TravelBanter - View Single Post

Chris Blunt · April 3rd, 2006, 04:22 AM posted to rec.travel.asia,rec.travel.misc

On 2 Apr 2006 09:42:14 -0700, wrote:

Chris Blunt wrote:
On 1 Apr 2006 01:24:01 -0800, wrote:

Chris Blunt wrote:
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 02:47:13 +0000 (UTC), echo wrote:

Thanks to Jim and all those who replied. I notice no one had any bank
recommendations. I have pretty much concluded that they all suck, so
probably there is no good one.

I have had accounts with HSBC in several countries for many years, and
have been happy with their service in both the Philippines and
Thailand.

My main source of income is credited to another account I have with
them offshore in the Channel Islands, and any transfers they do for me
from there to my other HSBC accounts elsewhere in the world are free
of charge. Also, it normally only takes a couple of hours for the
money to arrive in my overseas account.

Like RAK I find this interesting, because I went into an office
in Australia and the HSBC told me you must transfer $6000
at a time, and there would be a fee. And you did not say it was
an internet transfer, so I doubt you meant that.

I did mean via internet banking.

So you can transfer money from bank to bank internally?
How about to other banks as well, over the internet? I have
been looking for a way to use a debit card to transfer funds
to a bank, because the only way to wire transfer from one
of my banks, is to physically go there, and I don't live there.

Yes, I can initiate a transfer to any bank in the world through their
internet banking service.

And of course
you are not from the USA (I don't think) so you do not have the
restrictions on you as would one from the USA, and the reason
the Channel Island banks seem unwilling to open accounts to
Americans. (Because of the stock exchange rules and the
IRS (yes just like the ones in Ireland) in the USA.)

The only branches for HSBC are only in Bangkok (that I know
of) so if you go anywhere else that won't work.

That's right, but their ATM network in interconnected with one of the
domestic networks in Thailand (ATM Pool??) and you can withdraw cash
from other bank's machines elsewhere in the country.

But as above if they want to deposit or wire transfer etc.
they would have to take a trip to Bangkok. Of course you
can use a ATM anywhere, but I doubt you can deposit
there unless they have an agreement.

They probably couldn't deposit cash without going to Bangkok, but they
could carry out a wire transfer through the internet. Personally, I
find I need to deposit cash so infrequently that it just isn't an
issue for me. If I needed to do that often I would open an additional
account with a local bank.

The initial request was for recommendations for a bank with a good
international presence, but now we seem to have added on the
requirement for an extensive domestic branch network as well. I don't
think such a bank exists anywhere, and HSBC is the closest compromise
I've found so far.

Chris