Jump to content

Can I cash a US check in Thailand?


doxx

Recommended Posts

A former employer (based in the USA) intends to send me a check with some outstanding payments. My question is:

 

1.) Can I easily cash this check or deposit it to a Thai bank account if I have them send it by mail to Thailand?

 

2.) If option 1 (above) is not possible, can a friend somehow cash it for me, in the USA (I still have a US bank account)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to add to other replies and give a bit of further info: You can open a US $ account at a Thai bank. I did this at K-bank in BKK.

 

But, how about this bullshit - everytime I want to withdraw from my account there is a 3% fee. How is that for bullshit. I withdraw from my Thai baht account - no fee.

 

Banks suck!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think the friend can endorse it and not sure you (meaning friend) can depoit it w/o signature but I would assume they will accept it.

 

It could take awhile for it to clear and that is for your benefit as well as the bank's. The check is good and the funds are there for withdrawal and secondly someone can't deposit it and then immediately turn around and use an ATM card to withdraw w/o you ever knowing what just happened.

 

It does make sense for you and the bank to use time as the buffer so everything is legit and less likely that some scam was happening..

 

As to having a dollar account in a Thai bank..I really can't see why that bank wouldn't accept a US check other than the hassle of processing a foreign check but they would have the same safeguards built in as does a US bank..

 

I can see them having a hold on thoses monies until cleared and charging you a hefty processing fee for their effort...

 

I write a US bank check on a monthly basis to a Thai bank but it is backed by American Express so I can get Thai baht at the time of transaction.

 

As to trying to cash a third party to you at a Thai bank, I would think they wouldn't do it unless you have a pre-existing US dollar acct and even then, they could create barriers or say "we don't provide that service"...

 

CB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps your former employer is totally inflexible, but the easiest solution would surely be direct deposit into either your US account or your account here in Thailand.

 

Depositing a foreign cheque (US or otherwise) into a Thai bank account is possible, but takes a long time to clear and is subject to a hefty processing fee. Unless the cheque is already in Thailand, there is always a better way.

 

A friend in the US should easily be able to deposit an "account payee only" crossed cheque into your US account, certainly at your own bank branch and (usually) at any other branch of the same bank. If you go that route, I would suggest calling the bank to verify.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simply mail the check to your US bank and ask them to deposit it in your account. If the check is made out to you then anyone should be able to deposit it into your account without any endorsements.

 

I routinely deposit other people's checks into their account, but this is Australia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's very easy to deposit a US check at Bangkok Bank, but it takes 6 weeks to clear.

 

There's a 200 THB fee (same as recieving a wire), and one receives the Telegraphic Transfer rate, which in the case of a large check could make up the difference for the fee.

 

I've done it many times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...