The short answer

With £75,000 or more to keep in pounds, HSBC Expat (no monthly fee while you meet its criteria) or Santander International are the main options. With around £25,000, look at NatWest International (£8 a month) or Lloyds Bank International. With less, keep your UK account if your bank allows it and use Wise for UK account details and transfers to Thailand.

Whichever you choose, check that Thailand is an eligible country for the account, and keep large savings spread so each bank stays within its protection limit.

The directory: international accounts compared

The main options for British expats living in Thailand. Entry requirements and fees change — confirm with the bank, and check that Thailand is on its list of eligible countries.

HSBC UK (HSBC Expat); NatWest International (International Select account); Santander International (minimum balance charges, 2025); globalinvestments.net (Isle of Man banking, 13 June 2026) and Kael Tripton (2026) for reported Lloyds and Barclays figures; FSCS. "Reported" figures are from independent guides, not the bank.

The accounts in detail

The three we'd look at first, by size of balance.

Which account for your balance

A starting point based on how much you'll keep in pounds.

General guidance from published and reported entry requirements, October 2026. Spread larger savings across banking groups to stay within each £50,000 offshore limit.

What UK banks do when you move to Thailand

Before paying for an offshore account, find out whether your existing UK bank will keep you. Policies differ:

Keeping a UK account is usually the cheapest option. If your bank won't keep you, an offshore account or Wise fills the gap. Never give a UK address you don't actually live at to keep an account — it breaches the terms and can lead to sudden closure.

Deposit protection where each account is held

If a bank fails, the local scheme repays eligible depositors up to a limit, per banking group.

FSCS (limit from 1 December 2025); HSBC UK (Jersey scheme); private.law (Guernsey scheme, 2026); globalinvestments.net (Isle of Man scheme, June 2026); Bangkok Bank (Thai DPA). Offshore schemes also have overall funding caps.

Opening an international account from Thailand

International banks open accounts remotely, but expect thorough checks. Have these ready:

1. Passport, certified if the bank asks — a lawyer, notary or embassy can certify copies.
2. Proof of your Thai address, such as a lease, a utility bill or a residence certificate.
3. Proof of the money: statements showing where your savings or income come from.
4. Your tax details for the country where you're tax resident. International banks report account information to tax authorities under international reporting rules.
5. An initial deposit meeting the minimum, usually by transfer from your UK account.

Open it while you still have a working UK account, so the first deposit and any checks are straightforward.

Tax on offshore accounts

An offshore account doesn't change where you pay tax. If you're a Thai tax resident (180 days or more a year), interest earned offshore from 2024 onwards is foreign income that can be taxable in Thailand when you bring it in. Savings from before 2024 are protected if you can show they're pre-2024 — keeping them in a separate account helps. The UK may also tax some UK-source income. Take advice for your situation; our guide to receiving overseas income in Thailand explains the rules.

Questions to ask before you open one

• Is Thailand an eligible country for this account?
• What's the minimum balance or income, and what happens if I drop below it?
• What are the monthly and transaction fees, including international payments?
• Which deposit protection scheme applies, and what's the limit?
• Which currencies can I hold, and what exchange rate is used?
• Can I pay into a Thai bank directly, and at what cost?
• Does the card work at Thai ATMs, and what does it charge?
• How do I receive cards and security devices in Thailand?

Four expat scenarios

These are illustrations, not recommendations — your own taxes, visa and plans will shape the right mix.

Getting money from an international account to Thailand

Most international accounts can send a SWIFT transfer to a Thai bank, but the fee and exchange rate vary — and the Thai bank deducts its own 0.25% receiving fee, capped at ฿500. For regular transfers, many expats move pounds from their international account to a specialist provider first, then on to Thailand at the mid-market rate.

• Ask the bank for its international payment fee and how it sets its exchange rate.
• Compare with a specialist such as Wise or Xe before every large transfer.
• Use SWIFT when you need a formal remittance, such as foreign currency for a condo purchase.
• Keep the confirmation and the Thai bank's credit advice for tax and visa records.

Our guide to SWIFT transfers to Thai bank accounts walks through the process.

When your circumstances change

International accounts depend on where you live and how much you keep with the bank, so tell the bank when either changes. If your balance drops below the minimum, expect a fee or a request to switch accounts. If you move to another country, check it's on the bank's eligible list. If you return to the UK, you may be able to move back to an ordinary UK account — and your State Pension, frozen in Thailand, rises to the current rate. Keep your contact details current so security codes and important letters reach you.

Other options worth knowing

Beyond current accounts, some expats use offshore savings or fixed-term deposits for larger sums, and keep a separate account for each purpose: one for income, one for pre-2024 savings, one for the money they'll bring into Thailand. If you have £250,000 or more, banks such as Lloyds Bank International offer relationship-managed services, though some are designed mainly for island residents.

For the Thai side of your banking, see our Thai Retail Banking Providers Directory, and for holding several currencies, our guide to multicurrency bank accounts for expats.

Banking safely from abroad

You'll be logging in to offshore and UK accounts from Thailand, often on shared Wi-Fi, and scammers know expats hold larger balances. Keep a UK or international number for passcodes, use the bank's own app, and never move money because someone on the phone tells you to. A VPN protects your connection on public networks.

How we compiled this directory

We used the banks' own pages where available — HSBC UK (HSBC Expat), NatWest International (International Select account), Santander International (minimum balance charges) and Lloyds Bank International (relationship-managed service) — plus independent 2026 guides from globalinvestments.net, Kael Tripton and private.law for figures banks don't publish in one place, and the FSCS for UK protection. Where a figure is reported rather than published by the bank, we say so. Checked 13 October 2026. This directory is general information, not financial advice.