Bank of America

[Sleuth]

Sleuth - interesting question as i'm pretty sure my company won't help me with my banking in HK. Here in the states they are a major competitor to BofA but as of now do not have retail banking available in HK only investment banking and trading operations (which is the reason for my move).
I will be arriving Saturday and will be in HK for two weeks, I plan on following up with BofA and HSBC while i'm there so i can hopefully have an account open by the time I move in July. I do not have a mailing address there as of yet, but hopefully a letter and/or a copy of a signed contract from my employer in HK should be all I will need to open an account, right?

Sorry, can't help on the requirements to open an account as I haven't done that yet. I think it is going to be more difficult than you are hoping. Let me know though, as I will be headed back in late June and might be able to do the same.
Do have them explain the thing about checks. You have to cross off the words "or bearer" and then put two slash marks in the upper left. Very strange system which I imagine is left over from the colonial days.
Don't bankers have some sort of professional discount/courtesy? I am sure some of your bosses know the top guys at BOA and maybe HSBC.

[BruinHK]

Just wanted to clarify for myself since ill be moving to HK for a year and i have a BOA account. So you guys are saying that if i have a BOA checking account in the states, i can't withdraw from or deposit money into that same account while in Hong Kong through a Hong Kong branch BOA?

[spork]

i have a BOA account opened in the states.
You can withdraw money from the ATM, no addition surcharge other than the exchange rate difference.
However, you can't do any transactions at the desk.
I haven't tried depositing money, I've only gone to the desk to withdraw.

[BruinHK]

thanks spork, depositing is not that big of an issue for me. It's the withdrawing that kinda got me worried as ill be needing the money in my account to pay for my year of college in HK. But since i can withdraw, it's not a problem anymore.

[spork]

since you'll be paying for school, you might want to speak directly with BOA about how to make large payments.
Does your school accept foreign checks?

BOA ATMs only allows $6000 withdrawl at a time or in a day, i dont remember which.