@Lee-Ann ******

That's a good point and definitely true...but even there, you'll be surprised...while culturally, Thailand's neighbors are very similar to one another, some of their policies on banking, immigration, even land ownership may differ considerably to Thailand.

For instance, Malaysia, which is a collection of federated states, each have their own rules on whether foreigners can own land. Some states allow it, some don't. Most states allow foreigners to own residential land / properties above a certain value (leaving cheaper properties for Malaysians) but ban foreign ownership of farmland.

Cambodia remains easy when it comes to banking for foreigners and their accounts are in USD too, which is handy.

Vietnam is a disaster when it comes to banking. Highly restrictive; can't transfer money abroad online, no deposit ATMs. Very old school...only foreigners working in Vietnam can open accounts at all.

@Derek ****

Eventually, cards will be eliminated altogether anyway (not that I agree with that) but still, that's the trend. Same as passports...hence why they're beginning with things like e-visas, no longer stamping passports, e-gates and QR codes instead of passports (for Malaysian/Singapore citizens at their shared land border for instance).

@David ****

No, he's saying there is no need for the ATM/debit card....you can let it expire if you wish.

In other words...stay under the radar, ignore any requests to get your ATM/debit card renewed (or if you're on another visa, do it BEFORE moving onto the DTV) that way you have 5 years to worry about it!

@David ******

You don't know anything...also, don't come up with a false equivalency here. Thailand has it's own rules, which are often vastly different from the west. This is true for banking as it is for many other things.

Land ownership rules, work authorization, the level of wokeness/liberalism (or lack thereof), liberalism/conservatism, wealth levels, debt levels and so many other factors are significantly different in Thailand compared to the west.

@Lee-Ann ******

Sorry but no...1) you're not correct and 2) don't compare other countries with Thailand. Western countries are VASTLY different from Thailand in many respects, so don't try to create some kind of false equivalency. Let's talk about Thailand (and maybe compare neighboring countries) but forget about comparing Thailand to ANY western country.

Anonymous participant 804 Ever heard of agents? I would imagine a large percentage of retiree and marriage visa holders use them to get their yearly extensions, with the funds being transferred to the account holder's account only for a few minutes or up to max a couple of days, in order to produce a bank letter.

I don't think banks face any particular risk with the DTV, especially since so few are seeking the extension in country pathway...a few offices require 500K in a Thai bank account to get approved (ironic, considering so many have found their accounts frozen once caught on a DTV) so that is a stumbling block for many.

The DTV hasn't been well thought out and various government bureaucracies are not on the same page regarding this visa, hence why for now at least, most banks have decided not to allow bank accounts for DTV holders, but this could change in the future...but not until this banking crackdown is well and truly over.

@Paul ******

Yes and these cash strapped retirees and to some extent, marriage visa holders under 50 (or over 50 but choosing to remain on a marriage visa) were doing the same thing, although it's mostly the agents benefitting here, not the banks.

Now there are still agents offering extension services, but they're slowly being squeezed out of existence and/or becoming stricter in how they process applications.

@Sylvia *******

I see, but a utility bill shouldn't be needed...you can produce a driver's license, a medicare card (or whatever you call it in the UK, NHS I believe?) or other equivalent.

Of course, if you've "abandoned" your residence there, such as by not even having a local address, then yeah that could happen, but it's nothing like in Thailand, where many farang are having their accounts frozen in an overzealous banking crackdown.

Also, it's now facial scan required for transactions of 50K Baht and above and you can't opt out (neither for Thais or foreigners). In western countries, facial scans for banking are still not a thing yet and will face widespread opposition (unlike in Thailand, where the locals accept anything).

Anonymous participant 839Yes, important to maintain some sort of mailing address over there, then it's OK but again, like you said, depends on the type of account you have.

In Switzerland for instance, non-resident accounts operate in much the same way as resident accounts, except you have to pay a monthly charge of CHF30 for account maintenance, which covers the sending fee for correspondence to your overseas address.

Of course, it's not like you receive much correspondence to justify this high cost, but that's Switzerland for you.

Ordinary resident accounts will cost anywhere from CHF5-20 so the only difference is that you pay a little more.

However, some banks will only issue a secured credit card to non-resident account holders (except possibly residents of neighboring countries such as France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and Italy). Liechtenstein is generally considered a domestic domicile actually.

@Sylvia *******

They shouldn't be doing that if you're a UK citizen and then there are non-resident accounts. Don't make the mistake of assuming every country is the same. Thailand was fairly lenient in the past, but is now very strict.

Actually, Thailand was always VERY strict on outgoing international transfers, unlike western countries.

Proving where the funds are coming from and for foreigners, generally requiring that you're on a work permit and you can only remit a maximum per year equivalent to your salary.

Transferring money abroad from a European or Australian bank account is so easy...while there is a maximum daily limit, all you need to do is specify a simple reason when you make the transfer such as "savings" or whatever you want and the transaction goes through. No need to show payslips or other ridiculous proofs.