Liverpool Lou

It's probably not that I'm just saying if it's the banks policy to require a non-O and letter from immigration (like for BKK bank in Chiang Mai) and you hire some "agent" which skirts the the rules you could face problems in the future. "It's probably not..." "I'm just saying..." "you could face problems in the future". SOP here, speculation.

Where is that stated?... "Qualifications and Required Documents Open an account with only 500 baht... Opening a New Account Required Documents For Thai nationals ID card or any government-issued photo ID card with 13-digit ID number For foreigners For more information, please contact any Bangkok Bank branch. https://www.bangkokbank.com/en/Personal/Save-And-Invest/Save/Savings-Account

If they meet the documentation requirements! Your link does not provide the current requirement as it used to do.

for eg. not so long ago some 55 fake Student Visas were granted to certain tourists, who then were able to prove residencey and open bank accounts and obtain licences etc...that's how! What? What laws would a bank be breaking by opening an account for a real tourist visa-holder? That was the question.

"My son would like an account here because ... maybe buying a condo" So when he needs to use the account (in a third party's name) for the incoming international transfer (condo purchase in his name) the transaction for his condo purchase will not match up with the bank details. That should be very straightforward, then.

Nonsense. No Thai banks restrict the amount of incoming international funds to their customers' accounts.

Absolutely.

"I don't know". Exactly.

He does if he wants one.

Opening a bank account is illegal without a Non-O visa? Are you sure that it is just not the banks requirements, not laws?

Most AN posters think that's a forum rule!

No one has compelled anyone to do that and no one been compelled to have do that

The thing is that is not "a fact", no one was harassed, they were asked politely to show their passports.

And they'll all go home and tell their family and friends how they were harassed and passports demanded while having a quiet drink in a <deleted> bar! "...harassed and passports demanded..." Is asking for a copy or photo of their passport "harassing and demanding"?

Me neither, in 29 years.

In your words of wisdom, who was "shaken down" and for how much?

Did anyone have to produce their physical passport?

"Pattaya Police and immigration launched a city-wide search yesterday targeting foreigners on overstay or who might have been involved in illegal activities." An orgnisation called the RTP and the Immigration Bureau...they were doing their job.

American google translate not working? : ) No idea, I don't need anything to "translate" English into English.

Offence. There, fixed for you.

My experience was five minutes before posting on this thread... "...both Lloyds Bank's contact numbers that do connect from here, I just got through on both of them". Using "004". "When I redial with the normal 01 intl code I always get through (but about 14 baht/min)" Maybe that explains it, then, the standard internaitonal code from Thailand is "001". not "01".

Why do you worry so much about emojis, which only represent someone's opinion of your comment, that you rate them? Which is the "best" one?

Try a different optician. Maybe the first one didn't understand how glasses that aren't broken need fixing.

Use an agent, ask a visa agent.

It's mainly only UK, US, Canada and EU that have imposed sanctions on Russia, not the entire planet.