What are the best options for carrying money to Thailand without incurring high fees?

@Robin *******

you're the one who's cheap if you can't afford and think 5 a day is expensive and your card is only 250 per day. Stay home and get another minimum wage job, brokey. You sound like a child.

@Robin *******

5 isn't even pocket change. Try living in Dubai.

@Andy *********

I'm actually really interested in doing what you have said . How can a foreign by houses I've seen a lot about what they call knock down house kind if prefab houses . But owning the land to build on is an issue I like the advice about watch the YouTube channel I will start to watch it . I hoping to start making some moves in the next 2 to 3 year and retire there fully in 8 years when I'm 60

@Mark ******

if you're thinking about buying land or property in the future, make sure you speak to a lawyer/solicitor, a usufruct for the land is probably your best option, because foreigners cannot buy land outright. I suppose a knock down house is a good idea because you could just take it with you if you wanted to move.

@Andy *********

what is a usufruct ?

@Mark ******

it is basically a legal long term contract drawn up by lawyer/solicitor, if you just Google usufruct lots of information comes up.

@Gary *********

I suggest Google to see is any UK bank has a Thai affiliate in London.

@Phil *****

I understood that from your comment. Others have had a different experience.

@Paul ****************

I know it’s part of the process and it’s strongly pushed (some report having been refused accounts without it). I was just wondering if anyone had ever been given a rationale.

@Ruth ******

I spoke to a former bank employee who left because of the pressure he was being put under by his line manager, especially to sell insurance. I understand that everyone in the chain gets some commission and some recognition within the organisation commensurate with the number of policies they sell. I have refused insurance from the bank each time it is offered, insisting that I already have accident insurance, the demeanour of the bank employee attending to me has then changed markedly from charming and friendly to business-like. When I spoke to a visa agent about retirement visas he offered me the type where they put the money into an account for 24 hours and you get a stamp in your passport from an immigration office where you aren't living. He insisted that buying insurance with the bank account that would be set up for this deposit of 800K, was part of the package and non negotiable. As I had the funds I didn't explore this option further

@Dianne ****

So, you were also not given any rationale as to why you would need insurance for a deposit.

@Ruth ******

I don't believe there is any rationale. I haven't been under the impression that either are related ie they were never presented to me as related. When I opened my accounts, none of the banks were pushing insurance or making it a condition of being able to open a bank account. Even when it did become something that was available, if you wanted it-around , from memory. It wasn't being as aggressively marketed as it is now. I imagine that managers/executives saw it as an extra way of bringing money in ie there was a market. Expats from the US, UK and Australia needed a Thai bank account to fulfil visa conditions for retirement and marriage visas. Lots of expats want insurance in Thailand, and the low cost (and relatively low coverage) of the plans the bank sell, are attractive to some foreigners. I don't recall anyone trying to link the insurance as being "needed" to make a deposit. It's just an extra product that the bank offer. I do think though it has morphed a bit into "You want something from me (to open a bank account), then you need to do something for me" (take out an insurance policy so that my manager gets off my back)

@Dave ********

Interesting. I never encountered that in the States with deposits. I guess there’s some connection between banking and insurance.

@Jon ****

I thought it was 10K.

@Declan *********

I guess the place is even a bigger shit hole than Canada 😂

@Lisa *******************

ah so you go into a foreign branch instead of ATM?

@Ian *********

yes

@Lisa *******************

thank you 😊