Amazing Thai Bank

[a99az]

Amazing Thai Bank.

I am using the Siam Commercial Bank I had hoped that it would be a good bank but I guess that I am going to have to keep on hoping.

I had sent money to the SCB from Europe some of the cash was used to buy our house and when I wanted to buy a car I had to ask the bank nicely for my money. What do you want the money for they demanded, I felt that I was asking for there money to buy the car. I was told that I would have to return with the receipt from the purchase of the car to prove where the money went.

Some time later I was making arrangements to go to Spain with my wife and child, I have never used on line banking but decided to do so now with SCB they call itwww.SCBEASY.com that is far from the truth.

Having visited the bank and asked the girl there is it easy, yes she said and proceeded to take all my info so she could give me a password and what have you so that I could move my cash about even to Spain if it was needed. Great I said just the sort of service I need, I was given the package after filling in various forms and they had made more copes of my passport and away I went confident that I could now do all that I was promised.

After a few weeks in Spain I went on line to move some cash from my account in SCB to my bank in Spain. However I was confronted with yet more forms to fill in on line. Then they will send me a form to fill in by post to my home in Thailand I must sign it and show where the money has come from and they want yes-another photocopy of my passport. What do they do with all the copies of my passport?

I have simply given up all I can say is that the banks are as mad as hatters. Next time I will send the cash out first and that way I don’t have to worry about it.

Or change to an international bank like HSBC any one know a good way to give access to ones own money in Thailand?

[rgs2001uk]

hsbc non resident account.

[vam-pire]

We all must remember when dealing with Thai banks , Thai Business, or a Thai Government Department , normal curtsies and standards of customer service and satisfaction … Do not in any way shape or form apply here in Thailand.

If you all ways expect a second rate service and to deal with staff that should be wearing a badge saying.. Just doesn’t care, then you will not be disappointed

VP

[chiang mai]

We all must remember when dealing with Thai banks , Thai Business, or a Thai Government Department , normal curtsies and standards of customer service and satisfaction … Do not in any way shape or form apply here in Thailand.

If you all ways expect a second rate service and to deal with staff that should be wearing a badge saying.. Just doesn’t care, then you will not be disappointed

VP

Simply, totally incorrect.

Edited January 4, 2008 by chiang mai

[TheDon]

We all must remember when dealing with Thai banks , Thai Business, or a Thai Government Department , normal curtsies and standards of customer service and satisfaction … Do not in any way shape or form apply here in Thailand.

If you all ways expect a second rate service and to deal with staff that should be wearing a badge saying.. Just doesn't care, then you will not be disappointed

VP

Sounds like utter rubbish to me, I deal with Thai banks and there have been good to me (so far).

You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder as you claim all Thai businesses dont care. There is farangs in Thailand that no matter what service they get they will never be pleased.

Maybe you have just had bad luck but alot or farangs will never like Thai service because there mind is already made up.

[torrenova]

They have a lot of paperwork above the necessary and they still have the "go to your own branch" crap on occasion as they don't know what to do and cannot say "I don't know".

I had some clown at Siam today say I had to pay my car loan at the ATM when I presented him with the paperwork slip all filled in by computer that they gave me to pay in the bank ! I want them to take it automatically from an account but they are perplexed with that.

Transferring money to someone else's account is a breeze from the ATM but a nightmare to set up online as you have to keep visiting the bloody branch to set all the things up. You cannot pay your telephone bill online as TOT is not a field in their drop down list despite Saim Commercial being listed on the back of the TOT bill for the last 3 years that I know of !

Its just their level of training, lack of knowledge and inability to think for themselves. But, if you find someone good then it does all work properly. The simple stuff is good except if you ask for some change and they point to a dish on the counter and say that is all the Bt5 and Bt10 coins they have. That they actually expect you to believe that shows that they think you are as simple as they are.

[mikethevigoman]

Amazing Thai Bank.

I am using the Siam Commercial Bank I had hoped that it would be a good bank but I guess that I am going to have to keep on hoping.

I had sent money to the SCB from Europe some of the cash was used to buy our house and when I wanted to buy a car I had to ask the bank nicely for my money. What do you want the money for they demanded, I felt that I was asking for there money to buy the car. I was told that I would have to return with the receipt from the purchase of the car to prove where the money went.

Some time later I was making arrangements to go to Spain with my wife and child, I have never used on line banking but decided to do so now with SCB they call itwww.SCBEASY.com that is far from the truth.

Having visited the bank and asked the girl there is it easy, yes she said and proceeded to take all my info so she could give me a password and what have you so that I could move my cash about even to Spain if it was needed. Great I said just the sort of service I need, I was given the package after filling in various forms and they had made more copes of my passport and away I went confident that I could now do all that I was promised.

After a few weeks in Spain I went on line to move some cash from my account in SCB to my bank in Spain. However I was confronted with yet more forms to fill in on line. Then they will send me a form to fill in by post to my home in Thailand I must sign it and show where the money has come from and they want yes-another photocopy of my passport. What do they do with all the copies of my passport?

I have simply given up all I can say is that the banks are as mad as hatters. Next time I will send the cash out first and that way I don’t have to worry about it.

Or change to an international bank like HSBC any one know a good way to give access to ones own money in Thailand?

i draw cash from the same bank in the wall in pattaya every other day, the staff must know me by now, i get asked everytime for the same info, same id, and they spend minutes checking signatures, i actually find it quite amusing, i had to wake them up yesterday !, other times they are eating or ignore me for a while til the ads come on the tv,. yes this is thailand and i just accept it and smile,better that dealing with those pompous tw@ts in the banks in the uk !

[Flash500]

Wot about this for good old SCB........my wifes branch is in Bangkok and while I lived in Minburi paying in money not a problem, but since moving to prachinburi twice she has payed money into the bank and been charged 60 baht and 70 baht!!!!!!!!!!!!! can you believe it??? you pay them to pay money in <deleted>.....i asked her why and she said because its not a Bangkok branch...so what!! I said, and told her to speak to the manager but she was too shy and told me not to make a fuss........I wil make an appointment and tell em where to shove the fee and change bank.

[joeuk1]

My personal experience of SCB bank is they are a fantastic bank .

JB

[Flash500]

My personal experience of SCB bank is they are a fantastic bank .

JB

So you agree and will willingly pay to put money in their bank if in another district....yeh fantastic!!!!

[singa-traz]

Went to renew a passbook today with my wife (joint account), and the lady processing our request was refusing to give us the passbook, as my wife signature did not look exactly the same.

Did a dozen of signature, and no, we would have to go where we open the account (we were at a branch).

I had to ask to get some manager to show up, and she finally found that one of the signature looked close enough.

As a good customer of the bank, they gave me a kind of "VIP" card which is supposed to entitled me to priority services ...

Guess what ... when I showed it to the staff ... she did not know what it was!

What should have taken 5 minutes ... took 30 minutes.

Another incident like that and I change bank.

[farang prince]

For money transfers from the USA, HSBC is the way to go. Still, you have to be very careful about all the hidden bank fees, no matter who you bank with. It is also helpful if you meet the branch manager and the head teller. I make sure the branch manager knows me personally. I sit down with them and discuss my finances, my spending patterns and what I expect in services from the bank. Never have had a problem that wasn't quickly resolved.

[Zpete]

Whilst not a resident, I do spend lengthy periods in Thailand.

I am a New Zealander.

My bank is in NZ where I am able to earn over 8% plus on call.

RaboBank New Zealand.

If I need money, I use Internet banking to transfer funds to another bank, ASB Bank.

In Thailand, I use my ASB, ATM card with the PLUS symbol.

I keep minimal funds in ASB on call account in case card is lost or stolen.

Just go to any ATM showing the "Plus" and withdraw woteva ya want, up tp $NZ1000.00 per day.

ATMs in Thailand may have restrictions on amounts withdrawn. I would neva want that much.........LOL

Charges are, $NZ5.00 plus FX fee of 1%

No reason wotsoeva to open an account in Thailand.

Consider an account in New Zealand, worth it for the interest if nothing else.

The web makes everything possible. (Except in Thailand......hehe)

In the main I initially bring NZ currency where at Swampypool, I get a good rate and NO FEES.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Zpete

[singa-traz]

About Amazing Thai Bank, when I got my credit card here, they asked me to have a deposit of the same amount as my credit limit.

I looked at the bank staff, and nicely told her that it looks like I'm getting a debit card ... she silently acknowledged ...

[martynsnowman]

My personal experience of SCB bank is they are a fantastic bank .

JB

i agree..... never had any problems with SCB been with them over 3 years , in udon thani when i went in to get over 600,000 to buy pick up still no problem but they did sergest ( sorry spelling ) bankers draft would be safer , i had to agree ...thumbs up to them . .

[Crossy]

About Amazing Thai Bank, when I got my credit card here, they asked me to have a deposit of the same amount as my credit limit.

I looked at the bank staff, and nicely told her that it looks like I'm getting a debit card ... she silently acknowledged ...

Actually, since the deposit cannot be drawn down, you are getting a secured credit card, my Bangkok Bank savings account came with a Visa debit card as standard.

I've had no serious issues with either of my banks here (Bangkok and Siam Commercial), however all my REAL banking is done offshore with local transactions limited to transfers into the accounts and ATM withdrawals. A couple of times I've been unable to pay cheques in because the name did not match EXACTLY the name on the account, otherwise no issues.

[suiging]

All banking in my experience is about personal contact. Use one bank and one branch as often as possible. Smile be nice and after a time, I have found them to be most helpful. SCB Pattaya, cold at first, all of the above criticisms applied, however, over time and much swallowing of pride, anger hatred etc etc......... now a pleasurable experience and quite efficient ( quiet.........)

[bikerlou47]

Amazing Thai Bank.

I am using the Siam Commercial Bank I had hoped that it would be a good bank but I guess that I am going to have to keep on hoping.

I had sent money to the SCB from Europe some of the cash was used to buy our house and when I wanted to buy a car I had to ask the bank nicely for my money. What do you want the money for they demanded, I felt that I was asking for there money to buy the car. I was told that I would have to return with the receipt from the purchase of the car to prove where the money went.

Some time later I was making arrangements to go to Spain with my wife and child, I have never used on line banking but decided to do so now with SCB they call itwww.SCBEASY.com that is far from the truth.

Having visited the bank and asked the girl there is it easy, yes she said and proceeded to take all my info so she could give me a password and what have you so that I could move my cash about even to Spain if it was needed. Great I said just the sort of service I need, I was given the package after filling in various forms and they had made more copes of my passport and away I went confident that I could now do all that I was promised.

After a few weeks in Spain I went on line to move some cash from my account in SCB to my bank in Spain. However I was confronted with yet more forms to fill in on line. Then they will send me a form to fill in by post to my home in Thailand I must sign it and show where the money has come from and they want yes-another photocopy of my passport. What do they do with all the copies of my passport?

I have simply given up all I can say is that the banks are as mad as hatters. Next time I will send the cash out first and that way I don’t have to worry about it.

Or change to an international bank like HSBC any one know a good way to give access to ones own money in Thailand?

You are right and dont let any of these dim wits tell you otherwise. Thai banks dont have a clue I have 3 years of experience.

Anyone who says otherwise has no real banking experience involving millions of Baht.

One of my banks would not give me MY money to buy a house! What a joke. Of course I eventually got it after a lot of hassle.

[bendix]

About Amazing Thai Bank, when I got my credit card here, they asked me to have a deposit of the same amount as my credit limit.

I looked at the bank staff, and nicely told her that it looks like I'm getting a debit card ... she silently acknowledged ...

Frankly, pal, that says more about you (or the bank's perception of you) than it does about the bank.

Just think about it for a minute. You are a foreigner; you can up and leave at any moment, leaving a potentially large credit card debt behind you. In this instance, the bank is simply protecting its risk exposure from someone they feel might not pay the balance back. It's perfectly good business sense.

I dont know your status here, but I personally have no such problems. I have an HSBC Visa card and an Amex credit card with a combiined credit limit of over 1.7m. I also have a Thai issued Amex charge card.

Perhaps you were wearing open-toe sandals and a dirty Chang muscle shirt when you visited the bank?

[pnustedt]

I too have found Thai banks absolutely useless - they tend to look at ways to prevent you doing what you want with your own money.

I bank with HSBC in Hong Kong where there is zero tax on investments and transfer money via their internet service to a Bkk Bank savings a/c for my needs in Thailand, even though Bkk Bank said that I could not do it - then, when they realised that I was doing it, they asked me to show them how to do it. I told them "no way, if you know how I do it you'll find a way to stop me".

[redwooddrive]

I have to same that I have been impressed with SCB as well. My wife and I have had a joint account with SCB almost four years now. My pay (fm a US bank) is withdrawn via ATM and then redeposited into the SCB account, where we later take it out. Back in June we applied, actually it is in my wife's name only, for a new car loan of 600k baht, we put 150k down. I could have my name on the loan as well, but they said that the processing time would take up to 10 work days to process because the loan had to be approved in BKK. The bank never blinked an eye and gave my wife, who doesn't work, the loan. They just asked her if the same amount of money (circa 120,000) would keep coming through the account each month and did we own our house. She said yes to both questions, and three days later the Isuzu dealer had the money and we had the truck.

I also have to say re the fees charged at Thai banks are no better or worse than the rest of the world. Try going to a US bank's ATM that is not your own bank and drawing funds. Bank of America charges $2.50usd (circa 85 baht) for ATM transactions that are not from their bank. I have yet to have a thai bank charge us for using one of our US atm cards there.

[djinn]

I am in Thailand since 2002

My first bank was SCB.They were so bad I closed my account there after 1 year

Second attempt was Ayudhya bank.If you want to read the long story of their stupid and or uncommercial behavioursss,please make a search on my posts on TV

Now I am with Kasikorn bank.Long time expat friend (28 years here...) explained me they changed dramatically from rubbish to good the last years (seems foreign bank entered in their capital)

And...a real breeze after the loooong opening of online banking facilities for multiple accounts.

They even say you can transfer money to ANY other thai account in ANY OTHER bank via internet

Must admit I didn't try yet

Sorry for some rough words on this post but I don't like to deal with non professional banks.......

[dominique355]

Amazing Thai Bank.

I am using the Siam Commercial Bank I had hoped that it would be a good bank but I guess that I am going to have to keep on hoping.

I had sent money to the SCB from Europe some of the cash was used to buy our house and when I wanted to buy a car I had to ask the bank nicely for my money. What do you want the money for they demanded, I felt that I was asking for there money to buy the car. I was told that I would have to return with the receipt from the purchase of the car to prove where the money went.

This may not be a problem of SCB, but a rule of the central Bank of Thailand requesting a form to be filled out for any withdrawal of more than - I think - 2 million THB.

Most of the banking business here in Thailand is so much more complicated and requests so many forms and papers, it's killing me. Bureaucracy is killing this country, even in the private sector. I firmly believe that there is a direct relationship between the degree of bureaucracy and the stage of development of a country: the lower developed the crazier the bureaucracy (or should I say "bureaucarzy").

[sgunn65]

Sadly my little experience with Bkk banks has been similar to most other posters in that 50% of my experience is excellent service and 50% is nonsensical beaurocracy and stupid questions and restrictions.

I bank with HSBC and keep all, but my immediate needs money in the UK transferring (for free) to the Bangkok branch where they have allowed me a savings bank. This is done from the UK with a 5 minute phone call.

The HSBC Bangkok branch then phone me to ask what I will spend the money on!!!! Like its any of their ****ing business!!! Since it comes from UK with the note salary attached to it you would think that by now they would have sussed it out.

When I bought a car I had to go to the bank for the one and only time. Fortunately I am a Premier customer so don't have to queue and instead use their spiffy lounge. This, I have to say, is nice. Coffee is served etc.

I took my bank cards from the UK and Thailand as well as my driving licence and passport. We went through 5 minutes of verification. I was asked to sign my name then three people huddled around a computer for 5 minutes before telling that I was not the same person as the one who had opened the account. My signatures did not match.

What was actually really funny was they showed me my signature held by the bank so that I could copy it! So much for security. My signature was actually 98% the same apart from a small line underneath which I had not done.

When I wanted to change from a savings account to a resident (with work permit) account I became so dazed and confused that I gave up. Even the woman who was trying her best to help was confused. And the manager who came to explain. The basic tenet was similar but they seemed to be making the conditions uo as they went along as they both had contradictory rules.

So I keep my savings account and steer totally clear of the bank.

[ajahnlau]

Been with SCB for about 17yrs. and haven't experienced any problems. I regularly submit from overseas and the money is in acct. in about 15hrs. Have taken out large amounts for car,motorcycle purchases and no questions asked.

[singa-traz]

About Amazing Thai Bank, when I got my credit card here, they asked me to have a deposit of the same amount as my credit limit.

I looked at the bank staff, and nicely told her that it looks like I'm getting a debit card ... she silently acknowledged ...

Frankly, pal, that says more about you (or the bank's perception of you) than it does about the bank.

Just think about it for a minute. You are a foreigner; you can up and leave at any moment, leaving a potentially large credit card debt behind you. In this instance, the bank is simply protecting its risk exposure from someone they feel might not pay the balance back. It's perfectly good business sense.

I dont know your status here, but I personally have no such problems. I have an HSBC Visa card and an Amex credit card with a combiined credit limit of over 1.7m. I also have a Thai issued Amex charge card.

Perhaps you were wearing open-toe sandals and a dirty Chang muscle shirt when you visited the bank?

Bendix, you judge people a bit fast, don't you?

At that time, I had only 20 times my credit limit sitting in my bank account, so I did not really understood the requirement to "deposit" extra money in a different account than my saving account. but, hey, that's the rule.

As for leaving the country ... my office is in the same building as the branch.

By the way, my office is a no flip-flop zone and I don't look like a backpacker when going to work.

So it makes me smile when the bank is making sure that they don't take any risk with me ... when I know so many people who "forgot" to pay back their loans in the late 90s.

As an example, there is still some left over from this period: Property For Sales

This does say more about the banks than me.

They are very very conservative and I have experienced this not only as a customer, but while working for them.

[Westerner]

Amazing Thai Bank.

I am using the Siam Commercial Bank I had hoped that it would be a good bank but I guess that I am going to have to keep on hoping.

I had sent money to the SCB from Europe some of the cash was used to buy our house and when I wanted to buy a car I had to ask the bank nicely for my money. What do you want the money for they demanded, I felt that I was asking for there money to buy the car. I was told that I would have to return with the receipt from the purchase of the car to prove where the money went.

Some time later I was making arrangements to go to Spain with my wife and child, I have never used on line banking but decided to do so now with SCB they call itwww.SCBEASY.com that is far from the truth.

Having visited the bank and asked the girl there is it easy, yes she said and proceeded to take all my info so she could give me a password and what have you so that I could move my cash about even to Spain if it was needed. Great I said just the sort of service I need, I was given the package after filling in various forms and they had made more copes of my passport and away I went confident that I could now do all that I was promised.

After a few weeks in Spain I went on line to move some cash from my account in SCB to my bank in Spain. However I was confronted with yet more forms to fill in on line. Then they will send me a form to fill in by post to my home in Thailand I must sign it and show where the money has come from and they want yes-another photocopy of my passport. What do they do with all the copies of my passport?

I have simply given up all I can say is that the banks are as mad as hatters. Next time I will send the cash out first and that way I don't have to worry about it.

Or change to an international bank like HSBC any one know a good way to give access to ones own money in Thailand?

You are right and dont let any of these dim wits tell you otherwise. Thai banks dont have a clue I have 3 years of experience.

Anyone who says otherwise has no real banking experience involving millions of Baht.

One of my banks would not give me MY money to buy a house! What a joke. Of course I eventually got it after a lot of hassle.

I think your comment is out of order. Just because these people have not had a problem with Thai banks does not make them dimwits. I have been here for 16 years and have never had a problem with a Thai bank - I am not a dimwit!

[Ludacris]

I have to say I’ve had really good customer service from SCB and other Thai banks over the years, but it’s been a nightmare trying to send money out of Thailand on a regular basis.

I got a big wake up call when I first came here because I wanted to make regular loan payments back home. SCB told me that I could only make overseas transfers by internet banking for family support or education reasons, not to pay off loans or for investment purposes. I could make a Swift transfer in person, but they always wanted to see a work permit and letter from my employer stating my salary, and they wanted to know the reason for the transfer. After shopping around, UOB was the only bank that only wanted a single form filled out. You can also forget trying to send Thai Baht overseas to take advantage of the offshore rates because you can only send 10,000B out of the country. Larger transfers have to be in other currencies.

Now that my loan is paid off and I want to send money out to invest, I’ve found UOB and Bangkok Bank allow overseas internet transfers for investment purposes. I asked the guy at SCB, “What if you were working overseas and wanted to send money back to Thailand to invest or buy a house and the bank said you weren’t allowed to?” Of course I just got the deer-in-the-headlights stare.

Combine the problems I’ve encountered with sending money out of Thailand with the fact the gov’t only gives you 7 days to leave the country if you lose your job you can see why I want to keep most of my money out of Thailand. Another example of the difficulties sending money out of Thailand is if you buy and then sell a condo, to send the proceeds out of Thailand you need to show a form that proves the money came from outside Thailand in the first place. So you could work in Thailand for decades and buy a condo with money you paid Thai taxes on, but then when you sell the condo they won’t let you send the money out of Thailand. With all these warning signs it’s probably best to keep most of your money in countries that have no controls on foreign currency like Singapore or Hong Kong (they also have no capital gains tax).

One other thing, just remember that most of the threads on here concerning financial matters make some posters want to show how much money they have as well as look down on anyone else who is not at their level.

[ade100]

I’m quite new to the Thai banking system as I prefer to keep my money in Singapore. But the other day I went to a Thai bank to apply for a mortgage (actually for my gf with me as guarantor).

Typewriters and large filing cabinets everywhere. Piles of documents strewn across the tables. One computer sitting idly in the corner – just used for space invaders in their lunch break.

I’m not expecting a first class, first world service. Too bad I can’t get the mortgage from Singapore.

[Richard W]

I bank with HSBC and keep all, but my immediate needs money in the UK transferring (for free) to the Bangkok branch where they have allowed me a savings bank. This is done from the UK with a 5 minute phone call.

The HSBC Bangkok branch then phone me to ask what I will spend the money on!!!! Like its any of their ****ing business!!! Since it comes from UK with the note salary attached to it you would think that by now they would have sussed it out.

Are you sure this isn't because of the unremunerated reserve requirement on short-term capital inflows greater than US$20,000? The purpose of the transfer dictates whether 30% gets withheld or not.