49 replies to this topic

[SwineCanine]

[quote name="xyzzy"][quote]IMHO Siam Commercial is very e what does it take to open an account? From the US I could bring in money very cheaply to Bangkok Bank via there New York branch. But I do not qualify for an account on a tourist visa. Kasikorn will pretty much accept anybody.[/quote]

Right, with Bangkok you can do an electronic ACH transfer form your bank, in my case Fidelity, not a bank to Bangkok Bank in New York (think you Brits can do the same with the London branch)and onto my account in BKK. It cost me $10 plus 500 baht.

Think you need to at least have a visa, not a tourist stamp,perhaps more than any old visa, not sure.

But Kasikorn is OK. One can go to an AEON branch to avoid the 150 baht fee, withdraw the maximum, and deposit into Kasikorn which has more convemient locations and take out as needed.

[xyzzy]

Siam Commercial what does it take to open an account? From the US I could bring in money very cheaply to Bangkok Bank via there New York branch. But I do not qualify for an account on a tourist visa. Kasikorn will pretty much accept anybody.

Right, with Bangkok you can do an electronic ACH transfer form your bank, in my case Fidelity, not a bank to Bangkok Bank in New York (think you Brits can do the same with the London branch)and onto my account in BKK. It cost me $10 plus 500 baht.

Think you need to at least have a visa, not a tourist stamp,perhaps more than any old visa, not sure.

But Kasikorn is OK. One can go to an AEON branch to avoid the 150 baht fee, withdraw the maximum, and deposit into Kasikorn which has more convemient locations and take out as needed.

It's my understanding that you need a work visa or retirement visa to get an account at BKK bank. But I haven't actually tried with my tourist visa. So I should give it a go.

I think it is in the ATM thread but the only AEON ATMs that I know about in Pattaya are at Carrefour, Homeworks (Pattaya Tai and Sukhumvit) and Lotus near Jomtien. There is an AEON branch in Nakula, on the main road, that I assume must have ATMs. I have used the Carrefour ATM three times but once, at around 5:30 PM, it was out of service. I've used the one at Homeworks twice. But these are very bad locations for the average tourist.

[ScottishLadyboyTerrorist]

I too opened a Kassikorn account a year ago now and it's been going fine. I was given all the relevant info in the Pattaya klang branch and the lady was helpfull.

I opened the cyber banking the same month as the main account was opened. Transferring money from my other bank to kassikorn is swift and straight forward too. The only thing I find difficult even when you email the bank for assistance, is the inter bank money transferring.

You need a PIN2 code and a username.. if you happen to forget the origonal one, it is a bloody nightmare to obtain another.. I am still waiting to get mine sorted after 2 months of asking, and then, they have not answered my initial query..

But it does suit the purpose I intended it for.

Cheers

[RobiSLO]

Hi guys. I was »smart« and forgot my ATM Kasikorn Visa card in ATM machine… 1AM morning on Nana Soi 4… yuppie .
This is just a beginning I sat behind computer opened my Kasikorn e-banking and… forgot PIN 2 needed for every important transaction and locked my e-banking… yuppie again .

Luckily Kasikorn bank has 24/7 hotline for weirdoes like me with English (Thai English… but sexy one ) speaking ladies. I managed to unlock my e-banking and change my PIN 2. Lost/forgotten ATM card was canceled and I’ll get new one in first Kasikorn Bank office for 100 BHT fee. What can I say, good bank with strange farang clients .

BR

[kakila]

I recently transferred money to Kasilorn bank in BBK

its a fairly simple process internet banking from commonwealth Bank here in australia

just need

account holders name
address
mobile number (thai)
account number
and SWIF code

simple


the main frustration I find is the exchange rate

eg

if 1 $aus =30 Baht then the australian bank only offers 27.4 baht

there is a fee of 22 $aus per tranaction and Kasilorn bank takes 0.25% of the transferred money

I am now rethinking options to get money to Thailand and not lose so much in fees and exchange rate differences.

not sure what fees and rate differences are charged around the world but you should check is all I am suggesting


for the aussie BM's
one advise from Nick C&D was to transfer in australian $ but I have not been sucessful at doing that yet from my account .

mmmmm more research needed I think



pela

[RobiSLO]

Much better idea is to just transfer money old-fashioned way, take cash (spending cash + any water buffalo money in-between so you don’t need to use Western Union ), exchange money in first/best exchange office and bring BHT to first Kasikorn Bank office.

This costs you nothing or 10 BHT if you do this outside Pattaya I think.

BR

[kliome]

The annoying thing is, there are still fees for using your Kasikorn card in Thailand, unless you use a kasikorn atm machine in the district were your card is registered.. ie you can even get charged for using your kasikorn card with a kasikorn atm, if it's too far from your registered branch..

[RobiSLO]

10 - 20 BHT. Still this beats 150 BHT farang fee but you are right, at least on Kasikorn ATM fee should be 0 BHT.

BR

[ScottishLadyboyTerrorist]

Pela, I agree matey. It can be a bit of a bitch to do. I think I'm lucky as I have a US dollar account and transfer from that. I do it through a UK financial advisory group and I have never had a drama yet. As I said, I am one of the lucky ones.

The only other thing I've had to pop into the branch to do is to increase my withdrawl limit to 200,000 per day. Not that I take that out you understand, they offered and I accepted.. At least this way, I am never stuck for how much I can withdraw from the hole in the wall..

Now that the account has been up and running for almost a year now, I never have to take currency in and change it. A few thousand baht in my pocket from last trip and I'm sorted.. A quick ATM stop and disney land here I cum

[rxpharm]

There are a few Australian bms who wire funds to their Thai accounts in Australian $ and get the better exchange rate. Contact your bank's customer service and inquire how to do that.

[kliome]

There are a few Australian bms who wire funds to their Thai accounts in Australian $ and get the better exchange rate. Contact your bank's customer service and inquire how to do that.

I wouldn't limit that example to just Australia.

When you wire money from your home country to the a Thai bank you should be given the option to send it in your home currency or Thai Baht.

The UK banks usually offer a terrible baht exchange, up to 3-4 baht less than the banks in Thailand, so it makes sense to always send it as UK£ and allow the Thai bank to make the exchange.

I'm guessing this is the same with most countries, when sending monet to your Thai bank.,

[xyzzy]

The out of local area charge, say you have a Kasikorn account in Pattaya and are taking out money in BKK, is 10 baht up to 10K baht then one baht for every 1K baht over 10K.

Yes always wire the money to Thailand in your local currency.

Here is a way around the 150 baht ATM fee if you don't mind the hassle. Walk up to a currency exchange window, hand them your debt card and passport, and tell them how much baht you want. I did this the other day at Kasikorn on Pattaya Tai and then deposited the money in my account at the cash deposit machine.

I have no idea why they don't just tell you to go to the ATM but they will give you the baht at the debt card exchange rate with no fee. The transaction is different than an ATM transaction on my home bank statement. I can see the amount I took out has been deducted from my available balance. But the details of the transaction still aren't available to view after three days. FWIW