Bangkok Bank no New Accounts

[Russell17au]

For some reason Aseannow would not allow me to edit my previous post so this is what I had edit.

Always go to the main bank branch for the province that you are in to open your bank accounts because the outer province branches are useless and do not have the staff with the knowledge that is needed. One big thing is that if you open the account in a different province to the branch that you use you will be hit with these "out of province" fees every time you use the account. Chumpae is in the Khon Kaen Province so go to the main branch in Khon Kaen and not one of the other branches.

[billd766]

16 hours ago, tuktuktuk said:

I will.  Might try Monday.  It was an odd encounter.  I don't know for sure what was said, but my wife was not happy.  When it's like that she usually doesn't say much.

The banks are closed on Monday as a substitution day for NYE.

[thaivisareader]

if you are American, expect to fill out an IRS form showing your ss no. That started a few years back. 

[chilly07]

With me BB didn't want to give me an account until I showed them that I would be depositing my pensions of 1.4m bht each year. Gave me on line banking immediately.

[The Fugitive]

I wouldn't worry or even bother to go further afield. Go back to the same bank/branch and mention you were 'advised to open an account with themselves for Immigration'. They will know what you are referring to and should oblige.

[The Fugitive]

15 hours ago, tuktuktuk said:

Exactly what went through my mind at the time.  It's like when we went to TOT to get internet service and they told us to go to 3BB since theirs is better.  They were right.  Can't get internet this good in the US.   

Unbelievable! Maybe the person you spoke to was leaving on Friday to go to work for 3BB?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 1/1/2022 at 6:01 AM, scubascuba3 said:

In some banks they get rattled by a falang, get nervous and try to think of excuses they can't do something. Amazing Thailand

Maybe they've been warned of the potential attitudes that they could have to face from some anti-Thai forum members, and, before anyone starts, obviously, I'm not referring to this forum!

Edited January 2, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

I wouldn't worry or even bother to go further afield. Go back to the same bank/branch and mention you were 'advised to open an account with themselves for Immigration'. They will know what you are referring to and should oblige.

Chumpae is a small one main road city of about 31,000 on the edge of the jungle (National Forest) and unlikely to have much experience with immigration matters.  As said above Khon Kaen would likely be a better bet without a local sponsor.   

[Liverpool Lou]

On 1/1/2022 at 9:02 AM, lopburi3 said:

online access is defiantly available for joint accounts. 

"Defiantly" [sic], indeed!

[The Fugitive]

1 hour ago, norbra said:

When they are being difficult about opening a new account,this is the best method to use, customer service will confirm your eligibility and then instruct. Teller to comply.

Good thinking! Or even telephone Customer Services in advance explaining the problem and ask them to 'smooth the path' for when you next go in to your branch?

[khunjeff]

12 hours ago, Chris.B said:

Don't get hung up on the transfer fee, concentrate on the exchange rates.

The fees are very much part of the equation, especially with Wise, whose fees increase proportionally with the amount transferred (unlike SWIFT, which generally has fixed fees). Although Wise's headline USD rate today is 33.21, the actual effective rate that you get after fees is about 32.98 (plus or minus a couple of satang depending how you send the funds) - which compares unfavorably to today's Visa rate of 33.12. I occasionally use Wise because I can send larger amounts than I can get from an ATM, and it's simpler than SWIFT, but users shouldn't be fooled by the exciting rates that you can't actually get.

 

In fairness to Wise, they're clear that they list rates and fees the way they do in the name of transparency, so you know exactly how much they're taking from each transfer. For most end users, though, the only thing that really matters is the final bottom line number.

 

11 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Went to the Bangkok Bank last week about a problem with my credit card.

 

The teller handed me her phone and told me to call customer services.........!!!

That's actually not totally surprising. Even in other countries, bank credit cards are usually issued and maintained either by a separate bank subsidiary or an outside contractor, and branch staff may have very limited access to the inner workings of the system. Of course, that doesn't alter the fact that the employee should have made the call on your behalf.

 

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

The problem with remote branch is, I believe, they still have out of area charge system - so if account in another area you may get hit with extra charges taking money out if not done in bank area. 

True. At least with Kasikorn, however, you can avoid the fee by using the "cardless transaction" option on their app to get money from ATMs in other provinces. I don't know whether that helps with cash deposits, though. (I was rather astounded when I learned that they sometimes charge a fee for DEPOSITING money!)

 

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

The $10,000 barrier is an old wives tale. Let it go. There are no reporting requirements. Yes, you'll have to file FBAR annually if your thai account exceed $10,000 at any point during the year.

Absolutely right. The $10k reporting requirement exists, but it applies to the bank, not the customer - there's no reason to alter transfer amounts because of it. And sending 9k many times could also draw the attention of authorities, who might suspect the customer of "structuring" the transfers to avoid reporting.

 

28 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not so strange.

There are reporting requirements to the U.S  that non.US banks must comply with for U.S. persons so many banks globally rationally avoid that by refusing U.S nationals.

I've heard that such banks exist elsewhere, but no banks in Thailand have any such policy. Thailand signed a bilateral agreement with the US to enforce those reporting requirements, so all Thai banks must do the appropriate reports, whether they like it or not. They are also all required to have every new account holder - including Thais - fill out a questionnaire to determine whether they are a "US person", since that term includes many categories of people and entities besides US citizens. The reporting itself is automated, so adding a new US account holder doesn't increase anyone's workload - but not all bank staff understand that, of course.

 

27 minutes ago, Robin said:

Note Immigration do not like joint accounts for Retirement visas.  Chiang Rai wanted to see 1.6 Million in th account, not 800K

Immigration is generally fine with joint accounts, but they do require - as you discovered - that such accounts contain double the balance normally needed, so for most people they're not a very attractive option.

 

2 hours ago, Oracle2022 said:

While people can and do open an account with a Tourist visa at some banks at some branches - they must know that this is in fact against the rules in Thailand, and run the risks associated with that. End of the day the bank does not care, they have your money, its you who have to care that at some point in the future you might have a problem getting your money - you never know.

The rules in that flyer are the policy of one bank, not of Thailand as a whole. It is not against Thai law or Bank of Thailand regulations to open a bank account as a tourist, and there aren't any "risks associated with that", other than the ordinary risks of having a bank account in Thailand.

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, Chris.B said:

16 hours ago, tuktuktuk said:

I suppose Khon Kaen would be easier?

Go to Kasikornbank or SCB.

...or any other Bangkok Bank branch, what the OP claims is not a BBL policy.

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Defiantly" [sic], indeed!

At least not the normal misspelling - often get 3 letter words wrong - 10 letters is just too, too much to expect. 

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, tuktuktuk said:

I wanted Bangkok Bank since you can make ACH transfers to their New York City branch.  Maybe that's outmoded info.

"I don't know for sure what was said, but my wife was not happy.  When it's like that she usually doesn't say much".

Go to another branch of BBL and speak to them yourself, don't do it through your wife who wouldn't tell you everything!

Edited January 2, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[flexomike]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

I tried to open a bank account with the Bangkok bank a few years ago with my American passport. They would not let me open it, so the next day I came back with my Aussie passport and they opened it, strange bank?

they don't like opening accounts for US passport holders because the US government requires them to do a lot of extra paper work

[Liverpool Lou]

15 hours ago, Chris.B said:

Maybe, I don't know. A lot of people use Wise now for international transfers. 

 

And, according to this forum, a lot of those people are having problems with those attempted transfers through Wise.

[HAPPYNUFF]

Its just the Thai "thing",  aversion  to   doing anything resembling work,   that might   hold them up playing with their phone.

[Liverpool Lou]

13 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Went to the Bangkok Bank last week about a problem with my credit card.

 

The teller handed me her phone and told me to call customer services.........!!!

What was the problem with your card?   A similar thing happened to me a few weeks ago when I asked whether my card needed activating fully, perhaps, as some local online retailers wouldn't accept my BBL debit card.  Some would.

 

She made an internal call then handed the phone to me as it was a matter that the call centre was able to easily check.

[wwest5829]

Have not read through all the comments. That said, I would recommend a Bangkok Bank Office in a mall which usually means dealing with many foreigners. 

[connda]

On 12/31/2021 at 8:47 PM, tuktuktuk said:

Went to Bangkok Bank in Chumpae yesterday to open a new account to simplify transfers from the US.

How are you 'simplifying transfers' as the ACH transfer service is closed? 
Nowadays it's pretty much SWIFT or Wise.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

I tried to open a bank account with the Bangkok bank a few years ago with my American passport. They would not let me open it, so the next day I came back with my Aussie passport and they opened it, strange bank?

Strange American regulations, more likely!

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Robin said:

Not recommending Kasikorn though, their service is terrible, but ATM works.

Another over-reaching, false generalisation.  On the occasions that I have had to deal with Kasikorn staff they have been nothing but pleasant and helpful so I would recommend them.  Which banks' ATMs don't work?

Edited January 2, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[mvdf]

Thanks to FATCA and the untiring efforts of the IRS, bank staff beyond US shores recoil instinctively when they sense, detect or suspect that the customer is a holder of that pariah state's passport. The deplorables, as bankers see them.  

 

  

[Liverpool Lou]

47 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

I wouldn't worry or even bother to go further afield. Go back to the same bank/branch and mention you were 'advised to open an account with themselves for Immigration'. They will know what you are referring to and should oblige.

They probably also know that there are reporting obligations for accounts of Americans that could outweigh the "immigration" argument.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

They probably also know that there are reporting obligations for accounts of Americans that could outweigh the "immigration" argument.

The reporting is automatic and nothing more required for Americans than anyone else once system was put in place.  

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

8 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

They probably also know that there are reporting obligations for accounts of Americans that could outweigh the "immigration" argument.

The reporting is automatic and nothing more required for Americans than anyone else once system was put in place.  

Maybe that's what the OP should tell the bank! 

[digbeth]

The staff in backwater branch probably had seen the memo about ticking the box on the forms about US persons, if there are additional forms to fill out that she don't know how to get and having never handled a Farang customer, decided that saying no would save her a load of trouble

[Chris.B]

28 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Have not read through all the comments. That said, I would recommend a Bangkok Bank Office in a mall which usually means dealing with many foreigners. 

Don't have many foreigners in malls upcountry. ????

 

[wwest5829]

3 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Don't have many foreigners in malls upcountry. ????

 

Not currently, but the malls did deal with them before and will again later. Better to talk with the offices there than in a local rural office.

[CM Dad]

I opened a new BKK Bank account about five weeks ago in Chiang Mai.  I did it alone without my wife.  I am an American.  I used to have a work permit when I was working.  Now I am retired.  I had no problems at all though I was aware that I would need a certificate from immigration confirming my place of residence which was easily obtained from the CM Immigration Office.  However, I do speak Thai and used Thai throughout the transaction.