can foreigner open bank account in pattaya?

[parafareno]

as a tourist? I have my old bank account but I need one more for internet banking etc....not safe to use my main bank account for that

[2baht]

Have you considered asking the bank, they just may have the definitive answer! ????

[KhunBENQ]

11 minutes ago, parafareno said:

I have my old bank account

At what bank/branch?

I guess it's not in Pattaya?

Having another Thai ban account may help as a reference. A bank letter from the other bank.

Edited November 19, 2022 by KhunBENQ

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

At what bank/branch?

I guess it's not in Pattaya?

Having another Thai ban account may help as a reference. A bank letter from the other bank.

"...a reference. A bank letter from the other bank".

Thai banks provide reference letters to other banks to assist their customers open accounts with their competition?  

[fdsa]

It highly depends on the bank, I've recently opened another bank account for the very same purposes - safe online payments - and it was a fking PITA!

I do not recommend a "light blue bank". Despite I have an account with them for almost 10 years already it was not sufficient to open a 2nd one - the clerk forced me to show a work permit and even the driving license! "sorry new policy ka, must bring original can not show picture kaa".

but possibly it has something to do with my plague passport...

[PPGuy]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

At what bank/branch?

I guess it's not in Pattaya?

Having another Thai ban account may help as a reference. A bank letter from the other bank.

I have had an SCB account in Pattaya for well over 20 years. A few years back I decided to open a Bangkok Bank account because of the advantage that gives when receiving Wise funds and provides proof for retirement extensions.

Went to the BBk branch on Khao Noi and, amongst other questions, I was asked if I had another account with a Thai bank. Luckily I had my SCB bank book with me and they took a copy of the account info page and I had my new BBk account shortly thereafter. No idea if that made the difference but it certainly seemed to help.

 

[KhunBENQ]

32 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"...a reference. A bank letter from the other bank".

Thai banks provide reference letters to other banks to assist their customers open accounts with their competition?  

No need to mention what the letter is for.

It's completely generic like the letter for immigration (which actually has no reference to the purpose).

Simple states that you are the owner of the designated account and the current balance.

Seems you never have seen such.

[treetops]

Given the OP's misfortunes with just about everything since he arrived, I would suggest using an agent is the safest option.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

No need to mention what the letter is for.

It's completely generic like the letter for immigration (which actually has no reference to the purpose).

Simple states that you are the owner of the designated account and the current balance.

Seems you never have seen such.

Confirming the ownership and balance of an account wouldn't be a bank "reference" letter, then. 

I have seen many bank reference letters for the purpose of opening accounts in my time, I used to do them years ago in my banking time, they're called "status enquiries".

[parafareno]

On 11/19/2022 at 1:02 PM, PPGuy said:

I have had an SCB account in Pattaya for well over 20 years. A few years back I decided to open a Bangkok Bank account because of the advantage that gives when receiving Wise funds and provides proof for retirement extensions.

Went to the BBk branch on Khao Noi and, amongst other questions, I was asked if I had another account with a Thai bank. Luckily I had my SCB bank book with me and they took a copy of the account info page and I had my new BBk account shortly thereafter. No idea if that made the difference but it certainly seemed to help.

 

i have scb for over 10 years....how long ago did you open this account at BBK?

[parafareno]

On 11/19/2022 at 1:14 PM, treetops said:

Given the OP's misfortunes with just about everything since he arrived, I would suggest using an agent is the safest option.

by agent you mean your missus fro massage salon to help....she must be very trustworthy

[PPGuy]

1 hour ago, parafareno said:

i have scb for over 10 years....how long ago did you open this account at BBK?

I opened it about 4 years ago. As I noted, having a long-term SCB account may have helped but possible that the deciding factor was having a retirement extension.

It may be more problematic if you only have a tourist visa or entered visa exempt.

But worth a try.

[lkn]

On 11/19/2022 at 6:33 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

Thai banks provide reference letters to other banks to assist their customers open accounts with their competition?  

A Thai I know had to open an account with a foreign investment bank and got Krungthai Bank to write them a reference letter basically saying they had maintained an account with them for some amount of time and a rough estimate of its balance, and “any assistance you may render to the above person would be appreciated”.

 

But this is basically just to say that “as far as we know, this person is of good financial standing”, which is not the problem that foreigners are facing, when they are denied opening a bank account in Thailand, so such reference letter would likely be useless in the process of opening a new Thai bank account (for a foreigner).