Does it matter where you initially get a bank account?

[InlandSea]

If you initially set up your bank account in Bangkok but move to Chiang Mai, would you ever need to go back to the Bangkok branch or could you do everything in Chiang Mai (as far as paperwork for visa reporting (proof of funds), getting a secured credit card)? 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by InlandSea

[Hummin]

When I moved to Hua Hin, I always had to go physically to my orign bank change phone number and E-mail adress. Not printed bank statements yet, but Im sure someone else have. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Hummin

[HaoleBoy]

Better to open a new account in CM (with same bank or not) so you don't have to pay "out of province" bank fees for depositing cash and getting cash at ATMs.

 

If you have money in BKK bank for retirement visa, then leave that alone in BKK and just get a new account for ATM usage in CM.  You can get the 2 needed documents for yearly retirement visa renewal at the CM bank and not have to travel to BKK to get them.

 

[KhunLA]

Depends what district, amphur, province you live in.

 

For us, small town, and the closed the satellite branch, so need to go to main branch now, only branch.   Not a problem, but did delay getting my paperwork for Imm, as 6 months of record were on the other branchs  'server', which made no sense, but he excuse they gave.

 

With more being do electronically, and online, I would expect more branches being closed than opened.  Simple cost savings.  And of course, the Qs are longer, but when did banks care about providing better cust. serv.

[poppysdad]

I moved to a distant province from where I opened my bank account 18 months ago and have yet had no reason to have to return to the original bank branch for anything including statements and bank letters for immigration. The one reason I might have to that I’m aware of is in losing my ATM card for any reason

[MJCM]

My SCB account is still in Pattaya (I live in Buriram) and I haven't had to visit that Pattaya SCB branch for anything (ATM, Passbook, Immigration etc etc etc) in the last 5 years.

 

All done at a local Buriram SCB Branch. The only thing is with SCB if you use your ATM in a other province then you will be charged some money (I believe 15thb) but you can easily get around that by using the APP and use CardLess Withdrawal.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by MJCM
Changed some wording

[foreverlomsak]

getting a new passbook is another reason for being sent back to the original branch

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

getting a new passbook is another reason for being sent back to the original branch

Depends on the Bank, with SCB I did a "renewal" in my local (current) province branch which is different (approx 500kms) from the original branch

[InlandSea]

2 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

Better to open a new account in CM (with same bank or not) so you don't have to pay "out of province" bank fees for depositing cash and getting cash at ATMs.

 

If you have money in BKK bank for retirement visa, then leave that alone in BKK and just get a new account for ATM usage in CM.  You can get the 2 needed documents for yearly retirement visa renewal at the CM bank and not have to travel to BKK to get them.

 

I hadn't heard about "out of province" bank fees before, that's a new one. So, I could have a Bangkok Bank account in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai or mix and match with Kasikorn or SCB? That's interesting...I'd never have thought that one person could have two entirely separate accounts with the same banking institution but in different provinces. 

 

Do you know if it is possible to move an account from one province to another or do you have to close and re-apply? I am not sure how long I'll be in Chiang Mai, but I'd like to live in several different parts of Thailand before settling on one place. 

 

 

 

 

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, InlandSea said:

I hadn't heard about "out of province" bank fees before, that's a new one. So, I could have a Bangkok Bank account in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai or mix and match with Kasikorn or SCB? That's interesting...I'd never have thought that one person could have two entirely separate accounts with the same banking institution but in different provinces. 

Yep I have 2 accounts with BBL, one in Pattaya and in Buriram. With SCB (still registered in Pattaya) I pay fees if I withdraw with an ATM outside my own province, with BBL I don't know as that Pattaya account is dormant.

 

5 minutes ago, InlandSea said:

Do you know if it is possible to move an account from one province to another or do you have to close and re-apply? I am not sure how long I'll be in Chiang Mai, but I'd like to live in several different parts of Thailand before settling on one place. 

Nope, they don't move accounts. You have to open a new account.

 

Don't close the account you may need it in the future, but DO leave sufficient funds (something 10k THB) in the account. A amount much lower then that could incur fees and then if the account reaches Zero it will be closed.

[MJCM]

35 minutes ago, poppysdad said:

The one reason I might have to that I’m aware of is in losing my ATM card for any reason

Just use CashLess withdrawal then via the APP, I don't have an ATM card for my BBL accounts and the APP works fine. I also use that for my SCB account (haven't used that ATM card in a long while)

[Brickleberry]

Use the yellow bank; Krungsri. You can change address, request 12 month bank statements, get new debit cards and passbooks in any branch - regardless of where you originally set up the account.

I've been using mine for 10 years.

 

Using the card-less ATM function on your mobile app is free to use - no withdrawal fees regardless of which province you're in.

[bkk6060]

Open one close to where you are living is better.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Depends what district, amphur, province you live in.

Depends on which bank also, probably.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, poppysdad said:

I moved to a distant province from where I opened my bank account 18 months ago and have yet had no reason to have to return to the original bank branch for anything including statements and bank letters for immigration. The one reason I might have to that I’m aware of is in losing my ATM card for any reason

You won't need to for a replacement ATM card, either. Well, at least not for Bangkok Bank, KTB, Kasikorn or Krungsri.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

getting a new passbook is another reason for being sent back to the original branch

I don't believe that is the case, I've had new passbooks from BBL, KTB and Kasikorn at local branches.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, InlandSea said:

Do you know if it is possible to move an account from one province to another or do you have to close and re-apply?

Thai banks do not transfer accounts between branches, you have to open a new account.   Keep the original account open, it's never a good idea to close a bank account that can be kept active.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, MJCM said:

DO leave sufficient funds (something 10k THB) in the account. A amount much lower then that could incur fees and then if the account reaches Zero it will be closed.

"DO leave sufficient funds (something 10k THB) in the account". That's not necessary as long as the account has some movement, I think every three months.  I have a couple of accounts that very rarely get used and never have more than B500 in them but I make a transfer in and out each month to keep them active.  There are no additional fees for keeping low balances.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Brickleberry said:

Use the yellow bank; Krungsri. You can change address, request 12 month bank statements, get new debit cards and passbooks in any branch - regardless of where you originally set up the account.

 

Same with Bangkok Bank, SCB, Kasikorn, KTB and probably others.

[Stocky]

My Krungsri account is in Bangkok. The only issues I've encountered, is when my passbook was full and changing the term on a Timed Deposit account. Krungsri here in Hat Yai could only staple in additional data they couldn't, for whatever reason, issue me with a new passbook.

 

But ATM card renewal - no problem, immigration letter and statement - no problem.

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

When I moved to Hua Hin, I always had to go physically to my orign bank change phone number and E-mail adress. Not printed bank statements yet, but Im sure someone else have. 

What about if the branch you used to set it all up has closed during Covid times, and never re-opened? Such as a number of them in Pattaya, and now Central Festival is the closest branch? Then you can't change phone numbers and email addresses?

[poppysdad]

The only reason why I mentioned the possibility of my atm card needing to be replaced where my account was opened was that on an occasion that my card got stuck in the atm the nearest branch to where I was did cancel my card without any hassle but told me I had to go to where my account was held to get it replaced. 
As for a new pass book I’ve had that renewed where I am now along with cancelling my credit card and getting my deposit refunded. I do get charged 15 baht on the odd occasion I use the atm but a check on how much it cost me in the past 12 months amounted to less than 500 baht, I can live with that. 

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Better to open a new account in CM (with same bank or not) so you don't have to pay "out of province" bank fees for depositing cash and getting cash at ATMs.

 

Does Krungsri charge an "out of province" bank fee when withdrawing from a Krungsri ATM?

Edited February 12, 2023 by bbi1

[Stocky]

1 minute ago, bbi1 said:

Does Krungsri charge an "out of province" bank fee when withdrawing from a Krungsri ATM?

Yes 15Bht 

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

What about if the branch you used to set it all up has closed during Covid times, and never re-opened? Such as a number of them in Pattaya, and now Central Festival is the closest branch? Then you can't change phone numbers and email addresses?

No idea, just moved back close to my branch. What surprised me, they needed 4 weeks to print my monthly bank deposits, so I was to late to do. My branch is the main one in our district, so not really worried.

[Mike Teavee]

4 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

getting a new passbook is another reason for being sent back to the original branch

I got a new passbook in  Pattaya for my Bangkok Bank account opened in Bangkok. 
 

Only thing I’m aware of that I’d need to go back to the original Branch for is a new Debit card.

 

As with the SCB post above, if you use cardless withdrawals at a Bangkok Branch ATM you can avoid having to pay the 15 (or is it 20, can’t remember) “Outside of Province” charge. 

 

 

[Stocky]

52 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

As with the SCB post above, if you use cardless withdrawals at a Bangkok Branch ATM you can avoid having to pay the 15 (or is it 20, can’t remember) “Outside of Province” charge. 

That's interesting, need to see if that's the same with Krungsri and Kasikorn.

[Stocky]

54 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I got a new passbook in Pattaya for my Bangkok Bank account opened in Bangkok. 
Only thing I’m aware of that I’d need to go back to the original Branch for is a new Debit card.

That's the frustration with many things in Thailand, the inconsistency, with Krungsri I can get a new ATM/Debit Card but I can't get a new passbook.

[HaoleBoy]

19 hours ago, InlandSea said:

That's interesting...I'd never have thought that one person could have two entirely separate accounts with the same banking institution but in different provinces. 

 

Do you know if it is possible to move an account from one province to another or do you have to close and re-apply? I am not sure how long I'll be in Chiang Mai, but I'd like to live in several different parts of Thailand before settling on one place. 

 

 

 

 

The "intra-province" banking fees at ATMs is a real pain in the a*ss.

Even the bank specific Bank Apps support multiple accounts from the same bank.

[HaoleBoy]

15 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Does Krungsri charge an "out of province" bank fee when withdrawing from a Krungsri ATM?

I'm not sure about Krungsri ... I know KBank does and my previous Bangkok Bank did a few years back.

If you haven't noticed yet your bank may not or you haven't noticed it.