globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 is it easy enough for a farang to open up an account in LOS and which is best bank for us to do so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saab1 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Well i know when i opened a Thai bank account, i had to show my apartment agreement of proof of where i was staying in Thailand, and a copy of my passport, when i opened the account, i told the bank clerk, i wanted to transfer funds, to save me bringing cash with me, i had a bank book within 2 weeks, now that was about 5 year ago, things may have changed now 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepthroat Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Kasikorn was the best bank for me to set up at, I set up my account three or four years ago and all I needed was my passport, a cell phone number that I could give them and that I had access to, and a local address, I use the address of my hotel. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 so they don't care if the cell number is potentially only temporary ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I like DT set up a Kasikorn account several years ago. I just had a passport, tourist visa (which probably wasn't needed) and a mobile phone number. You will need to give them an address so have one prepaired. They will never send anything to that address but they still wanted one. I used the address of Mosaik apartments. My phone number has changed several times since I opened my account. You have to fill out a form to change your phone number. If you ever get serious about online banking or bill paying you will need an active phone number registered as they send you codes via SMS you need to perform some online banking tasks. Set up your Kasikorn account in whatever city you plan to spend the most time. Kasikorn has Thailand broken up into a number of districts. Bangkok and Pattaya are not in the same district. If you make an out of district withdrawl with you Kasikorn ATM card you will get charged 10-20 baht. In district ATM use is free. So if like me you often stop in BKK for a few days and then spend much more time in Pattaya open your account in Pattaya. One other thing I would suggest. I have the debt card limit on my ATM/debit card set to zero. I had my card stolen once and someone made a health charge on the card. It seems in Thailand, or at least Pattaya, that a purchase with a debit card does not require a pin. So I have my card set up so it is only an ATM card. As a result I carry it everywhere and often take out amounts like 900B, some times more than once at a time, from ATMs so I always have "small money". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 does it allow unlimited monthly no fee "transaction" /atm withdrawals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I do a lot of withdrawls every month and never noticed a fee. I do two, three or four transactions a day sometimes. If your not as anal as me about not getting 1000 baht notes one would do a lot less transactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 sounds good about no fees and good advice about atm card only as I have no desire to use it as a debit card anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 I do a lot of withdrawls every month and never noticed a fee. I do two, three or four transactions a day sometimes. If your not as anal as me about not getting 1000 baht notes one would do a lot less transactions. Just curious whats so wrong with 1000 baht notes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdogg Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Just curious whats so wrong with 1000 baht notes? I prefer to carry 500 baht notes instead of 1000's. This way, there's no chance, that I'll get back change for a 500 when I actually paid with a 1000. So like my buddy xyzzy, I use the 900 baht method which means my bankbook fills up quickly. So this year I've been going to the bank and withdraw about 10K and ask for 9000 in 500's and the rest in 100's. I'm not a big spender, it's very rare that a night out on the piss will cost me more than 1000 baht. Guys who go out with 10K baht in their pocket might not want to carry that many 500's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I'm not as parinoid about 1000 baht bills as some but since I have the ATM card I seldom use them. Some smaller bars have trouble making change for 1000 at the end of the night, etc. "You have small money?". I had that happen at Sensations once this trip on one of the few nights when I did just only have a 1k note. I usually present 1000 baht bills in a manner that makes it obvious I know I'm giving them 1000 so I hopefully won't get short changed. Just one less thing to worry about when you are shit faced at the end of the night. Right now in my wallet i have one 500 and 17 100s. Some of the ATMs give 1 500 and 4 100 baht bills when you get 900 (which I prefer). But many give nine 100 baht bills. Although if I start the night with 1800 baht and it turns out to be a crazy night I might have to remember to reload at the ATM, risk running out of money or using the emergency 500 folded away in my wallet. And there is always girl money in my safe for the morning. Sorry big thread phuck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I was just looking at the 50+ page 'opening a Thai bank account' thread on pattaya-addicts. It seems these days it is a bit of a crap shoot. One guy reported getting an account at a Bangkok Bank branch on Soi Buakhao (I don't know where that branch is) with only tourist type documents. BKK bank use to be hard unless you live in Thailand. One guy wanted to open an account with 3,000,000 baht and went to three BKK bank branches before the third finally would open an account. Kasikorn seems to be hit or miss now. So you might have to try several branches. One guy tried a bunch of places in Central Festival and had no luck. One might want to check out the thread over on addicts as to the lastest hints as to which branch to try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I opened mine in Kasikorn, Royal Garden about 2 years ago without any hassle so that's one branch you may try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 so far everyone has opened an acct at Kasikorn, are they that much better or it it just easier there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyzzy Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 so far everyone has opened an acct at Kasikorn, are they that much better or it it just easier there? Kasikorn use to be a sure thing and most others were impossible. That is why most everyone has a K bank account. But things change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdogg Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Kasikorn use to be a sure thing and most others were impossible. That is why most everyone has a K bank account. But things change... Yup. And there are plenty of ATMs in Pattaya. But the bank officer will try to push the high fee debit card on you that has features you don't need and not even present the Cheap Charlie ATM card as an alternative so she can hit her quota. The card fee should only be 100-200 baht. If you're a Yank and you want to have in the vicinity of 10K USD in your accout it is best to have less than 10K as with 10K or more total in all foreign accounts you're required to file a Treasury form. There are some advantages for Americans and Brits to have a Bangkok Bank account if wiring money in as instead of a Swift Transfer you can do an ACH transaction to Bangkok Bank New York and Brits have a similar scheme with the london branch.. The fee is $10 plus 500 baht for most accounts. But for me it'snot the lower fee but it is connected to an American account and with one click I can wire money in. Not sure how I would initiate a Swift Transfer from the States with me being in the LOS as often banks want signed forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 I can't see myself keeping much if any cash in my acct when I'm not there (90% of the time) so will they close it or do they expect you to keep a certain balance to keep acct active? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumblebee Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 2000 B is what they told me recently. After 6 months if there is no activity I think they said they will take out 50 B every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 2000 B is what they told me recently. After 6 months if there is no activity I think they said they will take out 50 B every month. so even if your balance dips below 2000 tbt they won't actually close your acct just take the 50 per month until the money runs out, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance2546 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 ^ My Kasikorn balance is below 100 baht and I've been out of country since Nov 2014. Account still open, no deductions or fees to date Previously I was out of the country from Sep 2011 until Aug 2012, balance under 100 baht, with only one 50 baht inactivity fee. * Not contradicting BB, just sharing my experience with my account. I've found that individual branches, like Immigration, have their own, unique, interpretations of the regulations :) YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 ^ My Kasikorn balance is below 100 baht and I've been out of country since Nov 2014.Account still open, no deductions or fees to datePreviously I was out of the country from Sep 2011 until Aug 2012, balance under 100 baht, with only one 50 baht inactivity fee.* Not contradicting BB, just sharing my experience with my account. I've found that individual branches, like Immigration, have their own, unique, interpretations of the regulations :)YMMV thanks for sharing, thats good to hear, also wondered if I gave my address as a hotel as in named the actual hotel (not just gave the street address) if that is a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketSquirrel Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have a k bank account that i started at the bank near Nana Station. I just realized last year that I had been signed up for some kind of insurance that was costing me 500 thb/year. I have no idea how that was started. I did not knowingly ask for it! Hahaha. Anyway, it's all sorted now. It's a weird thing signing paperwork that you can't understand :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketSquirrel Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 thanks for sharing, thats good to hear, also wondered if I gave my address as a hotel as in named the actual hotel (not just gave the street address) if that is a problem I would probably bring a business card from the hotel and maybe have something like a hotel receipt in my back pocket just in case. It's amazing what a little bit of paperwork can do sometimes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globetrotter Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 I have a k bank account that i started at the bank near Nana Station. I just realized last year that I had been signed up for some kind of insurance that was costing me 500 thb/year. I have no idea how that was started. I did not knowingly ask for it! Hahaha. Anyway, it's all sorted now. It's a weird thing signing paperwork that you can't understand :) wow thats hilarious and for some crazy reason I stupidly figured that they would provide paperwork translated into English for farangs starting an acct, but alas this is Thailand , why on earth would they provide you a legal document that you can actually understand , what the hell was I thinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kahuna Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 wow thats hilarious and for some crazy reason I stupidly figured that they would provide paperwork translated into English for farangs starting an acct, but alas this is Thailand , why on earth would they provide you a legal document that you can actually understand , what the hell was I thinking And I suppose any visiting Thai could walk into any bank in the USA and find all the docs requiring signature translated into Thai... You're a visitor...Your criticism is patently unfair......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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