We opened a bank account at NCB. Go online and download the right checklist, I didn't. So we had to jump thru a coue of hoops. Having a reference from one of the most prominent families in Negril helps........lol. I'm at the airport but will give more details when I'm behind a computer, not an iPhone......

Sooooo, we were at red dragon on last Monday and we were the only white people.......lol...... Which was a topic in itself. .......white tourists .........

Hey Ras..nice to meet you and your pretty wife Sandy..

I'll be interested in the bank account info...Sure isnt like opening account here in the states.

And try being the only white farrin women on the outskirts of the cockpit country..I AM the TOPIC of conversation not just in the lane but the whole area (LOL !!!!!)

Glad you had a great/safe trip...Now am sure your planning your revenge on Marko......(he he he)

It's a PIA regardless. You can have an existing account holder vouch for you. At least that was the case a dozen years ago when I opened mine. It took several hours. I know I got off easy, time-wise.

In 1997 the Money Laundering Act was passed and it became a ROYAL pain in the ass to open a bank account in Jamaica. That was also when you started to need ID to change money at the bank or Cambios (I'm in the system at Banmark so I don't have to show them ID anymore which means nothing to me as I always carry my drivers license). I looked into it - for 10 seconds. Anything I need done I can access my account in the states. I don't work or own property here so its pretty useless to me.

I have friends who just opened a US Funds account - makes it easier and cheaper to transfer money between the states and the island.

If you want to launder money in Jamaica these days you absolutely cannot. They are wired right into the DEA and State Department.

"Having a reference from one of the most prominent families in Negril helps"
Among other hoops, you are required to have at least one reference from someone from the business community here. Prominent family or no. But good for you anyway.

Anyone can open a bank account here - you just have to have patience, tenacity and the ability to do lots of loopy paperwork. Come to think of it - you need those qualities to own and operate a business here as well!

"Sooooo, we were at red dragon on last Monday and we were the only white people.......lol...... Which was a topic in itself. .......white tourists ......... "
I remember when just about every time I went to Ragabones we were the only white folks in there...up until a few years ago that was pretty much the case (except for Condom Open registration when it would be filled with a bunch of white expats and a few tourists - come to think of it, Super Bowl always had a good mix of the races, lol.)

So what happened to the Monday Mob? The "group" doesn't go there anymore?

"maybe they knew I was going."

Tee Hee.

I looked into the bank account thing over 10 years ago when I started doing my extended time and thought I'd need to bring a boat load of cash down. After seeing and hearing about what was entailed I blew it off. Like I said, for my purposes, being here 3 months, its easy and inexpensive enough for me to take care of things from the states.

Now, when my friend opened that US Fund account - and he's had a bank account at NCB since the year of the flood, it was STILL 45 minutes sitting there with paperwork. No suh. Got better things to do (though it was hot as hell out that day and waiting in air conditioning didn't suck that bad.)