Bank Account for Non-Long Term Visa Holder, but married to Thai

[JohnFlory]

I work in Asia and am legally married and registered at the amphur to a Thai woman (16 years married). We own a condo, in my wife's name, in Pattaya. I am only in Thailand three or four months each year and so am usually here on a 30 visa waiver or 60 day tourist visa that I obtain outside of Thailand. Does anyone know if any bank would allow me alone to open an account or, even better, get a joint account with my wife? Also, due to America's (I am US citizen) irritating bank reporting regulations, do banks in Thailand turn away U.S. depositors? In the future I'll be wanting to obtain a marraige visa, but not for a number of years. Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

You can open a bank account with a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry. 

You wife can be your reference for opening an account and use her address when opening the account. If she has an account already it would be easier if you went together to where her account is at. Be sure to take a copy of your marriage certificate and house book with you.

The part about being from the US is pure supposition IMO. The bank may ask you to complete some additional forms when you open an account related to the reporting.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

The bank may ask you to complete some additional forms when you open an account related to the reporting.

They do even if you are not a US citizen.

Unticking, unticking, unticking... sign.

(last experienced at SCB)

[Pib]

Yea, if your are not a Thai they usually require you complete some additional forms (easy ones) regarding foreign banking regulations/laws....doesn't matter if your are American, British, German, Chinese, Martian, etc....Complete, sign, date, done. 

 

Done this several times over the last few years in opening new Thai bank accts at Bankgok Bank and Krungsri Bank....and I'm American.   When it comes to Thai bank will not open accts for Americans, well, that purely supposition, old wifes' tail, bar stool rumor, etc.   I have Thai bank accts in my name only and also joint acct with my Thai wife.

 

When it comes to opening a new Thai bank acct if the branch personnel throw-up some reason they can not open an acct for you...a foreigner....it's probably simply because they prefer not to open accts for foreigners....simply not expat friendly.   

 

However, if they tell you that you need a letter from your home country embassy to open an acct/to validate your passport/Thailand address, that is simply the Thai bank's policy for any foreigner....Bangkok Bank is known for this.  Get that letter and they will gladly open an acct.  Some banks will accept an Address Confirmation from your servicing Thai immigration office if you are on a long stay visa....and some branches will simply open an acct based purely on your passport..

 

 

 

 

[jackdd]

At most (probably not all, rules can vary from branch to branch) Krungsri branches you can open a bank account if you can show a one year rental contract, the visa doesn't matter.

So just get a rental contact form from the internet and rent the condo from your wife.

Then take the rental contract and your passport to a Krungsri branch and you will probably be able to open an account.

[JohnFlory]

Thanks for the info!

[Max69xl]

Many TV members opened their bank accounts prior to 2019,and don't seem to know that last year several banks changed their official requirements for opening a savings account. You can still with a little bit of luck open an account because some branches uses the old less tough requirements. Don't open a joint account. It's not accepted at immigration when applying for visas/extensions. 

[whitewolfchefny]

50 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Many TV members opened their bank accounts prior to 2019,and don't seem to know that last year several banks changed their official requirements for opening a savings account. You can still with a little bit of luck open an account because some branches uses the old less tough requirements. Don't open a joint account. It's not accepted at immigration when applying for visas/extensions. 

I Opened An Account At Bangkok Bank Nov 2019. I Was Newly Married But Not Officially Registered At That Time, However My Wife Already Has Accounts There. We Rent A Condo In Chiang Rai. The Branch Didn’t  Even Ask For Our Rental Contract. They Asked To Make Copies Of My Passport & Her Thai ID. That Was It. Easy Peasey. (Joint Account)

[Suradit69]

On February 2, 2020 at 12:08 PM, KhunBENQ said:

They do even if you are not a US citizen.

Unticking, unticking, unticking... sign.

(last experienced at SCB)

One of the forms I signed last year when opening a second account at Bangkok Bank (at a different branch from where I opened the first account) asked for my US Social Security number. I assume only Americans would be asked for that.

 

Only a small amount of information requested.  Whole process painlessly accomplished in a few minutes but slightly more than when I opened my first account about 25 years ago. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by Suradit69

[Aussieroaming]

My wife and I have got several joint bank accounts with KBank, but the last one was a 2 hour ordeal of forms being sent god knows where for approval. A bit similar to you in that I work O/S, we own a condo in Bangkok etc. 

[rickudon]

Your experience may vary depending on the bank and the branch. In 2009 it was easy to open an account (did one at Kasikorn) but when i tried to open another 2 years ago got nothing but 'cannot' unless i had a work permit .... I was on marriage extension for the previous 5 years! They then asked for a yellow book (didn't have one) and would not accept my wife as a guarantor ..... at 5th attempt sweet talked the bank clerk into doing it.

 

Then last year (same bank) i wanted a fixed deposit .... 'cannot' again took wife and still 'cannot' but they said i needed guarantor who was a thai and a blue book owner. Got a brother-in-law to do that, but the whole opening process took a whole hour .......

 

Utterly ridiculous. I am not some long haired, tattooed, thong wearing down and out. In the UK it would just need one proof of ID, one proof of address and 5 minutes.

[nglodnig]

I opened an account with our local branch of Bangkok Bank (in my name only) as my wife already had an account there - I was on Visa Exempt 30 days and just showed my passport. All done in 15 minutes, very simple and I get ebanking (I have a pre-paid AIS card, only Thai numbers were allowed). But from my experience of banking in Switzerland a US citizen is poison due to stringent banking regs from the US government - I had to sign a form saying I am not, never have been and never will be a US citizen when dealing with Swiss banks there. I don't know if the same rule applies here - perhaps some American cousins could comment? 

[jackdd]

18 minutes ago, rickudon said:

In the UK it would just need one proof of ID, one proof of address and 5 minutes.

You think a Thai with a temporary visitor visa could just walk into a bank in the UK and they would open an account for him? I don't think this is as easy as you think it is ????

Edited February 3, 2020 by jackdd

[Tuvoc]

On 2/2/2020 at 3:52 AM, ubonjoe said:

You can open a bank account with a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry. 

You wife can be your reference for opening an account and use her address when opening the account.

 

I'm going to try this soon. My wife has had her main account for many years at SCB. I think she also has a Bangkok Bank account.

[Vascoda]

On 2/1/2020 at 9:34 PM, JohnFlory said:

work in Asia and am legally married and registered at the amphur to a Thai woman (16 years married). We own a condo, in my wife's name, in Pattaya. I am only in Thailand three or four months each year and so am usually here on a 30 visa waiver or 60 day tourist visa that I obtain outside of Thailand. Does anyone know if any bank would allow me alone to open an account or, even better, get a joint account with my wife? Also, due to America's (I am US citizen) irritating bank reporting regulations, do banks in Thailand turn away U.S. depositors? In the future I'll be wanting to obtain a marraige visa, but not for a number of years. Thanks!

Bangkok bank has a published policy requirements for tourist visa holders if you can provide all the documents they want. I opened one in Sukumvit road (near soi 10) in Bangkok. But they did not give me online access. After I got an Non-OA, they gave me online access.

Nobody turns away US depositors due to extra paper work. It is their interest to have access to US market. It is the  envy of  the World. Most of the stuff (cars, electronics, clothes, etc. ) they sell cheap in the US compared to their country of origin. Who will not like a ocuntry with 300 million peorple with an media house hold income of more than 60k. 

I know dooms day sayers predicted that American banks will collapse when the filing requirements were introduced. But that never happened for exaclty the same reason I outlined above. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Vascoda

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, Vascoda said:

Nobody turns away US depositors due to extra paper work. It is their interest to have access to US market. It is the  envy of  the World.

That's bizarre.  How does opening a Thai bank account for an American give that Thai bank "access to the US market"? 

 

Do you really think that Thailand and Thai banks do not have access to the US market and that a few foreigners having accounts here would ever change that?

[JohnFlory]

5 hours ago, Just Weird said:

That's bizarre.  How does opening a Thai bank account for an American give that Thai bank "access to the US market"? 

 

Do you really think that Thailand and Thai banks do not have access to the US market and that a few foreigners having accounts here would ever change that?

The issue is, if they do take US deposits, but don't comply with US reporting requirements for US depositors, they could be blocked from operating in the US.

[unheard]

On 2/3/2020 at 5:14 AM, rickudon said:

Then last year (same bank) i wanted a fixed deposit .... 'cannot' again took wife and still 'cannot' but they said i needed guarantor who was a thai and a blue book owner. Got a brother-in-law to do that, but the whole opening process took a whole hour .......

Mind sharing the location of that Kasikorn branch?

Thanks!

[rickudon]

I have accounts with Kasikorn and Krungsri. Kasikorn is my old account, do not use much because always long queues. Krungsri are the ones i had problems with - both at Central plaza, Udon Thani. However also had problems with other banks as well, so not just a Krungsri thing. Once i got an account, Krungsri has been ok - but Central plaza branch is the worst, so  i use other branches of the bank now.