Anyone opened a bank account recently without a work permit?

[DumbFalang]

I already have a joint account with my Thai wife with Kasikorn, but they refused to let me open a new savings account without a work permit. Tried KrungSri and they require a work permit too. Want somewhere to store 400k for my Visa application, so I need to find a bank that allows farangs to open an account without a work permit.

[glegolo]

In Chaiyaphum where I live, they require a yellow house book OR at least a passport to open n bank account and I have bank accounts in my own name in banks like BKK Bank, Khrung Thai, Khrungs Ri and Kasikorn.. For me, here, it is Bangkok Bank that is the best without any doubt.

 

glegolo

[DrJack54]

You mentioned no luck Kasikorn.

I opened one there about 10 months ago.

No work permit and no problem.

Sometimes it depends on branch you ask.

Also when I opened a/c long time back I keep getting refused as I only had tourist visa and they wanted work permit. Had a Thai with me to explain in Thai language no luck. Tried several. Then I tried head office light blue bank no issue.

[Okis]

The staff either havent been updated on requirements or are just too lazy for the paperwork.

 

In bangkok most offices will open one without hassle because they are used to foreigners opening saving accounts. 

I was there when getting the papers done for our marriage and dropped by some banks to check if i could open one but i was told i would have additional fees using the ATM because the account wasnt opened in our homeprovince so waited until we got back home.  

 

And when back again in our province they refused to open one until i insisted and politely told them to call their own callcenter to get updated on the current requirements. 

 

[Keyser Soze666]

It's getting more difficult but there probably are some still out there, as said may just depend on the branch.

 

I was looking for an acc 2 years back most wanted a WP or a yellow book, I had neither. Eventually Krung Thai let me open one with my wife just being put down as a type of sponsor.

[Pilotman]

SCB, about 4 months ago. Just my passport ( None O, Retirement, with extension of stay, so no WP)  and proof of address, I used my DL. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by Pilotman

[mr mr]

47 minutes ago, DumbFalang said:

I already have a joint account with my Thai wife with Kasikorn, but they refused to let me open a new savings account without a work permit. Tried KrungSri and they require a work permit too. Want somewhere to store 400k for my Visa application, so I need to find a bank that allows farangs to open an account without a work permit.

opened an account at siam almost 2 months ago for this very reason. i am on non-o multiple marriage. showed my thai drivers licence and passport that's about it. 

[JimmyJ]

4 months ago opened 2 accounts at Bangkok Bank KSK.

 

 

Was told by that branch I need Certificate of Residency.

 

Was on the last 2 weeks of a SETV.

Living at a hotel, which upon request gave me a copy of the hotel registering me - forgot that document's name.

 

With that document, Imm. gave me Resident form - 1 page. 

 

Brought that to BB and they opened account.

No work permit, no lease, etc.

[Sheryl]

I had no problem opening an account at Kasikorn. Best that you specify where you live as the same bank will behave differently in different branches.

 

 

[DumbFalang]

Thanks all....I will try BKK Bank and report if any problems

[moe666]

Do not go to the poodunk branches try the bigger branch banks they tend to understand the rules. Also the bigger branches will more than likely deal with farangs as opposed to a small neighborhood branch

[Oxx]

I always print out the account opening requirements for foreigners, in both English and Thai, from the bank's own website.  This has helped me to overcome refusal to open an account in the past.

[Captain Monday]

Have you tried Bangkok Bank?

The Kad Suan Kaew branch in Chiang Mai is quite foreigner friendly.

You may need the affidavit form from your countries embassy or consulate.

[kekalot]

I have an account with Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn, neither required a work permit (I never had a work permit)

 

for Bangkok Bank at least (and maybe others), you can have a Thai national vouch for you,

all I had was my passport and my friend who signed some paperwork and they copied her ID

 

Kasikorn, same deal but the paperwork was sent to me via Thai Elite (it was a thing they offered to help with), the only difference in that one was that I needed to do a 20,000 baht deposit which I wasn't told about and didn't have cash on me.

 

made me return once I had the money, I just called my friend, got her to transfer into my BKK bank, cashed it out, brought it to Kasikorn, made account, took the 20,000 baht and then transferred the money back to my friend 15 minutes later

without the 20,000? hard no. they wouldn't budge. so a bit of red tape but otherwise not really difficult.

[Hawkcarl]

Opened an Euro account at SCB last week. No problems at all. Just showed my passport (with a visa stamp), signed some papers and off I went.

The transfer, from Switzerland, in EURO took only two hours. Cost THB180.

[Tanoshi]

6 hours ago, Oxx said:

I always print out the account opening requirements for foreigners, in both English and Thai, from the bank's own website.  This has helped me to overcome refusal to open an account in the past.

In the past that's exactly what I've done.

However in the last 18 months, both Kasikorn and Bangkok bank have refused the landlords/wife's Tabien Baan as proof of Thai address, insisting on either a Yellow House book or 'certificate of residence' issued by Immigration.

 

I recently advised a friend (different Province) how to open a Savings account at his local BKK branch.

However he met fierce resistance, with all kinds of *ridiculous requirements.

Speaking to their call centre, they tell me that now all branches can set their own requirements and they cannot help or intervene, therefore their information for foreigners to open an account on their websites is now worthless and a load of tripe.

 

It now amounts to legwork visiting other branches and banks until you find one willing to open a basic Savings account and even then it may not be the bank of your choice.

 

*Must be married to a Thai.

  Must own property.

  Copy of Passport plus copies of above must be certified by your Embassy and legalised by the MFA.

This in spite of the fact his Thai wife already has an account with them.

[laochef]

A year ago, I opened an account with K-bank in Phetchabon ( a branch at Tesco). I had NO visa, just visa-exempt stamp. They copied only the PP data page, I deposited 100K, they charged 600 Baht for the ATM. In/out in under 10 minutes. (I transfered in 800K a week later, for a retirement visa). 5 months ago, I opened a 2nd account (for daily expenses), same-same procedure, in/out in 10 minutes, still on visa-exempt.

[Tanoshi]

6 minutes ago, laochef said:

A year ago, I opened an account with K-bank in Phetchabon ( a branch at Tesco). I had NO visa, just visa-exempt stamp. They copied only the PP data page, I deposited 100K, they charged 600 Baht for the ATM. In/out in under 10 minutes. (I transfered in 800K a week later, for a retirement visa). 5 months ago, I opened a 2nd account (for daily expenses), same-same procedure, in/out in 10 minutes, still on visa-exempt.

That was the experience of others until the last year or so.

It may be absolutely coincidental, but since Immigration amended their orders accepting monthly transfers into a Thai bank account as proof of income, the banks appear to have tightened their requirements for opening even basic Savings accounts.

[w94005m]

One of the many items I was asked for by Jomtien Bangkok Bank because my visa is now under govt visa amnesty, was a letter from immigration office saying my visa extended to July 31st.

 

Aside from being ridiculously frustrating that they insisted on that, was that when my immigration agent contacted IO, they had no idea what they were on about and instead suggested a standard residence letter, which then needs to go through the ridiculous scenario of getting my landlord involved and all the frustrations that goes with that.

 

And that's not what the bank wanted. They hadn't even wanted my address docs.

 

Hopefully you're not in that situation.

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by w94005m

[JohnnyBKK]

Try as many branches as possible and one will open your account. I had the same issue, went to a dozen banks and one opened it.

[fxe1200]

ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited) in Hat Yai, passport only, last week, and the best interest rates whatsoever.

 

[Matzzon]

The same questions over and over again. Just go to the different banks websites. Almost all Thai banks have an option with other required documents for foreigners without WP for the possibility to open a savings account. Just tell them what stands there or ask them to call the head office. That´s what I do and then it always sounds different.

[MangoPineappleBanana]

8 hours ago, Oxx said:

I always print out the account opening requirements for foreigners, in both English and Thai, from the bank's own website.  This has helped me to overcome refusal to open an account in the past.

It might be asking a lot but can you list out kasikorn/krungsri/bangkok bank's? I cant find any of them.

[khunjeff]

I opened an account at Kasikorn in Bangkok last December. They asked for a work permit, but when I said I was retired and showed them the retirement extension (at that time from an O-A, subsequently changed to O), they were fine with that. I speak Thai, but I could hear staff dealing with customers in English at nearby counters with no issues.

 

I had brought a whole bag full of documents to prove who I was and where I lived, but they didn't care about any of them - they only wanted my passport, and accepted my address as I wrote it on their form.

 

I'm rather impressed by the poster earlier who said he was "in and out in ten minutes" when he opened his account, since just filling out the various forms, copying things and signing the copies, and getting the ATM card and phone app up and working took me over 45 minutes, even though the clerk was very competent. 

 

I had also brought along a pile of banknotes, since I had read stories from people who had been required to deposit 20k baht, but I was told there was no minimum deposit, and I could open the account with a few hundred baht if I wanted. I ended up making an initial deposit of a few thousand baht, and then wired in an additional 900k+ a few weeks later to meet the 800k extension requirement.

 

Good luck to the OP - I'm sure he'll succeed if he just keeps trying different banks and branches.

[natway09]

I would talk to the manager where you have the joint A/C.

Pretty sure he or she will do it

[Bender Rodriguez]

On 6/20/2020 at 1:35 PM, glegolo said:

Bangkok Bank that is the best without any doubt.

 nope, that is the one bank that asked for WP !

 

well, another bank said:  are you on the blue book, no, so no account for you

 

what farang is in the blue book .....ZERO

[Bob A Kneale]

On 6/20/2020 at 1:23 PM, DumbFalang said:

Tried KrungSri and they require a work permit

Krungsri, Exchange Tower, Asok opened a new account for me not long ago, they didn't want a WP, I'm on a retirement extension.

 

Kasikorn and UOB didn't require a WP either.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Bob A Kneale

[Bob A Kneale]

1 hour ago, w94005m said:

One of the many items I was asked for by Jomtien Bangkok Bank because my visa is now under govt visa amnesty, was a letter from immigration office saying my visa extended to July 31st.

Which bank would be happy about opening an account for someone on a technical overstay, regardless of current circumstances?  The bank has no idea whether you qualify for the amnesty, neither is it their obligation to find out.  Whenever a new account is opened one of the things that the banks have to check is that the applicant has a current visa.

[mikecha]

Bangkok bank   

just needed a goverment employee to vouch for me and sign 

my partner did she works for the goverment half hour done 

 

 

[jimmjam]

you should be able to open an account in any bank, like bangkok bank , kasikorn.

The people that work there are either to lazy to do the extra paperwork,  or dont have a clue about farangs opening bank accounts or have been told by the manager who has told them not to open accounts for farangs.