Opening a bank account in Thailand

[uncle tom]

After scanning the monster thread about the 150b charge, can I distill a few questions about keeping one's cash out of the pockets of greedy bankers..

1) Is it simple for a non-Thai to open a Thai bank account, and obtain a debit card? Is it possible to do this from the UK?

2) What is the cheapest way to move funds from a UK account to a Thai account (assuming you are going to move fairly large tranches at one time - say 100k Baht)

3) If you use a Thai debit card at an ATM, are you charged?

4) Which is the most competant Thai bank?

Tom

[charlesh]

I suggest you look at the various web sites for the banks.
Cannot answer 4. as it appears to be a trick question ha, ha.
As a non Thai I was able to open an account with a Thai bank BUT required a responsible sponsor (Thai) who was prepared to sign the relevant doc.
If there is a Thai bank in your neck of the woods perhaps ask there too - saw a Bangkok bank in London!
Am NOT able to get a credit card.
Re debit card 3. if use at local branch I gather there are a number of FREE withdrawals but at other out of town branches 20Bht/transaction.
Transfer electronically from home based a/c to Thai a/c relatively easy - just have the fee deducted at point OR receipt (for me $20). Watch the upper limits as they may draw attention from your local Tax people. (Yes Big Brother)!!

[buksida]

1) Yes, a farang can open an account and get a debit card. No you need to be here to sign the documents.

2) Inter-bank wire transfer I would imagine, charges all depend what UK bank you have.

3) Thai debit cards are only free to use at ATM's of the bank they are issued, all others charge a small fee.

4) None, but Ayutthaya (Krungsri) are the most farang friendly at the moment.

[loverboy44]

It does not seem difficult to open a bank account in Hua Hin.
In Bangkok when i wanted to open a bank account in my name for my daughter i was refused once even with my passport and the employment stamp in it. They wanted to see my work permit which i haven't had with me.
So, seems different in some branches.
When they refuse, which i don't think will happen in Hua Hin, just walk to the next one as there are so many.

[uncle tom]

I nearly wrote 'least incompetant' for question 4), but I thought it a little cruel..

Ayutthaya does not appear to have a London office, but Bangkok Bank does.

A long shot, but I've sent the London office of BB an email to see if it is possible to have a THB account that can be funded by UK BACS transfers, and then accessed through their Thai ATMs.

There's probably some reason why it can't be done, but it doesn't hurt to ask!

Tom

[pitsch]

I had no problem to open a bank account in Hua Hin, but I had big problems in Chiang Rai one year before.

The Siam Commercial Bank wanted a work permit. I told them I was retired and need the account to get the Non-Imm "O" visa. They told me to go to another bank. So I went to Bangkok Bank and they wanted a work permit too. But then came the big boss and said its possible, if a Thai citizen of Chiang Rai signs a paper. So I got my account.

If the amount sent is more than 600 000 Baht, the Kasikorn Bank in Hua Hin wants you to sign a form, where you to declare what the money is for.

[Super Joe]

I would always recommend opening one with one of the banks in Market Village. Then you can do banking 7 days a week until 9pm at night if you need to.
Find Siam Commercial about the best but nothing much to choose between the main one's, they all have their good and bad moments.

SJ

[BaaBaa.]

I would always recommend opening one with one of the banks in Market Village. Then you can do banking 7 days a week until 9pm at night if you need to.
Find Siam Commercial about the best but nothing much to choose between the main one's, they all have their good and bad moments.

SJ

That's where I opened mine, SCB in Market Village, no problems, just Passport and Address.

The websites reasonably good too.

3) Thai debit cards are only free to use at ATM's of the bank they are issued, all others charge a small fee.

I think your own bank charges you 20baht if you make a withdrawal in a different province too.

[cbranscombe]

One thing you might also want to consider is the use of an on-line banking facility. I use and would recommend Kasikorn. They have a service that works really well.
I had no problem walking into the Hau Hin Branch and opening an account and obtaining a Kasikorn cash card.
I regularly transfer money from my own account at Kasikorn by accessing the bank from my computer in the UK and the cost of a transaction was 30 TBH kast time I did it.
It is a little complicated to add accounts and all transactions need to be verified either by a code sent to your mobile phone or your email address but there is a good English support team available via email if you have problems.

[migrant]

One thing you might also want to consider is the use of an on-line banking facility. I use and would recommend Kasikorn. They have a service that works really well.
I had no problem walking into the Hau Hin Branch and opening an account and obtaining a Kasikorn cash card.
I regularly transfer money from my own account at Kasikorn by accessing the bank from my computer in the UK and the cost of a transaction was 30 TBH kast time I did it.
It is a little complicated to add accounts and all transactions need to be verified either by a code sent to your mobile phone or your email address but there is a good English support team available via email if you have problems.

Agree Kasikorn was easy to work with. Accessing their site from here in the states is easy

[norm]

If you put the money in a term account for a year you can earn 1.5% interest, but then they deduct 15% from that for taxes.

So deposit (one million) 1,000,000baht and receive 1062.5Baht a month earnings.

You could have a party every month on the earnings, well maybe not a big party.

[Condoking]

Transferring from abroad is free with HSBC if you qualify as a Premier account holder. You then transfer the Dollars, Euros or GBP to an HSBC Baht account and use the ATM to withdraw, only charge 10 Baht per ATM withdrawal.

[Big Boy]

The OP was not fully answered. Somebody has asked me the same question today, and I said I know where I can look that up - when I got here it is not clear.

What I can glean from this thread is:

- You need a responsible Thai person as a countersignatory - can somebody define responsible?

- You need your passport - do you need a valid visa when applying, or will the 30 day visa excemption stamp suffice?

- Do you need proof of residence ie the address where you are staying, or would a hotel be OK?

- Are there any other requirements?

[BaaBaa.]

- You need a responsible Thai person as a countersignatory - can somebody define responsible?

I didn't.

You need your passport - do you need a valid visa when applying, or will the 30 day visa excemption stamp suffice?

I would've only had a 30 day or double entry.

- Do you need proof of residence ie the address where you are staying, or would a hotel be OK?

Don't know.

- Are there any other requirements?

I took myself and my passport to SCB in Market Village, it took 5-10 minutes.

[caller]

I'm with Kasikorn and opened the account in Korat. We used my wifes families address and I was on the 30 day entry visa at the time.