Possible To Open Uk Bank Account?

[Beachcomber]

Hi

I am having some problems with my UK pension payments. The first payment was supposed to have arrived at my Thai Bank about 3 months ago.

I have been in touch with the Pension office and they have cancelled that payment and are now sending another check direct to my home address. This check has not yet arrived and the Pension Office has no information as to how long a check normally takes. In addition my Thai bank takes 45 days to clear the check.

Regular mail from UK takes 3-5days max but apparently this has no relation to the system used by HMG.

The obvious answer would be to have the monies paid into a UK bank account then I could use “Internet Banking” to transfer funds to my Thai bank.

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Any additional help or information from anyone that has had similar problems with UK Government pension payments would be welcome.

Thanks

Beachcomber.

[Maestro]

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Not a chance in the world!

--------------

Maestro

[percy2]

Hi

I am having some problems with my UK pension payments. The first payment was supposed to have arrived at my Thai Bank about 3 months ago.

I have been in touch with the Pension office and they have cancelled that payment and are now sending another check direct to my home address. This check has not yet arrived and the Pension Office has no information as to how long a check normally takes. In addition my Thai bank takes 45 days to clear the check.

Regular mail from UK takes 3-5days max but apparently this has no relation to the system used by HMG.

The obvious answer would be to have the monies paid into a UK bank account then I could use “Internet Banking” to transfer funds to my Thai bank.

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Any additional help or information from anyone that has had similar problems with UK Government pension payments would be welcome.

Thanks

Beachcomber.

Try HSBC offshore.

[jingjingna]

I personally would investigate the 'reason' why the payment did not arrive in your bank account as the U.K Pensions dept insist that the money CAN be paid into certain bank accounts w/wide-including Thailand.

To deposit a U.K cheque into a Thai bank the min value they will accept is 150.00 GBP for certain banks so check this out with your local bank...then you will have to pay charges on the this.

Get the Pensions dept to sort this out..this should not become your headache!

[percy2]

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Not a chance in the world!

--------------

Maestro

I did.

[Beachcomber]

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Not a chance in the world!

--------------

Maestro

I did.

How?

[Noel]

A friend of mine (from the UK) living in Pattaya opened up an account online with First Direct quite recently.

He had no connection with the bank at all before.

Go into their site and click on 'contact us' at the foot of the home page if that might be of 'interest' you...

[percy2]

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Not a chance in the world!

--------------

Maestro

I did.

How?

Went down to HSBC on Silom road , its now on Rama 4.

Filled out the application form gave them a copy of my passport and they sent it off for me, there was a charge.

Within several months of banking with them they had offered me an unsuccured Master , Visa and Amex. Maybe the Amex was after a year or two.

They have internet banking and you can hold several different currencies including Thai Baht.

Before any body asks I will always recomend this bank , but it doesn't mean I own the company

[samran]

just to be clear, you opened a UK bank account from Thailand which has an UK branch address and a sort code?

Or, did you open up a Thai account with GBP facilities?

[percy2]

So the question is - is it possible to open a UK bank account while here in the LOS??

Not a chance in the world!

--------------

Maestro

I did.

How?

Went down to HSBC on Silom road , its now on Rama 4.

Filled out the application form gave them a copy of my passport and they sent it off for me, there was a charge.

Within several months of banking with them they had offered me an unsuccured Master , Visa and Amex. Maybe the Amex was after a year or two.

They have internet banking and you can hold several different currencies including Thai Baht.

Before any body asks I will always recomend this bank , but it doesn't mean I own the company

On clearer recolection , they sent me the MC before i had even depsoted any money in the account!

I did have to provide banking statements from HSBC Thailand and I beleive that you have to have had an account with HSBC somewhere in the world or be recommended by an account holder.

As an aside HSBC offshore send my replacement cards by DHL , never a problem.

Dealing with HSBC CC department by telephone is always a nightmare. Get the branch to sort out any problems.

[Beachcomber]

A friend of mine (from the UK) living in Pattaya opened up an account online with First Direct quite recently.

He had no connection with the bank at all before.

Go into their site and click on 'contact us' at the foot of the home page if that might be of 'interest' you...

That looks promising I will follow it up.

Thanks.

[percy2]

just to be clear, you opened a UK bank account from Thailand which has an UK branch address and a sort code?

Or, did you open up a Thai account with GBP facilities?

To be clear I opened up an account with HSBC in Jersey , which is part of the UK.

I have GBP account , Euro (2), US$ and Thai Baht.

I have never been to Jersey.

[percy2]

just to be clear, you opened a UK bank account from Thailand which has an UK branch address and a sort code?

Or, did you open up a Thai account with GBP facilities?

To be clear I opened up an account with HSBC in Jersey , which is part of the UK.

I have GBP account , Euro (2), US$ and Thai Baht.

I have never been to Jersey.

Also of note the GBP and US$ accounts come with ATM cards. I am sure I could get a Euro ATM also if needed but as there are no charges to transfer from account to account I saw no need.

I think you may struggle to get a Thai Baht ATM.

[Beachcomber]

I personally would investigate the 'reason' why the payment did not arrive in your bank account as the U.K Pensions dept insist that the money CAN be paid into certain bank accounts w/wide-including Thailand.

To deposit a U.K cheque into a Thai bank the min value they will accept is 150.00 GBP for certain banks so check this out with your local bank...then you will have to pay charges on the this.

Get the Pensions dept to sort this out..this should not become your headache!

E-Mails have been flying back and forth for the last couple of months. They are getting seriously fed up with me in the International Pension Office.

I have been in touch with the International department of my bank in Bangkok who were no real help except to ask why the UK government does not have electronic transfer to Thailand like in other countries.

The problem started with the Pension office asking for my Thai bank Acc details. This is a local branch and apparently they should have sent the check to main branch in BKK.

Added to this the address did not include the street number of the bank so my local manager informs me the check would never get delivered anyway.

The only bank on the island and they have to have a street number to deliver the mail.

TIT

Beachcomber.

[samran]

just to be clear, you opened a UK bank account from Thailand which has an UK branch address and a sort code?

Or, did you open up a Thai account with GBP facilities?

To be clear I opened up an account with HSBC in Jersey , which is part of the UK.

I have GBP account , Euro (2), US$ and Thai Baht.

I have never been to Jersey.

Sounds like you got an offshore bank account. Jersey isn't part of the UK however, and consitutionally, it is seperate.

At the end of the day though, if they can pay your pension into that, then well and good.

[geoffphuket]

Goto http://www.google.co.uk/pagead/iclk?sa=l&a...ROWHSBCOffshore

for HSBC Jersey. All the info needed is there.

[percy2]

just to be clear, you opened a UK bank account from Thailand which has an UK branch address and a sort code?

Or, did you open up a Thai account with GBP facilities?

To be clear I opened up an account with HSBC in Jersey , which is part of the UK.

I have GBP account , Euro (2), US$ and Thai Baht.

I have never been to Jersey.

Sounds like you got an offshore bank account. Jersey isn't part of the UK however, and consitutionally, it is seperate.

At the end of the day though, if they can pay your pension into that, then well and good.

FYI

Please instruct your bankers to send funds to us by CHAPS, the interbank settlement system. They need to send the payment quoting your name and your account number, and the following sort codes:

Offshore Bank Account:

40-61-62

All other offshore accounts held with us:

40-49-24

Should you require any information regarding your account or making payments, please contact our Direct Banking Centre on + 44 1534 616000.

HSBC Bank International Limited

HSBC House, Esplanade

St Helier

Jersey JE1 1HS

Channel Islands

Tel: 44 1534 616000

Fax: 44 1534 616001

Telex: 4192098 Swift: MIDLJESH

HSBC Offshore

[percy2]

If you use an ATM card then there are problems if you require a replacement from a UK Bank many will not send one to Thailand.

As previously stated HSBC Offshore DHL credit cards and ATM cards to me here. Though bear in mind that my billing address is Thailand.

Samran

Why do think I'm a pensioner

[samran]

If you use an ATM card then there are problems if you require a replacement from a UK Bank many will not send one to Thailand.

As previously stated HSBC Offshore DHL credit cards and ATM cards to me here. Though bear in mind that my billing address is Thailand.

Samran

Why do think I'm a pensioner

Never thought you were . The ‘your’ was the royal ‘your’. I maybe that should be ‘one’!!!

But the OP was looking open a UK bank account for his pension. So if he opened one of those off-shore accounts in Jersey from here (Thailand) to have his pension paid in, then well and good and what you suggested would have served his purpose.

Having said that, having moved to the UK mainland and knowing the hassle of opening a bank account there, I doubt very, very much that you could open up a run of the mill bank account there without physically walking in and applying, given the ID requirements needed these days to counter fraud. This does not include some of the banks like First Direct, which let you transfer your business to them, but in that case, you have already satisfied UK authorities that you are eligible to open an account, so the transfer isn’t too difficult.

For some reason the Jerseyites don’t seem to be too fussed about an account, but on the UK mainland proper, they are very, very strict about opening high street accounts. Believe me, I have tried.

[percy2]

If you use an ATM card then there are problems if you require a replacement from a UK Bank many will not send one to Thailand.

As previously stated HSBC Offshore DHL credit cards and ATM cards to me here. Though bear in mind that my billing address is Thailand.

Samran

Why do think I'm a pensioner

Never thought you were . The ‘your’ was the royal ‘your’. I maybe that should be ‘one’!!!

But the OP was looking open a UK bank account for his pension. So if he opened one of those off-shore accounts in Jersey from here (Thailand) to have his pension paid in, then well and good and what you suggested would have served his purpose.

Having said that, having moved to the UK mainland and knowing the hassle of opening a bank account there, I doubt very, very much that you could open up a run of the mill bank account there without physically walking in and applying, given the ID requirements needed these days to counter fraud. This does not include some of the banks like First Direct, which let you transfer your business to them, but in that case, you have already satisfied UK authorities that you are eligible to open an account, so the transfer isn’t too difficult.

For some reason the Jerseyites don’t seem to be too fussed about an account, but on the UK mainland proper, they are very, very strict about opening high street accounts. Believe me, I have tried.

I think that any of the Big Banks based in the Channel Islands (and probably Isle of Man) will probably treat you the same way.

I have had good experience with HSBC but also heard good things about NatWest.

For the OP I would recomend HSBC Offshore until he goes back to the UK. I hear good things about Abbey National if you can start up an account when he eventually visits the UK. I think AN has been discussed in previous threads.

Cheers

[Maestro]

...have been told that the Banks in Thailand are not compatable with their standards of transfer service

I had a good laugh at that!

The Pension office is, in fact, saying that their software does not allow them to give online instructions to their bank for a SWIFT transfer, aren’t they? This means that their standards date back to the stone age in terms of information technology. After all, SWIFT has been around since 1973 and British banks have been part of it from the beginning.

Or it is a question of bank charges, perhaps. I remember about 20 years ago a company in England kept sending bank drafts to their Swiss supplier and when questioned about it the English company said that it cost them a lot less than a SWIFT remittance. I could imagine that not much has changed since then in tradition-proud England. (Don’t people still write cheques at the check-out counter of supermarkets?)

--------------

Maestro

[billzant]

Dear Forum,

I have an HSBC offshore account in Jersey and have been able to use it in the UK to all intents and purposes as if it was a UK account. I do not however have a pension as yet.

I started the account almost by accident because I had a HSBC account in Bahrain, and needed it to have an outstanding payment to be made by HSBC Bahrain. This fits in with the post above about someone who used the HSBC account locally in Silom and so found it easy to open offshore.

I am not however very positive about the bank but don't get the feeling they are any different to any English bank.

I would be very pleased if the HSBC were to send me my credit cards here in Thailand as I am having difficulties with that. It's a burden on a relative.

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[diddlysquat]

I think that any of the Big Banks based in the Channel Islands (and probably Isle of Man) will probably treat you the same way.

I have had good experience with HSBC but also heard good things about NatWest.

For the OP I would recomend HSBC Offshore until he goes back to the UK. I hear good things about Abbey National if you can start up an account when he eventually visits the UK. I think AN has been discussed in previous threads.

Cheers

Percy,

Do you have a UK pension paid into your Jersey bank account?

[billzant]

If you use an ATM card then there are problems if you require a replacement from a UK Bank many will not send one to Thailand.

As previously stated HSBC Offshore DHL credit cards and ATM cards to me here. Though bear in mind that my billing address is Thailand.

Samran

Dear Samran,

It seemed an advantage to have a credit card billing address in the UK.

Are there any disadvantages to changing the credit card billing address to Thailand? Do you need some proof?

Are there disadvantages to not having a UK one?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

[percy2]

If you use an ATM card then there are problems if you require a replacement from a UK Bank many will not send one to Thailand.

As previously stated HSBC Offshore DHL credit cards and ATM cards to me here. Though bear in mind that my billing address is Thailand.

Samran

Dear Samran,

It seemed an advantage to have a credit card billing address in the UK.

Are there any disadvantages to changing the credit card billing address to Thailand? Do you need some proof?

Are there disadvantages to not having a UK one?

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best

Bill Z

As I'm rarely in UK I've seen no disadvantages.

I don't remember any proof being needed.

PS I'm not Samran

[percy2]

I think that any of the Big Banks based in the Channel Islands (and probably Isle of Man) will probably treat you the same way.

I have had good experience with HSBC but also heard good things about NatWest.

For the OP I would recomend HSBC Offshore until he goes back to the UK. I hear good things about Abbey National if you can start up an account when he eventually visits the UK. I think AN has been discussed in previous threads.

Cheers

Percy,

Do you have a UK pension paid into your Jersey bank account?

I'm not a pensioner.

[Khun Bob]

hsbc offsgore are good and you get an account no that looks alot like a uk account ie sort code 999999 and an ac no 99999999 - i think this is right

Also one poster has mentoined that you can get a first direct account - suggest you get an hsbc offshore account first - first diest is part of the same group and you can do free transfers between a first direct account and an hsbc offshore account. I made a hundred quid by opening an hsbc offshore as they were having a promotion a year ago and they may well have it again.

Nationwide are one of the best as you can do no cost withdrawls on their atm cards - they have an offshore operation and that may be a way to get an account with nationwide uk. Alternatively get someone you trust in the uk to open a joint nationwide flex account with you then you can receive the cash into there, have internet bamking, and have one of the best atm cards for doiing withdrawls anywhere.

I have a nationwide offshre account and for euro residents they offer an interest deferred account - so that when you are not liable to uk tax you can get your interest gross - but this is just additional info as i guess you are now non-resident.

Some of the american brokeridges offer a service where i beleive you can do free transfers to another account for a specified no of times per month - think fidelity do this - just a matter of getting your cash into an american account then you can do transfers to you LOS account - maybe you need this info for visa/extension of stay purporse...

HTH

[Charma]

I can certainly vouch for First Direct. I have had an account with them for over 16 years. At the times when I have lived overseas it has VERY easy to use the account either online or on their 24/7 telephone support. I have made calls from Thailand and had money arrive in a Thai bank account within 3 days (£21.00 charge, but with very good exchange rates). When abroad I just kept a UK address (relative) for correspondance, but as all statements and messages are online, I never ever needed this. Their service is second to none. You will never wait more than a few seconds to get through to them and absolutely everything can be done either on the phone or online. They also have a very good e-savings account rate (currently 5.75%). You can have multiple accounts with them also. Applications are also done online, but you may need that UK address to set it up initially. You would also need to find out about getting tax rates in the future.

[Mobi]

Just a few points on this.

Firstly, the laws have tightened in recent years, particularly since 9/11 and UK banks have become progressively more concious of money laundering, terrorist issues etc, and the need to obtain proper proof of residence etc from would be depositors. It is at least possible that when some of our posters opened their accounts, the rules weren't as strict as they are today.

These days, any UK bank will require two very definitive documents as proof of residence, and these documents must be originals, and often must be selected from two separate lists. They are very specific what they require, and would not accept, for instance a mobile phone bill as proof of residence. Without these original documents, (I am talking UK drivers licence, original bank statements, utility bills etc), it would be virtually impossible to open an account these days.

Any bank account in the Channel islands, (or the Isle of Man), is, for the purposes of tranferring money, exactly the same as an onshore account, and will have a UK BACS sort code. They are also subject to the same, strict rules on any prospective customers as mainland banks. Transferring pension payments there would not be any problem.

I have a bank account in the UK (Barclays), which I opened years ago, using UK proof of residence documents, and still maintain a UK address for the statements etc. (My brother's address).I operate it via the internet.

I have also opened and maintain a UK account with Abbey National in Jersey, which I set up since I have been in Thailand, and used Thai documents as my proof of residence. The opening of this account was facilitated by using an 'agent' in Thailand who acted as an intermediary for the purposes of translating and verifying some of the documents I used. However, I reckon I could have done it without the agent, but it might have been more hassle as I would have had to use a translator which would probably have had to be verified by some acceptable source - maybe the embassy or Thai foreign ministry.

Just recently I have been involved in setting up another UK financial 'arrangement' using my Thai address, and in this instance, the sort of documents that were acceptable are: house insurance certificate, bank statement from Abbey, (both of which were in English), any utility bill, Thai drivers licence, and letter from UK Inland revenue to my Thai address. Only two of the foregoing were required.

In summary, I think it is very difficult, but not impossible, and you either try to do it using a UK address with the appropriate supporting documents, or you use your Thai address with Thai documents, and talk with the bank to find out what would be acceptable. Certainly HSBC, Abbey and other "offshore" banks would be more familiar with expats and their particular problems.

Regarding swift transfers - all Thai banks have a swift code and if I call Abbey today and ask them to transfer money via Swift code to my Thai bank account, it will usually be in my account within 2 working days, cost 20 quid. I don't know what the pensions office's problems are, but Thai banks are not that backward I can assure you - at least not the major banks - BBL, K. Bank etc.

That's my contribution to this debate - good luck.

[Artisan]

I suggest that you do nothing until you compare your situation with mine. I will give you a summary of my own situation and you may be able to make some personal decisions after reading it. The early posters have given you some advice but I feel that their individual circumstances are quite different from our own and some of the advice and facts are based on hearsay and invalid opinion.

I have lived in Thailand for 13 years and I have been married to a Thai national for 10 years. I receive a UK pension every month from the British company that I worked with for 33 years. I am also receiving a UK State Pension and extra pension for my Thai wife. Yes, I do receive this extra UK pension for her as she is my dependant and caring for our young daughter. Both of these pensions are taxed at source.

When I retired from my work, my company pension was paid into my UK bank account every month. Looking to the future, I thought that it would be a good idea to convert this personal account into a joint account held by my wife and myself. In this way, my wife would have continued access to my company pension, as sole beneficiary, and also her UK Bereavement Benefit and reduced UK pension on my death. Furthermore, she would be able to obtain funds by using a debit card associated with the jointly held account. Bearing in mind that I have now banked with the same UK bank for nearly 40 years, I thought that there wouldn’t be a problem. Not so; I was informed that, at the time of my enquiry, UK Banking Regulations prohibited this because of recently introduced anti-money laundering laws by the British Government. Of course, if we resided in the UK, and had a UK address, then obtaining a joint account would be a formality. So, I continued to receive my two pensions into my UK bank.

My wife and I have two jointly held accounts in Thailand, one with the Bangkok Bank and the other with the Siam Commercial Bank. I contacted The Pensions Service and asked them what would they recommend I do so as to enable my wife to secure easy access to her pensions on my death?

Thailand, amongst other countries, does not have direct banking arrangements with the UK. Please note what I have just said; it’s got nothing to do with the UK banks or the British Government. It is not even possible to arrange a standing order to transfer money every month form my UK bank account to either of our two joint accounts in Thailand, and TAPS is not available also, because of this. My company pension provider, an extremely well known company in the UK (and the world), confirmed also that they could not make an automatic transfer every month for the same reason. One poster has suggested that you should investigate why the payment did not arrive in your bank account as The Pension Service insists that the money CAN be paid into certain bank accounts worldwide, including Thailand. This is NOT true.

So, I asked both my company and the UK Pension Service what they could do for me. They could send a crossed sterling order to me at my home in Thailand and, if I’m lucky the order would be here within a week……or get lost in the post! I would then have to deposit this order into one of our Thai bank accounts (probably as a foreign currency account in the relative Head Office in Bangkok) and the Thai bank would take up to 45 days to make the deposit available. Alternatively, they could send the crossed sterling order direct to one of our Thai banks and the wait would be the same ….or in the case of Beachcomber, more than three months!

My company pension and my UK pension could be sent by monthly automatic electronic transfer to other countries than Thailand e.g. New Zealand, Hong Kong, Jamaica, USA, etc….in all, 38 countries. Most of these suggested countries were geographically impractical but, what about Hong Kong, I thought? I contacted the Hong Kong branch of the HSBC, explained my predicament and received an extremely prompt, polite and encouraging response.

We stayed in HK last year, enjoying a short holiday and opened a joint account with the HK branch of the HSBC. Now my pensions are deposited in an electronic flash into this joint account. I have access to internet banking and we both have a debit card which we use to draw out money from an ATM in Thailand, or anywhere else for that matter…and HK is only a short inexpensive hop out of Bangkok. On my death, my wife will have minimum inconvenience in accessing her accounts.

It’s got nothing to do with “incompatible standards of transfer service” as one poster has said. Furthermore, as far as the Pension Service claiming that their software does not allow them to give online instructions to their bank for a SWIFT transfer. Balderdash!!! It’s not about software, it’s about reality. I know that’s it’s irksome and inconvenient but, as you can never change it, you must learn to accept it…or find a way around it!

I still use a bank account in the UK and it costs me £14 NOT £21 to arrange an international transfer, which is usually deposited here the next day, and my UK bank sends me a replacement credit card and debit card to my home address in Thailand when necessary.

……………….and I have the T-Shirt to prove all of this!!