choosing a bank in Thailand

[surreybloke]

The uk based thai lady has it in mind to open a second bank account mainly for me to use for cash transfer for day to day cash access.   Yes I know I am asking for problems.

 

I have tried all sorts of efforts at opening an account of my own or jointly.  Has anyone got any thought of which bank has least aggro and charges.   

 

yes we trust each other

[jackdd]

Do you have a work permit? If yes, TMB has an "all free" account which i would probably choose if i could, this one doesn't charge any fees for the common tasks

If not your choice is limited and you might simply take the one that will let you open an account ????

[Ks45672]

They're all about the same ime 

Try to find a local branch they speak English in is more important than saving a few penny's a year in fees

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Has anyone got any thought of which bank has least aggro and charges.

 

Whichever Thai bank you choose, walking into any branch and attempting to use even the most elementary of banking services will be a two hour ordeal of paperwork and obfuscation. Suck it up!

[UKresonant]

I'm a fan of Bangkok bank, open an account at Head office in Bangkok! Corridor to the left of the building, ground floor. (Chong Nongsi BTS or Sala Daeng BTS Station closest)

 

Or What about Krungsi FCD account, in-going charge of 1% minimum 500 baht, so efficient from about 1100 GBP or greater, currency exchange rate as on their website when withdrawing Thai baht (Halifax will do a SWIFT transfer online for 9.50 GBP flat rate). Took a week to open up-country (with bundle of new-ish English 50s & tenners. May be quicker in Bangkok? They would Not open a Thai Baht account (yet) "'need work permit'" (I don't work here). 

 

[observer90210]

Without a work permit/visa, as the posters above suggest, you will need to accept the bank branch that will be willing to accept you.

 

Requirements to open an account for foreigners,  drastically change within the same bank,  from one branch to another.

 

One branch will plainly say "No" and the other branch of the same bank will welcome you (and your money from abroad) even if you are say on a visa exempt. Welcome to Thailand, the land of continuous inconsistency and excessive red tape !

[Thailand J]

I have 3 accounts: at SCB, KBank and Bangkok Bank. If I had to pick only one it would be Bangkok Bank, they don't charge to move money to Pattaya branch when my money send from US arrived at the main office. KBank does, up to 750B.

[1337markus]

15 hours ago, Thailand J said:

I have 3 accounts: at SCB, KBank and Bangkok Bank. If I had to pick only one it would be Bangkok Bank, they don't charge to move money to Pattaya branch when my money send from US arrived at the main office. KBank does, up to 750B.

I had the same 3 banks as you. What I found is what was good service years ago faded away with management at the branch changes.  First I axed Kbank, then recently SCB. After 12 years I am a fan of Bangkok bank, they try by having at least some tellers speaking and UNDERSTANDING English and their service  and costs beats my HSBC banks in Australia by miles.

[Fallangpakwan]

53 minutes ago, 1337markus said:

I had the same 3 banks as you. What I found is what was good service years ago faded away with management at the branch changes.  First I axed Kbank, then recently SCB. After 12 years I am a fan of Bangkok bank, they try by having at least some tellers speaking and UNDERSTANDING English and their service  and costs beats my HSBC banks in Australia by miles.

anything beats hsbc

[Pilotman]

4 minutes ago, Fallangpakwan said:

anything beats hsbc

and RBS

[Fallangpakwan]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

and RBS

what is it with Brit banks, me friends and relatives have had trouble after trouble with HS and SC admittedly Singapore branches., and way back the Pom owner of a resort in Chiangmai I knew,finally after being driven nuts had to fly back to the UK to get some of his funds. I deal with BBL and Krungsri and have found them best even over Kasi and SCB who I dealt with for many years.

[ArickChaiyaphum]

Krung Thai Bank hands down. Great service. Krung Thai (KTB) has an excellent app. I find Bangkok Bsnk something times the worse. 

You never get charged if you use MoneyCorp to transfer funds out or into the country and Moneycorp gives you the market exchange rate for larger amounts. All transactions however into Thailand go through Bangkok Bank then onto your Bank. Sometime. Bangkok Bank maybcall you directly to ask why the funds are needed. This is for amount of 4 million and higher 

Edited November 2, 2018 by ArickChaiyaphum

[Pilotman]

7 minutes ago, Fallangpakwan said:

what is it with Brit banks, me friends and relatives have had trouble after trouble with HS and SC admittedly Singapore branches., and way back the Pom owner of a resort in Chiangmai I knew,finally after being driven nuts had to fly back to the UK to get some of his funds. I deal with BBL and Krungsri and have found them best even over Kasi and SCB who I dealt with for many years.

Well,  in a sentence or three, they are only about making money for their shareholders and senior managers.  They are never held to account by government and they haven't learnt a damn thing from the crash of 2008. They see basic 'high street' banking as a loss maker and so they don't give a toss about their customer base, bar taking money off them.  Their computer systems are old and can't cope.

Example, my  credit/debit cards stopped workings so I couldn't load my phone, so I couldn't phone them to tell them that my cards didn't work.  No e mail address to contact.  Borrowed a friends phone to call them, but they didn't recognise the number as registered and so didn't accept that the call was from me.  What idiots.  If I could do without a bank of any kind then I would.  they are Leaches on humanity. 

[JG27]

38 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

 If I could do without a bank of any kind then I would.  they are Leaches on humanity. 

Except for the ones I have shares in which pay me a healthy dividend, of course.

[ArickChaiyaphum]

British banks are the worse some Natwest branches still don’t have a machine for counting money. Watch bbc panorama last week!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[sitti]

20 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Without a work permit/visa, as the posters above suggest, you will need to accept the bank branch that will be willing to accept you.

 

Requirements to open an account for foreigners,  drastically change within the same bank,  from one branch to another.

 

One branch will plainly say "No" and the other branch of the same bank will welcome you (and your money from abroad) even if you are say on a visa exempt. Welcome to Thailand, the land of continuous inconsistency and excessive red tape !

Why would genuine tourists on a visa exempt need to open bank account? Visa exempt isn't for living in Thailand. It's main purpose is for allowing you to stay in the kingdom for tourism or quick business that you don't earn money such as meeting, conference. Tougher banking regulations that were recently passed made it crystal clear that you need qualifying visa to open bank accounts and it applies to ALL banks in the country. I believe there are bank employees still not familiar with newer regulations. No bank brunch is supposed to open an account for foreigner on visa exempt.

[NoshowJones]

"choosing a bank in Thailand"

There is absolutely no way to give the OP any help in this.

This is Thailand, every branch of every bank has it's own rules, so the best the OP can do is put the names of every bank and branch of the banks that are convenient for him into a hat and keep picking one out until he gets what is most suitable for him.

[BORRISGOODENUF]

If you have an appropriate Visa, E:G, retirement marriage etc, you should have no Issues. However, can be an advantage to take a Thai friend along with you whom is already a bank Customer. I have been with the Bangkok Bank for many years and have no issues with them, except lack of any loan facilities other than real estate. If that is of no consequence to you. I say I am content. to bring money in is easy enough to go to a brach and at counter service withdraw from your home bank via Visa and place in your local Thai account no fees except exchange rate minus.06%

[Jennyau]

We have bank accounts with SCB and recently opened an account with Bangkok bank on tourist visas. Have had the SCB for a number of years now but had no problem about opening the Bangkok bank last month. People with Bangkok bank..using the Internet banking, are you able to transfer funds from foreign currency accounts into your Thai Baht account? 

[kevin612]

It depends what type of visa that you have.

[1337markus]

4 hours ago, Jennyau said:

We have bank accounts with SCB and recently opened an account with Bangkok bank on tourist visas. Have had the SCB for a number of years now but had no problem about opening the Bangkok bank last month. People with Bangkok bank..using the Internet banking, are you able to transfer funds from foreign currency accounts into your Thai Baht account? 

Yes EFT is easy, make sure you use a bank VPN. Transferred $25 k from OZ to Bangkok  bank account took 10 hours only, nice surprise.

[baansgr]

One thing Thailand has right is their banking system,  years ahead of and far superior to Europe.  SCB has always  suited me in every way,  excellent online and customer service. 

[The Deerhunter]

10 hours ago, ArickChaiyaphum said:

Krung Thai Bank hands down. Great service. Krung Thai (KTB) has an excellent app. I find Bangkok Bsnk something times the worse. 

You never get charged if you use MoneyCorp to transfer funds out or into the country and Moneycorp gives you the market exchange rate for larger amounts. All transactions however into Thailand go through Bangkok Bank then onto your Bank. Sometime. Bangkok Bank maybcall you directly to ask why the funds are needed. This is for amount of 4 million and higher 

Five years ago I opened an account with KTB  (pale blue)  after confirming that we could have a joint account and two eftpost cards.  This was specifically asked and specifically answered.   I believe we paid a couple hundred baht in to get it going and when we went to get the two EFTPOS cards it was "sorry only one card per account."  Out the door and down to Sri Ayutthaya. (yellow). Never darkened their door again to even close the account.  Reasonably happy with Sri Ayutthaya but all family with business say best bank is Kasikorn:  Here's the laugh. But not the one our our town.  Bad Branch.  Open account in next town, 18km away.  I am convinced it all comes down to the branch not the bank.  Good luck.  Be prepared to walk away if they get silly.  And they seem to.

[Jennyau]

17 hours ago, 1337markus said:

Yes EFT is easy, make sure you use a bank VPN. Transferred $25 k from OZ to Bangkok  bank account took 10 hours only, nice surprise.

Thanks for this. We are wanting to transfer money within our account in Bangkok bank. We have a GBP account and will open a US$ account with them and want to be able to transfer money from them online to our Thai baht account or overseas. With the SCB account this isn't possible online only if you go into a branch. Only access to our Tbh account is available online.

[rickudon]

Unless you have a work permit, opening an account is a lottery. Even though i had been on marriage visa extensions for 4 years, took me 5 attempts to open an account at a new bank. Only finally worked because i chatted up the girl who i was trying to get to open the account for me.

 

Good luck with doing counter withdrawals on your overseas card at a Thai bank, also a lottery. Either can refuse or charge you a fee. No consistency.

 

As for UK banks, have few issues with them except ease of contact when out of the country. No fees (as long as in credit) and plenty of reasonable rates of interest paid on accounts ( i have four banks who pay me 3% or more, for restricted amounts). And good internet banking facilities (except overseas transfers).

[Shocked farang]

On 11/2/2018 at 10:20 AM, Pilotman said:

Well,  in a sentence or three, they are only about making money for their shareholders and senior managers.  They are never held to account by government and they haven't learnt a damn thing from the crash of 2008. They see basic 'high street' banking as a loss maker and so they don't give a toss about their customer base, bar taking money off them.  Their computer systems are old and can't cope.

Example, my  credit/debit cards stopped workings so I couldn't load my phone, so I couldn't phone them to tell them that my cards didn't work.  No e mail address to contact.  Borrowed a friends phone to call them, but they didn't recognise the number as registered and so didn't accept that the call was from me.  What idiots.  If I could do without a bank of any kind then I would.  they are Leaches on humanity. 

When you say you couldn't load your phone, did you know that you can buy cards with credit for loading the phone at 7-11 or Family Mart? 

[Pilotman]

On 11/4/2018 at 6:42 AM, Shocked farang said:

When you say you couldn't load your phone, did you know that you can buy cards with credit for loading the phone at 7-11 or Family Mart? 

Not for a UK O2 account you can't.   

[Shocked farang]

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Not for a UK O2 account you can't.   

Just give me a break. You should have bought a local SIMM card long ago. 

[Pilotman]

6 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

Just give me a break. You should have bought a local SIMM card long ago. 

I'm not that dim mate.  The accounts  that I hold with the RBS require you to register a UK phone number or numbers.  They will not accept a foreign mobile for registration.  That was my whole point about them, which clearly passed you by. I have had a Thai mobile for the last 15 years. 

[Letseng]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:49 PM, johnwf1963 said:

I'm a fan of Bangkok bank, open an account at Head office in Bangkok! Corridor to the left of the building, ground floor. (Chong Nongsi BTS or Sala Daeng BTS Station closest)

 

Or What about Krungsi FCD account, in-going charge of 1% minimum 500 baht, so efficient from about 1100 GBP or greater, currency exchange rate as on their website when withdrawing Thai baht (Halifax will do a SWIFT transfer online for 9.50 GBP flat rate). Took a week to open up-country (with bundle of new-ish English 50s & tenners. May be quicker in Bangkok? They would Not open a Thai Baht account (yet) "'need work permit'" (I don't work here). 

 

Can one deposit a GBP cheque into a Krungsri GBP account? I know clearance will take a while but this is no problem.