Resurrect old bank account

[Hikage]

Recently checked an old email account and saw a recent email from KBank asking me to update my details:

 

    "We are submitting our request for your kind consideration to update your information in order to keep it accurate and up-to-date through your K PLUS or at any branch of Kbank within 30 Days after receiving this Email."

 

This bank account has not been used for 20 years. I thought it had been zapped but apparently there's a few thousand baht in it.

 

Marched into KBank today to claim my prize (I could really use a local bank account) but they said as I didn't have the passbook (long lost) I needed to go to the branch I opened the account (Asoke) to get a new passbook.

 

I am in Pattaya.

 

I guess I'm asking for general advice. (called the bank but their knowledge seemed scant). I don't really want to go all the way to BKK for them to tell me I need x or y and not have it. All I have to tie me to the account is my name and the email address they sent the above message to. Obviously the passport number they have on me is now different. I don't even have a record of the account number.

 

What do you think?

 

ps, I'm currently in Thailand VOE... ie I have no visa.

[hotandsticky]

Go to Asoke.

 

Take your passport and any evidence of your current address.

[gamb00ler]

It would be convenient if you have retained your previous passports or even photos/copies to take along to Asoke as well.

[wombat]

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

[CMBob]

  On 2/15/2025 at 8:23 AM, Hikage said:

.....I don't even have a record of the account number.

 

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You didn't even bother to keep the bank passbook? It would appear that a "few thousand baht" didn't really matter to you.

[LukKrueng]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:00 PM, wombat said:

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

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AFAIK if there's any money left in three account then after a few months (maybe a year) of no activity, there bank will charge a small amount for keeping the account opened. Once all three money is gone and still no activity there account would be closed. 

Although I have an old account which I emptied well over a year ago and it still appears on the bank's app

[VBF]

  On 2/17/2025 at 2:37 AM, LukKrueng said:

AFAIK if there's any money left in three account then after a few months (maybe a year) of no activity, there bank will charge a small amount for keeping the account opened. Once all three money is gone and still no activity there account would be closed. 

Although I have an old account which I emptied well over a year ago and it still appears on the bank's app

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My understanding too regarding procedure.

 

Possibly, even though the account appears on the app, if you click on it, perhaps it goes nowhere or issues an error message??

 

That was the case with one of my UK accounts until I asked the bank to remove it

[CallumWK]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:00 PM, wombat said:

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

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No it's not.

OP says there is a few thousand baht in the account, so it will not get cancelled, only get dormant after 12 months, and you have to go to the bank to make it active again.

If there is less than 500 baht in the account, after 12 month a fee will be deducted every month, until the account is empty, then get cancelled

[Liverpool Lou]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:00 PM, wombat said:

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

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Funds in dormant accounts are remitted to the Bank of Thailand under an arrangement with all Thai banks.  On production of suitable proof of identity/account ownership any held funds will be returned to the account holder by the BoT.

[LukKrueng]

  On 2/17/2025 at 2:43 AM, VBF said:

My understanding too regarding procedure.

 

Possibly, even though the account appears on the app, if you click on it, perhaps it goes nowhere or issues an error message??

 

That was the case with one of my UK accounts until I asked the bank to remove it

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No, just shows a balance of 0 and when I check account activity it shows no activity this month and previous months all the way back to September 24

[rwill]

If you have less than 2,000 baht in an account after 1 year of no activity they will start taking out 50 baht/month until all the money is gone.

 

I was able to reopen an account I had not used in several years with no problem.

[VBF]

  On 2/17/2025 at 2:49 AM, LukKrueng said:

No, just shows a balance of 0 and when I check account activity it shows no activity this month and previous months all the way back to September 24

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Well it's not lieing. You did say you emptied rather than closed it.... perhaps that's why.

I presume different banks have different procedures.

[Liverpool Lou]

  On 2/15/2025 at 8:23 AM, Hikage said:

I guess I'm asking for general advice. (called the bank but their knowledge seemed scant). I don't really want to go all the way to BKK for them to tell me I need x or y and not have it. All I have to tie me to the account is my name and the email address they sent the above message to. Obviously the passport number they have on me is now different. I don't even have a record of the account number.

 

What do you think?

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Call them again to speak to a different call centre rep, quoting the email, and ask them for specific requirements and tell them specifically what documents you have and what you do not have.

[Adrian78]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:00 PM, wombat said:

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

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Good morning Wombat
A question about not using the current account for a year: is the account suspended if you don't make any transactions or is it enough that I deposit even just 100 thb every now and then? Thanks for your help as always.

[Adrian78]

  On 2/17/2025 at 2:47 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

Funds in dormant accounts are remitted to the Bank of Thailand under an arrangement with all Thai banks.  On production of suitable proof of identity/account ownership any held funds will be returned to the account holder by the BoT.

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Good morning Liverpool Lou
A question about not using the current account for a year: is the account suspended if you don't make any transactions or is it enough that I deposit even just 100 thb every now and then? Thanks for your help as always.

[Liverpool Lou]

  On 2/17/2025 at 3:37 AM, Adrian78 said:

Good morning Liverpool Lou
A question about not using the current account for a year: is the account suspended if you don't make any transactions or is it enough that I deposit even just 100 thb every now and then? Thanks for your help as always.

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Any transaction on a bank account keeps it active as long as the balance doesn't drop to zero.  Regarding the rules for your specific bank's current account, you need to ask them through their call centre or FAQs on its website.

[VBF]

  On 2/17/2025 at 3:46 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

Any transaction on a bank account keeps it active as long as the balance doesn't drop to zero.  Regarding the rules for your specific bank's current account, you need to ask them through their call centre or FAQs on its website.

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Please remember that the credit of interest does NOT count as a transaction in this situation, at least in the case of SCB.

[daytraderuk99]

hi does anyone know if topping up a thai simcard  from  online thai bank app from uk  ..counts as  transaction .?.thanks 

[Liverpool Lou]

  On 2/17/2025 at 11:11 AM, VBF said:

  On 2/17/2025 at 3:46 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

Any transaction on a bank account keeps it active as long as the balance doesn't drop to zero.  Regarding the rules for your specific bank's current account, you need to ask them through their call centre or FAQs on its website.

Expand  

Please remember that the credit of interest does NOT count as a transaction in this situation, at least in the case of SCB.

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I wasn't suggesting that was the case.

[VBF]

  On 2/18/2025 at 7:41 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

I wasn't suggesting that was the case.

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Indeed not.  My comment was meant more as a general "FYI" for those unfamiliar with the rules.

[johng]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:00 PM, wombat said:

Unless something has changed any account not used for 12 months, money in it reverts to the bank and the account is cancelled.

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Not true for Krunsri and I'd suppose otber banks too, after a year of no activity they call the account "inactive"  just go to the branch with passport and any other documents available   they should be able to "resurrect" the account...I did so with mine this afternoon...admittedly it wasnt inactive for 20 years !!

 

But it was more than a year.

[johng]

  On 2/17/2025 at 9:11 PM, daytraderuk99 said:

hi does anyone know if topping up a thai simcard  from  online thai bank app from uk  ..counts as  transaction .?.thanks 

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I would think so yes.

[riclag]

  On 2/15/2025 at 8:23 AM, Hikage said:

Recently checked an old email account and saw a recent email from KBank asking me to update my details:

 

    "We are submitting our request for your kind consideration to update your information in order to keep it accurate and up-to-date through your K PLUS or at any branch of Kbank within 30 Days after receiving this Email."

 

This bank account has not been used for 20 years. I thought it had been zapped but apparently there's a few thousand baht in it.

 

Marched into KBank today to claim my prize (I could really use a local bank account) but they said as I didn't have the passbook (long lost) I needed to go to the branch I opened the account (Asoke) to get a new passbook.

 

I am in Pattaya.

 

I guess I'm asking for general advice. (called the bank but their knowledge seemed scant). I don't really want to go all the way to BKK for them to tell me I need x or y and not have it. All I have to tie me to the account is my name and the email address they sent the above message to. Obviously the passport number they have on me is now different. I don't even have a record of the account number.

 

What do you think?

 

ps, I'm currently in Thailand VOE... ie I have no visa.

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I got one of those emails in July 2024.

I’m from the states ! I went to my branch and updated my personal information along with a W9 form

I had to fill out that they supplied for me.

[Seppius]

  On 2/15/2025 at 8:32 AM, hotandsticky said:

Go to Asoke.

 

Take your passport and any evidence of your current address.

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And possibly a Residence certificate

 

bank accounts will be like gold dust, i would certainly do this, half a day there and back would be worth it

[hotandsticky]

  On 2/18/2025 at 8:17 AM, Seppius said:

And possibly a Residence certificate

 

bank accounts will be like gold dust, i would certainly do this, half a day there and back would be worth it

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Last month I opened an account with Bangkok Bank with my passport and copy rental agreement. I was slightly surprised that they did not ask for a certificate of residence.

[Liverpool Lou]

  On 2/18/2025 at 8:20 AM, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Last month I opened an account with Bangkok Bank with my passport and copy rental agreement. I was slightly surprised that they did not ask for a certificate of residence.

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Which branch?

[johng]

  On 2/18/2025 at 8:20 AM, hotandsticky said:

I was slightly surprised that they did not ask for a certificate of residence

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Yes which branch and province in Thailand was this ?

[Hikage]

Went to the Asoke branch yesterday. Was luckily able to dig up an old scan of the passport I used to open the account (this seemed important to the ppl at the bank so I don't know how this would have gone without it).

 

Two hours later I walked out of the bank with my new passbook and debit card.

 

Turns out I had just north of 3000 baht in the account and that it has alway been active.

 

Now my issue is to get the bloody thing to work. Online transactions to top up my AIS and DTAC sims failed.

[Upnotover]

  On 2/18/2025 at 9:59 AM, Hikage said:

Now my issue is to get the bloody thing to work. Online transactions to top up my AIS and DTAC sims failed.

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How are you trying to do that, through the app or debit card?  If the debit card you need to enable it for online purchases, "Verified by Visa"

https://directenrollment-3ds2.kasikornbank.com/#/register

[Hikage]

  On 2/18/2025 at 10:02 AM, Upnotover said:

How are you trying to do that, through the app or debit card?  If the debit card you need to enable it for online purchases, "Verified by Visa"

https://directenrollment-3ds2.kasikornbank.com/#/register

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Thanks for that. Yes, I was trying through the debit card.