Changing home address to Thailand on a UK high street bank account

[503726]

Has anyone go experience of registering a Thai address with their UK high street bank? Were there any issues? For example would the functionality of on line banking change or there be an issue in having replacement bank cards sent to Thailand when they are due? Or is it without a hitch?

 

I have been resident in Thailand for a couple of years but have maintained a UK home address with a family member. My main bank account is with Nat West and registered at my UK address. My tax affairs are up to date, correct and declared on the basis of a Thai residence & address, with no infringements claiming ISA contributions claimed or that sort of thing.

 

I am not sure what I would do if access to on line banking was prevented because of a security issue or something I am not aware of. Are there any pitfalls to be wary of?

 

Many thanks for your help in advance

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

I would be very careful about volunteering such information,  as some banks in the UK, especially the bigger ones will not allow these type of accounts, as in living abroad. They can be funny about it.

 

I have properties in the UK which my sons live in and I keep my UK address there. The houses are in my name.

 

I am currently in the orocess of having a debit card on its way here from the UK and waiting for it to arrive via my son, as my other is due to expire.

 

Online banking I do from over here with no problems but I am with Barclays bank.

 

They don't know where I am or if they do they don't care. If they did I would just say I am away a lot in the Far East as a consultant. 

 

I do not draw any pensions or anything from the UK and I have no tax problems and the only thing I am breaking is a bank policy, I suppose, not the law.

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Scouse123

[503726]

Thanks scouse, that is what I have feared and have had new cards sent on as your sons do for you. 

 

KR

 

 

[stubuzz]

I think Barclays will try to close the account.

[NE1]

I used to be with Barclays but they froze my account . I travelled all over the world working , and eventually they shut me down for security reasons.

I called them and explained my situation and they insisted I had to call into my local branch in the UK to sort it out.

 

Next trip home I withdrew everything and I am now with the HSBC and they send my cards to my address here.

Edited August 12, 2020 by NE1

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, 503726 said:

Has anyone go experience of registering a Thai address with their UK high street bank? 

Yes no problem and I have a UK credit card with them as well.

First Direct online bank member of HSBC which HQ is in Asia. 

If you need my details as recommending them to you PM me happy to help.

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Kwasaki

[wobblyjohn]

Halifax is ok with an address in Thailand but they won't send a new credit or debit card 

[Mutt Daeng]

I bank with HSBC UK and have had my Thai address registered with them for about 10 years. I don't have a UK address. They send new credit/debit cards to me here in Thailand. Online banking (using a web browser) and the mobile app work fine for me.

[WorriedNoodle]

I use NatWest but at the Jersey Branch for over 30 years, not sure if that makes a difference from UK branches these days?

 

They use my Thai address and mail new cards here. I often have to phone them first to get a mailed item as they want reconfirmation before sending overseas. The online app works with the card reader they sent, I don't use a phone app as I don't have a UK ph#.

[Scouse123]

12 hours ago, 503726 said:

Thanks scouse, that is what I have feared and have had new cards sent on as your sons do for you. 

 

KR

 

 

 

 

Just looked at Royal Mail track and trace and my card is in Laksi sorting office now in Bangkok.

 

Hopefully, here in next couple of days.

[Bramley]

No problem with HSBC. I have accounts with them in HK, UK, Malaysia, USA and UAE, all registered with my address in Thailand.

[Eff1n2ret]

I have banked with First Direct for over 20 years, and they made no problems when I moved to Thailand 11 years ago. However, if you are not an existing customer I doubt they will open an account for you as a previous poster suggests. Over several years they offered a savings scheme to existing customers giving a much better rate of interest for depositing up to £300 a month over a year. I did this for a few years, and then about three years ago they suddenly said they couldn't open another new account as I am an overseas customer. I suspect you can only try with your existing bank.

I have done almost everything online for several years, using their security keypad. However, it suddenly died back in February, so I phoned up and they agreed to send me another one, this within days of air travel shutting down. If I'd known, I would have asked them to DHL it and paid for that. However, it never arrived, so a couple of months ago I went through a procedure to get a login on a tablet/smartphone which generates a security number the same as the keypad used to (or I can just look at my accounts on the tablet).

I have also kept my HSBC UK credit card, and they are happy to post card or keypad to Thailand.

[anchadian]

I used to bank with Citibank before I came here.

 

Had online banking but when my card was due for renewal, they wouldn't renew it or I should say, they wouldn't send it to Thailand.....I closed the bank.

[SteveK]

Some UK banks do get weird if they think you are living abroad. If you need to keep the account open, change the address to that of a friend or family member in the UK. When I met my wife I was back and forward to Thailand all the time, and my UK bank was somehow aware of this and had a note placed on my account. After that, every time I called them the first thing they asked me was "what country are you calling from?". How they knew, I will never know, because I didn't tell them and didn't use my cards abroad.

Edited August 13, 2020 by SteveK

[Andrew Dwyer]

5 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Some UK banks do get weird if they think you are living abroad. If you need to keep the account open, change the address to that of a friend or family member in the UK. When I met my wife I was back and forward to Thailand all the time, and my UK bank was somehow aware of this and had a note placed on my account. After that, every time I called them the first thing they asked me was "what country are you calling from?". How they knew, I will never know, because I didn't tell them and didn't use my cards abroad.

I’ve been with NatWest for around 40 years and used my fathers address since I left the U.K. ( 1995 ) . All was well until just over a year ago when my fathers house was sold and I changed to my daughters, about 3 months after this she moved house and alarm bells started ringing at NatWest. 
I called them to confirm my new address and let them know I was living in between the U.K. and Thailand (????).

They managed to note the post code down wrong ( which I eventually spotted on a statement, another phone call to correct this.

Then found out my credit card had been blocked because of the post code mix up, another phone call ????

Finally , taking advantage of the exch rate , I transferred some money over to TransferWise but in haste omitted a zero, I immediately followed it up with another transfer of the balance. NatWest blocked the second transfer and ..yup... I had to call them to get it released.

Went through the strangest security “ grilling “ ever, asked me for my current address and the previous 2 , asked me if I was transferring money voluntarily or was being pressured !!, also asked me the make and model of the mobile phone I was using !!

Got an email today that they are doing away with Visa and going purely MasterCard, will probably get some grief from this as well !!

 

It’s been a bad year ☹️

[503726]

Thanks everyone.

 

HSBC sounds a good bet, someone mentioned that before. I opened an account with them when I was back last as back up. I expect changing to a Thai address would stir a hornets nest up at Nat West so best to keep as is.