Closure of bank account with Siam Bank

[Rosli]

Hi All,

 

I hope someone could please advise me.

 

I have / had a bank account with Siam Bank (opened in Baan Kakun) which I opened in 2008. I travel to Thailand about twice a year and since I stopped working in Thailand I have maintained this account. The last time used was November , 2019. I was issued with a new ATM card and also passbook. Usually I transfer money from Australia to top up this account. But last year and this year have not travelled there. 

 

This week I transferred funds which were returned. My ATM card is also inactive. 

 

Obviously Siam Bank consider this a dormant account since its lack of activity. 

 

Questions:

 

* Can this account be activated and do I have to be there for this to happen ?

 

 

I have emailed Siam Bank and hopefully will receive an answer. 

 

Have any members of this forum had this problem and if so how was it resolved.  I have a Thai colleague in Chiang Mai who is also going to visit Siam Bank but because it isn't his account they may not be able to help.

 

Many Thanks in Advance

 

 

[lopburi3]

42 minutes ago, Rosli said:

Hi All,

 

I hope someone could please advise me.

 

I have / had a bank account with Siam Bank (opened in Baan Kakun) which I opened in 2008. I travel to Thailand about twice a year and since I stopped working in Thailand I have maintained this account. The last time used was November , 2019. I was issued with a new ATM card and also passbook. Usually I transfer money from Australia to top up this account. But last year and this year have not travelled there. 

 

This week I transferred funds which were returned. My ATM card is also inactive. 

 

Obviously Siam Bank consider this a dormant account since its lack of activity. 

 

Questions:

 

* Can this account be activated and do I have to be there for this to happen ?

 

 

I have emailed Siam Bank and hopefully will receive an answer. 

 

Have any members of this forum had this problem and if so how was it resolved.  I have a Thai colleague in Chiang Mai who is also going to visit Siam Bank but because it isn't his account they may not be able to help.

 

Many Thanks in Advance

 

 

You maintained sufficient funds in account to pay card fees and inactivity charges?  Sorry can not be of help resolving.

[Rosli]

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

You maintained sufficient funds in account to pay card fees and inactivity charges?  Sorry can not be of help resolving.

Yes there were funds in the account to cover this

[scorecard]

Call the Bangkok call centre and get a conclusive answer then refer the answer to the branch, if necessary.

[Bill97]

They probably sent a letter, did you get it or move without giving them a new address?

[recom273]

8 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

They probably sent a letter, did you get it or move without giving them a new address?

 

I have  never had a letter from a Thai bank in 12 years.

 

What I do get is once a year,  is a message in Thai telling me that my fee is about to withdrawn and if I agree. 

 

This throws me, as I think my account has been rinsed out, but I need to confirm and continue.

[Rosli]

Thanks for the replies, no letter sent to me care of my Thai address. I will see what their call centre that I emailed come back with.

 

Many Thanks

[Matreusse]

What happens when you log in to your online banking?   Have you tried calling them, the call centre has English-speaking staff.

[patman30]

i have had my SCB account deactivated a couple of times
simply had to go to bank to deposit funds to reactivate (years later)

not sure why it would not be the same with transfer deposit
but if you can try get someone to go deposit a few hundred baht in cash at a branch, yours if possible

[VBF]

This does not answer @Rosli questions but if you can get the account going somehow, might help you and others in future

In February 2020, just before i left Thailand, i visited SCB to ask specific questions about my account - here are the notes I made:

• 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.    NB: My feeling is to keep β10000 in the account to allow for outgoings such as card charges and phone top-ups.  

 

As I doubt I'll be visiting Thailand any time soon, in January 2021, I sent £10 via Transferwise to my SCB account to keep the account active - this appeared on my SCB internet banking.

 

@patman30 I suspect  @Rosli made the deposit after the account had gone dormant so somehow needs to do what you did - go to the bank to reactivate it - tricky in present circumstances! 

@Rosli do let us know what the call centre comes back with, btw their phone number is +66 02-777-7777

Edited January 28, 2021 by VBF
Extra thoughts

[fakser]

On 1/27/2021 at 8:33 AM, Rosli said:

Hi All,

 

I hope someone could please advise me.

 

I have / had a bank account with Siam Bank (opened in Baan Kakun) which I opened in 2008. I travel to Thailand about twice a year and since I stopped working in Thailand I have maintained this account. The last time used was November , 2019. I was issued with a new ATM card and also passbook. Usually I transfer money from Australia to top up this account. But last year and this year have not travelled there. 

 

This week I transferred funds which were returned. My ATM card is also inactive. 

 

Obviously Siam Bank consider this a dormant account since its lack of activity. 

 

Questions:

 

* Can this account be activated and do I have to be there for this to happen ?

 

 

I have emailed Siam Bank and hopefully will receive an answer. 

 

Have any members of this forum had this problem and if so how was it resolved.  I have a Thai colleague in Chiang Mai who is also going to visit Siam Bank but because it isn't his account they may not be able to help.

 

Many Thanks in Advance

 

 

I kill 2 birds with one shot (metaphorical speaking). I need to keep my Thai sim card alive too in order to keep the number.

So once every 2 months, I top up 100 THB from my BKK bank account. I also make a one second call from the Thai sim.

This way I keep both the bank account and the sim card, alive.

[daejung]

1 hour ago, fakser said:

I kill 2 birds with one shot (metaphorical speaking). I need to keep my Thai sim card alive too in order to keep the number.

So once every 2 months, I top up 100 THB from my BKK bank account. I also make a one second call from the Thai sim.

This way I keep both the bank account and the sim card, alive.

I top up too my AIS account from my Bangkok Bank account (several times 20 bahts since I get one more month validity by top up payment), but I do not make a call form my AIS sim card.

 

Is that call really necessary ?

[peleid]

My bank sends me a email if there has been no activity for a year warning me they will close it

[jomtienisgood]

16 hours ago, daejung said:

I top up too my AIS account from my Bangkok Bank account (several times 20 bahts since I get one more month validity by top up payment), but I do not make a call form my AIS sim card.

 

Is that call really necessary ?

Not really.. Has no-one ever told you if you dial a certain Nr. ,depending on the provider AIS, DTac..., your number can be extended for 6 months (180 days ) . This service is charged (   DTac once).   I hope this is helpful. 

• AIS
  • Add 10 Baht credit for 30 Days Validity
  • Alternative method: Dial *500*9#   Add 30 days validity for 30 THB via Mao Mao package
• DTAC  –  Extend your validity for up to 365 days at a cost of 2 Baht per month.
  • Press : *113*30*9#  for 30 days extension.  Cost 2 Baht
  • Press : *113*60*9#  for 60 days extension.  Cost 4 Baht
  • Press : *113*90*9#  for 90 days extension.  Cost 6 Baht
  • Press : *113*180*9#  for 180 days extension.   Cost 12 Baht
  • Conditions: Must activate SIM for at least 90 days or have usage of 200 THB.
• TrueMove H –  “Quick Add” Extend your validity for up to 365 days at a cost of 2 Baht per month
  • Press : * 934 * 30 #  for 30 days extension.  Cost 2 Baht
  • Press : * 934 * 90 #  for 90 days extension.  Cost 6 Baht
  • Press : * 934 * 180 #  for 180 days extension.   Cost 12 Baht

[Matreusse]

19 hours ago, fakser said:

I kill 2 birds with one shot (metaphorical speaking). I need to keep my Thai sim card alive too in order to keep the number.

So once every 2 months, I top up 100 THB from my BKK bank account. I also make a one second call from the Thai sim.

This way I keep both the bank account and the sim card, alive.

You don't need to make a call to keep a SIM alive, all you need to do is to keep topping it up with the minimum amount.  Every top-up gives another 30-day validity; just making a call only reduces the balance, incoming/outgoing calls to/from a Thai SIM have no effect on the expiry date of that SIM.

 

Edit: Or do what jomtienisgood suggested

Edited January 29, 2021 by Matreusse

[Matreusse]

18 hours ago, daejung said:

I top up too my AIS account from my Bangkok Bank account (several times 20 bahts since I get one more month validity by top up payment)

I thought that I could do that also but BBL's online banking shows a minimum of B50, how do you add just B20?

[VBF]

2 hours ago, Matreusse said:

I thought that I could do that also but BBL's online banking shows a minimum of B50, how do you add just B20?

This has been posted before but  Ding - Mobile Top-up Online - International Mobile Recharge works very well. I used it last week 

Sent 10 Baht via PayPal, extends validity by 30 days - repeat as necessary 

This thread may help Topping up phone via computer - Mobile devices - Thailand Visa Forum by Thai Visa | The Nation

[jaideedave]

On 1/28/2021 at 2:59 PM, patman30 said:

i have had my SCB account deactivated a couple of times
simply had to go to bank to deposit funds to reactivate (years later)

not sure why it would not be the same with transfer deposit
but if you can try get someone to go deposit a few hundred baht in cash at a branch, yours if possible

SCB has also deactivated my online account and after calling the only way to resolve the issue was to go there in person? It turns out that my pp had expired and they wanted to verify the new one.

Mine is a small sub branch in Pattaya and they've <deleted> me off a few times.

One time I had my 800k for retirement pension and asked them to put it in an account for immigration purposes.

Comes time to renew visa and Imm says its the wrong type of account? I was forced to use an agent that year at extra expense. I was so frustrated I immediately went and withdrew the whole lot in cash and put it in my Kasikorn account. The bank lad said casually what you doing with all this money? I casually replied oh I'm going to give it away. I'm starting to think its a training branch for nu-bees.I now only keep a couple k in there to keep it open.I've been very happy with my K Bank since I started to use the phone app. Very handy indeed to use my debit card the same as a credit card. I've had that account since 1991.

[Matreusse]

19 hours ago, VBF said:

22 hours ago, Matreusse said:

I thought that I could do that also but BBL's online banking shows a minimum of B50, how do you add just B20?

This has been posted before but  Ding - Mobile Top-up Online - International Mobile Recharge works very well. I used it last week 

Sent 10 Baht via PayPal, extends validity by 30 days - repeat as necessary 

I thought that you meant that you were getting B20 top-ups  with online banking.

 

Just had a look at Ding, a150% charge for that B10 top up dropping to 20% for the higher amounts!

[VBF]

3 hours ago, Matreusse said:

I thought that you meant that you were getting B20 top-ups  with online banking.

 

Just had a look at Ding, a150% charge for that B10 top up dropping to 20% for the higher amounts!

Yes, it's not cheap - from my records:  11-01-21 Sent 10 Baht via PayPal (£0.65)    

Assuming a rate of £1 = approx 40 Baht, £0.65  = approx 26Baht, subtract the 10Baht top up, leaving 16Baht charge is actually about 160%!

 

From the Ding site, looking at my History, each topup looks like this (amount close enough to the above to not matter):

 

 

If I'm honest, I didn't look that closely at the Ding site to see that the processing fee effectively drops if you send a larger amount - well spotted @Matreusse as there is no actual list of charges shown.

So I got on to Ding's "Chat" and asked "each topup attracts a processing fee. How is that calculated? "

The reply was:

AGENT: Before paying for a top-up, you will see an Order Summary which shows the total amount you'll pay, including fees. 
It's all done automatically by our system so there is no list of fees for each operator. 
It can change from time to time depending on differing exchange rates 

 

Not s problem for me in this (emergency) situation because having said all that, my Thai phone is now valid to 20-09-21 and the exercise cost me a total of £3.90 which doesn't bother me - it's less than one of the many pints of beer I haven't been able to buy recently. ????

 

I could have topped up my phone straight from my SCB account, but that requires a minimum 50 Baht per top-up - come September, if I use Ding again, maybe I'll just go for 20Baht per top-up. So yes, you're correct but for me, in this situation it's still a worthwhile deal.

Edited January 30, 2021 by VBF

[daejung]

On 1/29/2021 at 9:14 AM, Matreusse said:

I thought that I could do that also but BBL's online banking shows a minimum of B50, how do you add just B20?

If you top up with your Bangkok Bank account but using the AIS app, the minimum is B50.

 

I top up using Bangkok Bank app, and the minimum is then 20 baths