Wich bank to choose

[lindegaard]

Even though I know that preferrels are individual, I have a question regarding choice of bank.



My daughter, now Thai citizen also (Dane as of birth), want to open an account in TH instead of travelling with cash or paying every time she withdraws with her Danish card.



Basically she want's to be able to withdraw from ATM, use it as payment at BTS etc. and in shops in TH.



We have been surfing the major banks for info and such, and I myself is holder of a Bangkok Bank rabbit visa card, but I have heard that maybe Kasikorn has a better card and netbanking etc.  but I don't know anything about those other Banks.



She is always travelling between Thailand and Vietnam when in asia since in laws are living in Ho chi minh city, so a VISA attached is maybe also an option..



I do hope for some good advice from expats with experience in this field..



Best regards 

[DeputyDavid]

The banks are not foreigner friendly right now, confirmed to me by bank staff. If you have a home country bank that gives a good exchange rate and charges no fees for currency exchange and your daughter is just spending a little bit, this may be the way to go. I have had BKK bank for years but they have changed the rules to make them less desirable for new folks.

[lindegaard]

@DeputyDavid

thank you, I can fully confirm that they make it hard for foreigner, we spend I don't know how long last summer when I had to renew my bank card.

an option was for her to just use mine when shes there but since it's in my name I don't know if she would run into troubles if something should happen (ATM eating the card etc.)

I don't know if she's considered foreigner though, Speaks fluently Thai, is Thai national, Thai passport, Thai ID and address, so if we consider her Thai what is a good bank to choose for a youngster, 22, she might be going there next spring for a longer period

[Freddy]

Personally I would suggest Krasikorn Bank. Bangkok Bank tend to give Union Pay Debit Cards now and many outlets don't accept them. Krasikorn give a Visa Card which will be more user friendly and have a decent on line banking system. If she has Thai passport and Thai ID I can't see her having any difficulty opening an account.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Your daughter is now a Thai citizen, so no problem opening a bank account with any bank, using her ID card.  An ATM card is only provided when the account holder is 15 years of age up.  I note however that your daughter is 21 (from an earlier post)

I'll go with Freddy and recommend Kasikorn. Note that using any banks ATM card out of area, or in another banks ATM machine incurrs a small charge.

[Starman]

Your daughter is now a Thai citizen, so no problem opening a bank account with any bank, using her ID card.  An ATM card is only provided when the account holder is 15 years of age up.  I note however that your daughter is 21 (from an earlier post)

I'll go with Freddy and recommend Kasikorn. Note that using any banks ATM card out of area, or in another banks ATM machine incurrs a small charge.

I have to agree about Kasikorn.

Also Nick, coming from Prakhonchai, you have the most expat friendly bank ever. Kasikorn Bank, Prakhonchai is excellent and only requires a passport to open an account.

[lindegaard]

@ everybody
Thanx for great inputs.
Kasikorn  was in my mind too, simply because
I wanted to move my own account from BKK bank to them.


.

[Freddy]

Exactly what I am going to do once I've renewed my visa extension in December. Ridiculous not having Visa.

[nanglong218]

I dumped BKK Bank because of the UnionPay issue.  Trouble with Thailand is nobody really knows the rules.  TMB wanted a work permit. I left and along the street the yellow bank wanted the signature of the first person on my wife's house book.  Mamaa is 90, physically fit but not 100% up there.  Next bank along Nangrong's high road was SCB.   30 minutes of form filling, job done. Not VISA only Mastercard.
Online banking OK.  This may not be strictly relevant to your case but of possible interest to others.
Little is straightforward in the LOS.

[mudcat]

The compelling advantage of Bangkok Bank was the relatively low cost of ACH transfers through their New York branch that is ending April 1, 2019.  Fortunately wire transfers are free with our Chase account, but for those who had been planning to use monthly transfers to show solvency to Thai Immigration have one less option to cash deposits in a Thai bank account.

[Freddy]

I wonder how much business Bangkok Bank have lost and will loose in the future as a result of going with Union Pay. To date I have only been able to use my debit card once to make an in store payment and not been able to make any on line payments. Roll on December when I can move to Krasikorn.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

I have an FCD account with Bangkok Bank (seemed the best at the time) and a savings account to go with it.  My main bank account is with Kasikorn, with a visa debit card and a shopping card. Since fairly recently all online transfers from all Thai banks to accounts in other banks have been free, so I have the best of both worlds

[CO-CO]

I have an FCD account with Bangkok Bank (seemed the best at the time) and a savings account to go with it.  My main bank account is with Kasikorn, with a visa debit card and a shopping card. Since fairly recently all online transfers from all Thai banks to accounts in other banks have been free, so I have the best of both worlds

I pretty much mirror that set up, although I have not really use the Sterling FCD account since discovering Transferwise.

Transferwise is worth a look for any movement of Baht into a Thai bank account.