A Thai bank account

[Too]

Hello,

I have an savings account in a Thai bank and have been living in Thailand on

a Non-B visa now.

1 Will I have to close it when I revoke my visa extension to leave the country?

2 Can I have the account for good if I'm allowed to have it after leaving the

country and have enough money in it for the annual fee to be paid from

it without any other transactions?

3 Can I show the IO my passbook to prove that I have more than 20,000B in

the account before they let me in on a visa-exempt stamp if I still have the

account and should be asked to show them the money?

Thank you in advance.

[allane]

I have previously tried to find regulations re the closure of inactive bank accounts, and I have not been successful. I have had one closed on me because of inactivity. After 20 yrs.here, I think that maintaining a large enough balance to cover the annual fee for the ATM card (if you have one), and doing one transaction per year is enough to keep the account open.

[KhunBENQ]

1) No

2) Yes

3) don't know

Many foreigners living temporary in Thailand and home country have savings accounts without problem.

Before staying in Thailand I had two accounts without problem (used during holiday).

You should consider getting internet access to the account.

Very handy to do payments within Thailand, top-up SIM card etc.

Also banks (like Kasikorn) offer virtual credit card functions (booking domestic flight and more without foreign charges).

Note: I did not have the problem of inactive accounts as there was some activity at least once a year.

A fellow recently showed up with a "Thai Farmers Bank" passbook and got a replacement Kasikorn passbook without any problem.

Must have been inactive for some years.

Edited September 16, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[Too]

Hello,

Thanks for your info.

I have an account in Krung Thai Bank with an ATM card verified by Visa and

have activated the service on-line by now. Yes. I think this very handy, too.

[sumrit]

3 Can I show the IO my passbook to prove that I have more than 20,000B in

the account before they let me in on a visa-exempt stamp if I still have the

account and should be asked to show them the money?

No, you can't.

The passbook only shows the balance when it was last updated. You could have withdrawn all the money since then but not updated the passbook.

[Heng]

Online banking (with more than one local account)... just move funds between your accounts a few times a year. Virtually no fees if it's in the same region and some banks don't have a fee for the first X transactions per month. Same deal for anyone with funds parked anywhere for long term savings.

[Orac]

Online banking (with more than one local account)... just move funds between your accounts a few times a year. Virtually no fees if it's in the same region and some banks don't have a fee for the first X transactions per month. Same deal for anyone with funds parked anywhere for long term savings.

If out of the country while doing this you may need to be able to receive OTP on a thai registered SIM card.

[Too]

3 Can I show the IO my passbook to prove that I have more than 20,000B in

the account before they let me in on a visa-exempt stamp if I still have the

account and should be asked to show them the money?

No, you can't.

The passbook only shows the balance when it was last updated. You could have withdrawn all the money since then but not updated the passbook.

Exactly.

I might come back to Thailand at Chong Mek on a visa-exempt stamp after

I've cancelled my Non-B. Having gone through this border so many times,

I remember that there's a Krung Thai Bank exchange booth with an ATM

right at the border. It's not even a 1-minute walk from Passport Control, I

believe. Would they allow me to go through to the ATM and check the

balance for them first if I should be asked to show them the money on

the spot?

One more question now.

Would I get stopped and asked some questions at the border posts if I

tried to come back to Thailand on a visa-exempt stamp after I have lived

here on a Non-B with a WP for more than a year? Would they suspect me

of going back to work illegally?

Edited September 16, 2015 by Too

[Too]

Online banking (with more than one local account)... just move funds between your accounts a few times a year. Virtually no fees if it's in the same region and some banks don't have a fee for the first X transactions per month. Same deal for anyone with funds parked anywhere for long term savings.

Online banking (with more than one local account)... just move funds between your accounts a few times a year. Virtually no fees if it's in the same region and some banks don't have a fee for the first X transactions per month. Same deal for anyone with funds parked anywhere for long term savings.

If out of the country while doing this you may need to be able to receive OTP on a thai registered SIM card.

Thank you. Good to know them.

[Sviss Geez]

I might come back to Thailand at Chong Mek on a visa-exempt stamp after

I've cancelled my Non-B. Having gone through this border so many times,

I remember that there's a Krung Thai Bank exchange booth with an ATM

right at the border. It's not even a 1-minute walk from Passport Control, I

believe. Would they allow me to go through to the ATM and check the

balance for them first if I should be asked to show them the money on

the spot?

One more question now.

Would I get stopped and asked some questions at the border posts if I

tried to come back to Thailand on a visa-exempt stamp after I have lived

here on a Non-B with a WP for more than a year? Would they suspect me

of going back to work illegally?

"Would they allow me to go through to the ATM and check the

balance..."

Of course they wouldn't, you cannot enter Thailand without being stamped in by Immigration and if you can't show that you have the funds, if they ask for that, you won't get that stamp.

You won't be quizzed about previous visas but even if you were, you would be able to explain it, wouldn't you?

[KhunG]

Online banking (with more than one local account)... just move funds between your accounts a few times a year. Virtually no fees if it's in the same region and some banks don't have a fee for the first X transactions per month. Same deal for anyone with funds parked anywhere for long term savings.

If out of the country while doing this you may need to be able to receive OTP on a thai registered SIM card.

Not if you switch from OTP to 2nd Password. I did that, and was good for several years, before we moved back and I switched back to OTP.

Edited September 16, 2015 by KhunG

[Too]

I might come back to Thailand at Chong Mek on a visa-exempt stamp after

I've cancelled my Non-B. Having gone through this border so many times,

I remember that there's a Krung Thai Bank exchange booth with an ATM

right at the border. It's not even a 1-minute walk from Passport Control, I

believe. Would they allow me to go through to the ATM and check the

balance for them first if I should be asked to show them the money on

the spot?

One more question now.

Would I get stopped and asked some questions at the border posts if I

tried to come back to Thailand on a visa-exempt stamp after I have lived

here on a Non-B with a WP for more than a year? Would they suspect me

of going back to work illegally?

"Would they allow me to go through to the ATM and check the

balance..."

Of course they wouldn't, you cannot enter Thailand without being stamped in by Immigration and if you can't show that you have the funds, if they ask for that, you won't get that stamp.

You won't be quizzed about previous visas but even if you were, you would be able to explain it, wouldn't you?

Yes, this is Thailand, NOT Indonesia where I've seen some tourists allowed to go through

to the bank located beyond Passport Control to exchange for the local currency first (not

escorted), come back to pay for a VOA and then get stamped in at Passport Control. 555

Thanks for your advice.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Too