Open bank acct foriegner

[kazoo55]

How where To open bank acct ubon ratchathani  

[BenDeCosta]

Go into some branches and ask. If you've got a work permit you'll be fine.

[kazoo55]

Thanks Ben why do you need a work visa to open bank acct to qualify for retirement visa. To qualify for this visa, l have to deposit 650000 baht money into thai bank acct. How do you deposit into acct if you cannot open a thai bank account. Logic not real.

Cheers

[BenDeCosta]

5 minutes ago, kazoo55 said:

Thanks Ben why do you need a work visa to open bank acct to qualify for retirement visa. To qualify for this visa, l have to deposit 650000 baht money into thai bank acct. How do you deposit into acct if you cannot open a thai bank account. Logic not real.

Cheers

Correct. In Ubon they are even less used to dealing with foreigners so it's even harder to do it there than in Bangkok. If you don't have a work permit then they'll probably ask for a letter from your embassy, but if you ask them what the letter needs to say they won't know.

Edited March 19, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[kazoo55]

Ben

Just to mention I have been to every bank in Ubon 2 times with same response. Immigration who hold all details of every one entering Ubon Ratchathani say they can't assist seems crazy. Every bank happy to assist with transfer but wont open acct. Go figure.

Cheers

[BenDeCosta]

4 minutes ago, kazoo55 said:

Ben

Just to mention I have been to every bank in Ubon 2 times with same response. Immigration who hold all details of every one entering Ubon Ratchathani say they can't assist seems crazy. Every bank happy to assist with transfer but wont open acct. Go figure.

Cheers

I didn't go to every branch but maybe half a dozen, responses were usually we need a work permit, sometimes they even said they can't or won't do it. Ending up flying to Bangkok to sort as like the OP I needed a Thai account to deposit the money for my visa. In Kasikorn I tried to explain to the manager that I needed a Thai account in order to get my visa as it was a requirement, just got a blank stare.

Edited March 19, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[BenDeCosta]

There is a legal firm that you can contact who will assist you in opening an account for a fee of $150, you find them easily by searching Google.

[jackdd]

Get a one year rental contract and take it together with your passport to Krungsri, they will most likely open a bank account for you, type of visa doesn't matter, can be done with a tourist visa. If one branch denies you just go to another.

[Mister T]

SCB at central plaza and kasikorn at Sunee plaza will both open accounts with a retirement visa and proof of address.

[BenDeCosta]

2 hours ago, Mister T said:

SCB at central plaza and kasikorn at Sunee plaza will both open accounts with a retirement visa and proof of address.

I was point blank refused at that Kasikorn on a Non-O based on marriage with all my documents, marriage certificate, tabien baan, wife was present and was willing to sign as guarantor, but they still wanted a work permit. When I'm retired maybe I'll go in there and try again.

[Pilotman]

6 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

I was point blank refused at that Kasikorn on a Non-O based on marriage with all my documents, marriage certificate, tabien baan, wife was present and was willing to sign as guarantor, but they still wanted a work permit. When I'm retired maybe I'll go in there and try again.

Why would you try again at one bank when there are others more accommodating.  I opened three accounts (SCB) in 2 years using only my passport and driving licence as proof of address. Why give your money to a bank that doesn't want it?  

[BenDeCosta]

Just now, Pilotman said:

Why would you try again at one bank when there are others more accommodating.  I opened three accounts (SCB) in 2 years using only my passport and driving licence as proof of address. Why give your money to a bank that doesn't want it?  

I think I just had a bad run of luck and was trying in the wrong places. I have heard that SCB are more accommodating to foreigners. Most of the time I got the general impression that the staff didn't know what to do and were trying to get rid of me, much like when I go to a DIY store and ask where the screw drivers are, with a look of panic they tell me "mai mee" so I just find the section myself and pick up what I need myself.

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, BenDeCosta said:

I think I just had a bad run of luck and was trying in the wrong places. I have heard that SCB are more accommodating to foreigners. Most of the time I got the general impression that the staff didn't know what to do and were trying to get rid of me, much like when I go to a DIY store and ask where the screw drivers are, with a look of panic they tell me "mai mee" so I just find the section myself and pick up what I need myself.

I hesitate to recommend SCB, but they have been good to us for over 20 years. Just as good if not better than our bank in UK, RBS. 

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

I think I just had a bad run of luck and was trying in the wrong places. I have heard that SCB are more accommodating to foreigners. Most of the time I got the general impression that the staff didn't know what to do and were trying to get rid of me, much like when I go to a DIY store and ask where the screw drivers are, with a look of panic they tell me "mai mee" so I just find the section myself and pick up what I need myself.

Its not the bank per se, its the staff you encounter that's the issue. Its the same nationwide, get the wrong one and the stock answer of "mai mee" or "cannot" will soon appear.

Frustrating but its purely a numbers game, keep trying.

[BenDeCosta]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

I hesitate to recommend SCB, but they have been good to us for over 20 years. Just as good if not better than our bank in UK, RBS. 

Thanks for this advice, next time I am in Bangkok I'm going to try and open an account there, I won't try it in Ubon - here it seems nobody can speak passable English at any of the banks that I tried, whereas in Bangkok they usually had at least one staff member that could speak decent English.

[CharlieH]

Just a thought, but the last time I opened an account I used TMB, they were quite easy and straight forward one you got past the "need work permit" and they understood "retired". No cross province fees either which is always nice.

 

Just a suggestion, as the staff and branch you encounter could be totally different, as said earlier ????

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, BenDeCosta said:

Thanks for this advice, next time I am in Bangkok I'm going to try and open an account there, I won't try it in Ubon - here it seems nobody can speak passable English at any of the banks that I tried, whereas in Bangkok they usually had at least one staff member that could speak decent English.

Just a quick example of what they can do.  On holiday one year, we spotted a track of land that we liked .   It was 1.5 million Baht. We went and talked to SCB and asked then to finance the purchase for us, by a short term  loan, and we would pay it off on our return to UK. The checked our status with our UK bank, RBS, and then loaned the money. We bought the land and paid off SCB two weeks later.  That's flexibility that You don't often see in a UK bank, let alone a Thai Bank. 

[BenDeCosta]

9 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Just a quick example of what they can do.  On holiday one year, we spotted a track of land that we liked .   It was 1.5 million Baht. We went and talked to SCB and asked then to finance the purchase for us, by a short term  loan, and we would pay it off on our return to UK. The checked our status with our UK bank, RBS, and then loaned the money. We bought the land and paid off SCB two weeks later.  That's flexibility that You don't often see in a UK bank, let alone a Thai Bank. 

I could have borrowed 1.5 million from my bank in the UK in a heartbeat, I was always getting emails from them trying to lend me money. The difference is that they would have forced me to pay it back over several years at a steep rate, costing me a small fortune in interest.

[olfu]

Its probably bad idea to try to open bank account right now.

Better idea is to go to tourist cities like Pattaya where its normal for banks to deal with farangs.

When I opened my account in Kasicorn they ask only for passport.

[BenDeCosta]

3 minutes ago, olfu said:

Its probably bad idea to try to open bank account right now.

Better idea is to go to tourist cities like Pattaya where its normal for banks to deal with farangs.

When I opened my account in Kasicorn they ask only for passport.

So when was this? During the Korean war?

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

I opened three accounts (SCB) in 2 years using only my passport and driving licence as proof of address.

In Ubon?

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Just a quick example of what they can do.  On holiday one year, we spotted a track of land that we liked .   It was 1.5 million Baht. We went and talked to SCB and asked then to finance the purchase for us, by a short term  loan, and we would pay it off on our return to UK. The checked our status with our UK bank, RBS, and then loaned the money. We bought the land and paid off SCB two weeks later.  That's flexibility that You don't often see in a UK bank, let alone a Thai Bank. 

Good for you. You actually needed and got a loan for 50k.

What does that have to do with opening a bank account in Ubon?

Op, my experience is is Bangkok Bank is pretty flexible about opening accounts. Maybe give them a try. If you can make a decent sized initial deposit it may offset any work permit requirements.

Good luck.

[BenDeCosta]

Anyone reading this thread who has tried to open a bank account in Ubon recently will understand the OP's problems. Please don't post how you just walked in and opened an account with only your passport on a visa exempt entry because it is not helpful. If anyone wants to provide useful input, please tell us when you did this and where you went. If it wasn't in the last few years it won't be helpful because of the extra paperwork now involved in dealing with US citizens because of tax purposes, and the subsequent issues that foreigners will have when dealing with bank staff.

It's a bit like saying "I was on holiday in Austria and the first girl I walked up to and asked for sex, she agreed, so you guys can do it too". Try it in the real world. Banks in Thailand are very reluctant to open accounts for foreigners right now. Just because someone else has done it easily, doesn't mean that it'll be easy for you.

Edited March 19, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[OswaldBastable]

4 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

Anyone reading this thread who has tried to open a bank account in Ubon recently will understand the OP's problems. Please don't post how you just walked in and opened an account with only your passport on a visa exempt entry because it is not helpful. If anyone wants to provide useful input, please tell us when you did this and where you went. If it wasn't in the last few years it won't be helpful because of the extra paperwork now involved in dealing with US citizens because of tax purposes, and the subsequent issues that foreigners will have when dealing with bank staff.

I'm opening an account with Bangkok Bank on Monday, everything prearranged by an agent from the UK, all I have to do is turn up with my passport at the branch near my condo in Pattaya and collect my bank book and debit card. I'm not American which may make a difference, and I'm here on a STV. 

 

Are there no agents to smooth the process in Ubon?

Edited March 19, 2021 by OswaldBastable

[BenDeCosta]

1 minute ago, OswaldBastable said:

I'm opening an account with Bangkok Bank on Monday, everything prearranged by an agent from the UK, all I have to do is turn up with my passport at the branch near my condo in Pattaya and collect my bank book and debit card. I'm not American which may make a difference, and I'm here on a STV. 

Yes, when you get an agent involved, things suddenly get a lot easier.

[2530Ubon]

K bank in sunee tower will open a savings account for you without a w/p. Lot's of friends have opened accounts in this branch without any issues on toursit visas and non-o's. Come armed with a certificate of residence from IO.

Personally, I opened an account with Krungsri 6 years ago with a certificate of residence from immigration. No WP. This was in Bangkok though, I hadn't moved to Ubon yet.

If your from the US then your sh!t outta luck - The US loves to make sure they get their tax cut and it drives them crazy. I used to work for a company that had to open accounts for hundreds of teachers a semester, and they hated dealing with American's purely due to all the extra info and paper work required. Used to take a lot longer to process too.

[BenDeCosta]

K Bank in Sunnee Tower now will not open you an account without a work permit. I've been there twice and got the same response both times.

Edited March 19, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[2530Ubon]

14 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

K Bank in Sunnee Tower now will not open you an account without a work permit.

Don't take no for an answer.

If you have the certificate of residence from IO then that should be sufficient. There are hundreds of thousands of us here without work permits - but we all have bank accounts. I have three - Krungthai, Krungsri and Kasikorn. 

Things will go better for you if you go with a Thai who can explain what you need and what you need it for. A basic savings account is open for all with proof of residency and passport.

Edit: I just checked the Kasikorn website - they don't even mention a work permit, proof of residence and passport are the only requirements.

https://kasikornbank.com/en/personal/Account/Pages/savings.aspx

Edited March 19, 2021 by 2530Ubon

[BenDeCosta]

8 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

Don't take no for an answer.

I've tried to argue when they said no and point to what their website said, and they said to me that "that information is out of date".

[foreverlomsak]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Just a thought, but the last time I opened an account I used TMB, they were quite easy and straight forward one you got past the "need work permit" and they understood "retired". No cross province fees either which is always nice.

 

Just a suggestion, as the staff and branch you encounter could be totally different, as said earlier ????

Had 2 accounts with TMB, opened while I had a Work Permit, my "Daily Use Account" ATM card ran out out of validity and they would not replace the ATM card for an existing account holder without an up to date WP. Guess who had retired by then. So 2m baht in fixed deposit account (for Immigration) and a balance in daily use account was removed at first opportunity.