it, apparently to make the USD to THB exchange, not sure why else.

If TransferWise could figure out a way to flag and notify Thai banks that the money they deposit for us did indeed come from a foreign account and should be noted as such that would solve the issue and, BTW, greatly expand their retired expat customer market as well.