Hello,  1 requirement (from my visa facilitator) is to start a savings account before I get involved in the paperwork. Fine, I thought until I went to one bank. After an hr they told me they don't do savings accounts for people without long term visas. I phoned another, who said fine, but gave me several things to get: a copy of my apartment's lease. A letter from immigration 'verifying my residency.' which meant verifying where I live in Ch Mai. Now that sounds weird...What do I ask immigration to give me?  Thank you.

have you try Bangkok Bank

Yes, that was the second bank.  Lots more stuff to gather than last time...

When I inquired about residency cert. last year they were only giving it out to longer term visa holders..I was METV at the time trying to renew driving license...not sure what visa you are on at present..sounds like a dilemma...you might get banking, but not residency cert. at least not without an agent.

Back in year 2016, when I opened a Bank Account at Bangkok Bank, I also had to obtain a proof of residency paperwork from Immigration.  This was in Phuket and it was not difficult to do.  I showed up at Phuket immigration with a passport sized photo, and my passport, filled in the form, waited in line, and received the one page piece of paper which was sufficient proof of residency for Bangkok Bank.

 

I was on a 30-day visa Exempt tourist entry at the time. I used my Thai brother in-law's apartment address (which is where we were staying).  I was also purchasing a condo, and planned to move the funds for buying the condo from Europe, via Bangkok Bank to the seller, so that may have helped a lot in Bangkok Bank opening an account for me.

 

I've read that subsequent to my success, others have not succeeded. So I don't know the current story.

 

I've also read some people claim getting an agent help to open a bank account can work.  I also don't know as to how accurate that may be.

This seems to vary according to a) the bank (and branch) and b) the applicants personal situation.

 

On a Visa-exempt I went into a branch of Bangkok Bank in Chiang Mai with my (Thai) wife who has a bank account there (with that branch) already, one hour later I walked out with an ATM card and passbook for a savings account. YMMV

Same as it always was so NOT more complicated.

7 hours ago, oldcpu said:

I've also read some people claim getting an agent help to open a bank account can work.  I also don't know as to how accurate that may be.

Current cost is around 3500 Bht.

Try Krunsri Bank.  I opened one there on a visa exempt at the end of 2022. I explained about needing it to apply for changing over visa with retirement money requirements. No problem. I also know several others that have done the same in the last year

"1 year retirement visa is more complicated this year"

 

No, it isn't.

 

9 hours ago, cubism001 said:

I live in Ch Mai. Now that sounds weird...What do I ask immigration to give me? 

The bank wants a certificate of residence.

You will need a TM30.

The other alternative is to use an agent. 

Under 4k baht.

 

9 hours ago, cubism001 said:

A letter from immigration 'verifying my residency.' which meant verifying where I live in Ch Mai

This is normally a “Residency Certificate” from Immigration which (in Pattaya at least) can be got by people who are on visa exempt / tourist visas.
 

However, if Chiang Mai is only giving these out to long term visa holders you could try explaining to them that the reason you need the RC is so you can open a bank account & start the long term visa process but failing that you could ask your Embassy for a letter confirming where you live which should satisfy the bank. 
 

And if all that fails, book a weeks holiday to Pattaya & use an agent there to sort out your conversion to non-o, 1st years extension & 1st bank account (23k for visa/extension, 3,500 for bank account) 

I have a friend that opened Bangkok Bank accounts (both Savings and Fixed Term) only two weeks ago. He booked a hotel room for one month, and negotiated a deal for a longer term deal, to be paid after the initial month was up..

 

The hotel gave him a TM.30 and a letter that he would be staying there long term.. He used that to get the Residency Certificate, and that, along  with his passport was sufficient.

 

Unfortunately the hotel owner reneged on the agreed price for the six months, but my friend found a much better deal. 

 

You will just have to try different branches. Ones that deal with more foreigners  are often more helpful.

10 hours ago, cubism001 said:

A letter from immigration 'verifying my residency.' 

Pretty normal now for banks to want a 'Letter of Residents' 

Unless your married you can take your wife along with Marriage Cert 

The Title is wrong, this has nothing to do with retirement 'visa' being more complicated it is not. this is about opening a bank account.

It's only more complicated for the OP ... since not meeting the requirements.

10 hours ago, vinci said:

have you try Bangkok Bank

I tried one branch. Teller asked for 7000 baht accident insurance. I emailed headquarters and they say it's not a requirement. Passport and chanot should do the trick as per their online requirement. I will try other branches. Does seem like the universal applies. Depend who you get and on what day.

Hard to give banks money. Honestly

What a place this is now days. 

1 minute ago, TimeMachine said:

Passport and chanot should do the trick as per their online requirement. I will try other branches. Does seem like the universal applies. Depend who you get and on what day.

Should not do the trick.

 

Most banks now require a certificate of residence or letter from your embassy to open a bank account. 

 

It's even harder in Bangkok where to obtain a residence certificate you also need to have made a 90 day report. 

 

 

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

It's only more complicated for the OP ... since not meeting the requirements.

Agree, I have done the renewal recently and was done in 40 minutes (20+ minutes of those were waiting because we arrived during lunch hour)

19 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Hard to give banks money. Honestly

What a place this is now days. 

In my home country I also had this problem a few years ago, they wanted a reference letter from another bank. I just went to another bank and they opened the account. And the Bank (which wanted the reference letter) a couple of years later went bankrupt.

2 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Hard to give banks money. Honestly

What a place this is now days. 

It isn't really. This is part of the new money laundering laws, neither banks nor AMLO want tourists or casual visitors wandering in and opening bank accounts and using the fraudulently. Banks want to see that customers have a long stay visa and a place to live, that is not unreasonable. If you don't have those things use your bank in your home country, simple.

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Should not do the trick.

 

Most banks now require a certificate of residence or letter from your embassy to open a bank account. 

 

It's even harder in Bangkok where to obtain a residence certificate you also need to have made a 90 day report. 

 

According to Bangkok it should. You can email them to confirm.

And if their reply says not then please let me know so I can follow up with bangkok bank headquarters and ask why they are supplying incorrect information.

6 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

It isn't really. This is part of the new money laundering laws, neither banks nor AMLO want tourists or casual visitors wandering in and opening bank accounts and using the fraudulently. Banks want to see that customers have a long stay visa and a place to live, that is not unreasonable. If you don't have those things use your bank in your home country, simple.

Pretty obvious, if you DO NOT  live here, opening a bank account would imply, you're doing something illegal.   Who flies to another country they don't live in, to open bank accounts ... criminals hiding money.

 

Amazing that people that follow the rules & requirements have no problems.

 

Join the rest of us, and get a proper visa, out of country, put some roots down, simply a lease, in country, then extend in country.

 

Doesn't get any easier.

Just now, Orinoco said:

Ok you tell me this one then

About Thailand only.

If you have a long term visa, you have a TM30 in this passport

Why do you need a residents certificate. 

Just seams Thailand are just being nasty.

First bank account here BKK bank, opened on a 30 day entry stamp only

I still have that account.

Different issue, that's an Immi. thing, I dunno why, up to them.

2 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Different issue, that's an Immi. thing, I dunno why, up to them.

No its a bank thing

1 minute ago, TimeMachine said:

According to Bangkok it should. You can email them to confirm.

And if their reply says not then please let me know so I can follow up with bangkok bank headquarters and ask why they are supplying incorrect information.

I dont need to.

I have done this in Bangkok myself. 

 

All the old nonsense of take a Thai (of note) or existing customer etc etc does not work anymore.

 

There may be some back of Bourke banks that will open an account without a certificate of residence (or embassy letter) in most provinces the residence certificate will be required. 

1 minute ago, Orinoco said:

No its a bank thing

No, it's an Immi. thing. Who do you think has instructed the banks to check the validity of visa's of all their foreign customers, every time they transact on their account at a branch, it certainly wasn't the banks idea and AMLO doesn't care about visa validity. And who do you think has instructed the banks to require specific documents from foreign customers, that wasn't the banks idea either!

16 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

It isn't really. This is part of the new money laundering laws, neither banks nor AMLO want tourists or casual visitors wandering in and opening bank accounts and using the fraudulently. Banks want to see that customers have a long stay visa and a place to live, that is not unreasonable. If you don't have those things use your bank in your home country, simple.

@Salernowhy is that funny?

Just now, nigelforbes said:

@Salernowhy is that funny?

Because people are trying to open a Thai account to deposit money for retirement extensions - saying people should use their "home country" bank isn't exactly helpful is it.