best bank account in uk if living in Malaysia

[flymo79]

Can anyone recommend? Still have time to switch. Have travelled a bit in Asia and am with first direct and Santander but find both v annoying! Relocating so need assurance of a good international bank

[Gfplux]

Open a few bank accounts. After you have moved you will not be able to open any more.

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Hsbc

[Longdistance]

HSBC. This is who we banked with when we moved to Oz.

[fatowl]

I have a Lloyds account in the UK (opened before I left and still active) and I have a Maybank local account in Malaysia.

If you are living in Malaysia (and I assume working?) you will need a local account.
We also have a business account with HSBC Malaysia- they are a bunch of incompetent wankers. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

It doesn't really matter, as long as you can bank online with them. You'll need a Malaysian account too.

Ime, British banks with branches overseas are generally not very joined up with the UK and it's more hassle than it's worth. We were with Citibank (US bank not UK I know) in Singapore and it was impossible to continue using in the US when we moved here for various reasons, we wanted a different mortgage provider too and it was easier (and cheaper) to have everything at the same bank. I have a friend for example who has an account with a UK bank, she lives in Texas and her nearest branch is New York - everything is done online and by mail, might as well be in the UK.

[flymo79]

Thanks all, what do you need to open a maybank account?

[flymo79]

(Fatowl)
Yep, dh will be working (he's taking the Penang job)

[fatowl]

It's a good while since ours were opened, IIRC, your need a letter from employer confirming salary will be paid in, visa and passport, prof of address.

[NatD1]

Just opened a joint account last week at maybank. You need exactly what fatowl said. (Strangely they don't ask for any proof of address which I thought was so weird)!

[fatowl]

Great re the job in Penang!

A lot of people moan about Maybank, but I have always found them fine. Their online banking is OK (a lot better than the HSBC Malaysia online banking anyway), and usually helpful on the phone. I pay all my bills online with them and I can transfer to my savings account in the UK (Lloyds) easily.
The phone is a bit hit and miss- depends entirely on who you speak to, if you get someone crap, I just ask to be passed to someone else now.

[NatD1]

Sorry I've hijacked the post. Fatowl can you transfer money easily from
a UK account into maybank here. We're googling but it's not clear. Thanks for any advice.

[fatowl]

I've not tried Lloyds to Maybank sorry.

We're in saving mode to come back to uk IN 2018, so we send from Maybank to Lloyds (when the exchange rate is OK - not so much lately!)

[BeesWax00]

Hi, I just wanted to ask if anyone is familiar with banks in Malaysia that will send out new cards, letters etc to a foreign i.e.. UK address? Might be going back and forth and want to make sure I get replacement cards once the old ones expire etc. Thank you!

[BookWitch]

Hi, I used to be Fatowl

Malaysian banks will generally not send cards overseas (neither will most UK ones)
Not sure about how they go about replacing lost/stolen ones if you are overseas. If I am in Malaysia and need a new card I get it sent to my UK address and have someone bring it out for me (I can generally find someone to bring it for me)

[BeesWax00]

Thanks BookWItch! That's good to know. How has Maybank worked out for you over the years?

[BookWitch]

It's been OK.
Odd issue, but generally no better/worse than any other bank.

The internet banking is fine once you're used to it (odd quirkiness like only being able to do online foreign transfers after 10am on a work day)

Phone banking is a bit hit and miss, depends entirely on who you end up talking to.
HSBC Malaysia are rubbish