Paying Bills

[swm59nj]

            I live in the USA, retired. I will be looking for a condo in Bangkok to rent to relocate there. How is rent for the most part paid? By cash or check? Do expats usually open a checking account in a Thai Bank? Is this the same with paying utilities? 

[Mike Teavee]

I live in Singapore (working, have a Non O "Retiree" Visa) but have a Condo in Bangkok...

• Pay Rent via Internet/Mobile Banking (Have a monthly reminder in my calendar) 
• Pay Internet via Internet/Mobile Banking (They email me 1st of the month)
• My friend's GF normally pays my utility bills as I can't seem to get these electronically, I did ask the Condo Management what would happen if I missed 1 month (rare that I'm not there twice a month) & they said it would be no problem if I missed 1 or even 2 payments.

All paid from my Thai Savings Account  (You'll struggle to open a "Checking " account) would be a PiTA & expensive to pay from any of my SG/UK accounts.

 

Not so easy to get a Thai Bank account nowadays & a bit Chicken & Egg when going down the Non-O Visa route, would advise you to get a Non O-A in the US before coming over & using that to open the account.  If all else fails, contact Siam Legal (Offices are near T21 at Asoke) & for 3,000 THB they'll complete all of the paperwork and accompany you to the Bangkok Bank branch across the road to help you to open an account.

[CharlieH]

You cannot open a "checking account" it will be a savings account and there are no "checks". 

Bills can be paid by card by app or cash dependent on who and where it is. 

Rent is often paid in cash or by transfer, again this will vary.

[marcusarelus]

Cashier Cheques and Gift Cheques

As a Bualuang Exclusive member, you will receive free cashier cheques and gift cheques (up to three items per day).

Cheque Books

If you hold a current account, you are entitled to receive two complimentary cheque books (20 cheques each).

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Bualuang-Exclusive/Banking-and-Financial-Privileges

[fishtank]

You wont get a current account or cheque books.

Pay cash or bank transfer / internet banking.

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Cashier Cheques and Gift Cheques

As a Bualuang Exclusive member, you will receive free cashier cheques and gift cheques (up to three items per day).

Cheque Books

If you hold a current account, you are entitled to receive two complimentary cheque books (20 cheques each).

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Bualuang-Exclusive/Banking-and-Financial-Privileges

I know you've been in Thailand since before it changed it's name from Siam (????) so would be interested to learn when you opened that account & on what basis (Visa Wise) 

 

Edit: Just found the joining criteria... Not too onerous.... 

 

Criteria to become a Bualuang Exclusive member
You will be invited to become a Bualuang Exclusive member without payment of any fee when you meet one or more of our financial criteria as follows:

• The consolidated value of your balance in deposit accounts, Bills of Exchange (B/E), mutual funds, Bangkok Bank Debentures, and / or the consolidated payments of life insurance premiums is 3 million Baht or more. The average balance must have remained at or above this level during the preceding six months, or
• Your investment in mutual funds is at least 3 million baht (per transaction or accumulated total) and the outstanding balance must be at least 3 million baht (apart from Bualuang Fixed Income Fund (BFIXED), Bualuang Treasury Fund (B-TREASURY) and Bualuang Thanatavee Fixed Income Fund (B-TNTV), the funds must remain for at least 6 consecutive months), or
• Your Bualuang home loan’s credit limit and principal balance is 10 million baht or more.

 

Notes

• Only personal accounts are eligible.
• Mutual Funds refer to funds that the Bank offers as a selling agent, except for funds that can only be traded on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
• The insurance policies must be purchased through Bangkok Bank and only active policies are eligible. These exclude policies with a single premium payment.
• Membership lasts two years and renewal is conditional upon continuing to meet the above criteria.
• The balance in a joint account will be divided by the number of account owners and added to the balance in individual accounts.

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

You cannot open a "checking account" it will be a savings account and there are no "checks". 

Well, actually there are cheques and it is possible to open a checking account. However they are not often used except by businesses etc. Condo buildings, for example, usually settle larger bills and regular payments by cheque.

 

Most ordinary people here either pay cash or use bank transfers or ATM transfers or debit cards.

 

If anyone does ever receive a cheque here then it can be paid into any normal savings account (previously tax refunds were made like this). And if anyone desperately needs to use a cheque to pay for something then a cashier's cheque will be issued by most banks, for a small fee.

[Khanu Woralaksaburi]

Good morning

 

Just sharing some experience opening bank account yesterday n Bangkok Bank Salokbat branch. They only needed my passport, paper from imigration of my accomodation and my girlfreinds house book (black book). Took about 1 hour since the girl there was new and served multiple customers at the same time but she never said no or anything about needing any additional papers. Very satisfied with the service. Internet banking was also set up on the account!

[Lacessit]

Cash is king in Thailand. Either that, or interbank transfer.

From memory, the last time I wrote a cheque in Australia was 2012. Cheques have gone the way of button-up boots and VHS tapes.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

I know you've been in Thailand since before it changed it's name from Siam (????) so would be interested to learn when you opened that account & on what basis (Visa Wise) 

 

Edit: Just found the joining criteria... Not too onerous.... 

 

Criteria to become a Bualuang Exclusive member
You will be invited to become a Bualuang Exclusive member without payment of any fee when you meet one or more of our financial criteria as follows:

• The consolidated value of your balance in deposit accounts, Bills of Exchange (B/E), mutual funds, Bangkok Bank Debentures, and / or the consolidated payments of life insurance premiums is 3 million Baht or more. The average balance must have remained at or above this level during the preceding six months, or
• Your investment in mutual funds is at least 3 million baht (per transaction or accumulated total) and the outstanding balance must be at least 3 million baht (apart from Bualuang Fixed Income Fund (BFIXED), Bualuang Treasury Fund (B-TREASURY) and Bualuang Thanatavee Fixed Income Fund (B-TNTV), the funds must remain for at least 6 consecutive months), or
• Your Bualuang home loan’s credit limit and principal balance is 10 million baht or more.

 

Notes

• Only personal accounts are eligible.
• Mutual Funds refer to funds that the Bank offers as a selling agent, except for funds that can only be traded on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
• The insurance policies must be purchased through Bangkok Bank and only active policies are eligible. These exclude policies with a single premium payment.
• Membership lasts two years and renewal is conditional upon continuing to meet the above criteria.
• The balance in a joint account will be divided by the number of account owners and added to the balance in individual accounts.

They opened the account/service and sent me the checks.  I didn't do anything.

[Kwasaki]

9 hours ago, swm59nj said:

I will be looking for a condo in Bangkok to rent to relocate there. How is rent for the most part paid?

While the check argument goes on,  first get yourself a Thai bank account & ATM card and pay the condo rent at an ATM me thinks it's best way because you have receipt for payment.

[Henricus]

use 7-11

[Ulic]

I pay the whole year in advance in cash the day I arrive. That way I don't have to drop it off monthly and my excellent landlord does not require a deposit. 

[Suradit69]

"Paying Bills "

 

Many bills can be paid at a 7/eleven or via a bank teller  or even ATM or at the service provider's office in a mall.. . water, electricity, Internet, TV, telephone (prepaid or post paid). If you're staying in a condo, water and electricity would most likely be paid through the condo office or directly to the owner if you're renting

 

Cash or plastic would probably be the methods used by most, and plastic probably wouldn't work for the condo. I don't think I've ever seen any individual pay for anything by cheque. . 

[blackcab]

Bank transfer is easiest, followed by depositing cash into their account using a Cash Deposit Machine or a bank teller.

 

As stated, it is unlikely you would get a cheque book, and even if you did you would find it very difficult to use.

 

Transactions are either in cash or performed electronically.

 

I'm going to move this to the Banking forum.

[toolpush]

Open an account at a local bank with internet banking. Set up a standing instruction to transfer rent on a monthly basis to landlord's bank account. Go to the MEA (Metropolitan Electricity Authority) and set it up to deduct electric bill from your bank automatically. Same with internet and cellular service.

[AAArdvark]

I pay my condo expenses as:

 

Rent -- Electronic transfer to the owner's account via my bank with automatic monthly payments

Electric -- 7-11

Water  -- Condo Office in cash (it is a small amount)

Internet/Phone/TV  --  Set up a payee with my bank (Bangkok Bank) to my provider (AIS)

Bar bill  -- at the bar

 

I used an agent to get my bank account started after 2 weeks in Thailand.  It was like ฿1000 and required  a certificate of residence and a TM30 from the landlord.  It can be done without the agent but since it was so cheap I chose the agent way.

[marcusarelus]

I have checks but never use them except to send as Christmas presents.  I use SCB online or KTB online. 

[Jaxxper]

All our utility bills and Credit Card statements ,except TV and Internet are direct debit from one of our accounts.

We own our house so no rent to pay and is usually done by bank transfer or in cash. If in cash make sure you get a receipt.

[PeterA]

When I first came here 3 years ago, I brought a cashiers check from the US. Bangkok bank had no idea what it was, and refused to deposit it. We don't use checks here obviously. We pay most pills in person, though we are in a small town. Car payments are automatically withdrawn from account at the bank.

[5633572526]

On 4/25/2019 at 9:04 AM, marcusarelus said:

They opened the account/service and sent me the checks.  I didn't do anything.

You gave them at least 3 million baht to play with evidently