Will not be jumping through the new hoops for retirement visa extension.  Want to keep a Thai bank account open with the minimum balance required to avoid fees, for possible periodic tourist visits.  Can anyone advise on what account might be best for this?

Edited February 4, 20197 yr by Lee65

a standard savings account at Bangkok Bank. 500 minimum to open. 

 

i have had account with 100 baht stay open, but there are monthly fees if you drop below a certain level. not sure what the are. not much.  

While I am not familiar with every Thai bank, in general:

  - a minimum balance of B 2000 with no ATM card or debit card will avoid fees, except:

  - there is an annual fee if you have an ATM card/debit card; somewhere in the order of B 200 - B 350

  - if the balance goes below The required minimum, or if there is no user-generated activity for a year, the bank starts to charge a monthly fee of B 50/mo.

To summarize; maintaining a minimum balance of B 2500, and making at least one deposit or withdrawal per year should be enough to ensure that the account will remain open.

The TMB bank "No Fixed Account" pays interest (not much, but 1.3 pc at the mo.) and gives you a passbook which allows 2 withdrawals a month without penalty. You (should) need to take your passport and bankbook to a TMB branch to make a withdrawal so the money is relatively safe from ATM fraud. You can pay money in using cash or normal bank transfer methods.

 

If you want an ATM card you can open a normal savings account with TMB or another bank.