Best bank in Pattaya

[Michelangelo 0]

Will be opening a bank account in Pattaya in near future. Any info on best bank in town? (service, facility opening accounts, ATM, Bank charges, Internationally connected, etc.)

Thanks for useful advice

[Soi7 1]

Bangkok Bank works fine for me

[cowboy 0]

Bank of farang. just ask any BG & they will tell you that with a little bak whan you can make unlimited withdrawals.

[Gary 4,119]

I use the Siam Commercial Bank on Beach Road. Very convenient to walking street and easy to get to. I have had good luck with them.

[Gabor 296]

For me Ayuddhya bank works fine. Many ATM, no fees ( even not for the withdrawal ) good internet banking, SMS alerts. Make an ATM card is 10 minute, a VISA card 3 days.

[graham 0]

Bangkok bank on second road. Excellent service and 4.05% interest if you leave in for one year

[Michelangelo 0]

Thanks a lot for suggestions. Much appreciated!

[PERTURBED 0]

Bangkok bank on second road. Excellent service and 4.05% interest if you leave in for one year

Where on second road?

 

The service at the one paralell to walking street suck terrorist asshole.

 

That's like saying the Siam Bank on Sukumvhit.

[PERTURBED 0]

One thing to note: Do you have a work pemit? Are you retired? if you want to open an account and you are niether don't bother going to Siam. They won't do it.

 

Got to Tesco, on Sukhumvit. Buy some lunch at MK and while you are there open your account downstairs at the sub station Bangkok Bank. They don't care, they just want your money.

[Pieman 0]

One thing to note: Do you have a work pemit?  Are you retired?  if you want to open an account and you are niether don't bother going to Siam.  They won't do it.

I beg to differ. I am neither on a retirement visa or a work permit but opened an account with Siam Commercial Bank on Beach Road about 18 months or so ago on a tourist visa. In and out in about 15 minutes with ATM card etc. Their service has been very good subsequently.

 

A friend opened an account at the same branch 2 weeks ago and he, too, is here on a simple monthly tourist visa.

 

SCB's internet banking service is very useful also - I paid 4 bills this morning and it took me all of 2 minutes without leaving the condo.

 

Cheers

Pie

Edited March 22, 2006 by Pieman

[jackcorbett 2]

I was here last March through May 10th when I bought a condo in April. Although I now have the retirement visa back then I was on only a two month visa. Went to a Thai lawyer. This is Ponthep who often does a column for the paper and his office girl went across the street with me to Commercial Bank of Siam where she helped me set up a savings account which I used to faciliate the purhase of the condo.

 

So I have two ATM cards now, one for my American Bank and the other for the Commercial Bank of Siam which is good for a thousand dollars withdrawal per day if I need it.

[Soi7 1]

Bangkok bank on second road. Excellent service and 4.05% interest if you leave in for one year

You may well be correct but are you sure they will pay a Foreigner 4.05 % on a one year time deposit ???

[graham 0]

I was there about 2 weeks ago and the 4.05 was offered.

[graham 0]

Bangkok bank next to Gregs kitchen, across from Soi6.

I thought that was the only Bangkok bank in Pattaya

[torrenova 644]

Siam Commercial on Beach Road will no longer open accounts without retirement visas or work permits, not even Non Imm "O" or "B". However, a trip to immigration with some details about where you live and your passport will get you some paperwork which will allow you to open an account. Mastercard (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

Bangkok Bank will open you an account on even a tourist entry stamp with Visa card (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

One thing to remember is that the smaller branches, like Bangkok Bank's near "arab town" are useless. They take all day to do anything. Get to the big branches and you'll be ok.

[kdc1899 1]

Is there an income tax ya have to pay Thailand for that 4% ??

 

Is there anything like FDIC in Thailand??

 

Thanks

[PERTURBED 0]

Siam Commercial on Beach Road will no longer open accounts without retirement visas or work permits, not even Non Imm "O" or "B". However, a trip to immigration with some details about where you live and your passport will get you some paperwork which will allow you to open an account. Mastercard (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

Bangkok Bank will open you an account on even a tourist entry stamp with Visa card (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

One thing to remember is that the smaller branches, like Bangkok Bank's near "arab town" are useless. They take all day to do anything. Get to the big branches and you'll be ok.

I have to disagree. I went to the sub branch in the Tesco at Sukhumvit and was taken care of in 20 minutes. I opened an account and deposited baht. They were pleasant and cheerful. The branch near Walking Street sucks big dick. There is always a line of 30 people with one or two tellers, and going upstairs to get something done is a 2 hour wait.

[PERTURBED 0]

Siam Commercial on Beach Road will no longer open accounts without retirement visas or work permits, not even Non Imm "O" or "B". However, a trip to immigration with some details about where you live and your passport will get you some paperwork which will allow you to open an account. Mastercard (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

Bangkok Bank will open you an account on even a tourist entry stamp with Visa card (Bt300) in 5 minutes.

 

One thing to remember is that the smaller branches, like Bangkok Bank's near "arab town" are useless. They take all day to do anything. Get to the big branches and you'll be ok.

I know you are correct, Siam is very difficult. I was told that if I wanted to open an account with only an entry visa, I would have to go to the main branch in Bangkok.

 

Have you seen anyone get the papers - verfication - from immigration and get an account at Siam?

[LukDod 0]

You may well be correct but are you sure they will pay a Foreigner 4.05 % on a one year time deposit ???

Yes...last month the gov't announced that the banks (all of them) are increasing their rates on 1-year time deposits to 4.05%.

 

Re: BKK Bank sub-branch at Lotus on Sukhumvit. I have an acc't there as well as one at Thai Military Bank near Pattayland-2. The lines at the BKK Lotus branch are minimal, compared to the main BKK bank in Naklua or the branch on 2nd Rd, north of Pattaya Klang.

 

The banks normally pay a mere 1/2 - 1% interest on savings acc'ts. Some expats have told me that they've never rec'd _any_ interest, but I've found if you talk to the managers they correct your acc't so you receive it. I've not had a problem here. I suggest keeping only a minimal amount in the Thai banks as the interest is so little.

 

Re: Siam Bank: There is a small branch located directly across the street from where I reside. It would be very convenient for me to open an acc't with Siam...but I never will!! Though an anomaly in their system, I keep receiving the bank's mail for some farang and also a Thai, at my residence. Sometimes the mail is for their ATM p/w numbers or recent statements of acc't transactions. I taken the mail back to the branch across the street, telling them to please verify the acc't owner's address, as this is very sensitive info. I've returned the mail and spoken to the manageer a number of times...yet I still get their personal mail.

Consider the problem if they also mailed the ATM cards...

Edited March 24, 2006 by LukDod

[Gary 4,119]

Quote;

 

I have to disagree. I went to the sub branch in the Tesco at Sukhumvit and was taken care of in 20 minutes. I opened an account and deposited baht. They were pleasant and cheerful. The branch near Walking Street sucks big dick. There is always a line of 30 people with one or two tellers, and going upstairs to get something done is a 2 hour wait.

 

Quote

 

The teller windows ARE upstairs and there are about eight windows. I imagine if you waited for a teller downstairs you would wait a lot longer than two hours.

[PERTURBED 0]

Quote;

 

I have to disagree. I went to the sub branch in the Tesco at Sukhumvit and was taken care of in 20 minutes. I opened an account and deposited baht. They were pleasant and cheerful. The branch near Walking Street sucks big dick. There is always a line of 30 people with one or two tellers, and going upstairs to get something done is a 2 hour wait.

 

Quote

 

The teller windows ARE upstairs and there are about eight windows. I imagine if you waited for a teller downstairs you would wait a lot longer than two hours.

How about finding some Ginko in one of the stores upcountry because your recollection is wrong.

 

Bangkok Bank has branch on 2nd road as you come into Pattaya from Jomtien. That branch has tellers on the ground floor and service (if you want to call it that) on the second floor.

 

What idiot would put the tellers on the 2nd floor?

 

Stop scratching your head and take some Ginko.

[LukDod 0]

How about finding some Ginko in one of the stores upcountry because your recollection is wrong.

 

Bangkok Bank has branch on 2nd road as you come into Pattaya from Jomtien. That branch has tellers on the ground floor and service (if you want to call it that) on the second floor.

 

What idiot would put the tellers on the 2nd floor?

 

Stop scratching your head and take some Ginko.

Me thinks Perturbed and Gary are in conflict on 'much ado about nothing.'

 

There is a main Bangkok branch on 2nd Rd, north of Pattaya Klang, near Soi-6, where the bank's facilities...and the tellers...are upstairs. Same for the main Bangkok branch, located in Naklua, on Naklua Rd, just north of Sawang Fa Rd. There the bank's facilities..and the tellers...are also upstairs.

 

Now...I may be mistaken, but I believe 'Gary' might not be referring to a bank 'near Walking St', but the one on 2nd Rd. Maybe he's referring to the Siam bank which is on Beach Rd, just before Walking St???

 

And, FWIW, the sub-branch, located in Lotus, by the corner of Sukhumvit and Thepprasit is on the main floor...there are just food courts, book stores and gadget sellers upstairs.

 

Whew....

[Gary 4,119]

I was referring to the Siam Commercial VERY near Walking Street.

[Eneukman 1]

Bangkok Bank works fine for me

Same with me. I opened an account with them with just a 30 day stamp in my passport.

 

Alan

[redwood13 56]

Bangkok Bank has branch on 2nd road as you come into Pattaya from Jomtien. 

The Bangkok Bank branch you mention is actually on Pratamnak Road as Second Road south of South Pattaya Road becomes Pratamnak Road.

 

-redwood