And so the next most convenient option was to pay through Western Union. Though writers might care less about how payment is sent, choosing mode of payment might be more crucial on my part. I have to worry about extra fees and other charges...so I need to choose the cheapest option.
Experience tells me that Paypal is still cheaper than Western Union. I was billed Baht340++ for sending US$30, another Baht340++ for US$50, and Baht300 for US$10. I remember being billed for approximately Baht1800++ for sending AUS$1100. So I wouldn't really know what is the benchmark for Western Union Fees. A wild guess is that fees might be dependent on location and currency.
My "ED" Visa status in Thailand prevents me from opening a bank account in another bank. I only have Siam International Bank as my legitimate Thai bank account since it is a privilege granted by studying at my insitution. Unfortunately, I cannot tie up Siam International Bank with Paypal, since it is not recognized by the latter.
Unless Paypal and Siam International Bank could link up sooner, I am hoping my writers from home could open BDO account too..for that is probably the cheapest way I can route payments from Thailand.
