Thai Bank Account for retirement...new rules?

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Using an agent gives me the creeps. If an agent is used who’s account is it, mine or the agents?

The account is yours.

Perhaps you are overlapping the obtaining a non O and subsequent extension to agent just obtaining bank account.

Two separate things.

 

Some folk will just use an agent to provide bank account and do the non O plus extension themselves.

 

The OP in this thread is obtaining a non O at CW.

He will need a certificate of residence OR letter from embassy to open bank account in Bangkok..

 

Then he may have an issue.

Some countries embassies do not provide "letter" .

Also CW has one main requirement for certificate of residence and that is a TM47.

 

Impossible with a tourist visa or visa exempt entry. 

[Red Phoenix]

16 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Using an agent gives me the creeps. If an agent is used who’s account is it, mine or the agents?

 

If it’s mine why would I need to keep using the same agent every year as some have written and not a different agent? I could decide to just put in my own retirement funds in at some point, would I need to open another account later on and would there be problems doing that?

 

There’s a lot of blurring of boundaries in Thailand that leeches over into financial matters. It happens on many levels. Just something to be aware of.

Hi Jim,

The Agent would be just be your 'breaking iron' to get a Thai bank open a personal Thai bank-account for you. 

Obviously it would be YOUR bank-account, and the help of the Agent is just a one-off thing. 

[JimTripper]

7 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

Hi Jim,

The Agent would be just be your 'breaking iron' to get a Thai bank open a personal Thai bank-account for you. 

Obviously it would be YOUR bank-account, and the help of the Agent is just a one-off thing. 

It may look that way, but it’s not doing things the “correct” way. It blurs the boundaries. Makes it more likely you will have future problems or lose control of your money in future dealings.

 

Just like a lie, seems to work at first, but then you need to keep spinning it little by little to correct it. Eventually it becomes a problem.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

It may look that way, but it’s not doing things the “correct” way. It blurs the boundaries. Makes it more likely you will have future problems or lose control of your money in future dealings.

 

Just like a lie, seems to work at first, but then you need to keep spinning it little by little to correct it. Eventually it becomes a problem.

Such an ill informed post.

You were asking about opening a bank account.

 

[scottiejohn]

17 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

Obviously it would be YOUR bank-account, and the help of the Agent is just a one-off thing.

You hope!

[ChicagoExpat]

On 6/5/2023 at 7:51 AM, Skeptic7 said:

Check with Bangkok Buddy. Tanya may be able to help. 

 

https://bangkokbuddy.com/

 

Or move to Pattaya/Jomtien and use Maneerat.

 

https://g.co/kgs/ZtStEx

 

He will do all for the best price. Can relocate "officially" back to BKK later. 

 

I wouldn't go with Bangkok Buddy/Tanya -- she screwed over a friend but good.

[Dghart001]

Just a follow up from OP:

 

I managed to open a BB account in Hua Hin with the help of a local law firm (David Martin at Legal Services Hua Hin). Had to buy insurance for 5900B. Thanks for everyone's replies here!

[shortstop2]

On 6/3/2023 at 8:03 AM, Lite Beer said:

They will take the "insurance" fee from your account every year.

Visa agents can assist you with opening a Bangkok Bank account although as of this March it is a bit more difficult.

 

Once one has the retirement visa visa (1 year Extension of Stay) then it should be easy to open an account with a different bank. 

 

3 months after the Extension of Stay takes effect then 400K can be removed to the new account and the a few days later the other 400K can be removed.  Then the Bangkok Bank account can be closed.

[TimeMachine]

I've contacted Bangkok bank from their website. They replied insurance is not necessary even though 4 out of 5 branches wanted it when I inquired. Perhaps if you get to communicate with a savvy staff member from the website they can organise a no insurance account for you by recommending a branch. Of course certain documents will be required. Yellow house book, passport, immigration certificate....

[BritTim]

On 6/5/2023 at 8:26 AM, rwill said:

He did get a letter from the british embassy

Do you know what the letter consisted of? The British Embassy does not do residence letters.

[kennw]

On 6/3/2023 at 7:55 AM, scottiejohn said:

Why?

You only open the account once!

My understanding, you need to enter the country on a Non -Imm visa, not a tourist visa. 

[rwill]

The reason banks push insurance so much is because they are given quotas to meet by the heads of the bank.  They probably see foreigners are more likely to be able to afford the insurance.

 

Anyway Immigration should have some procedure to give you a letter for the bank telling them you need a Thai bank account.

[Srikcir]

If you qualify, the 10-year Long Term Resident visa for Pensioner category doesn't require any Thai bank account - just proof of minimum annual income.

[PeachCH]

Go to a "full service immigration agent", who will do all the necessary documents, including provide the needed 800,000k (on paper). 

No headache, just lean back. 

[Albaby]

I opened an ac recently with Bangkok Bank in Chiang Mai on a tourist visa with the white slip TM30 from immigration CM, my passport and my home country photo drivers license. No problem. I also obtained my yellow book with those same items.

PS There was no mention of any insurance. Note also with the TM30 there is a 24h wait . You pick it up the next day. GL

 

[SiSePuede419]

On 6/3/2023 at 12:37 PM, Delight said:

I understand that a Non immigrant  O visa can be obtained in Thailand

I obtained a Non O visa in my home country.  Unfortunately I didn't know you have to immediately apply for a Non-O visa AGAIN in Thailand, almost immediately and it expired after 90 days and I had to reapply for a Non-O visa in Thailand "from scratch" which includes someone from Immigration with the word "POLICE" on the back of their uniform coming my home and interviewing a neighbor and also DEMANDING a photocopy of their Thai ID card.  One neighbor "didn't want to get involved" but fortunately we had another that was willing to provide a copy and vouch that I didn't beat my wife (actual question).

 

And they're STILL "considering it" and we were told they're going to send out the Immigration Police again to my house for a SURPRISE VISIT to see if I am "really living there".

 

Why?

 

Apparently they had a bunch of guys from India pretend to "marry" Thai wives in order to get visas.  That's why they're "cracking down".

 

Thanks a lot, Krishna. ????

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

And they're STILL "considering it" and we were told they're going to send out the Immigration Police again to my house for a SURPRISE VISIT to see if I am "really living there".

 

Why?

You are very confused.

You entered on a non O that gave you a 90 day permission of stay stamp.

You subsequently applied for a 12 month extension based on marriage.

That has an under consideration period of approx a month.

 

The visit the photos and witnesses etc all very normal..

[Albaby]

35 minutes ago, rwill said:

The reason banks push insurance so much is because they are given quotas to meet by the heads of the bank.  They probably see foreigners are more likely to be able to afford the insurance.

 

Anyway Immigration should have some procedure to give you a letter for the bank telling them you need a Thai bank account.

Immigration would laugh at you if you asked and you don't need it. As I just mentioned TM30, passport, home country d/l  and bob's your uncle. Now waiting for my 800k to mature then progress to the 3mth visa, followed by the retirement visa. Simples. So many opinions posing as facts posted by numpties is frustrating.

[DrJack54]

28 minutes ago, Albaby said:

Immigration would laugh at you if you asked and you don't need it. As I just mentioned TM30, passport, home country d/l  and bob's your uncle. Now waiting for my 800k to mature then progress to the 3mth visa, followed by the retirement visa. Simples. So many opinions posing as facts posted by numpties is frustrating.

Get off the high horse.

 

First up.....you do not need to wait for 800k to season to apply for non O.

The funds need to be in bank on day of application only.

Subsequently you will apply for 12 month extension (it's not a visa) .

For that you will need to have the funds seasoned for 2 months. 

 

As for your other post about opening bank account....

It certainly would not fly in most provinces as you would now require a certificate of residence. 

What is the "white slip" you mentioned. 

 

Added issue in Bangkok is that it's impossible to obtain residence certificate with a tourist visa.

 

Read the thread. 

 

[oldcpu]

On 6/7/2023 at 5:24 PM, JimTripper said:

It may look that way, but it’s not doing things the “correct” way. It blurs the boundaries. Makes it more likely you will have future problems or lose control of your money in future dealings.

 

Just like a lie, seems to work at first, but then you need to keep spinning it little by little to correct it. Eventually it becomes a problem.

There is no lie ... or least if done properly with an agent, there should be no lie.

 

My understanding is in order to use an agent (to open a bank account, or help one with a visa), one needs to provide them temporary power of attorney to conduct the activity you wish them to do on your behalf.  One can clearly ensure that the 'power of attorney' document that one signs has wording that limits the scope of the power of attorney, in both 'the activity to be done' and in the 'timeframe' in which the power of attorney is valid.

 

While I have not needed to go the agent route, nominally if one meets all the requirements, using an agent is 100%/perfectly legal.  My view is just IMHO be careful in what sort of 'power of attorney' one gives to the agent.

 

 

[bigt3116]

On 6/16/2023 at 12:31 PM, TimeMachine said:

Of course certain documents will be required. Yellow house book,

A yellow house book is most certainly NOT required to open a bank account, or indeed any other task in Thailand, other than a precurser to a pink id card

[zzzzz]

27 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

There is no lie ... or least if done properly with an agent, there should be no lie.

 

My understanding is in order to use an agent (to open a bank account, or help one with a visa), one needs to provide them temporary power of attorney to conduct the activity you wish them to do on your behalf.  One can clearly ensure that the 'power of attorney' document that one signs has wording that limits the scope of the power of attorney, in both 'the activity to be done' and in the 'timeframe' in which the power of attorney is valid.

 

While I have not needed to go the agent route, nominally if one meets all the requirements, using an agent is 100%/perfectly legal.  My view is just IMHO be careful in what sort of 'power of attorney' one gives to the agent.

 

 

NEVER have I nor anyone i know supplied an agent with POA to do visas. extension's or anything like that

ONLY time i have used a POA is so my landlord does not need go in person, ( PHUKET) to file my tm 30 and with a POA i can do it
 

[oldcpu]

26 minutes ago, bigt3116 said:

A yellow house book is most certainly NOT required to open a bank account, or indeed any other task in Thailand, other than a precurser to a pink id card

Agreed mostly. ... 

 

I was thou able to use my Yellow Book last time I went for a one-year extension on a Type-O visa (Phuket immigration office). They asked for a copy of the Blue Book pages for the condo that I lived in, and instead I gave them copies of pages from my Yellow Book.  Was the Yellow Book required? No.

 

Also, when I applied for Thai government Bonds at Bangkok bank (where I have had an account for years) they still insisted to have copies of my passport, and the Bank Manager of that branch stated he would only allow me to proceed with that Thai government bond purchase IF I could show him both a Yellow Book and a Pink ID !!  My view is that is not a Thailand requirement but rather it is a local branch manager policy for that branch, but regardless, having the Yellow Book on that occasion did come in handy.  Perhaps there was a way around such an individual's 'policy' but given I had such why fight "city hall" just to make a point that something is not needed?

 

Further, when the bank went to apply for the Thai government bonds (for me) they wanted my tax ID, as it had to be filled in.  Well - I don't have a tax ID.  From what I have been told, the ID number on Thai citizen's ID cards, is also their Tax #.   So to satisfy Bangkok Bank (for the Thai government bond application) I simply passed them my pink ID, they used the ID # from my pink-ID, and they proceeded (successfully) to order the Thai government bonds (I needed those bond purchase for my later obtaining an LTR Visa).   And of course, as you note, to get the Pink ID I first needed the Yellow Book.

 

This is all (in my case) rather obscure and IMHO neither a Yellow Book nor a Pink-ID is nominally required for the average foreigner - BUT I can not deny that there may be times when such can be very useful in Thailand - at least that is my experience as I have documented above.

[jesimps]

On 6/3/2023 at 7:55 AM, scottiejohn said:

Why?

You only open the account once!

Correct. I paid BB 6000 baht for insurance several years ago and never renewed it. 

[oldcpu]

7 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

NEVER have I nor anyone i know supplied an agent with POA to do visas. extension's or anything like that

ONLY time i have used a POA is so my landlord does not need go in person, ( PHUKET) to file my tm 30 and with a POA i can do it
 

I provided a Power of Attorney (POA) to an 'official/certified' translator office in Bangkok to do most of the paperwork/effort to have my Thai wife and my foreign marriage registered in Thailand. This had to be done in Bangkok, and my wife and I were in Phuket.  I needed my marriage registered (some years back) for an upcoming Type-OA visa extension (where I wanted to avoid the requirement for health insurance from a Thai branch of an insurance company - as my superior European health insurance was not accepted by immigration).

 

My wife and I live in Phuket, so we couriered our Canadian marriage certificate, copies of our passport, copies of my Thai wife's ID, and a carefully 'restricted' Power of Attourny (POA) to that Translator office in Bangkok.  The office took the POA and Canadian marriage certificate to the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok and had the marriage certificate certified (?) as legit. The Translator translated the marriage certificate, and took that to the Thai Foreign Affairs office in Bangkok, to have the marriage certified (or registered? ) there - and the Translator office person was then given the appropriate paperwork. That was then couriered back to me (in Phuket) and my Thai wife and I were able to take the Thai Foreign affairs produced document, and translations of our marriage certificate, to obtain a Kor-22, which I needed for my Type-OA extension.

 

This was a lot cheaper and easier to do, than my wife and I flying to Bangkok to have this done.

 

So I think POA (restricted in scope) can be useful at times in Thailand.  .... I have friends who (in Pattaya) use an agent all the time for their Visa extensions. They meet the Thai requirements, but they are not young and they can't be bothered to go to immigration office in Pattaya.  So they simply go to see an Agent (or the Agent comes to see them) and they sign the appropriate documents for the Agent to obtain the Visa extension on their behalf.   They have not told me exactly what documents they sign, but I would be very surprised if one of the documents is not a 'limited in scope' POA document. 

 

[Albaby]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Get off the high horse.

 

First up.....you do not need to wait for 800k to season to apply for non O.

The funds need to be in bank on day of application only.

Subsequently you will apply for 12 month extension (it's not a visa) .

For that you will need to have the funds seasoned for 2 months. 

 

As for your other post about opening bank account....

It certainly would not fly in most provinces as you would now require a certificate of residence. 

What is the "white slip" you mentioned. 

 

Added issue in Bangkok is that it's impossible to obtain residence certificate with a tourist visa.

 

Read the thread. 

 

First up...????Yes you are right about the timing of the 800K,an egregious mistake on my part. However, it will have to be "seasoned"by the time  your 3 months is up and you want to progress to the 12m "extension". OMG another unforgivable  error on my part. Where would we be without your kind guidance. The White slip"is proof from Immigration that you have confirmed your present address. The op will also need to present that  at his local municipality along with his passport and DL along with translations of those documents to get his yellow book. I am merely trying to give the OP the details of my recent "lived" experience. I confess I'm not an all knowing Deity like your good self, but hey, I muddle through. Cheers

[oldcpu]

36 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

 

Further, when the bank went to apply for the Thai government bonds (for me) they wanted my tax ID, as it had to be filled in.  Well - I don't have a tax ID.  From what I have been told, the ID number on Thai citizen's ID cards, is also their Tax #.   So to satisfy Bangkok Bank (for the Thai government bond application) I simply passed them my pink ID, they used the ID # from my pink-ID, and they proceeded (successfully) to order the Thai government bonds (I needed those bond purchase for my later obtaining an LTR Visa).   And of course, as you note, to get the Pink ID I first needed the Yellow Book.

 

A correction to the above (or perhaps a clarification).  The number on the Pink-ID that Bangkok Bank used for my Tax number, is also listed in my Yellow Book as a number (and it is different number from the House-ID number which is on a separate page). 

 

The location on the Pink-ID of this 'Pink-ID' number (that I used at Bangkok Bank for a tax number and which originates from the yellow book) is in the exact same location/style as the number on a typical Thai person's ID, which is their tax number.   So in truth, to get this 'tax number' (?) I did not need the Pink-ID as the number is also on the Yellow Book.

 

There is a thread on Thai Visa where it is speculated that this Pink-ID number (which is the same number in the Yellow Book) are indeed the official Thai tax numbers for the foreigner - but I honestly can not confirm that is accurate.

[gerrybpattaya]

Try Kasikorn Bank, they would always give an account to a farang on a tourist visa.

[Pouatchee]

On 6/3/2023 at 7:41 AM, BenStark said:

Sounds as if Siam Legal's greed has reached new levels

they suck. few years ago they were advertising that one could do a marriage visa with combined income. utter gibberish. stay away from them

[DrJack54]

25 minutes ago, Albaby said:

The White slip"is proof from Immigration that you have confirmed your present address.

Seems that you are referring to certificate of residence.

Yes that's required to open a bank account and other things such as TDL etc.

 

The point is the OP referred to Siam Legal.

At a guess he is dealing with CW.

You cannot obtain a certificate of residence from  CW without having a TM47 receipt.

Not possible with a tourist visa.

 

Is possible apparently at CM as they provided one to you with a TM30 being enough.