Hi, I have most of my savings and investments in the UK where it is easy to obtain over 4% interest in a bank fixed interest savings account, or invest in mutual funds or stocks & shares.

It seems that once you have money in Thai baht in a Thai bank account the banks only offer about 1% interest in a fixed account.

This is the limit of my knowledge and why I am writing this post to hopefully get some help.

 

I have a UK HSBC bank account and intend to ask HSBC Thai bank if I open an account with them will I be able to invest the Thai baht in say mutual funds.

I think I have also read that you can invest in funds / the stock market via Kasikorn bank?

 

So if possible to invest Thai baht in the worldwide stock market does anyone know if the terms and conditions /charges are similar to the same investment via a UK company?

 

Thanks in advance

Keith

The Thai baht is not a widely used currency outside of Thailand.  It is very unlikely that any financial institution outside Thailand will offer anything denominated in baht.

 

You can get up to 1.5% from SCB EZ Savings account but currently limited to a max of 1M baht.  

All of my savings and investments were made in Thailand. I have invested in numerous mutual funds over the years, some good, and some bad, but I have averaged more than 4% per year (including overseas funds such as S&P500, global technology Fund, etc. As to costs, I have no experience with investments made in the UK or through offshore brokers, however, I have heard that the charges are quite a bit lower than the Thai brokers/fund managers. Having said that, I started making my investments while in full time employment in Thailand, so I am not sure if it is available to retirees, but don't see why not.  

http://boom.com/en/ - Well established broker in HK. Lets you trade in various equity markets including Thai stocks and possibly Thai ETFs as well. Best thing, never have to bring the money into Thailand. 

Thanks for your comments @GarryP

Can I ask if you invest in the mutual funds via one of the Thai banks or is it a separate investment company'?

 

The way things are going, you might be better off buying gold.

Just open an international brokerage account with direct access to US markets, the most liquid market in the world, nothing else compares. There is no need to trade thro Thai accounts, many only let Thai nationals do so anyway.

Thanks for all the comments.

I have just sold my house STC in the UK and in a few days will be returning to Thailand, the plan is to spend the rest of my life in Thailand.

I want to transfer money from the UK partly to avoid inheritance tax at a later date. At the moment I do have some Sterling based funds, a high % invested in the US, some Japanese funds etc. 

To keep things simple (for Last Will and Testaments) I would like to to just have my assets in the UK or Thailand, no other country. I was hoping to be able to have some Thai baht based funds invested in the US etc. Maybe this is impossible?  Maybe I am writing nonsense as I admit that I do not fully understand what is available.

Cheers

Keith

   

19 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

can invest in funds / the stock market via Kasikorn bank?

This seems to be limited to Thais only.

 

19 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

if possible to invest Thai baht in the worldwide stock market does anyone know

Just 10 years ago this would have been almost impossible. But thanks to Fintech (the finance technology revolution of the last 10 years) you do have some limited options.

 

"Stashaway" opened a branch in Bangkok a few years back (2022?). And this is the option I'd use in your position (i.e. want to keep money in Thailand to keep things simple but want access to the World's ETFs and mutual funds). 

 

Obviously it is always wiser to follow the ABC rule when an expat (live in A come from B invest in country C) and it is also always wiser to invest in a first-tier country (e.g.Singapore or Hong Kong) to ensure your money is safe. But obviously only you can determine your priorities.

 

19 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

intend to ask HSBC Thai bank if I open an account with them will I be able to invest the Thai baht in say mutual funds

 

I doubt this is possible. HSBC does not have regular customer account options anymore. Although they have recently opened premier customer account option in Bangkok. But I don't think this offers mutual funds etc. to foreigners.

 

A basic problem you face is that regulations restrict where you can invest. As you've probably discovered you will not be able to make greater investments in the UK if you are a resident in Bangkok, although you will be allowed to keep investments already made in the UK. These stifling rules can be very frustrating. Again, the typical solution is to put money in the more 'relaxed' locations of Singapore or Hong Kong.

 

All of this can seem tiresome but compared with 15 years ago this is absolute paradise. Back then the only real options for international investments were insurance company based investments which were often dreadful. The other options were to invest in local mutual funds etc with often pitiful returns.

 

On 8/9/2025 at 4:45 AM, GarryP said:

I have invested in numerous mutual funds over the years, some good, and some bad, but I have averaged more than 4% per year (including overseas funds such as S&P500, global technology Fund, etc.

 

Exactly. Some good, some bad.

You will NEVER get nothing but good mutual funds.

 

Also, mutual funds are not backed by anything.

Fixed deposits at 4% in your home bank are usually backed by the Govt, in case sth happens.

 

I recommend that people stick to their hassle free guaranteed 4% returns in their home bank and not get too greedy. The stock market / mutual funds is GAMBLING, not investing. No fund manager will continually pick funds that garner 10% year after year. It's a LIE and will cause you a bunch of headaches. 

 

 

 

Rule #1 of investing is never invest in something you don't understand.

 

I understand value stocks in Australia. I would not know my arse from my elbow when it comes to the Thai stock market.

 

Stick to what you know.

14 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

Thanks for your comments @GarryP

Can I ask if you invest in the mutual funds via one of the Thai banks or is it a separate investment company'?

 

Mainly BBL (Bualuang), SCB, UOB, Eastspring. There are loads of other investment brokers, but I was just lazy as I already bank with the first three.  Having said that, the vast majority (85-90%) of the mutuals I hold are in overseas based masterfunds, e.g. I hold B-Innotech with Bualuang, where the master fund is "Fidelity Funds - Global Technology Fund, Class YACC-USD", SCBS&P500E (master fundiShares Core S&P 500 ETF. Doing it my way increases the expenses, so investing directly would be more cost effective. Luckily, there are now options available to invest directly in the master funds from Thailand, I just have never got round to it.

 

     

11 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

I would like to to just have my assets in the UK or Thailand, no other country.

Holding assets can often be dependent on your physical home address rather than nationality. If you sold your home in the UK and have no other address there, then maintaining an account in the UK would need looking at. Using an international service can get around this.

@Gaccha  Thank you for your very good detailed post. I will probably try Stashaway when I am back in Thailand in the near future, as you state it seems to be what I am looking for.

I had never heard of the ABC rule, it makes sense.

Thank's

Keith

Honestly, I wouldn’t put much of any investment into Thailand’s financial products. Yields and returns all tend to be very low, and the stock market has been on a downward trajectory for a while, even as many other global markets have been rising. I would only spend money in Thailand but look to invest elsewhere.
 

Interactive Brokers is one of the best platforms I've found for investing. They accept clients from almost all nationalities and residences, and it’s easy to open an account to trade in multiple markets while holding multiple currencies all in one account. You get access to major Western financial and equity markets and some Asian ones too.
 

Interactive Brokers is a large publicly listed company on the NYSE, and cash balances and equity holdings are protected by FDIC and SIPC insurance. It’s a secure and solid way to invest globally compared to the more limited opportunities available locally in Thailand.

On 8/9/2025 at 4:45 PM, GarryP said:

All of my savings and investments were made in Thailand. I have invested in numerous mutual funds over the years, some good, and some bad, but I have averaged more than 4% per year (including overseas funds such as S&P500, global technology Fund, etc. As to costs, I have no experience with investments made in the UK or through offshore brokers, however, I have heard that the charges are quite a bit lower than the Thai brokers/fund managers. Having said that, I started making my investments while in full time employment in Thailand, so I am not sure if it is available to retirees, but don't see why not.  

4% a year from a s&p 500 index fund? You're getting screwed somehow. 

 

Best choice is to only bring money to live on to Thailand and keep your investments in a first world country where there are some laws to protect you...

3 minutes ago, gargamon said:

4% a year from a s&p 500 index fund? You're getting screwed somehow. 

He said more than 4%

3 minutes ago, gargamon said:

 

Best choice is to only bring money to live on to Thailand and keep your investments in a first world country where there are some laws to protect you...

Particularly if ฿800k is a significant percentage of your savings. 

 

I’ve had money in banks here for over 25 years and have never lost anything. 

59 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I’ve had money in banks here for over 25 years and have never lost anything

The OP is talking about investments. Money in a bank account is hardly an investment. Try investing in the Thai stock market and see what kind of protection you have.

Just now, gargamon said:

The OP is talking about investments. Money in a bank account is hardly an investment. Try investing in the Thai stock market and see what kind of protection you have.

What kind of protection do you have when investing in any stock market? 

 

 

26 minutes ago, mogandave said:

What kind of protection do you have when investing in any stock market? 

 

 

Corrupt traders...

4 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Corrupt traders...

Corrupt traders protect you?

Just now, mogandave said:

Corrupt traders protect you?

Duh. Not very bright, are you? Highly regulated stock markets protect you from corrupt traders for things like pump and dump, ponzi schemes, etc. I guess that explains why you're a Trump-ette and probably have your future relying on bitcoin.

13 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Duh. Not very bright, are you?

No, I’m really stupid. 

13 minutes ago, gargamon said:

 

Highly regulated stock markets protect you from corrupt traders for things like pump and dump, ponzi schemes, etc. I guess that explains why you're a Trump-ette and probably have your future relying on bitcoin.

Tell the people that owned Enron 

 

Dragging Trump into it now, poor broke lefty

12 hours ago, gargamon said:

4% a year from a s&p 500 index fund? You're getting screwed somehow. 

 

Best choice is to only bring money to live on to Thailand and keep your investments in a first world country where there are some laws to protect you...

I did not say I was only earning 4% a year from S&P500. I said that I have averaged more than 4% per year with my investments. This is in response to the original posters comment "Hi, I have most of my savings and investments in the UK where it is easy to obtain over 4% interest in a bank fixed interest savings account, or invest in mutual funds or stocks & shares."

 

In my case, I have lived in Thailand since I was 19, so all my money is here. 

If I was the OP , I would check which UK platforms allow clients to keep their accounts or trade whilst living abroad , then move investments to the most appropriate one whilst still being in the UK . As a back-up , Interactive Brokers should be OK for Thailand residents .

Regarding IHT , that should depend on how long the OP has been domiciled in Thailand ( think it`s 10 yrs to be free from IHT ) , rather than where the funds are held . 

15 hours ago, mogandave said:

He said more than 4%

Particularly if ฿800k is a significant percentage of your savings. 

 

I’ve had money in banks here for over 25 years and have never lost anything. 

Remind u what happened before that when the banks in Thailand lost all values.My friend had 600.000 baht in Bangkok bank and lost all his savings.

On 8/9/2025 at 1:35 PM, Keith5588 said:

 

It seems that once you have money in Thai baht in a Thai bank account the banks only offer about 1% interest in a fixed account.

 

I can't answer your Thailand stock market or mutual fund investment querry.

 

However the 1% interest you note is misleading?? ( or are you referring to only Thai baht ?). Thailand SCB bank currently gives 3.25% interest on Euros in a Foreign currency account and I think 4+% on USD in a foreign currency account held with their bank.  

 

Of course this is not in Thai baht and likely superior interest available outside of Thailand for foreign currencies. 

 

Also SCB could change their rates tomorrow to a lower amount. 

 

Note income earned in Thailand is subject to Thailand income tax if it exceeds a certain income threshold when combined with other assessable income.

 

If one pays 15% withholding tax on Thailand interest in a Thailand bank, per Thailand tax law the interest income is then not considered assessable income for purpose of the Thailand tax calculation. 

33 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Remind u what happened before that when the banks in Thailand lost all values.My friend had 600.000 baht in Bangkok bank and lost all his savings.

 

Bangkok bank didn't go broke at that time, so people with savings in Bangkok bank didn't lose anything

35 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Remind u what happened before that when the banks in Thailand lost all values.My friend had 600.000 baht in Bangkok bank and lost all his savings.

And let’s not forget what happened before that when market crashed in ‘29 and my grandad lost lost it all, and had to take a job in a grain elevator to support his family. 

 

But as I said, if ฿800k is a large percentage of one’s savings, they should move it to Thailand.

57 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Remind u what happened before that when the banks in Thailand lost all values.My friend had 600.000 baht in Bangkok bank and lost all his savings.

 

I believe savings with Krung Thai Bank (KTB) and Bangkok Bank (BBL) and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) were well secured. No one with a savings account lost their money.

 

Thai Farmers Bank (TFB), which was later renamed Kasikornbank (KBank) had major issues, but again, no one with a savings account lost their money.

 

I believe Bank of Ayudhya (BAY) had issues, had to restructure and continue as a private bank. I don't know how those with savings managed there  - although i also read no one with a savings account lost their money.

 

 Also First Bangkok City Bank and Union Bank of Bangkok (which were smaller banks) where ultimately merged into Krung Thai Bank. My understanding is the savings account depositors were all protected through this consolidation.

 

I did thou, read that some banks could not immediately provide savings account depositors their funds, although ultimately they did provide such.

 

However shareholders of bank stocks (bank equities) took a major hit.  Subordinated Debt and Bonds took a major hit.  Investment Funds and Other Products with the banks took a major hit.

 

Today, the banks are more cautious than they were in the 1990s, and today they will only (today) guarantee a limited amount in a savings account. 

My own view is its best to research this oneself and not to believe any of the FUD on this topic without researching.