British consulate letter to open Bangkok Bank account?

[BigButSmall]

Asking to try and help a friend out.

 

I have googled this and plenty of discussion but can never find an answer just try a different bank branch etc etc. It does mention this letter on the bkk bank website but havent been able to find much more info.

 

Would be nice if someone has accuired this letter here in Bangkok if they could share how they got it,  what needed and what did the letter say?

 

This is for the 400k non o deposit btw.

 

Thank you in advance for any help!

[Caps]

I opened two accounts with the Bangkok Bank mid  Jan 2017 and it was easy. 

All I need was a certified copy of my UK passport which you can get from the British Embassy on Wireless Road.  I booked  an appointment online.  Then I turned up with proof of my UK address and proof of my Thailand address (I was not asked for either), I think it was about 1400 Baht.  I waited 20 mins for the Certified copy.  

The lady behind the glass told me to use the branch of the Bangkok Bank on the 4th Floor of Central Embassy (top of Wireless Road) because they are good and know the score.  The score is that the British Embassy has an agreement with Bangkok Bank but as usual information is not filtered down to all branches or indeed just ignored.

But the lady was true to her word, no dramas what so ever and I even managed to open two accounts, one for me and a joint one with my partner with the one certified copy.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Caps

[DGS1244]

I opened a Bangkok Bank account with just my passport and a copy of my house contract, nothing else was needed.Took all of 10 minutes including getting a debit card for ATM.

[Estrada]

You do not have to produce an embassy reference letter. I am on a retirement extension and I opened a time deposit account with B800,000. Most of the staff never seem to know the rules and are scared to make a mistake so refusal is their first option. Best to print a copy of the Bank's rules off the Bank's web site and  ask to speak to the manager if there is a problem. The problem with the Embassy, is that they will often ask for proof of address from your bank and the bank will ask for proof of address from your bank before issuing a reference letter to your bank. Below is the actual list of documents that are on the Bangkok Bank's web site. It asks for a reference letter from ONE of the bullet pointed methods on the list. I was accepted just as a "person acceptable to the branch officer", having known the Bank Manager for the past 23 years. If you are on a pension they should accept your Pension Statement and/or HM Pensions or other Pension provider and P60 Tax certificate which is official and has your Thailand address.

 

• Passport
• ONE of the following documents:

• A letter of reference from one of the following:
  • Embassy or international organization
  • An official document from another country, such as a document from the  relevant agency giving evidence of the customer’s right to receive pension funds
  • Customer’s home bank to Bangkok Bank via the SWIFT messaging network
  • Person acceptable to Bangkok Bank e.g. branch officer, customer, government officer or company executive
  • Educational institution located in Thailand and acceptable to the bank
  • Company that is acceptable to the bank, confirming the customer is in the process of getting a work permit
• Other documents that show the name of the customer e.g. a document showing the ownership of real estate in Thailand such as a unit in a condominium

[DGS1244]

I think you will find that it all depends upon your home country, luckily there is a Bangkok Bank in London that you can transfer money through from your UK bank. No embassy letter etc. needed, and the bank is use to handling UK customers.

[Estrada]

7 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

I think you will find that it all depends upon your home country, luckily there is a Bangkok Bank in London that you can transfer money through from your UK bank. No embassy letter etc. needed, and the bank is use to handling UK customers.

He wants to open a  Time Deposit B400K for extension of stay at Thai immigration. I have a Bangkok Bank account in London where my State Pension is paid into but that cannot be used for immigration purposes as the funds are transferred to your normal Bangkok bank account in Thailand.

[zd1]

15 minutes ago, Estrada said:

You do not have to produce an embassy reference letter. I am on a retirement extension and I opened a time deposit account with B800,000. Most of the staff never seem to know the rules and are scared to make a mistake so refusal is their first option. Best to print a copy of the Bank's rules off the Bank's web site and  ask to speak to the manager if there is a problem. The problem with the Embassy, is that they will often ask for proof of address from your bank and the bank will ask for proof of address from your bank before issuing a reference letter to your bank. Below is the actual list of documents that are on the Bangkok Bank's web site. It asks for a reference letter from ONE of the bullet pointed methods on the list. I was accepted just as a "person acceptable to the branch officer", having known the Bank Manager for the past 23 years. If you are on a pension they should accept your Pension Statement and/or HM Pensions or other Pension provider and P60 Tax certificate which is official and has your Thailand address.

 

• Passport
• ONE of the following documents:

• A letter of reference from one of the following:
  • Embassy or international organization
  • An official document from another country, such as a document from the  relevant agency giving evidence of the customer’s right to receive pension funds
  • Customer’s home bank to Bangkok Bank via the SWIFT messaging network
  • Person acceptable to Bangkok Bank e.g. branch officer, customer, government officer or company executive
  • Educational institution located in Thailand and acceptable to the bank
  • Company that is acceptable to the bank, confirming the customer is in the process of getting a work permit
• Other documents that show the name of the customer e.g. a document showing the ownership of real estate in Thailand such as a unit in a condominium

I also didn't bother getting the letter from the embassy, my missus opened a Bangkok bank account last year and she recommended me, you might have to be a bit persistent but if you print of a form of their requirements and explain to them that it is their rules they should be able to do it on the spot.

The letter from the British embassy is either £100 or £150 and I didn't want to give them that money for a recommendation letter as I see it as blatant extortion.

[Billy Bloggs]

If its for the Non O deposit it can just be a normal account cant it. Gee I was so lucky then , first time I came here I opened a joint account just with my passport and visa, then when I came back on my 90 day visa awaiting my retirement extension I opened an account in my name, all this was done with Kad Suan Kaew branch of BKK bank in Chiang Mai just over 2 years ago, I feel so lucky at times that I dont strike some of the hurdles I read about.

[mokwit]

Mods: reposting this with edits from other thread as has info relevant to this thread.

Embassy letter is a "Letter to certify passport" according to Bangkok Bank  Foreign Currency department  - at least for them - can't rule out other might require something else e.g certification of address.

 

I have a Bangkok Bank THB account which I previously opened without anything other than a passport (Suk 11 branch for those interested) BUT it was a couple of years ago and a couple of days ago at main lower Sukhumvit Branch I was told that in the  last year things had got tougher due to crack down on money laundering and the BoT was demanding the letter as a requirement (for foreign currency account) because it was "very easy for foreigner to launder money' - I had a printout of the other acceptable documents from BBL website but was told only letter of reference - unfortunately if I want to open at that branch I will be required to get the reference letter. I had a feeling it could be different with a different staff member.  The Foreign currency dept at Bangkok Bank head office told me there was a choice of 3 if no work permit - proof of condo ownership, letter of reference from home country bank sent by SWIFT, and the certification of passport by embassy, but again at branch level they said only letter from embassy no other acceptable - that said they also mentioned letter from Immigration dept.  I suppose an alternative is to open at BBL HQ if letter of reference by SWIFT is an option with them, but I selected that particular BBL branch as it was nearest foreign currency branch of a bank convenient for me - SCB nearest foreign currency branch is Wireless Rd - maybe try there as they are unofficious and I have long standing account. If certification of passport letter classed as 'notarising' then likely an appointment is required.

[mokwit]

Spoke with UK Embassy - unfamiliar with 'Letter to certify passport' assumed I must mean Certified photocopy of passport - I asked if they had a service where they checked that a passport was indeed issued by UKPA and furnished a letter to that effect but it seems not to have rung any bells.

[Caps]

19 hours ago, mokwit said:

Spoke with UK Embassy - unfamiliar with 'Letter to certify passport' assumed I must mean Certified photocopy of passport - I asked if they had a service where they checked that a passport was indeed issued by UKPA and furnished a letter to that effect but it seems not to have rung any bells.

I was lead to understand that The Certified Copy of the Passport is the "this passport was issued by the UKPA and the person on the passport is who they say they are".