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What tax information is needed for U.S. passport holders transferring bank accounts in Thailand?
Banking in ThailandVisa RequirementsU.S. PassportThai Tax AuthoritiesAccount Transfer ProcessExpat Banking
May 5, 2024
2 years ago
Ray **********
ORIGINAL POSTERSo I went to Bangkok bank close to where I live with the purpose of transferring my account from where I first opened it to where I now live. After much talking of the bank employees amongst themselves I was told because I have a U.S. passport I would need to bring information from the Thai tax authorities can anyone help me understand what they need?
TLDR : Answer Summary
A U.S. passport holder attempting to transfer their bank account to a new branch in Thailand was advised by Bangkok Bank employees that they would need tax information from the Thai tax authorities. Community members shared their experiences, noting that account transfers between branches often require opening a new account, which can be inconvenient. They also discussed challenges regarding passport updates and obtaining bank statements for immigration purposes, emphasizing the necessity of visiting the home branch for some services. The consensus suggests it may be easier to maintain the existing account or utilize mobile banking to avoid unnecessary charges when accessing funds from a different province.
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Christopher *************
Leave it where it is.
Av **********
Normal..uncle Sam wants a cut
Tony ********
At the very least they are asking for a TIN, tax idendification number. This has to be applied for at your local tax office.
Nick ********
Get a TTB All Free account. You can use any atm without fees. I paid 700 baht to open the account a few years ago.
Carlo ******************
Never had any transfer problems with BKK Bank...
Bart **************
Just open another account and transfer everything over.
Ray **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Bart *************
That is what I was trying to do when the problem about income taxes came intoplayTony *********
@Bart *************
or just leave it as it is but change the address.Bart **************
@Tony ********
then you pay every time you withdraw money. A little bit counterintuitively, Thai banks charge when you take you money in a different province, whereas withdrawing in the same province but from a competing bank is usually free for a few times per month. There are more disadvantages of having the account registered in another province; there are things only your home branch can do.Tony *********
@Bart *************
I don't get charged an ATM fee because I use cardless withdrawals. I can also get a bank statement with my new address for immigration purposes. At this point I can't think of any reason to visit my home Branch because even when I was in the home province I had never visited the branch since I opened the account nearly 10 years ago. I got a new ATM card issued at the branch in the new province and I have the banking app. That's all I need. I have absolutely no reason to ever visit the physical branch.Bart **************
@Tony ********
alright, if you can work around any possible restrictions you might save yourself the effort.Tony *********
@Bart *************
I don't know of any restrictions at all. I get money from an ATM machine with cardless withdrawals and pay for almost everything by scanning with QR codes. That's all I need. And I also have a Kasikorn virtual Mastercard debit card that I can use for online purchases. And when I needed to renew my plastic ATM card I didn't have to go to my home Branch but to the new branch that I changed my address to in the province where I now live.Reply to
Tony *********
Reply
Jonathin *******
Four years ago I got a new passport.
Bangkok Bank couldn’t even update that info to my account. Their only solution was to close my account and open a new one.
Bangkok Bank couldn’t even update that info to my account. Their only solution was to close my account and open a new one.
Ling *****
@Jonathin ******
whilst I have no doubt this happened to you, my Bangkok Bank branch has had to do 2 new passports for me and I did not have to close my account that I have held for over 20 years. Must have been a branch thing.Jonathin *******
@Ling ****
Your probably right. Every bank, every branch seem to have their own set of rules. FYI, it was the Siam Paragon branch.Les ***********
@Jonathin ******
I think it is more that they don't know how.And won't admit it.
That is quite common in Thailand.
Cannot lose face.
Ling *****
@Jonathin ******
mines the big branch on second Rd in Pattaya just before big c.Reply to
Ling *****
Reply
Stuart ***********
As others have stated, there's no need to transfer your account. If your reason is to avoid paying charges to access your money, use the mobile app instead to withdraw money or go into the bank with your card and passport. If the reason is to get your annual visa letter/statement etc then they can do this at a different branch to your home branch anyway. I opened my account in Hua Hin then moved to Sriracha and the bank provided the information required for immigration in less than 10 minutes earlier this year. Good luck.
Tony *********
@Stuart **********
I avoid the ATM fee by doing cardless withdrawals.John ********
@Tony ********
how many times you going to say that in the same thread?Tony *********
@John *******
I'm craving for human company. 😀Reply to
Tony *********
Reply
Will ************
I think they want you to be tax registered in Thailand.
Gregory ********
Cannot transfer accounts in Thailand—need to open another account if you want it with your home town branch—why change branches anyway—what can you do if you open a new account that you cannot do with your existing account
Tim *********
@Gregory *******
all you can do is avoid a 30 baht withdrawal feePaul *********
@Gregory *******
some banks will not do the bank financial statement for immigration unless it’s at your home branch. This happened to me with Bangkok bank. Also, there is normally an extra charge for using your own bank’s ATM outside of the province you live in with the bank’s debit card.Gregory ********
@Paul ********
okay understand—but if they asking for tax info—it will be easier to take a trip to the old branch—once a year for your visa statements and the atm charge cannot be that high surelyPaul *********
@Gregory *******
For me, it’s difficult to travel to my old branch. Currently living in Phuket, but my original branch is in Ubon Ratchathani - quite a distance. Bangkok bank charge 30 baht for each transaction with an ATM debit card outside of the home branch province. But I’ve since been able to use the Cardless ATM withdrawal using the bank app which doesn’t incur a charge.Reply to
Paul *********
Reply
Christopher *************
Why change account its pointless
Keith *********
@Christopher ************
Because they charge you when you withdraw money out of atm not in your original province.Christopher *************
@Keith ********
no they don't, my account was phuket I now have lived in bkk for over a year and take money out with bangkok bank there is no charge , also use card less withdrawal and again no chargeKeith *********
@Christopher ************
Will have to agree to disagree on this. Yes you can use QR with no charge, but when I use Kasikorn or B.B. atm out of province I do get charged.Christopher *************
@Keith ********
Keith do you use cardless ATM withdrawal at your banks atms?Keith *********
@Christopher ************
I can do but prefer to use my card. If I use my Chiang Mai BB card in Sukhothai I get charged and the same if I use my Sukhothai Kasikorn card in Chiang Mai I get charged. So I just transfer funds to avoid the charges. These charges have been applied with my BB card for the past 18 years and about 5 years with my Kasikorn card.Christopher *************
@Keith ********
please try cardless ATM withdrawal Keith I'm 99 percent sure you won't get chargedChristopher *************
@Keith ********
ah ok I'm bangkok bank I have not been charged in over 1.50 years so far 🤞Reply to
Christopher *************
Reply
Otto *********
Most likely, because the branch number is part of your account number. That would have to be changed.
Carsten ************
I was not allowed to transfer my account to another Bangkok Bank branch. I would have to open a new one.
Tony *********
@Carsten ***********
it's weird. I managed to change my address from my home branch to another branch in another province and even got issued a new ATM card from that branch but the account still resides with the home branch. So I've left it at that. No need to close and open another account.Carsten ************
@Tony ********
For a couple of tasks you have to visit your home branch. It's insane.Tony *********
@Carsten ***********
what kind of tasks would that be? It would be worth knowing why you would need to visit your home branch.Carsten ************
@Tony ********
I once needed a bank statement for non-o extension. 1 out of 12 transfers from overseas came marked domestic, via TransferWise. I had to visit my home branch. I know from others, there are more tasks refused by some "not home branch".Tony *********
@Carsten ***********
I even used the branch in the province where I now live to give them my new passport details.Reply to
Tony *********
Reply
Phil ******
@Ray *********
firstly is it Bangkok bank account you are changingRay **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Phil *****
yesPhil ******
@Ray *********
ok then go to this bank to see if you have a tax number . If not try SCB as they seem easier than bangkok bank. Oh btw I am with Bangkok bankReply to
Phil ******
Reply
Garrett ***********
You can't transfer accounts to new branches, you have to open a new account. Don't ask why, it's never made any sense but that's how it is here, with any bank.
Brian **********
@Garrett **********
As far as quirks go in Thailand, not being able to transfer your bank account to another branch doesn’t even make the top 1,000Tony *********
@Garrett **********
you can change the address on your account. I just did that with my Kasikorn account. It shows my new address on the statement but it still refers to the home account branch where I opened it. So there's no need to open a new account. The only thing I am lumbered with is a fee when I use my ATM card because it's not in the home province. So I avoid that by doing cardless ATM withdrawals. No big deal, but it's a bit of a weird rule in Thailand.Garrett ***********
@Tony ********
Literally has nothing to do with what I said. You pay an "out of province" ATM fee because your account is in a different province than where you live, and you can't change that, ever.Tony *********
@Garrett **********
yes that's true which is why I use cardless ATM withdrawals thereby avoiding the fee.Reply to
Tony *********
Reply
Robert *********
@Garrett **********
I guess the dont want to give up their portofolio. and they know asking to open a new account would deter most people from doing it...Jack ******
@Gar****
, correct. I confirm after trying to move UOB account from BKK to CNX! Stupidity in the system! Also cannot transfer FX (foreign exchange) to THB online, can only do in branch office, But, can transfer FX to overseas online???????Reply to
Jack ******
Reply
Marty *********
When I tried to do this with Kasikorn bank it meant literally opening a new account. I ended up just changing my mailing address. I now live in Sisaket province but my official Kasikorn bank branch remains in Phra Khanong, Bangkok
Jeff *********
@Marty ********
so what does changing your address do, if you use your card in Sisaket to make a withdrawal you aren’t charged a fee?The different province thing is ridiculous and like you said moving your account is basically impossible.
Marty *********
@Jeff ********
Cardless withdrawal using my phone. No charges.Jeff *********
@Marty ********
like cash in hand from an atm machine ?Marty *********
@Jeff ********
At Kasikorn. I don’t know anything about other banksGary ******
@Marty ********
SCB also do cardless withdrawals using a combination of your phone number regustered with the bank and a code from your appMarty *********
@Jeff ********
yes 👍Reply to
Marty *********
Reply
Tony *********
@Marty ********
I did the same. I'm now living in Udon but my home branch remains in Phuket. I just changed the address. Kasikorn has now made it easier to avoid ATM fees because you can now do cardless withdrawals from a Bangkok Bank ATM as well as Kasikorn. I resent having to pay a fee just because I'm in another province.Jeff *********
@Tony ********
I’m not up on the card less withdrawals but I need to find out how that works.Tony *********
@Jeff ********
it's very straightforward if you are used to making payments by scanning a QR code with your banking app. You set up how much you want to withdraw beforehand and when you select cardless withdrawal on the ATM you're presented with a QR code which you scan with your phone and out pops the cash!Jeff *********
@Tony ********
very cool, thanks I’ll give it a try next timeMarty *********
@Jeff ********
After losing 2 cards I was motivated to. Go to a branch and ask them to teach you how to do it. It’s worth it.Reply to
Marty *********
Reply
Marty *********
@Tony ********
I started using cordless withdrawals after losing 2 cards in 2 months.Tony *********
@Marty ********
I always have my phone with me so there doesn't seem to be much point in carrying extra plastic.Reply to
Tony *********
Reply
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