Closing a Bank Account of a deceased person

[Bigleg]

My father recently passed away in Thailand and I have all documents from the British Embassy and Thai death certificates, bank books, passports etc.

 

Now I went to Kasikorn bank and they would not let me close his account, there is minimal money in there, that's not the point, I don't want to just give it to the bank though.

 

They were insistent I didn't have all the documents I required, these included house registration documents, to which I said how is this possible, as a Farang he couldn't own a house!

 

Does anyone have any experience or advice on how I can close his account?

 

Thank you in advance

[shady86]

Any chance you can withdraw all the money inside?

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[Bigleg]

I don't know his PIN

[Pib]

Below is what Bangkok Bank would require...expect other Thai banks are similar.

 

[Bigleg]

Thank you Pib.

 

It's the first point that I think made my request fail, honestly, for me, not worth getting a court order to get the few thousand bht I know is in the account, shit though, knowing the bank will just end up keeping it for nothing!

[Dazinoz]

You will probably get someone tell you the deceased needs to attend in person to close. 

[JohnC]

I was appointed executor by the family of a friend who had passed away as they did not want to come to Thailand, I had to appear in court to get probate which the bank asked for before I could close the account . Probate took six months and cost 50,000 baht. In this case it included, house, contents, car and substantial bank deposit. 

[Henricus]

I did this for a Friend need to have a court order to close the account and get the money out.

More than 9 months and with the lawyer almost 100.000 thb 

[Pib]

11 hours ago, Bigleg said:

Thank you Pib.

 

It's the first point that I think made my request fail, honestly, for me, not worth getting a court order to get the few thousand bht I know is in the account, shit though, knowing the bank will just end up keeping it for nothing!

I doubt the bank gets to keep the money...I expect once the bank knows (confirms) a person has passed some clock begins clicking for X-period of time (maybe a year or two) before they forward the funds to the govt minus any allow bank fees.   But here in Thailand the court probate process rules...it can either go fairly fast or go fairly slow based on many posts I've read on ThaiVisa over the years.

 

A person could walk into a bank with the Will, a stack of death related docs, etc., and that would mean nothing without the appropriate Thai court probate paperwork.   

 

In many western countries it's common to be able to designate a bank account beneficiary  with the bank...just a simple form or two to sign at the bank saying when the person passes they get the bank account proceeds and this overrides what a Will may or may not say.  But here in Thailand they don't do bank account beneficiary docs....instead, what the court probate process says determines who gets the bank account money.

 

Good luck in whatever you decide to do and sorry to hear your father passed, but he's in a better place now with the Lord.

 

 

[Raymonddiaz]

Go to tesco lotus, buy things with the ATM. U don't need pin and you can empty the account without making yourself tired with paperwork.

[steven100]

go and get a box of Leo and hit the piss and have a beer for your dad .... and he will like that.

[how241]

If it's small money, under 15,000 baht,  then it is probable not worth all the effort.  Go back to the bank and keep trying as in Thailand things change daily. Good Luck !

Edited June 15, 2017 by how241

[IAMHERE]

It should be easier. Many falang have eight hundred thousand in the bank when they die.

[brewsterbudgen]

Did the deceased have a Thai will and Thai appointed Executors? I would say this is essential.

[Bigleg]

Thanks all for your comments, I think I'll just go spend it in Tescos, great idea wished I'd have thought of it, would have saved me about an hour in Kasikorn Bank on two occasions!