Why Do You Even Drink?

[OJAS]

I am weighing up the possibility of opening a savings account with the Bank Of Ayudhya (BOA), but would welcome feedback from existing BOA savings account holders on their experiences, good or bad. In particular:-

(1) It would appear from the thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/242285-bank-transfer-taking-long-time/ that there was a problem with transfers from abroad being subject to excessive delays at BOA HQ a year or so back. Is this still the case?

(2) Has anyone been the victim of mysterious withdrawals from their accounts, especially where fraud was suspected – be this internal (e.g. bank employees illegally siphoning off accounts, which, I gather, is not unheard of in LOS) or external (e.g. fraudsters rigging ATM’s with hidden devices to obtain card details for account siphoning-off purposes)?

[12DrinkMore]

I have an account with them for the last five years

1. No problem

2. No problem

I also have accounts with the Bangkok Bank (12 years) and SCB (around 9 years).

Never a single problem with any of these banks, excellent customer service with a smile, unlike that "Hub of Banking", the UK "Screw You" Financial Disservice Sector.

[Khun Jean]

Same here.

Receiving money from Europe normally within 1-2 days. I get a phone call if i want to exchange right away for a certain exchange rate or wait until later with maybe a better rate.

Internet banking also works good, transferring money back to Europe was a problem but that seems to be easier now. I have to check that first.

[JAS21]

Same here.

I get a phone call if i want to exchange right away for a certain exchange rate or wait until later with maybe a better rate.

Is this with BOA please? It looks to me as if the best rate is not often in the morning. How did you organise them to stop changing your money when it arrives. I want to bring quite a lot of GBP here next week. If I put it in a GBP account, what rate would I get when I exchange, is it about TT?.....thanks...by the way I'm with BB.

[thaimate]

Have had accounts with them and Thanachart for years,no problems.

[OJAS]

Internet banking also works good....

Does this mean that there has been no recurrence in recent times of the problems referred to in the 2007 thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/140623-krungsri-online-is-offline/?

[Tropicalevo]

I have had an account with BOA for 5 years - no problems. I use the internet banking every week. Again, no problem :jap:

[Khun Jean]

Same here.

I get a phone call if i want to exchange right away for a certain exchange rate or wait until later with maybe a better rate.

Is this with BOA please? It looks to me as if the best rate is not often in the morning. How did you organise them to stop changing your money when it arrives. I want to bring quite a lot of GBP here next week. If I put it in a GBP account, what rate would I get when I exchange, is it about TT?.....thanks...by the way I'm with BB.

I just asked them! Every transfer i get a call, even for a 10 euro test transfer a customer once did.

I am using a small local branch btw, so maybe get easier service from them because they got to know us.

I must add that it is a business savings account that i use.

[asiawatcher]

Good all-rounder and they often tell you on international transfers coming in to hold as next day will get a better rate. Same with SCB and BBL. All good but easier to get money into Thailand than send it out! Be aware.

Edited December 5, 2010 by asiawatcher

[OJAS]

Many thanks to all the respondents. In view of the unanimously positive comments I trotted down to my local BOA branch this morning with the wife and opened a THB savings account. My initial impressions are pretty favourable: I subsequently found it a doddle to register with their online service (in stark contrast to my experiences with Kasikorn’s online service where I encountered a number of time-consuming off-line bureaucratic hoops).

I am now seriously minded to open a GBP deposit account with BOA as well since I have been losing out financially as a result of the timing of my monthly pension payment transfers from the UK always (so it seems) coinciding with a particularly lousy GBP/THB x-rate. I also see this as a possible way or overcoming the mystery withdrawal problems referred to in my original post (by keeping a minimum balance in the THB account and only making transfers from the GBP account to cover ATM cash withdrawals and other routine payments from the THB account immediately beforehand – GBP/THB x-rate permitting, of course).

However, can I use my THB savings account online username and password for a GBP deposit account as well? Or will I be required to set up a further username and password for the latter?

[AyG]

Spotted a mysterious 200 Baht withdrawal from my Krungsri account yesterday. I emailed them and after a couple of hours got a response that it was "charge for my Visa Debit Card". I don't have one. I emailed back, and an hour later got a 'phone call explaining that they had increased the charge for the cash card from 150 Baht to 200 Baht. Great service, prompt replies. I just wish they'd told me in advance that they were increasing the charge (or, even better, if they'd offered me a debit card. That said, when asked, they replied "no problem, just go into any branch and ask").

Compare with Bangkok Bank. Emailed them 2 weeks ago. Still waiting for a reply.