opening aThai Bank a/c.

[fgmr]

A few years ago while living in Thailand I had to get a letter from Immigration before the bank would allow me to open an account.

 

I am now in the UK and wish to get a marriage visa. IMO have told my GF that I must have 400,000 baht in the bank for at least 2 months. How do I open  a Thai Bank a/c whilst in the UK?

fgmr

[glegolo]

To my knowledge, you can not open a bank account in Thailand, while you are NOT in the country...

 

glegolo

[ubonjoe]

The 400k baht is only needed to apply for a extension of stay at immigration here.

You can apply for a single entry non-o visa based upon marriage to a Thai with only a small amount of money in a bank in the UK

The requirement are near the end of this webpage on the London embassy website.

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84508-non-immigrant-visas?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

 

[DrJack54]

OP,  if you obtain the non o (marriage) in the UK , that is a good idea as will be more easy to open a Bank Account in Thailand. You will need that account to obtain your 12 month extension.

For those entering Thailand visa exempt an option is to use agent to organize your bank account. One poster gave positive experience using legal firm (sponsor on tvf). Also was cheap. Just an added option. I recently had difficulty opening another account. Even with annual extensions over several years and reentry permit. Bangkok Bank wanted something from my embassy along with vague rubbish from my Oz bank etc . Just pointing out the bank account can be hit and miss.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, fgmr said:

I am now in the UK and wish to get a marriage visa. IMO have told my GF that I must have 400,000 baht in the bank for at least 2 months.

You wish to enter Thailand, get married, then apply to extend your permission of stay from your entry based on marriage.

First question, how do you intend to enter Thailand - VE, TV, Non O, Non O-A?

 

1 hour ago, fgmr said:

How do I open  a Thai Bank a/c whilst in the UK?

You don't.

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

First question, how do you intend to enter Thailand - VE, TV, Non O, Non O-A?

I completely missed tiny fact that OP currently is not married. Think ubonjoe also missed that.

Best option is enter VE or TV?

 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by DrJack54

[Tanoshi]

12 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I completely miss tiny fact that OP currently not married. Think ubonjoe also missed that.

He posted his 'to do list' in reverse order.

 

12 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thinking best option is enter VE or TV?

Definitely TV entry IMO.

This will grant him a stay of 60 days + 30 day extension, giving sufficient time for the OP to obtain an 'affidavit of freedom to marry', before actually marrying and opening a bank account.

400K only required in the bank on the day of applying for Non O based on marriage.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Tanoshi

[jackdd]

To me it sounds like that OP thinks he can get the "marriage visa" for the purpose of traveling to Thailand to get married, and hence the confusion.

This is not possible, the visa is only available of you are married to a Thai already. To get married here just enter with a tourist visa or visa exempt.

[Tanoshi]

47 minutes ago, jackdd said:

To me it sounds like that OP thinks he can get the "marriage visa" for the purpose of traveling to Thailand to get married, and hence the confusion.

This is not possible, the visa is only available of you are married to a Thai already. To get married here just enter with a tourist visa or visa exempt.

Of course there is no 'Marriage Visa' as such, I think the OP was referring to an extension based on marriage which requires the 400K as a requirement.

He could obtain the single entry Non O in the UK based on retirement or marriage (if married) but the 400/40K Health Insurance is a requirement based on retirement.

 

A TV rather than a VE entry just allows him that extra time to put everything in place before applying for the Non O based on marriage at his Immigration office.

10 days quarantine and applying 'at least 15 days' before his permission of stay expires for the Non O takes at least 25 days away from his other necessities, namely getting married and opening a bank account.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Tanoshi

[fgmr]

On 4/5/2021 at 1:31 PM, Tanoshi said:

You wish to enter Thailand, get married, then apply to extend your permission of stay from your entry based on marriage.

First question, how do you intend to enter Thailand - VE, TV, Non O, Non O-A?

 

You don't.

Hello Tanoshi,

I was planning to use TV, but i have just seen something I have not been aware of. I inderstand that a UK citizen can get a OX Visa for long stay. Don't know what that is? It would help if there were a published list of ALL the various visa acronyms and details.

 

[Upnotover]

5 minutes ago, fgmr said:

Hello Tanoshi,

I was planning to use TV, but i have just seen something I have not been aware of. I inderstand that a UK citizen can get a OX Visa for long stay. Don't know what that is? It would help if there were a published list of ALL the various visa acronyms and details.

 

There is, it's here; https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/84508-non-immigrant-visas?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

The O-X requires you to have THB 3,000,000 in a Thai account.  There are other much easier ways to proceed as I think you have seen already.

 

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, fgmr said:

Hello Tanoshi,

I was planning to use TV, but i have just seen something I have not been aware of. I inderstand that a UK citizen can get a OX Visa for long stay. Don't know what that is? It would help if there were a published list of ALL the various visa acronyms and details.

 

Below I have outlined the main differences between a Non Imm O-A Visa and a Non Imm O-X Visa.

 

When applying for a 1-year Non Imm O-A Visa at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country you need to meet the financial requirements, but there is NO need to have money on a Thai Bank-Account.  In most countries you just need to show that in the 3 months preceding your application you had a minimum of the equivalent of 800.000 THB on a bank-account in your home-country (also 800K THB on a Thai bank-account is accepted).  Note that in US  there is NO seasoning requirement for the funds, and you only need to show that you have those funds on your bank-account at moment of application.

When entering Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa you will be stamped in for a 1-year permission to stay during the Visa validity period (1-year).  So when exiting and re-entering Thailand just before the 1-year Visa validity expires, you will have effectively 2 years of IO-hassle free long-stay in Thailand.

With NO need to visit an IO to apply twice for a 1-year extension during that period, and NO need to park/transfer money to a personal Thai bank-account.

When occasionally visiting your home-country every 2 years and then applying for a NEW Non Imm O-A Visa, you will effectively NEVER have to visit an IO for an extension application.

 

When applying for the 5+5 year Non Imm O-X Visa at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country you need to meet the financial requirements for such application.

Contrary to the Non Imm O-A Visa, applicants for the Non Imm O-X Visa MUST have money deposited in Thai bank located in Thailand with the amount of not less than 1.8 million Baht and have income with the amount of not less than 1.2 million Baht per year. Once the applicants enter Thailand, they must have accumulated money deposited in Thai bank located in Thailand not less than 3 million Baht within 1 year.

The money in (a) and (b) must be kept in bank account at least 1 year before withdrawing and, within another next year, the money must be left in the account with the amount of not less than 1.5 million Baht and can only be spent in Thailand.

When entering Thailand on a Non Imm O-X Visa you will be stamped in for a 5-year permission to stay during the Visa validity period (5-year).  But contrary to the Non Imm O-A Visa you will not enjoy 2 or 5 years of IO-hassle free long-stay in Thailand.

Because you must report, in person, to the immigration officer every year for the examination of the qualifications and supporting documents.

 

The requirements for 90-day reporting and the mandatory Thai IO-approved health-insurance are exactly the same for the Non Imm O-A and the Non Imm O-X Visa.

 

So the main 'benefit' from the Non Imm O-X Visa is that it provides you with a 5-year permission to stay stamped in your passport, but for that privilege you need to park between 1.2 and 3 million THB in a Thai bank-account and you need to visit your local IO every year to provide evidence that you still meet the requirements.

The additional benefits from the Non Imm O-X Visa are rather limited:

 -   Can work as a volunteer (in accordance with the list of volunteer work as stipulated by the Department of Employment).
  -  Can purchase vehicles (under the provision of laws on motor vehicles).
 -   Can purchase condominiums (proceed in accordance with the Condominium Act).

 

The Non Imm O-A Visa on the other hand provides you with almost 2-years of permission to stay in Thailand WITHOUT having to park/transfer money to a personal Thai bank-account and no need to apply at your local IO for any extensions during those 2 years.

And when applying for back-to-back NEW Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country you will NEVER have to visit a local Immigration Office for extension applications or providing evidence of meeting the requirements of for your stay in Thailand.

 

Needless to say that the Non Imm O-X Visa is not very popular (to use an understatement), and most long-stay retirees prefer staying on a Non Imm O or O-A Visa or extensions of these Visa..