Bangkok Bank

[Mansell]

This is for the Americans on here. Which branch of Bangkok Bank do you use for your Social Security here?

I am moving from Korat and we drove around for nearly two hours trying to find a bank open on a Saturday. It seemed almost bizarre as if I’d stepped into an alternative universe. Mainly because in Korat we have branches every where open every day of the week until 9pm.
Ended up in the Tesco Lotus one, but the guy had no clue and told me I needed a letter from the embassy to open an account.....which of course is total nonsense. Eventually he told us we needed to go to the big office opposite Terminal, which of course is closed till Monday, and we have to return to Korat tomorrow returning again at the end of the month.

Thanks for any help.

[BenDeCosta]

Here we go again.....

Since the US started to require additional paperwork for tax purposes, most banks here simply can't be bothered to open accounts for both US citizens and other foreigners.

Search for "assistance with opening a Thai bank account" on Google, and for $150, these guys will get you an account opened.

[userabcd]

It is well known that bank branches in malls and shopping centers are open, every where else they are usually closed on weekends.

To open an account with Bangkok Bank these are the rules from their website 

For Thai nationals

• ID card or any government-issued photo ID card with 13-digit ID number
   

For foreigners

1. Foreigner with a work permit

• Passport
• Work Permit

 2. Foreigner without work permit

• Passport
• A reference letter issued by one of the following institutes or organizations or required document
  • Embassy located  in Thailand 
  • An overseas bank where the customer holds an account sent via SWIFT 
  • Trusted individuals such as a Bangkok Bank staff member or customer, director of a private company, permanent residence in Thailand, government or private educational institutes located in Thailand trusted by the Bank
  • Trusted companies, e.g., an employment letter from the company if the customer is in the process of applying for a work permit.
  • Document showing ownership of a fixed asset such as a condominium sale/purchase agreement (a condominium which is acceptable to Bangkok Bank) Or a property reservation agreement valued at 100,000 baht or more with a reference letter from the property developer that is acceptable to Bangkok Bank.

Notes: Contact addresses for both Thailand and overseas must be provided (hotel and P.O. Box addresses are not acceptable).

3. Foreigner with permanent residence in Thailand

• Passport, Certificate of Residence, or Alien Certificate 
• House Registration document

so... not completely nonsense unless you find a branch and staff member who do not follow the head office bank rules for opening an account.

Edited March 20, 2021 by userabcd

[lopburi3]

Stand alone banks are closed on weekends and holidays but open at 0830 - mall type branch's, which open later, is what is open 7 days a week.  

Embassy letter has been a standard request from Bangkok Bank for last two years.

[BenDeCosta]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

Embassy letter has been a standard request from Bangkok Bank for last two years.

And when you ask what the letter needs to say they tell you that they don't know.

[Kerryd]

As noted in post #2, there is additional issues when it comes to Americans. The US passed a law requiring foreign banks to report details of accounts held by Americans overseas. Basically, if Thai banks want to do business with American banks, they have to comply. 

As a result, I think a lot of them just can't be bothered with the extra hassles so it's easier to just not open new accounts for Americans.

[userabcd]

13 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

And when you ask what the letter needs to say they tell you that they don't know.

The embassy has done this lots of times. The first time I did this in 2013, I just asked the embassy for a letter to open a bank account. They knew what to provide.

[BenDeCosta]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

As noted in post #2, there is additional issues when it comes to Americans. The US passed a law requiring foreign banks to report details of accounts held by Americans overseas. Basically, if Thai banks want to do business with American banks, they have to comply. 

As a result, I think a lot of them just can't be bothered with the extra hassles so it's easier to just not open new accounts for Americans.

I can't help but think that this problem is why so many westerners are now struggling to open bank accounts in Thailand. There are so many stories on here from people who just walked into a bank with their passport and were successful in opening an account, albeit many years ago. Nowadays, they make it as difficult as possible. 

[foreverlomsak]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

Embassy letter has been a standard request from Bangkok Bank for last two years.

UK passport holder, only needed passport and yellow book to get new account on Thursday 18 March 2021 (but be prepared for long wait, took an hour and a half to complete paperwork, about 20 signatures required).

Will admit to having had an account with them before, opened circa 2003, when on Tourist Visa and no proof of address required then, to fund the building of a house.

Edited March 20, 2021 by foreverlomsak
correction

[NanLaew]

5 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

UK passport holder, only needed passport and yellow book to get new account on Thursday 18 March 2021

What town?

What bank?

What branch?

[BenDeCosta]

I just walked into the first branch I came across in Bangkok and opened an account with only my passport. I was in and out in 20 minutes and had a bank book, ATM card and internet banking. It's super easy, so if I can do it, so can you. And, I was on a visa-exempt entry.

By the way, I'm joking.

[foreverlomsak]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

What town?

What bank?

What branch?

Lom Sak, Phetchabun, in the sticks where you'd expect trouble

Bangkok Bank

Lom Sak (main branch not Big C sub-branch they nearly always refer people to main branch), and the guy spoke quite good English

[Mansell]

I already have two Bangkok Bank accounts in Korat. Opened those when I moved from Phuket without any problem. I showed the guy both bank books and he was pretty much overwhelmed.

Thanks for all the responses. Probably stay over till Monday and hit the main one opposite Terminal. 
My branch in Korat handled both Covid checks for me saying it would take two months, ten days later the money was in my account. 

[buick]

OP, it sounds like you are in bangkok (i can't tell if this post is in the bangkok forum or not).  but you mention the branch across from terminal 21, so asoke and sukhumvit (in exchange tower).  that may work just fine, but their head office is at 333 silom road.  it is easy to get to just take the MRT to silom and walk down silom road, less than a 10 minute walk.  the head office is generally known to be the most farang friendly.

[ctxa]

4 hours ago, Mansell said:

needed a letter from the embassy to open an account.....which of course is total nonsense

Nope, it's not nonsense. 

If you do not have a work permit, Bangkok Bank requires a reference letter in order to open an account. If you do not hand this to them and no work permit either, no office will open an account for you. It is clearly stated in their website. 

[foreverlomsak]

12 hours ago, Mansell said:

I already have two Bangkok Bank accounts in Korat. Opened those when I moved from Phuket without any problem. I showed the guy both bank books and he was pretty much overwhelmed.

Thanks for all the responses. Probably stay over till Monday and hit the main one opposite Terminal. 
My branch in Korat handled both Covid checks for me saying it would take two months, ten days later the money was in my account. 

I can deposit personal GBP cheques, drawn on my UK account, into my Bangkok Bank account, costs are 10USD up front plus their "increments" throughout the cycle including bad exchange rate, takes 10/14 days.

A branch of Bangkok Bank in Bangkok advised me it was possible, when I went to my own branch it was "cannot do". To which I replied "Bangkok says you can".  After a flurry of calls to Bangkok it was "can do".

Now with Wise (TransferWise as was) don't need to do it but it's still handy to know. The last tax refund I got was issued in the form of a cheque, could not get refund through tax in subsequent year as I shouldn't have been taxed in the first place.

[Pib]

15 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Embassy letter has been a standard request from Bangkok Bank for last two years.

Yeap....the Bangkok Bank branches here in Bangkok  (including the head office branch) seem to now routinely require such an embassy letter which is going to cost you $50 as the U.S. Embassy. Letter being required even for folks wanting to open another acct with the bank or add your name to your spouse's acct...even people who have had long time multiple accts with them like I do.    

Happened to the Thai wife and I last year when we went to add my name to her acct as a signatory (i.e., not a joint owner...just gives me authorization to withdraw/transfer funds)....this was at the head office branch in the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Road.  The branch said no problem but will need the letter from the embassy.....new requirement they said....or they should have said a Bangkok Bank policy they really didn't enforce before.   

The Thai wife and I bent the rep's ear and her supervisor's ear about already having multiple accts with them, I have a Pink ID card and a Yellow Book, lived in Thailand for over a dozen years, etc....nope, none of that was good enough....need the embassy letter and they showed me a redacted copy of one was was just an affidavit  where a person said he lives in Thailand at address so-in-so on the U.S. Embassy letterhead document with embassy notary seal.   

We decided to wait and try again later as I didn't want to fork out $50 to get the letter without giving it one more try later on (which I haven't done yet).

Now I've heard Bangkok Bank branches outside of Bangkok and Chiang Mai (who have a U.S. consulate) are less stringent about requiring the letter supposedly because they know it would require significant travel time and expensive just to get to the US Embassy in Bangkok or US Consulate in Chiang Mai.  It's basically a branch manager's call if they require the letter or not...but Bangkok Bank branches are much more likely now days to require the letter.  I expect farang business is a very small drop in the customer base and the bank wants to reduce fraudulent activity caused by some farangs using fake passports/IDs which are still easy to obtain here in Thailand.

[ctxa]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Yeap....the Bangkok Bank branches here in Bangkok  (including the head office branch) seem to now routinely require such an embassy letter which is going to cost you $50 as the U.S. Embassy. Letter being required even for folks wanting to open another acct with the bank or add your name to your spouse's acct...even people who have had long time multiple accts with them like I do.    

Happened to the Thai wife and I last year when we went to add my name to her acct as a signatory (i.e., not a joint owner...just gives me authorization to withdraw/transfer funds)....this was at the head office branch in the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Road.  The branch said no problem but will need the letter from the embassy.....new requirement they said....or they should have said a Bangkok Bank policy they really didn't enforce before.   

The Thai wife and I bent the rep's ear and her supervisor's ear about already having multiple accts with them, I have a Pink ID card and a Yellow Book, lived in Thailand for over a dozen years, etc....nope, none of that was good enough....need the embassy letter and they showed me a redacted copy of one was was just an affidavit  where a person said he lives in Thailand at address so-in-so on the U.S. Embassy letterhead document with embassy notary seal.   

We decided to wait and try again later as I didn't want to fork out $50 to get the letter without giving it one more try later on (which I haven't done yet).

Now I've heard Bangkok Bank branches outside of Bangkok and Chiang Mai (who have a U.S. consulate) are less stringent about requiring the letter supposedly because they know it would require significant travel time and expensive just to get to the US Embassy in Bangkok or US Consulate in Chiang Mai.  It's basically a branch manager's call if they require the letter or not...but Bangkok Bank branches are much more likely now days to require the letter.  I expect farang business is a very small drop in the customer base and the bank wants to reduce fraudulent activity caused by some farangs using fake passports/IDs which are still easy to obtain here in Thailand.

Honestly, how overly complicated this Bangkok Bank thingy has become... 

Recently I opened an account at Krungsri and even applied and successfully got a credit card with just a passport and a Non-Immigrant VISA. (Mind you that for the credit card I had to make a deposit pledge, obviously)

[Pib]

16 hours ago, buick said:

OP, it sounds like you are in bangkok (i can't tell if this post is in the bangkok forum or not).  but you mention the branch across from terminal 21, so asoke and sukhumvit (in exchange tower).  that may work just fine, but their head office is at 333 silom road.  it is easy to get to just take the MRT to silom and walk down silom road, less than a 10 minute walk.  the head office is generally known to be the most farang friendly.

The head office in the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom is indeed farang friendly....I have all my Bangkok Bank accts with that branch.   But they now require a reference/embassy letter to open an acct....even if  you already have some accts with them.   Fortunately I opened all my accts before they started enforcing this requirement a year or two ago but last year when the Thai wife and I went to the branch to add my name to her acct as a signatory they requested an embassy letter even though I already had accts with them, long tine customer, have Pink ID card and Yellow Book, etc.  

[Mansell]

On 3/20/2021 at 10:53 PM, ctxa said:

Nope, it's not nonsense. 

If you do not have a work permit, Bangkok Bank requires a reference letter in order to open an account. If you do not hand this to them and no work permit either, no office will open an account for you. It is clearly stated in their website. 

Well I walked in on Monday morning and showed the manager both my bank books and passport, walked out thirty minutes later with a new account and new ATM card. No letter and no work permit.

[bkk6060]

On 3/20/2021 at 9:22 PM, Mansell said:

already have two Bangkok Bank accounts in Korat. Opened those when I moved from Phuket 

?

So now according to your posts,  you have 3 separate accounts with Bangkok Bank in Korat.  A city in your original post you claim you are moving from.

For what? 3 accounts with the same bank?

I have one Bangkok B account and can conduct business with them throughout the entire country.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by bkk6060

[scorecard]

On 3/20/2021 at 11:25 PM, lopburi3 said:

Stand alone banks are closed on weekends and holidays but open at 0830 - mall type branch's, which open later, is what is open 7 days a week.  

Embassy letter has been a standard request from Bangkok Bank for last two years.

And the reality is that most Thai banks are moving towards closing more and more 'full branches' and moving more into online/telephone/cashless banking. 

[Mansell]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

?

So now according to your posts,  you have 3 separate accounts with Bangkok Bank in Korat.  A city in your original post you claim you are moving from.

For what? 3 accounts with the same bank?

I have one Bangkok B account and can conduct business with them throughout the entire country.

 

 

 

 

No, I have two in Korat and opened a new one in Pattaya. To receive SS from USA you need two, one without an ATM card the money comes into, and then you transfer it into the other one. That is the way it has to be set up either by SS or Bangkok Bank. I will let one just lapse in Korat and transfer the money south to Pattaya

[Heng]

Thankfully older accounts are apparently grandfathered.  Knock on wood.  

[KhunBENQ]

51 minutes ago, Heng said:

Thankfully older accounts are apparently grandfathered.  Knock on wood.  

I hesitate to close any of my accounts (BKB, SCB, KBank) even though one is needless now.

[mudcat]

1 hour ago, Mansell said:

No, I have two in Korat and opened a new one in Pattaya. To receive SS from USA you need two, one without an ATM card the money comes into, and then you transfer it into the other one. That is the way it has to be set up either by SS or Bangkok Bank. I will let one just lapse in Korat and transfer the money south to Pattaya

This is no longer the case.  SS can be direct deposited into any Thai bank account even if it has an ATM and internet banking.  It is managed through the Manila office. See attached embassy document.

Direct deposit procedures.pdf

[Pib]

23 minutes ago, mudcat said:

This is no longer the case.  SS can be direct deposited into any Thai bank account even if it has an ATM and internet banking.  It is managed through the Manila office. See attached embassy document.

Direct deposit procedures.pdf 483.22 kB · 0 downloads

Above doc does not talk International Direct Deposit (IDD) which can go to any Thai bank...to include a regular Bangkok Bank acct.  Above doc is outdated and only talks using the ACH transfer system which sends to U.S. banks or if having a special direct deposit acct with Bangkok Bank which then allows use of their Bangkok Bank NY branch ACH routing number for relay of funds to your in-Thailand Bangkok Bank branch. Their NY branch is a licensed U.S. bank.

Edited March 24, 2021 by Pib

[mudcat]

This is the current SSA 1199 OP107 for Thailand

ssa-1199-op107.pdf

[Pib]

12 minutes ago, mudcat said:

This is the current SSA 1199 OP107 for Thailand

ssa-1199-op107.pdf 65.52 kB · 0 downloads

Yeap, that's the SSA form to use if opting for payment via IDD versus payment via ACH direct deposit.

[shy coconut]

On 3/20/2021 at 12:27 PM, BenDeCosta said:

And when you ask what the letter needs to say they tell you that they don't know.

The bank doesn't know, or the embassy?