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What are the recent issues with bank accounts in Thailand, especially for foreigners?

Thai banking issuesFroze bank accountsBangkok BankSCB app issuesMule accountsExpat bankingBank account verification proceduresContacting AOC Centre from abroad
Sep 14, 2025
a day ago
Chris *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Regarding bank accounts.

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TLDR : Answer Summary
Recent discussions have highlighted serious issues concerning frozen bank accounts in Thailand, particularly at Bangkok Bank. Many individuals, including foreigners and Thai citizens, are experiencing account freezes and are facing lengthy waits to retrieve their funds. The causes seem to be linked to the suspicion of accounts being 'mule accounts' associated with illegal activities, thereby placing the burden on users to prove their innocence. This situation has raised significant concerns among expats about the banking process and how to navigate these challenges.
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Lynnette *******
How do they identify mule accounts? As an oldie, I'm just wondering.
16 hours ago
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Jim *******
@Lynnette ******
 Reading the news, unusual high value money movements trigger their (the banks) algorithm. Thais affected, mostly, are those humble street market vendors with QR code, who sell food 50-100 THB and all of a sudden, they get 100 thousand baht into their account that disappears within 1-3 minutes.
14 hours ago
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Jim *******
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Yo***
the funny part here is, the banks suspect your account as mule account or such accounts that related to illegal business etc.. and you must prove you are innocent or nothing to do with that. It is like, police arrest you first because police suspect you. And you must prove that you are innocent.
18 hours ago
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John *****
@Yo***
 like that in most places
17 hours ago
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John *****
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Nick ************
How do you contact the AOC Centre from outside of Thailand please? IE The UK.
18 hours ago
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Markus **********
All this talk about mule accounts is just pure BS. Just admit you don't have a clue what you are doing!
18 hours ago
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Nick ************
@Markus *********
 i doubt that is likely to happen.
18 hours ago
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Nick ************
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Greg *********
Many Thai people now are getting frozen accounts as well, Bangkok Bank has a lot to answer for
19 hours ago
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Andy *******
Useful info .. thanks .. not frozen on accounts yet, but gathering to do info just in case .. and withdrew enough cash to cover me if accounts get frozen .. but this info is helpful, thanks
20 hours ago
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Martyn ***********
Of it's only mule accounts why are people who've proven their innocence with required documents having to wait weeks to have their money released? Weeks of hardship.. Surely they are affected??
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Martyn **********
 because what Bangkok Bank is doing has nothing to do with Bank of Thailand or mule accounts. It's just them being shitty
21 hours ago
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Malcolm *****
@Martyn **********
 Why? It’s called “profit focused” and not “customer focused”
21 hours ago
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Martyn ***********
@Malcolm ****
 money number 1..TiT
20 hours ago
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Martyn ***********
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Chris *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Martyn **********
 Exactly 👍🏻
a day ago
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Chris *****
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Sean *********
My SCB app was blocked a month ago.

Bangkok Bank acct won't allow transfers, but will accept transfers. This is within the past two weeks. I found out about the BKK acct as I arrived in Thailand yesterday, trying to withdraw funds at a DMK ATM.

This is crazy
a day ago
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Garrett ***********
@Sean ********
 The app blockage is because your phone number (or the number associated to your account) isn't registered to you in the national SIM registration. You need to get a Sim card in your name, then update your number. It applied to all bank accounts from July 1st. Bkk bank freezing accounts is because the suck
a day ago
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Nick ************
@Garrett **********
 i have had the same sim card and number in my name for 6 years and still get my account frozen.
18 hours ago
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Garrett ***********
@Nick ***********
 And?
18 hours ago
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Nick ************
@Garrett **********
 just pointing out you are wrong.
18 hours ago
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Garrett ***********
@Nick ***********
 Don't think so, you probably just can't read.
17 hours ago
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Nick ************
@Garrett **********
 so you think I would get a sim card in someone else's name and an account in another just to make things difficult? I can read and you are wrong.
17 hours ago
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Garrett ***********
@Nick ***********
 I wasn't talking to you, not everything is about you. His account wasn't frozen, just access to his banking app was. Consider reading more to increase your IQ and less Facebook.
16 hours ago
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Nick ************
@Garrett **********
 if you want to talk to someone personally then DM them. In future be aware that any comments you make publicly are seen by everyone reading the thread.
16 hours ago
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Garrett ***********
@Nick ***********
 Are you talking to me?
16 hours ago
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Garrett ***********
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Sean *********
@Garrett **********
 thanks for the response. That was just confirmed at the branch. I am at AIS right now. Walked in. The attendant asked "For the bank?" Sheesh!
a day ago
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Sean *********
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Wayne *********
I arrived Wednesday morning went to Bangkok Bank Seacon had my account sorted in 30 minutes tried a transfer yesterday to the Mrs and no problem.
a day ago
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Wayne *********
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Steve ******
I've had to travel from sakon nakhon to pattaya to where I opened my bangkok bank account and now have to wait up to 3 weeks to find out the outcome meanwhile they have got my money and won't release it to me 🙉
a day ago
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Sue **********
@Steve *****
 Do you remember how you opened your account? With what visa? Through an agent?
a day ago
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Steve ******
@Sue *********
 yes I went through a visa agent in pattaya,maneerat soi
****
and I renewed my retirement stay in July for 1 year
a day ago
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Sue **********
@Steve *****
 And which type of visa did you have?
a day ago
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Steve ******
@Sue *********
 the first time I got 90 days then 1 year retirement with multi entry and I've renewed for 1 year with single entry
a day ago
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Steve ******
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Brandon ************
This article is in reference to Thai people whose accounts have been frozen.

If it was relevant to foreigners, it wouldn't just be Bangkok Bank that it's happening to. That mess is purposely created by Bangkok Bank and they're the ones to blame, not BOT.
a day ago
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Trav **********
@Brandon ***********
 whinge, whinge, fuckin whinge.
16 hours ago
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Paul ********
@Brandon ***********
 so why are they doing it?
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Paul *******
 because they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar with the big Chinese account scandal. Now they're overreacting trying to look tough. And in the process they're taking it out on all foreigners. Other banks didn't get caught in scandals and hence are not having these issues.
a day ago
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Paul ********
@Brandon ***********
 I opened an account 10 years ago and never had any problem. I just think maybe they opened to many accounts to easily and did lots for tourists as well so having to put their house in order.
a day ago
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Paul ********
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Paul ********
@Brandon ***********
 why do you think Bangkok bank is to blame for this ?
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Paul *******
 99% of the people with frozen accounts are Bangkok Bank. That's a bank policy, else it would also be reported at every other bank. Since it's not, it's a Bangkok Bank policy to freeze foreign accounts. The BOT has not told banks to freeze foreigner's accounts. Bangkok Bank made th decision to do that all on their own.
a day ago
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Brandon ************
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Chris *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 Yes but I think BB enthusiastically froze many accounts held by foreigners too 😅
a day ago
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Sue **********
@Chris ****
 Yes they did, mostly those whose accounts were opened with tourist visa or even extent visas which was possible some years ago.
a day ago
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Sue **********
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Ron *****
@Brandon ***********
 wondering who was targeted and why, i had no issue with BBL.

Kasikorn however put a 200k transfer limit on my account for some reason, requesting me to come to the branch to fix this
a day ago
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Sue **********
@Ron ****
 Did you undergo the new face recognition procedure at your K+ branch recently where you got a new passbook which allows you to make inbound payments even over 200k? This was also announced in the K+ App some months ago.
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Ron ****
 The limit is a nationwide thing due to fraud. It's determined by a combination of age, and past account usage.
a day ago
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Ron *****
@Brandon ***********
 past account usage... Like what?
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Ron ****
 if you have a history of high balances and transfers then they can assume that's normal for you account and that you can be trusted with higher limits. For low utilization accounts, no need for more than 50k per day.
a day ago
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Brandon ************
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