@Bob *********

takes away the pressure to have a Thai bank account too. Big reason is to avoid ATM fees but 5k baht agent fee is off-putting. Knowing there's a cost free alternative means there's no need for a Thai account. Can avoid ATM fees and AGENT fees

@Tony ********

fantastic. It's my debit I wanna use. In philippines the bank would only process credit card i assume they saw it as profitable as high interest charges apply for outstanding balance. There they refuse debit card and point to the ATM only.

@Tony ********

credit card OR debit ？ they'll process both？

@Tim ********

you're so judgemental. Who the fuck are you to decide who deserves what? NGO headbanger. 98% men. They ain't all from Eritrea. Fuckwit.

You DID call me a liar. You don't know what you write you're a lefty liberal communist. You're indoctrinated. Bullshit explanation. No men die on the way just the women? Soooo naive and stoopid

@Tim ********

always 98％ young men escaping. Rarely women and children. Do they abandon their women and children? You're the liar not me. It's well known many destroy passport and claim to be minors or from Iran and an oppressed minority LGBT＋. In uk they have fake conversions to Christianity to help their asylum claims. Uk is far more generous than France that's why they leave SAFE France and risk lives crossing to UK. I've heard French politicians explain the UK benefits system is more attractive to migrants. Economic migrants. Mostly young men. Passing through many safe countries. Destroying own passports and claiming other nationality to game the asylum system. Fake asylum seekers. Very few women. They want MONEY and UK gives them hotel accommodation which UK denies to British citizens who are homeless. Fact. That's why the British protestors too to the streets and why Kier Starmer has a negative approval rating 6 weeks after winning general election.

@David ******

maybe if tourist numbers fully recover you'd have a point but most hotels have low occupancy due to decline in tourist numbers. Fact is accommodation is much cheaper in Thailand than UK and the Philippines too

@Tim ********

rubbish. Majority are economic migrants. Same as Mexico border. I'd do same in their shoes but let's be honest about what it is. Genuine refugees would not need to destroy travel documents. The ubiquitous smartphone and feedback on generous assistance (free accommodation foods allowance etc) is the big pull factor.

@Kees *********

yes that's me! Lol but I don't sponge off the thais like huge numbers of new arrivals do in western countries

@Graham *****

without a one year visa Banks refuse request to open account. Rather strangely it's possible to open account using an agent. Seems the RULES don't apply provided the agent receives approx 5000 baht. Banks obviously complicit. My point is that for many people wishing to transfer money into Thailand and avoid the extortionate ATM fees it is much more economic to use XE app and use cash pickup option from Siam Commercial Bank. That way the agent and the bank don't profit by breaking rules and we still avoid the ATM scam.