Any Branch of Bangkok Bank in City with English speaking staff?

[paulbj2]

The manager and the senior staff at the Bangkok Bank branch at "The Harbour" just up the road from the Maya Mall all speak pretty damned good English.

[Suradit69]

Most bank staff in Thailand can't do complicated in any language.

Never met such a bunch of incompetent bankers anywhere else in the world.

But they're very good at saying 'cannot'.

You ever think of using Thai? I've been banking with BKB Chang Phueak for quarter of a century. I speak pretty good Thai and they speak pretty good English - together we get things done just fine.

Certainly I have never had a "can not" or a "mae dai" in 25 years....

Likewise (for 15 years) at my Bangkok Bank Branch. Never experienced a failure to communicate and can't recall anyone ever announcing something cannot be done.

Pretty sure many Thai possess a radar that picks up on some farang who arrive with a lot of personal "baggage" and forestall any problems by just not bothering with Khun Farang. Aside from that, there is no shortage of farang whose spoken English or accent is nearly incomprehensible even to other native English speakers.

[Suradit69]

Some posters have complained that they cannot get things done at the bank. I have never had such a problem. This may in part be a problem from going to small branches---you cannot expect all branches to have the full range of expertise. If you need someone with authority in the bank who will get things done if they can be done, and who also speaks English, then go to the largest branch in CM, Sanpakoi on Charoenmuang Rd. The manager there, Khun Supaluck, is also the Area Vice President for CM.

Yes. I had to deposit a U.S. Treasury check "for collection" a couple of years ago, at BKK Bank here in Nakhon Sawan. At their main branch, no one had ever done this transaction before. One brave woman pulled out a huge looseleaf binder with Standard Operating Procedures and than made about a dozen phone calls. After a couple of hours she finally got the transaction completed at a cost of several hundred baht. Thirty years ago, in Phanat Nikhom in Chon Buri province, such a transaction was routine, cost me something like twenty baht, and the money was in my account in a couple of weeks (checks deposited there actually cleared my bank in the states in four days). The difference was that Phanat Nikhom had a Khmer refugee camp with lots of farang working there and they lived in Phanat Nikhom and banked there.

Wow, here in Chiang Mai checks like that are accepted for deposit into your account at Bangkok Bank KSK no questions asked, no 30 day waiting period or extra charges. This would be for checks from the U.S. gov't, IRS, etc. I've seen people make the same arrangements for monthly annuity checks from life insurance companies, too. Personal checks drawn on a foreign bank are another story -- there is a charge of a few hundred baht and a waiting period that can be as long as a month before the money actually shows up in your account. But actually, if you're not in a big hurry sometimes this can be an OK way to bring a large sum of money into the country if you're not set up to do internet banking with your home country bank.

Last time I deposited a foreign personal check into my account at Kasikorn Bank, it took almost 10 weeks before the funds were available. I forget now but I think it was drawn on a U.S. bank.

Another possible benefit of using Bangkok Bank. They have a branch in New York ( and London). I just have money transferred from my US bank to the NY BBL branch using the account number of my account held in Thailand. It's available in baht here in a couple of days.

On the increasingly rare occasion that I end up with a paper cheque in US dollars I just send it to my US bank for deposit. Same for any other form of payment originating in the US. Any money I want shifted to Thailand just goes from my US bank directly to the NY branch of BBL.

[CMBob]

Wow, here in Chiang Mai checks like that are accepted for deposit into your account at Bangkok Bank KSK no questions asked, no 30 day waiting period or extra charges. This would be for checks from the U.S. gov't, IRS, etc. I've seen people make the same arrangements for monthly annuity checks from life insurance companies, too. Personal checks drawn on a foreign bank are another story -- there is a charge of a few hundred baht and a waiting period that can be as long as a month before the money actually shows up in your account. But actually, if you're not in a big hurry sometimes this can be an OK way to bring a large sum of money into the country if you're not set up to do internet banking with your home country bank.

I'm rather surprised by that - if IRS or US government checks are accepted for deposit and there's no waiting period at all (i.e., that the banks are treating them like cash). Heck, when I get the annual check from the Thai Treasury Office here (once a year when I get withheld interest refunded), my bank (SCB) won't even accept that check as cash (there's a couple of day waiting period).

[1FinickyOne]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Hello Folk - what is a foreign currency account?

[bazza40]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Somewhat puzzled why you would want two foreign currency accounts in Thailand, unless you are hedging two different foreign currencies.

Are they unaffected by the change projected for August in the Thai government guarantee from 25 million baht to 1 million baht?

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Somewhat puzzled why you would want two foreign currency accounts in Thailand, unless you are hedging two different foreign currencies.

Are they unaffected by the change projected for August in the Thai government guarantee from 25 million baht to 1 million baht?

looks like someone answered their wake-up call. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Cabinet-approves-delaying-deposit-insurance-cut-to-30284775.html

[FolkGuitar]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Hello Folk - what is a foreign currency account?

Basically, if you have large amounts of a foreign currency that you want to bank without converting it to local currency, you need to use a foreign currency account. If you want to send this money via wire transfer, it stays in its original form. However, if you wish to withdraw it, the bank will convert it to local currency at the existing exchange rate. There are special requirements for foreign currency accounts such as maintaining a minimum balance, and often different SWIFT codes required for transfers.

[NancyL]

Wow, here in Chiang Mai checks like that are accepted for deposit into your account at Bangkok Bank KSK no questions asked, no 30 day waiting period or extra charges. This would be for checks from the U.S. gov't, IRS, etc. I've seen people make the same arrangements for monthly annuity checks from life insurance companies, too. Personal checks drawn on a foreign bank are another story -- there is a charge of a few hundred baht and a waiting period that can be as long as a month before the money actually shows up in your account. But actually, if you're not in a big hurry sometimes this can be an OK way to bring a large sum of money into the country if you're not set up to do internet banking with your home country bank.

I'm rather surprised by that - if IRS or US government checks are accepted for deposit and there's no waiting period at all (i.e., that the banks are treating them like cash). Heck, when I get the annual check from the Thai Treasury Office here (once a year when I get withheld interest refunded), my bank (SCB) won't even accept that check as cash (there's a couple of day waiting period).

The willingness of Bangkok Bank (at least the KSK branch) to accept IRS and other U.S. gov't check deposits as if they were cash may stem from the fact that Bangkok Bank regularly processes direct deposits of Social Security and VA pension monthly payment for U.S. citizens living here in Thailand. They are the only Thai bank authorized by the U.S. gov't to do this for recipients of U.S. gov't monthly payments.

[NancyL]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Somewhat puzzled why you would want two foreign currency accounts in Thailand, unless you are hedging two different foreign currencies.

Are they unaffected by the change projected for August in the Thai government guarantee from 25 million baht to 1 million baht?

looks like someone answered their wake-up call. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Cabinet-approves-delaying-deposit-insurance-cut-to-30284775.html

Very good news, indeed! I was getting concerned about having to look elsewhere to move some of my funds out of Bangkok Bank because of this proposed very low ceiling on gov't insurance. 1 million baht really isn't very much, esp. if you have an 800,000 baht account for a retirement visa that you don't touch and other accounts that you use for daily living.

[grin]

Ditto on the Kad Suan Kaew and Promenada branches of BBL.

The Chang Puak branch of BBL used to have an excellent English speaker but he was given his own branch.

Due to it being close to home we mostly use the Central Airport BBL branch. Have never had a problem with English there.

We were there yesterday around noon and they had all 5 desks open and there was no wait at all.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Yep, Kad Suan Kaew branch. I was there this afternoon to open another account (I have two foreign currency accounts and a Thai baht account already) and do all my communicating with them in English.

Somewhat puzzled why you would want two foreign currency accounts in Thailand, unless you are hedging two different foreign currencies.

Are they unaffected by the change projected for August in the Thai government guarantee from 25 million baht to 1 million baht?

looks like someone answered their wake-up call. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Cabinet-approves-delaying-deposit-insurance-cut-to-30284775.html

Very good news, indeed! I was getting concerned about having to look elsewhere to move some of my funds out of Bangkok Bank because of this proposed very low ceiling on gov't insurance. 1 million baht really isn't very much, esp. if you have an 800,000 baht account for a retirement visa that you don't touch and other accounts that you use for daily living.

and, if you have a million in CIMB; you get "preferred" status, which doesn't mean VIP parking, but does mean passes for open bar at Swampy, as well as .2% more interest on several types of accounts. Oh, and the article states that if thetr is a failure; you will get your money in 7 days, instead of 2-3 months, which is pretty damn respectable. The Dollar strengthened 13% against the THB and many still go get their "letters".....and if it went to 60, they would still do the same. I believe some of the life long renters on why they don't buy; but the people that won't bring the 800K over and make it sound like it's fiscal conservatism....my arse. They spent it on hookers and booze before they ever had their first tuk-tuk ride, and their ex-wives got the rest.

Edited May 1, 2016 by KhonKaenKowboy

[amexpat]

I googled CIMB - thought it was something from the Pattaya websites - but the rest of the post?

Hookers, booze, tuk-tuks, ex-wives. This dude has a profound understanding of life in CM.

[scorecard]

On 4/28/2016 at 9:20 PM, BritManToo said:

Yes, I speak Thai.

But BKB staff in Chang Puak don't seem to understand company pensions, private pensions, government pensions, investment portfolios, etc.

They also don't seem to understand their range of banking services for foreigners, or documents required to open each type of account.

Very poor training provided for Thai bank staff, or maybe they just hire the prettiest applicants..

 

At the fairly big BBL branch opposite the Shangri La hotel (CM) the staff on the 'personal service / new accounts' etc desks claim they cannot speak any English, but they can, I've heard them speaking English to a favored farang customer several times.

 

My Thai adult son (perfect Thai) told them I wanted to open another savings account, they produced an application totally in Thai language, son then asked for the form in English.

 

Response from the two service desk ladies amongst their personal chatting: 'it's illegal for bank documents to be in English, can only be in Thai language'. We walked out.

 

Later I checked the Bank of Thailand banking operations regulations on their website and discovered 'All banks in Thailand must provide all banking service and documentation in Thai, or English or Chinese language as requested by the customer'.

 

Staff at BBL just totally lazy and lost a new account. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by scorecard

[KhonKaenKowboy]

A friend just sold a house and I told him about MeeTaeDai with Krungsri.  He had a basic account there, for years already.  So he goes in and tells them he wants some better interest on his eight million and would like meetaedai.....CANNOT..he only had a tourist visa.  Kind of outrageous, but also indicative of how much harder it is to open accounts as a foreigner.  A lot of places, people would get fired for letting a quarter million walk out without some type of product.  Even the securities people would want to know why they weren't alerted.   At Chase there would have been a bond fund salesmen blocking the door.  She !likely just groaned and went back to LINE.

 

This is also a product of the shift towards fee based profits.  The old model of paying interest and loaning it out at more interest is almost a dinosaur..the only people worthy of loans are those who don't need them.  Better to nickel and dime people to death.  

Edited August 12, 2017 by KhonKaenKowboy