Transfer pension for UK to Thai Bank.?

[davenick]

Hi from Davenick.
Can anyone help or advise me.
 
I have spent 5months in Pattaya/Jom​tiem Beach and am done with all that.
I have a lovely girlfriend who has her own home in Mahasarakha​n where I am hoping to settle.
I'm retired from the ambulance service in uk so have a reasonable pension plus an old farts govt. pension.

My problem is that Nationwide and Santander Banks say that I cannot transfer money on a regular basis from my accounts in uk to my Thai bank account(Ban​gkok Bank)Top that off with a messy divorce which resulted in having to go bankrupt so I dont have big money saved and I'm not sure that I could get an account with HSBC .
I'm back in uk for another three weeks before returning to Mahasarakha​m.
Any advice would be appreciated​.

Davenick

[Jon Terry]

Hello davenick,
How much does it cost to transfer money from your Santander account to your Thai one?
Because we leave our Santander savings account card with my wife's family and when they take cash out it only costs a few quid, it has saved us hundreds of pounds over the years in money transfer fees. They cannot take out what is not there as it has no overdraft.
Anyway could you not just do this every month and deposit the cash into your Thai account? It is a cheap way of doing it.
cheers Jon

[Prakhonchai Nick]

I understand that with a Halifax BS a/c you can have online access and transfer any amount for just £9.50.

Might be worth investigating when back in the UK.

Otherwise you can use a Nationwide Flex a/c card in a Thai ATM, but with ATM charges and Nationwide fees, this can be expensive.

[binnsy]

Get your pension providers to pay you monthly pension direct into your Bangkok Bank account ask them to pay it in sterling as you tend to get a better rate.
All they would need is the SWIFT CODE for Bangkok Bank and your Account Number.
 

[Dave the Dude]

That can be very expensive Binnsy. I suggest between GBP15 to 25 each time.

Have you looked into either Paypal or Moneybrokers, Davenick?

[binnsy]

That can be very expensive Binnsy. I suggest between GBP15 to 25 each time.

Have you looked into either Paypal or Moneybrokers, Davenick?

Dave
I have my company pension and the company pays for it to be deposited into the bank account of my choice(Bangkok Bank)I also have it sent in sterling as the exchange rate for baht (sterling to baht)is better in Thailand

[davenick]

Thanks Dave and Binnsy for your input. I am having such a shit time with Nationwide at the moment. I went into a branch in Youvil on Friday and tried to make a SWIFT payment to my Mahasarakham branch Bankok Bank.I contacted them today Tuesday because money had not come out of my account only to find that they hadn't put the Bic code so it wasn't sent and they have not notified me yet! Tossers.5days wasted. Thinking that I may try to have my Old x Govt pension sent direct to Bangkok bank in London and then transfer to my own account in Sarakham.I will probably lose such things as index link and winter fuel allowance but the constant hassle with Nationwide  is  doing my head in. Can' wait to come back to my home in Thailand.

[davenick]

Hi folks. Latest update from Dave Nick . Bangkok Bank in London has no facilities for personal accounts.What they suggest is me using my internet banking to set up standing order or individual payments to an account there with my name and account number as reference then they deduct £15 convert to baht at that days rate and forward it to my account in Thailand. Quite cheap only point against that I can see is time. It can take up to 3days getting from my account, then 5days for transfer to my account in Thailand but at least the chance of those Tossers at Nationwide cocking things up again is lessened. Going to try that now. Hopefully it reaches my bank by the time I arrive home.

[Dave the Dude]

As a tight-fisted ex Bank Manager, I have investigated all those options and suggest you look into Paypal or Moneybrokers or Nicks suggestion.