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[QUOTE=LittleBigMan] So in the end, no matter which way you turn they got us by the balls.
In the end, being box in I just have to live with it for now hopefully until I find a way around these greedy bastards. [/QUOTE]
Yah, that pretty much is the way it is in Thailand. They've got the upper hand on everything and have set everything up to take advantage of the foreigner. It's the only way they can win!
[QUOTE=LittleBigMan]Once again fellas, I would like the location of the machine you used to check it out with my card. As I noted in my travel throughout Pattaya the other day inside the tourist area and on the otherside of Sukhumvit which many of you don't have any idea what it looks like. And the result not one machine Yellow didn't one way or another ask for the 150 fee! On some screen it list the amount you are requesting in baht, translate it into dollars and then tells you the exchange rate. It doesn't show the fee 150 on this screen only when you want to continue that the next screen tell you that there is a 150 fee!
So please identify the machine and location... because LBM, has been all over the tourist area, Jomtien, Naklua, Nonprue, Sattihip, Ban Saray. As for UOB machine I can't even locate one! Also if you know one identify the location and I will track it down when I return from the U.S. in a few weeks.
Thanks, LBM[/QUOTE]
I used a couple of different yellow machines but was always charged the 150 fee... used one on Sukhumvit and another one in Kata on Phuket - same deal. I think the message saying there will be a charge came up after I submitted the amount desired and asked me to click my acceptance, just like all the rest.
[QUOTE=LittleBigMan]...I don't know what it is but this ATM thing has really put a hair up my ass, really got my blood boiling. My previous post a few days back told of my day running around checking out the ATM, and the rates and what you express was exactly what I found to be true. Bank of Ayuthya not only gave a low rate on top of that they charge the 150 baht. The other Banks like Bangkok Bank, not only charge the 150 baht they gave even a lower rate than Bank of Ayuthya. So in the end, no matter which way you turn they got us by the balls.
In the end, being box in I just have to live with it for now hopefully until I find a way around these greedy bastards. Like you said, can't continue to get all sweaty over a few baht when the gas I'm spending to try to beat the system is defeating the purpose of saving money!
Got to move on for now, Thanks LBM[/QUOTE]
I avoid paying the excessive ATM fees and receiving lousy exchange rates by instructing my USA bank to wire relatively large amounts of cash periodically (once or twice a year) to my Bangkok Bank account at the most favorable exchange rate. I pay only the fee for the wire transfer. Once the money is here, I always use Bangkok Bank ATM’s to avoid the 60 baht charge on different machines so I can withdraw money without paying any fees and at the best exchange rate available.
[QUOTE=Daddy07]I avoid paying the excessive ATM fees and receiving lousy exchange rates by instructing my USA bank to wire relatively large amounts of cash periodically (once or twice a year) to my Bangkok Bank account at the most favorable exchange rate. I pay only the fee for the wire transfer. Once the money is here, I always use Bangkok Bank ATM’s to avoid the 60 baht charge on different machines so I can withdraw money without paying any fees and at the best exchange rate available.[/QUOTE]
that's a good strategy..:)
[QUOTE=LittleBigMan]If I wrong please let me know, maybe there is a Banker CEO, mongering on this board to explain it to me like a 9 year old!
Thanks, LBM[/QUOTE]
It's actually very simple. A good Thai friend of mine worked for the aforementioned trade group and he was summoned by a Thai trucking company that was losing money.
Every morning the Thai trucker would go out to the pineapple farm and pay 25 THB each for as many pineapples as would fit on his truck. He would then drive them to the local Pattaya market and sell them to the vendors at the market price, which was 20 THB. Obviously he was losing money on every pineapple that he transported, but he was a truck driver, not a businessman, and he couldn't figure out what to do. All he knew is at the end of the day he had less money than he started the day with.
None of his Thai friends could help him figure out his problem, so he finally called on The Thai Bankers Association, which promptly sent my friend out to observe the problem and recommend a solution. After documenting the process, filling out the myriad forms associated with his analysis, taking photos, and feeding all the data into their computer program, they finally came up with a solution. They called the Thai trucker to set up a meeting to discuss the results, and called the press and the local TV station to make sure that they didn't miss this great photo op.
Well, the morning of the meeting, everyone met in the pineapple field, and the suits from the Thai Bankers Association were quite smug about their solution to this perplexing problem. The suspense was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. After all, this is what a free society is all about. It's the haves helping the have-nots. They set up displays on easels with all of the computer printouts looking dizzingly complex. Hundreds of thousands of lines of computer data, which noone really understood.
Then the moment of glory for the TBA; the president stood up before the assembled group to announce their findings. He spent a long, long time dissecting the data line by line, explaining to the commoners and business people alike what all of the data showed, and finally got ready to announce his conclusion. His announcement was eagerly anticipated. THey had spent so much time and money helping this poor uneducated trucker.
Finally, he announced their solution to the crowd.........
The Thai trucker needed a bigger truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--Visa and MC at any UOB ATM
--Visa and MC at any AEON ATM
--Visa only at Government Savings Bank
[QUOTE=David 2]...the Thai Bankers Association were quite smug about their solution to this perplexing problem.
[/QUOTE]
Yours was an amusing story but the 150 baht shakedown is a very effective way to make money because: 1) Thailand has the pussy, and 2) going to the ATM is still easier and not much more expensive than the other, more elaborate ways of getting money.
The Thai Bankers just want their share of the pussy-money, just like everyone else here.
Daddy07,
That's the difference between you and me! you are living in Luxury atop your Condo on Jomtien with panoramic sea view and sea breeze while I'm in the country looking and smelling buffalo shit!
LBM
[QUOTE=Daddy San]I wannt to share a perhaps atypical experience with AMEX TCs here.
I always carry a few thousand USD in TCs, mainly as a last resort, in case some of my other (plastic) sources of cash get stolen or blocked.
Last year in Phnom Penh I tried to cash $300 at some bank.
I showed 3 TCs to the cashier, who asked me to countersign them and THEN asked for my passport.
The pairs of signatures on the checks were identical, but differed ever so slightly from the one in the passport, not surprisingly, since the passport was 9 years old and handwriting does change.
The cashier flatly refused to cash the checks!
I went to another bank, sketched the situation to the cashier, before countersigning more checks and he, as well as the bank manager, declined to cash TC, if the passport signature did not exactly match the others.
This is not what AMEX promises, and I had no problem getting a refund from them, but just immagine, you bring TCs as your main source of cash for your long mongering trip.[/QUOTE]Danny,
That is BS how can you sign a name 100% exactly the same everytime, I only been to PP once 5 yr ago for a few days, only see 1-2 bank but I have alot small usd and thai bht with me, China is another country not TC friendly the bank there don't want to take them, so 4 star hotel if you are staying there are the best options and they charge a 5 usd fee for each tc and they are the only country I have problem but Hong Kong bank are very easy.
Fast Eddie 48
[QUOTE=Fast Eddie 48]Danny,
That is BS how can you sign a name 100% exactly the same everytime, I only been to PP once 5 yr ago for a few days, only see 1-2 bank but I have alot small usd and thai bht with me, China is another country not TC friendly the bank there don't want to take them, so 4 star hotel if you are staying there are the best options and they charge a 5 usd fee for each tc and they are the only country I have problem but Hong Kong bank are very easy.
Fast Eddie 48[/QUOTE]
I think travelers checks will soon be obsolete. TD Bank (Commerce Bank) doesn't even sell them anymore. I think banks don't want to deal with them.
[QUOTE=JesseJames]I think travelers checks will soon be obsolete... I think banks don't want to deal with them.[/QUOTE]Money Orders and TC's are actually easy for create forgeries. In our region the rules for accepting MO and TC are very very strict and a few places are doing away with MO's and TC's.
[QUOTE=Fast Eddie 48]Danny,
That is BS how can you sign a name 100% exactly the same everytime, I only been to PP once 5 yr ago for a few days, only see 1-2 bank but I have alot small usd and thai bht with me, China is another country not TC friendly the bank there don't want to take them, so 4 star hotel if you are staying there are the best options and they charge a 5 usd fee for each tc and they are the only country I have problem but Hong Kong bank are very easy.
Fast Eddie 48[/QUOTE]Something to consider. Countries that do not have the same alphabet / character set are more likely to have trouble identifying signatures, and that may help explain why they are more hesitant with traveler's checks.
Once I lived for a while in Japan and had to open a bank account. They would not permit it to be opened with a signature, but wanted customers to obtain a seal for identification. Obviously, a seal is harder to forge on the spot (you have to have it cut), but on the other hand, it isn't uniquely yours in any sense. A pro cuts it for you according to preset designs. Someone else with the same name could have the same seal in theory. So it is a lot less likely to uniquely identify anyone than a signature. If you were familiar with English handwriting! Problem is, the personnel cannot be relied on to be familiar enough with English handwriting (even where you can use it in Japan, you are encouraged to use capitol letters). So it may be that a similar discomfort with foreign alphabet is partly responsible for the hesitation about TCs. Just a thought.
[QUOTE=JesseJames]I think travelers checks will soon be obsolete. TD Bank (Commerce Bank) doesn't even sell them anymore. I think banks don't want to deal with them.[/QUOTE]You may be right there.
I Germany, where I currently live, banks refuse to cash TCs, unless you have an account there to deposit the money into. The resulting paper trail can be undesirable / embaressing.
Moneychangers at airports (often operated by the same banks) do change TCs, as do large hotels and luxury goods shops.
[QUOTE=JesseJames]I think travelers checks will soon be obsolete. TD Bank (Commerce Bank) doesn't even sell them anymore. I think banks don't want to deal with them.[/QUOTE]Last time I was at the Nana (in Feb.) I tried to cash a TC at the front counter, and the dried up prune wouldn't accept it. She made me sign it 3 times and still didn't like the signature, then told me to cash it outside. I won't be using TC's anymore.
[QUOTE=Daddy San]You may be right there.
I Germany, where I currently live, banks refuse to cash TCs, unless you have an account there to deposit the money into. The resulting paper trail can be undesirable / embaressing.
Moneychangers at airports (often operated by the same banks) do change TCs, as do large hotels and luxury goods shops.[/QUOTE]Daddy,
So everyone we just bring all the TC to Bangkok, it is so easy to cash it here and p4p is cheap also.
Fast Eddie 48