What are the safest Thai banks for expats to avoid account freezes?

Alex Robinson As a foreigner, no one can trust foreign banks and immigration. that is not only Thailand. If I go to your country as foreigner, I surely do not trust your country bank and immigration. You the same if you come to my country. But I surely understand your distrust. 😅

Lindsay Sales I also got that email from wise. It says, from August, customer agreement will changed to Thai wise under Thai law. I am living more than one year, Wise automatically knows that I am living in Thailand. Some changes are here, to be honest, the change is really bad for non o retirement visa holders. They all have Thai bank account. Usually they only use Wise to transfer their money into Thai bank. I also do not need THB account in wise. I already have thai banks, so easier to use Thai banks in Thailand. One thing changed bothers me. If I transfer my money from overseas, where my money is, to my home country, I used Wise to transfer it directly into my home bank account. not from Thailand, but an other country. But now it costs double now. this means, I must pay double now. twice conversion is necessary. but funny thing is, my transfer has nothing to do with Thailand. from another country to an other country. Thailand has nothing to do with this. Why I have to exchange twice??? I think from now, when I do this, I will just use bank transfer. So the cost is almost the same. But bank direct transfer can be unlimited and very fast. Sometimes, wise is not trustful at all. Thanks to Wise. I will transfer via my bank direct wires to send my money to my home country from another country. 😂

Rick Ny you home bank can also lock your accounts at a whim too. All banks in this world are almost like that.

John Kenealy Wise emailed today informing from 1 August my account will transfer from my home country to being a Thai account. They inform this will incur 2 exchange rates - 1 when funds come in and a 2nd when funds go out to another country. Did anyone else get this message or is it another scam? Perhaps Revolut will emerge as preferable?

DeterminedFrog5505 I did. Just go in with your new passport and ask them. It’s easy and free. If they don’t care then they will tell you.

Tomas Arndt absolutely incorrect

Mick Lor can you tell me who you use offshore please I need somewhere to put a large amount

Mick Lor who do you use for your off shore account. Thanks

Phil Taylor yep..the name on a yellow book was just said to me. It took me 7 weeks to get my account unfrozen in Bangkok (I now live in Hua Hin) I needed Passport, drivers license, resident certificate, lease, house book, landlords id. They also wanted a letter from the embassy, which they dont do, a valid foreign drivers license (which is now expired) and my passport verified. I am lucky I had Krungsri

@John *********

Based on personal experience, I'd say Bangkok Bank is the least friendly, least technically competent, and most difficult bank to use.

Bryan Kilvinski 🤣🤣 💯 agree

Pretty sure that unless your account has been flagged by the police the only reason they freeze it is to comply with the regulations that they have to follow and when you correct it by giving them proper proof of mobile telephone number registration they release it. It's a one-time thing, it doesn't happen randomly.

All true which is why I have three different accounts in my home country and in Thailand. My money is always available.

Mark Schultz too positive you think. What if you are outside of Thailand while your bank account is frozen. You can not use any transactions until you go to your bank and cleared it all. But what if you can not come back to Thailand for one month period ? for your urgent personal reason? They will close your account after that. No arguments. The thing is, if your bank account is connected to your visa extension etc... Immigration things. You can not get any of documents form your bank for immigration use. Thai immigration does not care if your bank has closed your account bla bla. no bank documents, no permit. So, your extension will be rejected. Just bank account frozen a while is endurable. but if you are out of Thailand can not come back within the time, or you are unable to manage it for any reason, your stay permit will be rejected by the immigration. Banks are strongly connected to your visa and stay permit in Thailand. 😂

Brad Fechner was it a phone number problem?

Paul Grove you can't generalize. I know some people who had very bad experiences with K Bank.

@Rob ******

same here. When I was an Australian Volunteer Abroad from 1997-2000, I had to open a Savings Account with KTB; and from the 26 years ago I started a 2nd account - with Bangkok Bank (as the active one for all incoming monies from overseas and changed KTB account into a term investment type. Opened a higher interest account with LHB.

I shave had no issues with any of the 3 banks. The banks are frozen if activity spears to be suspect

@Rob ******

i’m a newbie I’ve only been with them 19 years but I have not had a problem either but I totally comply with the rules

@Aaron *******

This isn’t correct. Plenty of people on both retirement and spouse/child visa had their accounts frozen. I’m sure most got them unfrozen after visiting the branch with updated phone number or whatever, but it was still frozen.

@Aaron *******

not true. I’m on retirement visa and mine was frozen.

@Aaron *******

actually not. They can freeze your account for the reason of KYC, and suspicious transactions. At any time, they can do this, and you already agreed and signed when you opened the account. Just good luck to everyone.

@Aaron *******

many, 100s had there accounts frozen by Bangkok Bank while on long term visas.

@Aaron *******

well I've never had anything BUT a tourist Visa or Visa exempt entry in 36 years and with the same bank now 33 years.......Never remotely had account frozen. Always keep it active and lob in £10 via Wise if unused for extended periods. Acknowledge it could happen tomorrow but also all reports I see seem to revolve around Bangkok Bank

Michael Winter I agree that I also have a k bank account and they're very good. But that said I've had the Bangkok bank account since 2005 and that I have had zero issues with as well

Michael Winter got big problems with kasikorn after selling my condo. When they wanted me to go back to bkk from Lampang. So I withdraw my 6 millions on the spot, crossed the street and opened an account in Bangkok bank in 10mn, no problem since then.

Michael Winter That is why you had no problem. 🤣

Andrew Seaton I completely agree. My wife has Kasikorn and I have Krungthai. We like them both very much

Andrew Seaton Same here, Wise for exchange.and transfer to Kasikorn.

Andrew Seaton Bangkok Bank for years, never a problem.

Paul Anthony McDermott comply with their KYC?? KYC means to the bank, not to the customers. bank must comply with Know your customers. They do it. Not customers do it. If the customers do this, we have to Know Your Bank. KYB. And what actually a customer does for KYC???? A customer already gave all info they needed. And know more what??? do a customer let the bank know how much he paid for bar girls? or what foods he ate today? KYC is for bank, not for customers. If they do not know customers, why they freeze and close customers accounts? What the customers did wrong?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣Bank froze your account to know you better??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Paul Anthony McDermott what are heir (appropriate typo) KYC policies??