2008-06-14 00:39:23 -

www.westamerica.com - Westamerica Bancorporation (Nasdaq:WABC) is scheduled to participate in the Fox-Pitt Kelton Small & Mid-Cap Bank and Insurance Conference to be held June 17-18, 2008 at the Omni Berkshire in New York City.

David L. Payne, Chairman, President and CEO, will make a presentation beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 17, followed by a question and

answer session. Comments and the related slide presentation will be available via a live Webcast. To listen, go to www.westamerica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view= article&id=336&catid=56:press-releases&Itemid=192 and follow the links to the Webcast. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) The presentation will also be available at www.wsw.com/webcast/fpk5/wabc/.

Westamerica Bancorporation through its wholly owned subsidiary, Westamerica Bank, operates 86 branches and 2 trust offices throughout 21 Northern and Central California counties.

Westamerica Bancorporation Web Address: www.westamerica.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

The following appears in accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements about the Company, including descriptions of plans or objectives of its management for future operations, products or services, and forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other measures of economic performance. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may."

Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors - many of which are beyond the Company's control - could cause actual conditions, events or results to differ significantly from those described in the forward-looking statements. The Company's most recent annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008, describe some of these factors, including certain credit, market, operational, liquidity and interest rate risks associated with the Company's business and operations. Other factors described in these reports include changes in business and economic conditions, competition, fiscal and monetary policies, disintermediation, legislation including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, and mergers and acquisitions.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date forward looking statements are made.

Westamerica Bancorporation
Robert A. Thorson, 707-863-6840
SVP & Chief Financial Officer