What can my friend do about his frozen Bangkok Bank account while living in the UK?

@Reinhard *******

They are not stealing your money. No one has lost any money and if they did, it would be a case for the police. They are simply freezing the account until the holder meets the right criteria. Yes, it is annoying, but there have been so many "mule" accounts and other frauds. I have 3 bank accounts I Thailand and all 3 " reminded" me of the rules about telephone number and bank account being in the same name. I went with proof of this and 5 minutes in each place, everything was corrected. I had a bank account " frozen " in a European country where I lived and worked for 25 years, and have 2 children there. It was frozen because I didn't live there anymore. A simple call to the bank and they told me to transfer all the money to Thailand even though I travel to that country 3 or 4 times a year to visit my kids. Yes, it's annoying, but these rules exist because there are so many people who abuse the system. Btw, we still don't know why the OP's account is frozen.

Oh they definitely *will* freeze old accounts. The banks are being pushed by the government to update/come into compliance with 'know your customer' regulations. Freezing accounts is, IMO, going about it in about the dumbest and most ham fisted way possible, but they're not doing it without reason. Regulatory compliance is a perfectly valid reason.

@Bruce ***********

well he does say his friend " visits" Thailand as a tourist, which implies that he comes regularly.

@Martin ****

I did Tuesday. Withdrew 800k. Would rather do with scan but they keep refusing up limit . Bangkok bank is better for me.

@Allan ******

Hi Allan, I am also from Scotland. That’s a complex question and depends on many things. If you need the money to live on then it’s an easy answer..cash in and transfer to a Wise account. (Currently giving about 3.75%). If your question is about investment then gold has recently been hyped and increased in value exponentially due to risk in the last 12 months. And although the world is still a dangerous place and the value of gold is hedged to go higher. It could also just as quickly retrace significantly. So it’s a bit of a gamble. And if that £50k is your total pot then I’m not sure it’s a gamble I would take. The other thing is that gold in Thailand is high % 24k yellow gold (and there are lots of counterfeit around) whereas most U.K. gold (bullion) is produced by the mint and assayed accordingly. If you really insist on buying into gold within your budget. I would recommend buying gold brittania’s, 1 oz, 99.999% gold, from Wilkinsons Bullion in the U.K.

Or if you are happy to just get some tax free interest then open a cash ISA for the maximum allowed.

Regards, Rich

@Allan ******

yes . ISA matured this week. I already spent it on gold here

@Jonnie ******

tried numerous times in app, phone calls and visit branch. Always refused. Said my daily limits meet my lifestyle ... i spent 935k on gold this week. What that know about my lifestyle

@Jon **********

why are you being ridiculous!! If you have long term visa you keep the account or have the alternative to open another. Go to another bank, passport, any other ID like driving licence is helpful, house book or rental agreement plus certificate of residence from immigration, they open an account in 20 mins then load app on your phone. Ensure your phone is registered in your name, min deposit 300 baht

@Jon **********

That's the way crooks have done it since day one! Fortunately for those of us who have followed the rules, we're unaffected

@Martin ********

some 2 weeks, some 6 weeks as the queue got longer. But living here we all know everything is slowly, my friend's court case concerning her late husband Will is running into 3rd year. In the meantime she's borrowing funds to survive.

@Frank ********

The groups get blasted because people can't act and think normally.

Check the posts about "I have problems with my neighbors".. Most of the time you get answers like "Go to court" or "They did something illegal, go to land office".

In a normal discussion, after two messages you get responses like "you are full of shit" or worse. And people think that is the normal way for adults to communicate.

Buy a cannon to kill a mouse. The simplest of answers: Have you communicated with them? Have you been at the bank to ask what you should do?

But in the age of whatsapp and messenger oneliners people are just not capable of normal communication anymore. Sad but it is what it is.

@Ian *********

So he's got a bank account in Thailand but has no plans to visit?

@Pete *********

Thats a him problem isn't it

@Pete *********

If he's in the UK, he simply waits until he's in Thailand again, and sorts it out then. Simple huh?

@Damo **********

using your logic Why are people having so much trouble.??? Being a smart arse does not help the situation

@Giuseppe *********

, it's not like that. It's a temporary step by the Thai government due to a lot of complaints.The frozen accounts will be activated soon as the process is going on. Thanks.

@Giuseppe *********

Thailand: the land of a constant flow of new bad ideas, masquerading as good ideas and improvements.

@Giuseppe *********

It's those not following the rules who are being suspended. Sadly, it was "mafia" before, with agents and lawyers opening bank accounts and paying bribes. Now those days are coming to a close, the affected expats are crying

@Giuseppe *********

follow the rules, be calm when speaking to the staff and you'll find them to be more than helpful. Remember that person on the desk doesn't make the rules but sits all day listening to angry people. I've been with 2 expats who had problems and all is resolved. They definitely need proof who you are!

@Giuseppe *********

TiT