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What should you do if your Thai bank account freezes?

Oct 1, 2025
2 months ago
Greg *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Was asked to post this.

It possibly can help someone. Hope it will.

If something didnโ€™t help or it did. Good to share your experience. Good luck.

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ ๐†๐ซ๐ž๐ โ€™๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐ข๐ ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ: ๐–๐ก๐ž๐ง ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐“๐ก๐š๐ข ๐๐š๐ง๐ค ๐€๐œ๐œ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐…๐ซ๐ž๐ž๐ณ๐ž๐ฌ

More and more foreigners in Thailand are facing the same nightmare: accounts suddenly frozen.

No warning. No access. No way to pay bills or even buy lunch.

Soโ€ฆ whatโ€™s your Plan B?

โœ… Smart Safeguards

Multi-Currency Debit Cards

Wise โ†’ [members only]/

Revolut โ†’ revolut.com

N26 โ†’ n26.com

Payoneer โ†’ payoneer.com

Remitly โ†’ remitly.com

Hold THB or auto-convert from USD/EUR at real rates. Add to Apple Pay/Google Pay โ†’ works at stores that accept contactless Visa/Mastercard (not PromptPay QR)

Works at ATMs and most Visa/Mastercard terminals (some Big C stores, larger retailers). Note: Wise/Revolut cards donโ€™t work with Thailandโ€™s local PromptPay QR system, but they do work where contactless Visa/Mastercard is accepted.

Keep an Overseas Account Active

Donโ€™t close your home account. Link your Wise/Revolut card to spend in Thailand. Even if your local account freezes, youโ€™re still liquid.

Fintech Platforms

Use Wise, Payoneer, or Remitly for cross-border bill payments and transfers. Faster and cheaper than SWIFT.

Local Anchors

Property ownership, marriage visas, or long-term visas give stronger eligibility. Banks are far less likely to target these than tourist accounts.

Split Your Risk

Donโ€™t rely on one bank. Keep part overseas, part in fintech, part local. If one channel freezes, the others keep you going.

โ„๏ธ If Your Account Is Frozen

Call 1441 โ†’ press 2 (anti-scam/unfreeze hotline)

If unresolved, escalate via BOT hotline 1213 (Financial Consumer Protection Center).

File a complaint with BOTโ€™s Financial Consumer Protection Center (FCC):

Call 1213 or email fcc@bot.or.th

Submit via BOT Helps & Complaints portal

[members only]

Include passport, account number, branch, visa, proof of address, and evidence of legitimate transactions.

Visit your original branch with:

Passport & visa docs

Proof of Thai address

Thai mobile number in your name

Bank statements / recent transaction evidence

Show proof of legal status (work, retirement, marriage, long-term visa).

Ask the bank to release only the โ€œsuspicious portionโ€ of funds (per BOT guidance).

โš ๏ธ Reality Check

Crackdowns on mule accounts and scams are driving this โ€” but many innocent foreigners are caught in the net.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Donโ€™t wait until your account is frozen. Build your backup plan now.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post provides advice for foreigners in Thailand on what to do if their bank accounts are unexpectedly frozen. It outlines preventative measures such as using multi-currency debit cards, keeping overseas accounts active, and diversifying banking methods between local and international systems. Additionally, it includes specific steps to take if an account is frozen, such as contacting hotlines and submitting official complaints. The conversation highlights the increasing issues foreigners face regarding bank account access, often due to regulatory crackdowns.
Jony ****
You mentioned "property ownership" along with marriage visas and long-term visas.

Where can you verify that with a property title and tourist visa, your account will be unfrozen?
Brandon ************
Most foreigner accounts are not being frozen due to suspicious of scam though. All of this information is about accounts closed for that.

Most foreigner accounts have been frozen due to KYC, which was specifically called out as being separate from all these hotlines and phone numbers and people to contact for help.
Ray *****
After many years in both Thailand and Cambodia I have accounts in both.

One definite benefit now is both accounts can pay in each others countries using the QR codes,, certainly of big businesses mom and papa stores not so much but certainly for the bigger bills. And getting accounts in Cambodia is still fairly easy
Ross *********
@Ray ****
with cambodian account you can have thai bath currency and pay with prompt pay in thailand?
Ray *****
@Ross ********
no , that's not how it works. You have a Riel balance and it shows as Baht in Thailand.

It's an agreement between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

For example and this works in each country. I go to buy something in Lotus in Bangkok and it's 100b. I go to pay by scan with my Cambodian account. The price would show in my app as
*****
Riel and 100 Baht. . The Riel amount would come out of my Cambodian account and Lotus would be paid in Baht.

Same the other way. If I use my Thai account in Cambodia and something is 4000 Riel it would show in my Thai account as about 33baht. And the local vendor gets paid in Riel.

So yes you can pay with promptpay in Thailand but generally for business not personal accounts
Ross *********
@Ray ****
what I need to open account in Cambodia? Are there banks safe?
Ray *****
@Ross ********
I use ABA had the account over 10 years with no issues. They are owned by the national bank of Canada. All been very safe. I needed a 6 month visa when I opened my account
Shin ******
I feel stuck that I was not able to open a Thai Bank account when I first got to Thailand. Because this is a real nightmare that people are going through, these are all really good ideas. I wonder what the banks end results will as people will no longer feel safe with Thai banks.๐Ÿคท๐Ÿพโ€โ™€๏ธ
Anonymous ******************
Nice one ๐Ÿ‘Œ
Anonymous ******************
Cash, and crypto.

You can exchange usdt in some moneychangers and there are many businesses also that take Bitcoin and crypto.

Also no crypto taxes
Marcus ******
MoretaPay is another useful app
Ross *********
@Marcus *****
its for business only
Marcus ******
@Ross ********
its not, you can use it anywhere that accepts QR payment
Ross *********
@Marcus *****
not true, it works only for business QR codes
Malcolm *****
โ€œVisit your original branchโ€ - are we in the 1970โ€™s, are all of the facsimile machines broken and all of the carrier pidgeons dead?
Ning ******
Always keep some real cash on hand.
Sander **********
Thanks ๐Ÿ™ Just common sense๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘†
Joe ***********
Using "TrueMoney" app to pay all utilities and most shopping places like Lotus. I'll survive. They closed my account last week.
Sasa **************
@Joe **********
Can TrueMoney work with tourist visa? I used it years ago on ED visa, later they disabled my account and asked for Non-O visa OR Thai driving license, I was oh tourist visa so I uploaded my Thai driving license, manu times, but nothing happened, my TrueMoney account is still inactive :(
Rick ************
Lucky you can get TrueMoney working.

Can't even get past the facial recognition ๐Ÿ™

Also even doesn't load with Developer mode enabled :(
Joe ***********
@Sasa *************
Yes, I am on a DTV which is a tourist visa.
Sasa **************
@Joe **********
Good for you man... Did you easily activate it? (uploading passport & visa pic?). I couldn't get to activate my TrueMoney on tourist visa at all, I uploaded my passport, Thai Driving licence, all they asked for, then waiting for approval, and nothing... :(
Brad ********
@Joe **********
Moreta is solid for supermarkets and any official business QR code. Believe you also get 1% cash back too. Their conversion rate is pretty competitive too which pairs well with the 1% cash back
Benidorm *******
@Joe **********
when they close your account. You go to bank and they give you all the cash you had in it I guess ?
Joe ***********
Greg *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Joe **********
Thanks for sharing this, Joe ๐Ÿ™ Many members will find it helpful to know TrueMoney can cover utilities and shopping. If others have alternative solutions, please share โ€” it could really help someone stuck in the same situation.
Andi ***********
Very useful info