Best Bank to apply for Bank Account on Tourist Visa

[Eddie45]

I have read it can be hard to get open a bank account now on a tourist visa. What banks in phuket are the best to try? 

[skatewash]

Try Krungsri Bank, Bangkok Bank, and Kasikorn Bank.  You can probably improve your odds if you obtain a residence certificate from Phuket Immigration.  They will ask 300 baht for the certificate.  The Bangkok Bank branch I would try is on Rat-U-Thit Road in Patong, on the left side, just before you arrive at Jungceylon.   There is a lot of discretion in opening an account for a foreigner especially one not on a long-term visa/extension.  Sometimes they will decide to open the account for you if you also purchase insurance from them at the same time.  PA 1st Accident Insurance (Smart or VIP policy) from Bangkok Bank is not a terrible deal as it covers accidents while on a motorcycle.

Finally, if after trying on your own unsuccessfully at a number of different branches you could consider using the services of an agent.

[skatewash]

It's even harder if you are an American citizen because the US government has decided to outsource all sorts of compliance responsibility to foreign banks for tax matters.  There's nothing you can do about that except to be cooperative and easy to deal with as the bank attempts to comply with the requirements the US government has imposed on them.  Be the kind of customer you would like to deal with if you were working at the bank.  Provide the information and fill out the IRS forms without a lot of complaining and eye-rolling.  They will want to know your social security number, for instance.  They are not the instigators of these questions they are just carrying out the orders of the US government.  Make it as painless as possible.

[BUMMERJACK]

On 9/7/2022 at 5:43 PM, skatewash said:

Try Krungsri Bank, Bangkok Bank, and Kasikorn Bank.  You can probably improve your odds if you obtain a residence certificate from Phuket Immigration.  They will ask 300 baht for the certificate.  The Bangkok Bank branch I would try is on Rat-U-Thit Road in Patong, on the left side, just before you arrive at Jungceylon.   There is a lot of discretion in opening an account for a foreigner especially one not on a long-term visa/extension.  Sometimes they will decide to open the account for you if you also purchase insurance from them at the same time.  PA 1st Accident Insurance (Smart or VIP policy) from Bangkok Bank is not a terrible deal as it covers accidents while on a motorcycle.

Finally, if after trying on your own unsuccessfully at a number of different branches you could consider using the services of an agent.

Went to the Rat-U-Thit Bangkok Bank in Patong today, instantly got an account with SETV and Residence Certificate only. The catch though was that they wanted somewhere just under 7000 THB to open one for me. Since it's very important for me to set an account up quickly to transfer funds from abroad, I bent over and feel no remorse.

 

So if you are ready to pay, it's a solid option for getting a Thai bank account while on SETV.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, BUMMERJACK said:

Went to the Rat-U-Thit Bangkok Bank in Patong today, instantly got an account with SETV and Residence Certificate only

How did you obtain residence certificate.

Just rock up to immigration.

That's not possible everywhere. 

[BUMMERJACK]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

How did you obtain residence certificate.

Just rock up to immigration.

That's not possible everywhere. 

I asked my landlord to register me online at the Immigration website, and then mail me the documents that proved my registration. She sent that, and one or two other things related, unsure of specifically what they contained seeing as all the text was in Thai.

 

I went with those, my passport and my E-Visa approval copy to Phuket Town Immigration. They have a little shop there that can scan, copy and take photos of you for a small penny. Took face photos and made copies of my passports ID and current visa pages. 

 

Then I went into Immigration and submitted everything together with 600 THB, had to wait around 30-40 mins and they sent me off with two copies of stamped residence certificates. The bank asked zero questions about anything when they saw the certificate.

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, BUMMERJACK said:

I asked my landlord to register me online at the Immigration website, and then mail me the documents that proved my registration. She sent that, and one or two other things related, unsure of specifically what they contained seeing as all the text was in Thai.

 

I went with those, my passport and my E-Visa approval copy to Phuket Town Immigration. They have a little shop there that can scan, copy and take photos of you for a small penny. Took face photos and made copies of my passports ID and current visa pages. 

 

Then I went into Immigration and submitted everything together with 600 THB, had to wait around 30-40 mins and they sent me off with two copies of stamped residence certificates. The bank asked zero questions about anything when they saw the certificate.

That's excellent info for folk dealing with Phuket.

It's not possible in some places such as Bangkok. 

Edit: sorry just realized I stumbled into forum dedicated to Phuket.

Will leave post as it's certainly not so straight forward elsewhere 

Edited September 20, 2022 by DrJack54

[skatewash]

51 minutes ago, BUMMERJACK said:

Went to the Rat-U-Thit Bangkok Bank in Patong today, instantly got an account with SETV and Residence Certificate only. The catch though was that they wanted somewhere just under 7000 THB to open one for me. Since it's very important for me to set an account up quickly to transfer funds from abroad, I bent over and feel no remorse.

 

So if you are ready to pay, it's a solid option for getting a Thai bank account while on SETV.

Just to clarify, the 7,000 baht was deposited into your account as opening balance or were you asked to pay that amount for insurance of some kind?

[BUMMERJACK]

5 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Just to clarify, the 7,000 baht was deposited into your account as opening balance or were you asked to pay that amount for insurance of some kind?

Out of the 7099 THB I was asked to pay if I wanted to open an account, 501 THB was deposited into my account. The rest was the "insurance" and some administrative fee since I am on "The Tourist Plan". 

[merijn]

On 9/20/2022 at 5:15 PM, BUMMERJACK said:

Out of the 7099 THB I was asked to pay if I wanted to open an account, 501 THB was deposited into my account. The rest was the "insurance" and some administrative fee since I am on "The Tourist Plan". 

Sorry but then you are robbed as there is no fee (except fr the ATM card) to open a bank account.

Bangkok Bank is one of the few banks which allows foreigners without long term visa's to open a bank account relatively easy. (specially in Patong)

Sometimes they will try to sell a insurance (which should be only about 3000 Baht) but that is not required and they only do with the commission.

 

I opened several accounts at Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn (different branches) and never had anything extra for this.

Edited September 25, 2022 by merijn