Kasikorn - No safety deposit boxes for foreigners

[recom273]

Late last year I called Kasikorn because I wanted an additional deposit account with no ATM, just a place to store money away from my current account. They told me this was not possible, foreigners without WP can only have one account - the only option to store a few million was a safety deposit box.

 

I eventually got someone to see sense and help me out and I opened the account.

 

Fast forward 8 months and my wife and I were talking, her gold is in a box under her underwear, we have some documents that coulld be stored in better places along with backup copies of passports, etc,

 

I called Kasikorn to find where in the city has a safety deposit box - 5 mins later she returns, “Sorry Sir, we do not allow foreigners to rent safety deposit boxes any longer” apparently they had issues where westerners had left the country and were unable to contact them.

 

My wife needs the box, not I, it was just easier for me to call the helpline because it’s less stress. I posed the questions, so what is the difference if my wife, who is a Thai person, opening the box who then returns to the UK with me, you would be unable to contact her the same.

 

More ridiculous hoops to jump through.

 

They did eventually answer the question, there is a branch not far from my place with available space.

Edited September 15, 2020 by recom273

[tonray]

6 minutes ago, recom273 said:

her gold is in a box under her underwear

What ?

[Poet]

7 minutes ago, recom273 said:

her gold is in a box under her underwear

I've heard of women using that part of the body for smuggling, but not for permanent storage.

 

[Stocky]

The only time I tried getting a safe deposit box with Kasikorn in Hat Yai, I was directed to the main branch on Phetkasem. Yes, yes we have, started on the paperwork and then it was the "but you need open life insurance policy" - thanks, but no thanks.

 

I ended up opening one via my Krungsri account for Bht2,140 per year, but it's in Bangkok rather than Hat Yai, so not so convenient. 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Stocky

[SmileyCat]

your title says "No safety deposit boxes for westerners" then you wrote “Sorry Sir, we do not allow foreigners to rent safety deposit boxes any longer”. Which is it only westerners or all foreigners?

[recom273]

10 minutes ago, SmileyCat said:

your title says "No safety deposit boxes for westerners" then you wrote “Sorry Sir, we do not allow foreigners to rent safety deposit boxes any longer”. Which is it only westerners or all foreigners?

They said foreigners .. I just detest and refuse to use the Generic “f” word. 
 

I have edited it to avoid confusing the Asian or middle eastern members of this forum. 

Edited September 15, 2020 by recom273

[recom273]

16 minutes ago, Poet said:
I've heard of women using that part of the body for smuggling, but not for permanent storage.
 

 

18 minutes ago, tonray said:

What ?

LOL .. Her underwear in the underwear drawer .. the place where I guess most women keep it and the first place any burglar would think to look.

[tonray]

4 minutes ago, recom273 said:

 

LOL .. Her underwear in the underwear drawer .. the place where I guess most women keep it and the first place any burglar would think to look.

I'm going upstairs to check...I need a new guitar...

[recom273]

19 minutes ago, Stocky said:

The only time I tried getting a safe deposit box with Kasikorn in Hat Yai, I was directed to the main branch on Phetkasem. Yes, yes we have, started on the paperwork and then it was the "but you need open life insurance policy" - thanks, but no thanks.

 

I ended up opening one via my Krungsri account for Bht2,140 per year, but it's in Bangkok rather than Hat Yai, so not so convenient. 

 

Thanks, I will check it - they sent me to Petkasem branch too.

 

Lets see what they have to say, I have no interest in buying life insurance. The wife has accounts with other banks, but I just wanted to make preliminary enquiries. 

[sungod]

30 minutes ago, SmileyCat said:

your title says "No safety deposit boxes for westerners" then you wrote “Sorry Sir, we do not allow foreigners to rent safety deposit boxes any longer”. Which is it only westerners or all foreigners?

Pedantic or what...

[MrMilk]

52 minutes ago, Stocky said:

I ended up opening one via my Krungsri, but it's in Bangkok rather than Hat Yai, so not so convenient. 

 

 

 

Yes, I would definitely call that less than convenient

[anterian]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

foreigners without WP can only have one account

I have 5 accounts with SCB,  2 with ATM debit cards. I am on a retirement visa.

[scorecard]

Some old timers will remember the old Thai Danu (TD) bank, no longer in existence.

 

Several long-term engineering farang expats asked their HR dept. (Eastern seaboard)  to inquire about each having a security box at the local Thai Danu branch where the company had opened saving accounts for each expat. Quickly all set up and in in use.

 

A few years later suddenly the local branch closed without warning. Questions were asked about the security boxes. 

 

Eventual response: 'Your security box was moved to the TD branch located in xxx town (some 100 km away) and by the way before you can open your box at the new location you need to clear your debt to the bank for moving the box to the new location 8,000Baht.' 

 

Much anger and argument ensured until a local high profile politician got into the situation, suddenly charges all cancelled. After some quick discussion the company arranged a couple of mini vans to take all the expats to the new location of the security boxes, told the TD HO in Bkk in advance that they would be coming and that all the expats would be emptying and cancelling their security boxes, closing their savings accounts, also mentioned that all of these folks would move to Bkk Bank (large new branch near the company), savings accounts, credit cards and security boxes had been arranged at the new Bkk Bk. Also the company asked TD HO what documents would be needed to cancel and empty the security boxes. All done. TD HO full of apologies etc., and kept asking if they could provide any different services. 

 

Documents all set up, vans arrived at the new TD bank. Bank staff have not been advised the farang customers will be coming and don't know the 'moving fees' have been cancelled. Mgr at the new TD location refuses to listen and refuses to call his HO in Bkk. No language problems because the company accountant (Thai lady, speaks perfect English) went with the trip to the new TD location.

 

Accountant calls TD HO and finds a snr. person who knows the whole story and he speaks to the TD manager who has been refusing to listen. 

 

Phone call ends, TD bank mngr now refuses to cooperate until he receives a letter from the TD HO with a list of the account names and bankbook numbers.

 

More phone conversations with TD HO and suddenly local mgr agrees to cooperate and in panic tells his staff to get everything completed quickly. All done. 

 

Never a dull moment. 

 

[scorecard]

3 minutes ago, anterian said:

I have 5 accounts with SCB,  2 with ATM debit cards. I am on a retirement visa.

I have 5 savings account with K Bank, 1 with Krung Seri, 2 with Bkk Bank and 1 with Govt. Saving bank and 1 with Krunk Thai. And I'm aware of many farang with multiple accounts across many Thai banks. 

[recom273]

5 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I have 5 savings account with K Bank, 1 with Krung Seri, 2 with Bkk Bank and 1 with Govt. Saving bank and 1 with Krunk Thai. And I'm aware of many farang with multiple accounts across many Thai banks. 

 

14 minutes ago, anterian said:

I have 5 accounts with SCB,  2 with ATM debit cards. I am on a retirement visa.

Good work guys! There have been scores of posts about opening (multiple) bank accounts on this forum, some people in various areas of the country seem to have no problems whilst others cannot open a single bank account.
 

Yes, I also have multiple accounts with Kasikorn now, but for many years I tried to open a secondary account in many branches of Kasikorn in Hat Yai, and was told by Various managers (and calls to helpline) that it was impossible for holders of marriage extensions to open multiple accounts - retired no problem. 
 

I only mentioned it, as it was on kasikorns suggestion that I put my savings in a safety deposit box - Now they do a u-turn and prevent all foreigners from renting a box. 

[YT3k72Em]

You could also look at buying a safe box for your house. They only cost a few thousand for a small one.  They can be heavy enough to stop a casual thief, but maybe not an organised one. 

[2 is 1]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

 

LOL .. Her underwear in the underwear drawer .. the place where I guess most women keep it and the first place any burglar would think to look.

If there come Japanese burglar, he first go to find underwear to smell ! But yeah maybe he don't want clean one! I think your wife put clean there!

Edited September 15, 2020 by 2 is 1

[SAFETY FIRST]

I've had my Kasikorn Safety Deposit box for over 10 years. There are only 2 branches in Pattaya which have them.

 

It wasn't easy to secure one, I had to sign up for a Wisdom credit card and a life insurance policy with MTL.

 

I understand why foreigners are no longer allowed,these boxes are like Hen's teeth so Thai's only.

 

[kralledr]

The callcenter are ..... i have 1 box in kasikorn, 100% possible, i gave up calling them a long time ago.

[Benmart]

18 hours ago, scorecard said:

Some old timers will remember the old Thai Danu (TD) bank, no longer in existence.

 

Several long-term engineering farang expats asked their HR dept. (Eastern seaboard)  to inquire about each having a security box at the local Thai Danu branch where the company had opened saving accounts for each expat. Quickly all set up and in in use.

 

A few years later suddenly the local branch closed without warning. Questions were asked about the security boxes. 

 

Eventual response: 'Your security box was moved to the TD branch located in xxx town (some 100 km away) and by the way before you can open your box at the new location you need to clear your debt to the bank for moving the box to the new location 8,000Baht.' 

 

Much anger and argument ensured until a local high profile politician got into the situation, suddenly charges all cancelled. After some quick discussion the company arranged a couple of mini vans to take all the expats to the new location of the security boxes, told the TD HO in Bkk in advance that they would be coming and that all the expats would be emptying and cancelling their security boxes, closing their savings accounts, also mentioned that all of these folks would move to Bkk Bank (large new branch near the company), savings accounts, credit cards and security boxes had been arranged at the new Bkk Bk. Also the company asked TD HO what documents would be needed to cancel and empty the security boxes. All done. TD HO full of apologies etc., and kept asking if they could provide any different services. 

 

Documents all set up, vans arrived at the new TD bank. Bank staff have not been advised the farang customers will be coming and don't know the 'moving fees' have been cancelled. Mgr at the new TD location refuses to listen and refuses to call his HO in Bkk. No language problems because the company accountant (Thai lady, speaks perfect English) went with the trip to the new TD location.

 

Accountant calls TD HO and finds a snr. person who knows the whole story and he speaks to the TD manager who has been refusing to listen. 

 

Phone call ends, TD bank mngr now refuses to cooperate until he receives a letter from the TD HO with a list of the account names and bankbook numbers.

 

More phone conversations with TD HO and suddenly local mgr agrees to cooperate and in panic tells his staff to get everything completed quickly. All done. 

 

Never a dull moment. 

 

A history lesson and noted. Now back to the present.

[Sydebolle]

Another racist idiocy of the almighty race!

Vote with your feet, there are some other 10 - 20 banks; balance your account and take your business elsewhere. 

[Antonymous]

19 hours ago, scorecard said:

Some old timers will remember the old Thai Danu (TD) bank, no longer in existence.

Great location for the appropriately named Goldfingers I recall.

[Matzzon]

20 hours ago, SmileyCat said:

your title says "No safety deposit boxes for westerners" then you wrote “Sorry Sir, we do not allow foreigners to rent safety deposit boxes any longer”. Which is it only westerners or all foreigners?

Oh, so you are looking for a conspiracy against westerners? 

[thurien]

once, I had a depo box with BKK bank in Khorat; this stainless set of 100 individual boxes was pretty old, worn...the clerk inserted his key, I inserted mine, the lock just opened half-way ... finished. After 2 weeks (!), they had a bank specialist open that thing. I took all my stuff out and ceased the rental contract.

[new2here]

I have one with Kbank (Main Ratburana branch) and have had it for a few years now. I do recall when i opened it, there was a bunch of additional paperwork required (as well as having a WP which I did/do have) and I recall I had to post a “deposit” of a few thousand (I recall they called it a key deposit) in order to open it. At that time i was new to the bank, but was (and still am) a Wisdom-level customer.  Sometimes I’ve found that the level of assets you hold with them changes what can and can’t be done.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if they restricted boxes to non-citizens or put some added levels of restrictions/requirements to get one.

[Max69xl]

20 hours ago, recom273 said:

They said foreigners .. I just detest and refuse to use the Generic “f” word. 
 

I have edited it to avoid confusing the Asian or middle eastern members of this forum. 

At several K-Bank branches you can open a savings account when retired, O or O-A. They just want to see the "Retirement" stamp in the passport. It took me about 40 minutes when I opened my last account at K-Bank in Jomtien/Pattaya. About your wifes gold stashed under the underwear, doesn't she have a bank account in a branch somewhere with safety boxes? She's not a foreigner and she can open an account anywhere any day of the week. So what's the actual problem, does the safety box has to be in your name? 

[worgeordie]

Just get a small safe and find a place in the house you can

hide it,it will be as safe as a deposit box at a bank,unless

you have multiple Kilos of Gold.you can put your wifes knickers

in too ????

regards worgeordie

[CanadaSam]

"her gold is in a box under her underwear"

 

I would be careful during love-making.

 

Edited September 16, 2020 by CanadaSam

[Peterphuket]

23 hours ago, Stocky said:

The only time I tried getting a safe deposit box with Kasikorn in Hat Yai, I was directed to the main branch on Phetkasem. Yes, yes we have, started on the paperwork and then it was the "but you need open life insurance policy" - thanks, but no thanks.

 

I ended up opening one via my Krungsri account for Bht2,140 per year, but it's in Bangkok rather than Hat Yai, so not so convenient. 

 

 

The same story at the siam commercial bank.

(What do you mean "we don't like falang")

[PETERTHEEATER]

On 9/15/2020 at 7:26 AM, Poet said:

I've heard of women using that part of the body for smuggling, but not for permanent storage.

 

It beats a heart of gold any day. Let's hope it's baht is worse than it's  bite.....