what with my Bank while waiting out of the country ?

[nera123]

..With this inability to return to the country, to obtain a visa and even a WP3 at the moment and not knowing
how long will this last until thailand becomes resonable and reopens these borders,
Do I have to worry about my bank account which I try to fill year after year through my work to be able to, one day, meet the conditions requested for a retirement visa ...

My bank is informed that I am currently no longer in the country and until the end of the year if necessary, but if the situation continues beyond this year,
should I be worried?

I have a worldwide card and can withdraw from where I am, do I have to think about the possibility of withdrawing everything?

Many Thanks for you advise..

[condobrit001]

Nothing at all will happen to your account during your absence, and there is no requirement for you to tell the bank anything about your movements. However, if there are no transactions recorded for a period of three years (?), the account may be classified as dormant, but can be reactivated easily.

[LukKrueng]

Who informed your bank that you're not in Thailand, and why? As @condobrit001 wrote the bank has no concern regarding your whereabout. Yes, after a certain period (not sure how long, but probably few years) of no activity they might freeze the account, but as long as you deposit/ transfer/ withdraw money the account will remain active and valid no matter where you are

[Bender Rodriguez]

mmhhhh... now that the bank knows you are not there, they might start to plunder your account ... lol ...

 

just kidding, but what if they did ... you can't prove it or fight it in court anyway ...

[crazykopite]

Nothing will happen you are safe even if the Thai bank goes bust the Thai government protect customers money up to a certain level I think it’s around 2 million baht I suggest you take out some money now and again just so the account is being used . I have had 800k stuck in my savings account for 5+ years i don’t use it as I have my everyday account nobody has ever questioned it it’s there fir my retirement visa.

[natway09]

The Thai Government will reopen their borders when they believe it is safe for their people 

to do sor or when it is ressonable which it is not at present yet.

Do not worry, your money is safe

[AgMech Cowboy]

1 hour ago, crazykopite said:

Nothing will happen you are safe even if the Thai bank goes bust the Thai government protect customers money up to a certain level I think it’s around 2 million baht I suggest you take out some money now and again just so the account is being used.

I suggest you transfer some money in, if you're going to do anything. That said, as many on here have stated, you don't need to worry about the account. I say this assuming you have more than a few hundred baht in there.

[nera123]

1 hour ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

mmhhhh... now that the bank knows you are not there, they might start to plunder your account ... lol ...

 

just kidding, but what if they did ... you can't prove it or fight it in court anyway ...

 

2 hours ago, LukKrueng said:

Who informed your bank that you're not in Thailand, and why? As @condobrit001 wrote the bank has no concern regarding your whereabout. Yes, after a certain period (not sure how long, but probably few years) of no activity they might freeze the account, but as long as you deposit/ transfer/ withdraw money the account will remain active and valid no matter where you are

In general and as far as I know, it is better to inform your bank to ensure that the card will not be blocked when using it outside the country.

[Letseng]

2 hours ago, condobrit001 said:

Nothing at all will happen to your account during your absence, and there is no requirement for you to tell the bank anything about your movements. However, if there are no transactions recorded for a period of three years (?), the account may be classified as dormant, but can be reactivated easily.

SCB inactivated mine after 1 year.

[VBF]

I have a SCB account which I use when in Thailand for usually 3 months at a time. Each year, I visit SCB to check on the Ts & Cs and make some notes. The following may be of some help to the OP:

 

Notes – updated after visit to my SCB branch 6^th February 2020

 

• If there is no activity on the account for 1 year from the last use, the account becomes dormant whatever the balance. Simply logging into the Internet Banking will NOT prevent this. SOME transaction activity is required at least once a year. Paying in or withdrawing using ATM or topping up phone will all keep it alive and “restart the clock.” The twice-yearly interest does NOT count as a transaction for this purpose. IF the account is allowed to go dormant, twice-yearly interest payments stop.

 

• If there is no activity on the account for 1 year and the account contains β5000 * or less, then a fee of β 50 / month is charged until the account is empty – then it is closed. 

 

• If there is no activity on the account and the account contains more than β5000 *, nothing happens – account is left in situ ad infinitum but the dormancy referred to above still applies.

 

NOTE * There is some conjecture as to whether this amount is β5000 or β2000, however if you allow for the annual β200 fee for the card, then β5000 seems to be safer. Above reconfirmed 6^th February 2020.  

 

• Using the SCB card abroad attracts a fee of 100 Baht each time for withdrawals or balance enquiries.   

 

So if, with the current situation, I cannot return to Thailand before the anniversary of the last use, what I shall do is to simply withdraw £10 using a UK ATM which will cost me a β100 fee. Or, I could even send £10 TO the account via Transferwise - OR I could top up my Thai mobile phone from the account. Any of these actions will keep the account intact for another year.  I also have online banking with SCB.

 

I suggest this would also work for you @nera123 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by VBF

[nera123]

20 minutes ago, VBF said:

I have a SCB account which I use when in Thailand for usually 3 months at a time. Each year, I visit SCB to check on the Ts & Cs and make some notes. The following may be of some help to the OP:

 

Notes – updated after visit to my SCB branch 6^th February 2020

 

• If there is no activity on the account for 1 year from the last use, the account becomes dormant whatever the balance. Simply logging into the Internet Banking will NOT prevent this. SOME transaction activity is required at least once a year. Paying in or withdrawing using ATM or topping up phone will all keep it alive and “restart the clock.” The twice-yearly interest does NOT count as a transaction for this purpose. IF the account is allowed to go dormant, twice-yearly interest payments stop.

 

• If there is no activity on the account for 1 year and the account contains β5000 * or less, then a fee of β 50 / month is charged until the account is empty – then it is closed. 

 

• If there is no activity on the account and the account contains more than β5000 *, nothing happens – account is left in situ ad infinitum but the dormancy referred to above still applies.

 

NOTE * There is some conjecture as to whether this amount is β5000 or β2000, however if you allow for the annual β200 fee for the card, then β5000 seems to be safer. Above reconfirmed 6^th February 2020.  

 

• Using the SCB card abroad attracts a fee of 100 Baht each time for withdrawals or balance enquiries.   

 

So if, with the current situation, I cannot return to Thailand before the anniversary of the last use, what I shall do is to simply withdraw £10 using a UK ATM which will cost me a β100 fee. Or, I could even send £10 TO the account via Transferwise - OR I could top up my Thai mobile phone from the account. Any of these actions will keep the account intact for another year.  I also have online banking with SCB.

 

I suggest this would also work for you @nera123 

 

It will probably..Thanks

[ChouDoufu]

you have online banking.....how many accounts?

if more than one, simply go online and transfer cash from one account t'nother.

[peleid]

From your last transaction you have 1 year, then they will freeze it, this is what my bank does, normally I get letter warning me

[oldies1]

I need to transfer money to Kasikorn bank (south pattaya branch)

I have the swift code but I can't seem to find the "branch code", which

I understood it is needed as well. I googled but couldn't find it.

At the moment I have this, but I don't think this is enough ?

 

Kasikorn Bank Public Company Limited
Branch: South Pattaya
Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150 Thailand.
Account Name:     
Account Number:     
Swift Code:     KASITHBK 

 

thank you

[Pattaya46]

Hi. At the same South Pattaya KBK branch,

they gave me this BIC/SWIFT code : KASITHBKLAM

but I heard that the default KASITHBKXXX works ok too.

 

[Seeall]

On 8/17/2020 at 2:29 PM, Bender Rodriguez said:

mmhhhh... now that the bank knows you are not there, they might start to plunder your account ... lol ...

 

just kidding, but what if they did ... you can't prove it or fight it in court anyway ...

most things are started by telling everyone....

[Kalasin Jo]

I have two accounts with Bankok Bank. One of them not used for 18 months with only 20 baht in it.... my wife lost the card....finally got a new card no problems and put some money in. First thing that was debited was outstanding bank charges!! No other issues.

[Hanuman2547]

When I changed jobs in 1993 in Bangkok I had to open a new bank account as the company did all their business through this other bank.  I used that account up until I left Thailand in 2001.  Prior to that I used Bangkok Bank but stopped using it from 1993 on.  In 2001 I left the country but forgot about the Bangkok Bank account.  I had left the account open and only had about 1500 baht in it.  When I was in Thailand in 2005 I tried to use my old Bangkok Bank debit card but it wouldn't work.  I had to go back to the bank branch where I opened the account and present my passbook and passport.  After about a half hour I was issued a new debit card.  In total the account had been sitting inactive for about 12 years.  The only additions were some very small interest amounts accumulated over the 12 years.  I still have the account an still use it to this day with no problems.