Can you open a bank account as a tourist?

[Geordieabroad]

I opened an account with Kasikorn while here as a tourist in 2009.

My girlfriend (now wife) went with me and it all went smooth, after 30 minutes i came out with an ATM card and a bank book.  After 13 years i still have the same account and fixed deposit.

Not sure if it is still so easy but taking a Thai speaker to Kasikorn definitely helps

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Geordieabroad said:

I opened an account with Kasikorn while here as a tourist in 2009.

My girlfriend (now wife) went with me and it all went smooth, after 30 minutes i came out with an ATM card and a bank book.  After 13 years i still have the same account and fixed deposit.

Not sure if it is still so easy but taking a Thai speaker to Kasikorn definitely helps

But not the same bank book.........????

[PeachCH]

Best and quickest use an Immigration agent. 

[Lacessit]

Money talks, BS walks. It was many years ago. I walked into a Bangkok Bank branch in Chiang Mai with 100,000 baht in cash, put it down on the counter, and said I want to open a savings account. My Thai and the bank teller's English were good enough, after a flurry of consultation with other employees, I walked out with a new passbook after 30 minutes. All they really needed was my passport.

The rules may have changed. I suspect if I had tried to open an account with only 1000 baht, my reception would have been different.

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Money talks, BS walks.

Indeed. 

Just before covid I tried to open a FD account with Bangkok Bank Asoke branch.

I had 400k on me. 

I had a non O and reentry permit.

The bank manager insisted that I provide a residence certificate or statement from my embassy.

TBH later same day I was successful at Kasikorn bank.

They were happy with my non O. 

None of which helps the OP

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Indeed. 

Just before covid I tried to open a FD account with Bangkok Bank Asoke branch.

I had 400k on me. 

I had a non O and reentry permit.

The bank manager insisted that I provide a residence certificate or statement from my embassy.

TBH later same day I was successful at Kasikorn bank.

They were happy with my non O. 

None of which helps the OP

I did say it was many years ago.

[AustinRacing]

I don’t think tourists should be allowed to open bank accounts anywhere. As a tourist you should have access to funds prior to departing your home country. Otherwise it makes it easy for money launderers and other illegal money related activities to flourish. 

[DrJoy]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:06 PM, TheLaughingMan said:

Either a certain bank or a special type of account or is it just not possible?  Thanks

Edited yesterday at 12:06 PM by TheLaughingMan

My friend opened an account with UOB while on a tourist visa. (Jan 2022)

The only catch was initial deposit of THB 50,000.-

 

Central Ladprao Branch, Bangkok

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

I don’t think tourists should be allowed to open bank accounts anywhere. As a tourist you should have access to funds prior to departing your home country. Otherwise it makes it easy for money launderers and other illegal money related activities to flourish. 

Many folk enter tourist visa or visa exempt with aim to obtain non O.

In order to that you need to have a Thai bank account in your name.

 

[BritTim]

19 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I suspect if I had tried to open an account with only 1000 baht, my reception would have been different.

If it was "many years ago" as you stated, opening a personal bank account at the major banks was a breeze. I opened several very easily with just the minimum deposit. The only time you were typically refused was by the smaller banks, or if there was a language problem. It is now much more difficult. If they see you are a US citizen, it can be even harder. The banks hate the reporting requirements they must satisfy.

[RafPinto]

Ask my ex GF

 

She will say:

 

Cannnn, can evelising.????

[transam]

18 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

I don’t think tourists should be allowed to open bank accounts anywhere. As a tourist you should have access to funds prior to departing your home country. Otherwise it makes it easy for money launderers and other illegal money related activities to flourish. 

How do you know that......????...........................????

[Liverpool Lou]

23 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Very relevant in my book.

If the branch is in Bangkok and you recently opened your account you could provide details..

 

This thread is repeated often with vague replies which are meaningless.

Meaningless...and frequently untrue! 

[buick]

On 6/16/2022 at 4:24 AM, DrJoy said:

My friend opened an account with UOB while on a tourist visa. (Jan 2022)

The only catch was initial deposit of THB 50,000.-

 

Central Ladprao Branch, Bangkok

yeah, UOB was mentioned alot a few years ago.  many banks refused but UOB was one of the spots to go to.  as you say, they did require a large initial deposit.  it sounds like they are still doing the same thing as a few years ago.  that is good news for people that need an account with only a tourist visa.  they also have a branch near asoke/sukhumvit intersection.

[DrJack54]

A very popular method of transfer is using WISE.

Folk should be aware that changes to rules were made early this year.

As a result some will want to choose a bank from list of 3.....

 

You can send up to 2 million THB per transfer.

Please note that you’ll be able to send 50,000 THB or above per transfer only to the following banks starting from 7 January 2022 due to regulatory changes:

• Bangkok Bank Public Company

• Kasikorn Bank

• Siam Commercial Bank

You can still send money to recipient accounts that use other banks, but you’ll only be allowed to send them up to 49,999 THB per transfer. There’s no limit on how many transfers you can create

[ed strong]

On 6/16/2022 at 10:24 AM, transam said:

Your first para doesn't sound right.  ????

 

ok what i meant was, I was a tourist but gave them the impression that i was looking for somewhere to buy and to stay their permanently. There was nothing in my passport that related to how long or why i was staying there.

 

On a different note i also managed to get a tax file number for working purposes whilst i was  in Australia for 6 months even though i was on a tourist visa there.

 

Anything possible even if its not supposed to be done.

[jaizan]

On 6/16/2022 at 4:56 PM, PeachCH said:

Best and quickest use an Immigration agent. 

At what cost though ?

I hear some charge 3500 in Pattaya.

 

Another quoted me about 1600, but that was as part of a much larger "fee" proposed for a retirement visa, bending a few rules. (I didn't go for it)

 

My actual account was opened over 10 years ago.  The first branch said no.  The second said yes.   If faced with a 3500 fee, I would at least try walking into half a dozen branches first.

[Hanaguma]

Not Bangkok but Chiang Mai if it helps you (or someone). Bangkok Bank, Siam TV branch.

 

No fuss no muss no bother. Nice staff and very professional.  My wife and I were both on visa exempt status. What we did was contact an agency to help us get us Residency Certificates. We got TM30 forms from our landlord (we stayed in an AirBnb for a month) and sent them to the agency. Think it cost 3000 baht altogether. 

 

We did have to try 2 bank branches though. One wanted us to buy some bogus insurance for 5,900 baht each in order to open the accounts. But the Siam TV branch was smooth as silk. Just hinted that we needed the accounts for a future transfer of a large amount of cash for visas, condo purchase, etc.  Dressed well, showered, had all the paperwork printed and neatly sorted. 

[sandyf]

On 6/17/2022 at 12:29 PM, BritTim said:

If it was "many years ago" as you stated, opening a personal bank account at the major banks was a breeze.

Quite.

My first account from 1999.

 

 

[BeerAttractedPerson]

I got an account as a tourist some years back at Kasikorn on the corner of sukhumvit 33 no issues. Also got at Siam Commercial at Times Square branch, although that has closed and moved to Terminal 21 (asoke)

[JoseThailand]

Bangkok Bank easily opens accounts for tourists, at least in tourist locations. They will just ask you to buy accident insurance from them for around 6k baht.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Bangkok Bank easily opens accounts for tourists, at least in tourist locations. They will just ask you to buy accident insurance from them for around 6k baht.

Not in Bangkok. 

[JoseThailand]

11 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Not in Bangkok. 

I'm talking about real tourist locations, like Pattaya, Phuket, Samui etc. A lot of tourists open accounts with Bangkok Bank.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

I'm talking about real tourist locations, like Pattaya, Phuket, Samui etc.

Google "Most visited places by tourists to Thailand "

Bangkok #1

[JoseThailand]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Google "Most visited places by tourists to Thailand "

Bangkok #1

Haha, of course it's "most visited" because most international flights land there and people may stay a night before moving to their planned destination in Thailand.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, JoseThailand said:

Haha, of course it's "most visited" because most international flights land there and people may stay a night before moving to their planned destination in Thailand.

Move on.

Some provinces will still open bank accounts perhaps with the "insurance catch" .

Most places now ask for residence certificate. 

That's not possible in Bangkok on tourist visa but possible elsewhere. 

[JoseThailand]

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Move on.

Some provinces will still open bank accounts perhaps with the "insurance catch" .

Most places now ask for residence certificate. 

That's not possible in Bangkok on tourist visa but possible elsewhere. 

In non-tourist provinces they will just get rid of you with the "work permit" catch, same as in Bangkok.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

In non-tourist provinces they will just get rid of you with the "work permit" catch, same as in Bangkok.

Your going in circles.

In Bangkok you will need a residence certificate or letter from your embassy.

The issue with residence certificate in Bangkok is that you are required to have made a 90 day report.

Not possible on tourist visa.

For other provinces they in the main these days also require a residence certificate however that can be provided by immigration with a lease or TM30.

Money laundering laws have changed the landscape a lot.

 

For those that require to open bank account quickly, perhaps on pathway from visa exempt entry to a non O , I suggest best option is to use an agent. Approx 3500baht.

[problemfarang]

On 6/16/2022 at 6:46 AM, DrJack54 said:

Check with Siam Legal. 

lol first time you not suggest thaivisa

 

youa re aware that siam legal is a law company right? not an agency

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/16/2022 at 2:48 PM, buick said:

not sure where you are in bangkok, but i'd suggest bangkok bank main office at 333 silom road.  go in and see what they require, maybe you'll get lucky and they'll offer to open one if you buy their insurance product.  which will cost about the same as an agent/siam legal.  but you may have to get the embassy letter.  or, just go with the siam legal recommended by another poster.  it can be a hassle to open an account and an agent makes it real easy.

 

 

That's where I opened my account. Just walked in no hassle. However that was long ago. Just have to go and see now.