Leaving an inheritance to my Thai GIRLFRIEND.

[5davidhen1]

Hi folks, I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of the following:

My family back in the UK are well taken care of and are aware that I wish that any assets remaining in Thailand after my death are to become the inheritance of my girlfriend --- they are quite content with this and will inherit much from my UK investments. For various reasons, I do NOT wish to remarry and, it would only serve to muddy the water further regarding inheritance.

My girlfriend is quite content to receive the cash in my Bangkok bank account which usually contains somewhere between 900-1,400,000 baht, which I use for day-to-day banking and to satisfy immigration when renewing my annual extension of stay. 

I have contacted Bangkok bank and here I paraphrase their response: Even with a notarized will they require several other documents prior to releasing funds to any beneficiary. Moreover, the aforementioned documents have to first be sent to my embassy for "scrutiny." I suspect that this point means they will want to contact the authorities in the UK in order to check for any other beneficiaries, adding more delay and expense. Basically, it gets very messy and complex.

I don't really want to join an account with my girlfriend since, I am aware that immigration will insist on doubling the required account balance which isn't the best option from an investment point of view. 

Would making my girlfriend a "signatory" to the account resolve this issue, or, upon my demise, would BBL still insist on all of the aforementioned rigmarole?

I'm sure that some members would have heard of similar occurrences, but not personal experience obviously --- or they would be dead!

Thanks in advance to any and all suggestions.

 

[Will B Good]

12 minutes ago, 5davidhen1 said:

 

 

Boyfriend and Girlfriend (Unmarried Couples)

 

Thai banks generally do not allow joint accounts for unmarried couples, especially if both are foreigners.

Some exceptions may be made case-by-case if:

One person is Thai

You can show long-term residency or co-ownership of property

The bank manager approves it locally (policy varies by branch)

 

📌 Alternative:

One partner opens a single account and adds the other as a co-signer or gives power of attorney (not available at all banks).

Use mutual access via mobile banking and cards — though this is informal and lacks legal joint ownership.

[Mike_Hunt]

17 minutes ago, 5davidhen1 said:

Hi folks, I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of the following:

My family back in the UK are well taken care of and are aware that I wish that any assets remaining in Thailand after my death are to become the inheritance of my girlfriend --- they are quite content with this and will inherit much from my UK investments. For various reasons, I do NOT wish to remarry and, it would only serve to muddy the water further regarding inheritance.

My girlfriend is quite content to receive the cash in my Bangkok bank account which usually contains somewhere between 900-1,400,000 baht, which I use for day-to-day banking and to satisfy immigration when renewing my annual extension of stay. 

I have contacted Bangkok bank and here I paraphrase their response: Even with a notarized will they require several other documents prior to releasing funds to any beneficiary. Moreover, the aforementioned documents have to first be sent to my embassy for "scrutiny." I suspect that this point means they will want to contact the authorities in the UK in order to check for any other beneficiaries, adding more delay and expense. Basically, it gets very messy and complex.

I don't really want to join an account with my girlfriend since, I am aware that immigration will insist on doubling the required account balance which isn't the best option from an investment point of view. 

Would making my girlfriend a "signatory" to the account resolve this issue, or, upon my demise, would BBL still insist on all of the aforementioned rigmarole?

I'm sure that some members would have heard of similar occurrences, but not personal experience obviously --- or they would be dead!

Thanks in advance to any and all suggestions.

 

Will or Trust? 

[TimBKK]

Unconventional but perhaps, upon your demise, she could transfer funds to her account in smaller lots (to avoid the face scan requirement for transfers over 50k)?  I guess what I am saying is to not reveal anything to BKK bank.  Having a will that explicitly allocates these funds to the gf would help as well, I would imagine.  Not sure this is feasible, or even legal tho…

[proton]

34 minutes ago, 5davidhen1 said:

Hi folks, I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of the following:

My family back in the UK are well taken care of and are aware that I wish that any assets remaining in Thailand after my death are to become the inheritance of my girlfriend --- they are quite content with this and will inherit much from my UK investments. For various reasons, I do NOT wish to remarry and, it would only serve to muddy the water further regarding inheritance.

My girlfriend is quite content to receive the cash in my Bangkok bank account which usually contains somewhere between 900-1,400,000 baht, which I use for day-to-day banking and to satisfy immigration when renewing my annual extension of stay. 

I have contacted Bangkok bank and here I paraphrase their response: Even with a notarized will they require several other documents prior to releasing funds to any beneficiary. Moreover, the aforementioned documents have to first be sent to my embassy for "scrutiny." I suspect that this point means they will want to contact the authorities in the UK in order to check for any other beneficiaries, adding more delay and expense. Basically, it gets very messy and complex.

I don't really want to join an account with my girlfriend since, I am aware that immigration will insist on doubling the required account balance which isn't the best option from an investment point of view. 

Would making my girlfriend a "signatory" to the account resolve this issue, or, upon my demise, would BBL still insist on all of the aforementioned rigmarole?

I'm sure that some members would have heard of similar occurrences, but not personal experience obviously --- or they would be dead!

Thanks in advance to any and all suggestions.

 

 

 

Mrs changed her name for family reasons, Krungsri allowed her to be a joint signatory so she can take anything out as well as using the ATM card. On death I told her not to tell them, just take money out every month. Technically illegal but so what it's our money.

[Puccini]

10 hours ago, proton said:

Mrs changed her name for family reasons,...

 

The OP is not married not married and doesn't want to get married. Therefore, your post is nice helpful.

[Puccini]

10 hours ago, 5davidhen1 said:

...Thanks in advance to any and all suggestions

 

I suggest you go with your friend to the local district office. They have a standard form for a last will and testament and will help you in filling it out in a way that is foolproof.

 

At the very most, a bank may need a court decision regarding the appointment of an executor of the testament before paying out money to the heirs designated in the testament.

 

Banks want to safeguard against the possibility of statutory heirs (parents, siblings, descendants, etc) making claims after having paid already to the beneficiaries stated in the testament. Legally, it is the obligation of the executor of the testament, not of the banks, to research the  existence of possible statutory heirs. Any person wanting to make a claim would have to sue the executor, not the banks, but at some banks the management may not know this.

[Kinnock]

Not sure if my approach to a similar situation is foolproof, but I had wills made in Thai and English by a local lawyer, registered them with the district office, and appointed a relative in the UK who is not a beneficiary as the Executer.  His role would be to explain my wishes in relation to any enquiries in the UK.

 

 

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, Puccini said:

 

The OP is not married not married and doesn't want to get married. Therefore, your post is nice helpful.

 

Correction: The OP is not married and doesn't want to get married. Therefore, your post is not helpful.

[Puccini]

12 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

Not sure if my approach to a similar situation...

 

If you have a Thai friend living in Thailand to whom you wish to testatate any or all of your assets in Thailand, your situation is similar to that of the OP.

[norsurin]

If i had fex a thai gf and i died my embassy will get notified right away.About my kids in my country they will get all i had.Money..properties etc.Thats the law.My thai gf wouldn't get anything.Be aware if u die and she use ur ATM card after she will be in big trouble the day they find out that.There been some cases that the foreigner have died and the thai wife not noticed the embassy and still receive pension from the decided get arrested.

In this days its not easy to do like that.The thai police will notify ur embassy and they take it from there.

 

[DrJack54]

OP, why not use income method for immigration financial requirements. 

Some poor advice (IMO) in this thread. 

Since it seems that your only assets is the money in your bank then using incocome method will solve the problem

Not married she cannot be signatory on your bank account. 

You could make a Thai will separate from your home country Will (messy) 

Do not rely on her accessing your bank account after you pass. Illegal. 

 

[Equatorial]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Some poor advice (IMO) in this thread. 

 

I agree. There may be illegal ways to get around the rules, but they involve risk. Not just the risk of losing they money, but the risk of going to jail. 

 

I've been trying to solve a similar problem (wife rather than GF) and based on the feedback I got here and elsewhere, here are my conclusions. 

 

1/ Avoid anything illegal - it involves the risk of losing the money, and going to jail. 

 

2/ Avoid will and probate and anything that have to do with Thai legal system; it takes forever, it is expensive, and the results are not guaranteed. Besides, there is a risk of the GF's family getting involved and succeeding in getting some or all of the money in question. 

 

3/ Joint accounts are out (because of the immigration requirements for EOS), and in you case, being a GF, she can't be a joint signatory (at least that is my understanding). 

 

4/ The only bullet-proof way to make sure she gets the money in case of your death, and she gets all of it without any delays, it to keep the money in a bank account in her name. However, for this to work, two things have to be true:

 

- She has to be 100% trustworthy. With 1 mil in her name, she can take the money and disappear, and you have no recourse whatsoever. 

 

- Assuming that the funds in question are the money that you are currently using to satisfy the financial requirements for the retirement-based Extension of Stay, you would have to switch to the income method and show foreign-sourced THB 65,000 per month deposited in a Thai bank account. 

 

At this point, I am strongly leaning towards the option #4 myself. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Equatorial said:

Assuming that the funds in question are the money that you are currently using to satisfy the financial requirements for the retirement-based Extension of Stay, you would have to switch to the income method and show foreign-sourced THB 65,000 per month deposited in a Thai bank account. 

This is exactly what I'm currently doing for exactly same thinking/reason as the OP. 

In fact I have the monthly 14 of each month. 

100k will hit my Thai bank on Monday. Straight away that amount goes into Thai partners account.. 

 

No Will. No assets in my name. 

Note: fixed the typo. It's 65k/month not 60k 

[proton]

6 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

The OP is not married not married and doesn't want to get married. Therefore, your post is nice helpful.

 

As far as the bank is concerned we are not married either, no certificate was needed to be shown and we have different names

[jerrymahoney]

One of the (if not the only) non-probate account upon death in Thailand is life insurance.

[henryford1958]

I am in a similar position. I have a will with my tgf named as beneficiary but it seems from the above that might be complicated. I am hoping that i may have some notice of my impending death (as opposed to dropping down dead). If so i will just transfer any cash/assets into her name so she is the legal owner. If she wants to run off with them not really a problem if i am on death's door.

[actonion]

I have a similar situation with my live in partner and  amount of money in the bank..

 

The lady at the Siam Commercial Bank said it normally takes a few days  before the Bank account is frozen after the account holder dies, so her suggestion was  to go to the ATM and change your daily withdrawl amounts to any amount you wish, as long as the partner has your PIN number she can go to the ATM and withdraw amounts u previously specified, after your death, it shouldnt take long to get most of the money out

[SamSpade]

2 hours ago, Equatorial said:

Assuming that the funds in question are the money that you are currently using to satisfy the financial requirements for the retirement-based Extension of Stay, you would have to switch to the income method and show foreign-sourced THB 65,000 per month deposited in a Thai bank account. 

Or maybe switch to an LTR Visa then there's no need to keep any money in the Bank in your name.

 

Thailand Elite/Privilege visa would do the same job but I'd rather stick the cash into an account in her name than spend that sort of money on one.

[5davidhen1]

OK, some interesting responses to my dilemma --- thank you.

I'm very interested in the option of entrusting my girlfriend by depositing a substantial sum into her a/c, and changing my extension method to monthly income as Dr Jack and I think one other person suggested.

Dr Jack, or anyone else who has done the following, please guide me through the following:

For the first time, last March, I did the extension all by myself --- not entirely straightforward, but also not insurmountable.

Now, I currently have c1,200,000 baht in my a/c. My renewal is due on 14th April. Please advise on satisfying the monthly income criteria in time for April 2026 if possible, or 2027 if not. Obviously, I want to run down the 1,200,000 baht, or the exercise would be pointless.

Thanks again.

David.

 

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, 5davidhen1 said:

Now, I currently have c1,200,000 baht in my a/c. My renewal is due on 14th April. Please advise on satisfying the monthly income criteria in time for April 2026 if possible, or 2027 if not. Obviously, I want to run down the 1,200,000 baht, or the exercise would be pointless.

To change from funds in bank method to income method then you need to run both methods in concert. 

Meaning do both for one year. 

I'm currently doing that. 

Maintain 800k + in Thai bank and ALSO doing monthly transfers of 65k+ . 

In October I will attend immigration and show compliance with money in bank and also 12 monthly transfers. 

From then on will use income method and the balance in my Thai account minimal. 

[cjinchiangrai]

22 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Boyfriend and Girlfriend (Unmarried Couples)

 

Thai banks generally do not allow joint accounts for unmarried couples, especially if both are foreigners.

Some exceptions may be made case-by-case if:

One person is Thai

You can show long-term residency or co-ownership of property

The bank manager approves it locally (policy varies by branch)

 

📌 Alternative:

One partner opens a single account and adds the other as a co-signer or gives power of attorney (not available at all banks).

Use mutual access via mobile banking and cards — though this is informal and lacks legal joint ownership.

No joint accounts for the visa money.

[youreavinalaff]

Make a will in Thai and English. When you die, your girlfriend can go through the procedures. It's not that difficult. If it's a relatively you large amount, it will be worth it to her.

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, 5davidhen1 said:

I'm very interested in the option of entrusting my girlfriend by depositing a substantial sum into her a/c

That really needs complete trust.

And she will spend all of it before you die.

 

You can buy a cashier's check (bank check, bought over the counter for 20 B) at any branch,  in her name. Keep it in your drawer together with your passport etc. She will find it, once you are dead (if she is an uneducated rural girl,  it would be helpful to explain beforehand what a cashier's check is). She can cash it at any big branch, takes 20 minutes,  completely legal. 

 

This requires a lot less of trust. She may not know of the existence of the check,  or she may know,  but doesn't know, where exactly you keep it.

[Equatorial]

9 hours ago, Lorry said:

You can buy a cashier's check (bank check, bought over the counter for 20 B) at any branch,  in her name.

 

What a great idea! The only potential drawback is the possible expiration date limiting validity of a cashier's check. Here is Grok's answer: 
 

Quote

 

There is no universal expiration date for cashier’s checks issued by Thai banks, as the validity period depends on the issuing bank’s policies and Thai banking regulations. Based on available information, cashier’s checks generally do not have a fixed expiration date under Thai law, similar to many jurisdictions where such checks are considered valid as long as the issuing bank remains operational. However, some Thai banks may include a printed “void after” date on the check, typically ranging from 90 to 180 days, as a precautionary measure to encourage timely cashing or deposit.

 

For instance, a Reddit post discussing banking in Thailand mentioned a cashier’s check issued by Kasikornbank (KBANK) for GBP, but it did not specify an expiration date, suggesting that validity may extend beyond a short timeframe unless otherwise stated by the bank. In practice, if a cashier’s check remains uncashed for an extended period (e.g., three years or more), the funds may be subject to escheatment, where they are transferred to the Thai government as unclaimed property, similar to processes in other countries like the U.S.

 

 

[Lorry]

2 hours ago, Equatorial said:

Here is Grok's answer: 

Here is Bangkok Bank's answer: a cashier check doesn't expire. 

 

Anyway,  if you fear it might not be honored after many years,  you can always cash it from time to time and buy a new one.  20 minutes,  20 baht.

[Billpro785]

23 hours ago, actonion said:

I have a similar situation with my live in partner and  amount of money in the bank..

 

The lady at the Siam Commercial Bank said it normally takes a few days  before the Bank account is frozen after the account holder dies, so her suggestion was  to go to the ATM and change your daily withdrawl amounts to any amount you wish, as long as the partner has your PIN number she can go to the ATM and withdraw amounts u previously specified, after your death, it shouldnt take long to get most of the money out

Exactly what I have done. I have 2 ATM cards for my account, and my Thai Girlfriend has one, with same pin number. 

[gargamon]

On 7/12/2025 at 3:28 AM, norsurin said:

If i had fex a thai gf and i died my embassy will get notified right away.About my kids in my country they will get all i had.Money..properties etc.Thats the law.My thai gf wouldn't get anything.Be aware if u die and she use ur ATM card after she will be in big trouble the day they find out that.There been some cases that the foreigner have died and the thai wife not noticed the embassy and still receive pension from the decided get arrested.

In this days its not easy to do like that.The thai police will notify ur embassy and they take it from there.

 

Your country has no control over assets in Thailand. Only Thai law is applicable.

[phetphet]

On 7/11/2025 at 1:55 PM, Mike_Hunt said:

Will or Trust? 

More specifically. A UK Will for UK assets and a Thai Will for Thai assets?

Probably best to consult a lawyer in each country for this. Although it sounds as if you have already sorted your UK side of things.

[hotandsticky]

On 7/12/2025 at 1:32 AM, Kinnock said:

Not sure if my approach to a similar situation is foolproof, but I had wills made in Thai and English by a local lawyer, registered them with the district office, and appointed a relative in the UK who is not a beneficiary as the Executer.  His role would be to explain my wishes in relation to any enquiries in the UK.

 

 

 

 

Just for the benefit of those reading this.........an executor can be a beneficiary. ......the "..not a beneficiary" part is a red herring.

 

 

Good luck with a UK based executor handing assets in Thailand. If there is a Thai wife/partner beneficiary, I would have a preference for making them executor of the Thai Will,