Has anyone kept their UK Bank Accounts and Credit Cards open after moving to Thailand? I will not have an address for them after I sell my main residence in the UK. I could just switch the address to a relative, but dont really want them getting mail for me delivered to their property. Everything will be in credit, but I want to keep the UK current/savings accounts open, and the credit cards are useful for making internet purchases and such like. Also what about an address for my UK Driving Licence and Pensions etc? Anybody been in the same situation?

Don't know UK but I have bank account open in US and address to my sister (which is only used once every other year to send debit card) but have statements on-line and do on-line banking. Have A US credit card with a major bank and they changed mailing address to my Thai address - have to use some manual intervention as forms are not set up for no US zipped and unable to pay on-line (so have direct debit from my checking account at other bank as never want to pay interest anyhow). Keep my US driving licence using Thai address and renew on-line from here. Pension is sent to US bank account but mailing address is here in Thailand (also available on-line).

Don't know UK but I have bank account open in US and address to my sister (which is only used once every other year to send debit card) but have statements on-line and do on-line banking.  Have A US credit card with a major bank and they changed mailing address to my Thai address - have to use some manual intervention as forms are not set up for no US zipped and unable to pay on-line (so have direct debit from my checking account at other bank as never want to pay interest anyhow).  Keep my US driving licence using Thai address and renew on-line from here.  Pension is sent to US bank account but mailing address is here in Thailand (also available on-line).

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great, thanks, i'll try and see if I can get those facilities in the UK

You can use your relatives address, but just have the mail redirected to you in Thailand. Alternatively, there are mailbox companies that look like residential adresses, and they can forward mail to you. Also, consider opening an uk offshore account - lloyds and hsbc have them; they will send correspondence to you direct. And get on-line banking!

You can use your relatives address, but just have the mail redirected to you in Thailand. Alternatively, there are mailbox companies that look like residential adresses, and they can forward mail to you. Also, consider opening an uk offshore account - lloyds and hsbc have them; they will send correspondence to you direct. And get on-line banking!

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thanks, i'll look into those too, cheers

Don't know UK but I have bank account open in US and address to my sister (which is only used once every other year to send debit card) but have statements on-line and do on-line banking.  Have A US credit card with a major bank and they changed mailing address to my Thai address - have to use some manual intervention as forms are not set up for no US zipped and unable to pay on-line (so have direct debit from my checking account at other bank as never want to pay interest anyhow).  Keep my US driving licence using Thai address and renew on-line from here.  Pension is sent to US bank account but mailing address is here in Thailand (also available on-line).

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Since drivers license in the US are issued by the state, did have any problem with the state issuing you a license with a Thai address?

I am surprised at this because a state will not issue a license if your address is from another state, but you are indicating they were OK with not only an out of state address, but an out of the country address.

Then again some of the folks working at the DMV office for my state are not that sharp and maybe they just didn't know that Thailand was out of state.

Don't know UK but I have bank account open in US and address to my sister (which is only used once every other year to send debit card) but have statements on-line and do on-line banking.  Have A US credit card with a major bank and they changed mailing address to my Thai address - have to use some manual intervention as forms are not set up for no US zipped and unable to pay on-line (so have direct debit from my checking account at other bank as never want to pay interest anyhow).  Keep my US driving licence using Thai address and renew on-line from here.  Pension is sent to US bank account but mailing address is here in Thailand (also available on-line).

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Since drivers license in the US are issued by the state, did have any problem with the state issuing you a license with a Thai address?

I am surprised at this because a state will not issue a license if your address is from another state, but you are indicating they were OK with not only an out of state address, but an out of the country address.

Then again some of the folks working at the DMV office for my state are not that sharp and maybe they just didn't know that Thailand was out of state.

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Since 1966 I have only had one licence issued while I was in the US so all have been by mail. My experience has been New Hampshire and Florida and both had mail arrangements for those overseas. What you may want to check first is tax liability as understand that movie state on the west coast will want you to pay state tax if you have a drivers licence from them.

I kept my US bank and credit card accounts and just changed the address to that of my Mother. All the statements are on line, so she just shreds and trashes any mail that doesn't have a new card in it.

Interesting thing is that when my address was Saipan, I never got any unsolicited credit cards. Now that I have a California mailing address I'm getting new credit cards all the time.

I came out here from the UK about 3 and a half years ago. Pretty much agree with the comments about opening a UK offshore account and working through that. Solves the problem of mailing addresses etc and they will courier (but not post) ATM cards to you in Thailand.

If the OP is going to be working / paid locally then he will probably need a Thai bank account too.

DVLA does not (or at least did not) have a facility for UK driving license holders to have a non-UK address. Officially they tell you to just keep your last UK address until such time as you may return. However, this can cause problems if stopped while driving in the UK. True story - whilst driving on the M6 on vacation in the UK a couple of years back:

"Is this your address Sir?" "Err, well, no, officer, you see it's the address I used to live at before I emigrated to Thailand ......." "You have to give me a valid address or I'll have to nick you Sir" Giving him my parents address was acceptable, and I have subsequently changed my DL address to theirs.

I have a UK address for building society and DVLA letters.Just get the recipient to rip up the mail and do your saving on line.

HSBC does let you have a foreign address and couriers out cards.

cheers thank you very much all.

For driving licence - switch to your sister's address.

If you've not got a photocard already, changing the address will mean you have to apply for one, which is a lot easier to do from the UK. Once you have a photocard licence, if you lose your licence, you can order a new one (old picture obviously) on the internet with a credit card, and the DVLA will send it to the address they have. Far better if that's your sister's place, rather than a place you've sold..

For bank and credit cards - you can switch to online statements / letters for a lot of them these days, and some will take an offshore address for delivering cards and such-like (some won't - but for those, you would, again, give your sister's address).

Obviously you then have to hope your sister doesn't move house...

Obviously you then have to hope your sister doesn't move house...

Got that exact problem.Choose a relative highly unlikely to move,like a widowed aunt.

Edited July 3, 200521 yr by aletta

Obviously you then have to hope your sister doesn't move house...

Got that exact problem.Choose a relative highly unlikely to move,like a widowed aunt.

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As long as that aunt is not likely to meet her maker any time soon.