Foreigners Face New Hurdles in Opening Thai Bank Accounts

[digger70]

11 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

The IO has Discretion to grant a extension with or without money  and thats how agents can get a extension

Of course  they can and will if the Donation is Right  .

But to Us Legit Expats it isn't Right or Legal

[hotandsticky]

11 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

They want your money but not foreigners here longer term.

 

It has been this way since the 90's, when I first moved here.

 

Seen so many, probably 95% or higher, of foreigners that planned to stay, work or do business here, leave and go home or elsewhere.

 

Thailand isn't for everybody. 

 

With the current volumes of foreigners staying in Thailand longer term, I fully expect it to get more inconvenient, more difficult and more frustrating for the majority.

 

Thais are experts at the passive-aggressive approach. 

 

 

Interesting.

 

 

My experience, over 19 years, has been somewhat different in that I can only recall 4 people in that time who gave up on Thailand. Two went 'home' to die, one was skint and the other chose Cambodia after a business failure here.

[MikeandDow]

Just now, digger70 said:

Of course  they can and will if the Donation is Right  .

But to Us Legit Expats it isn't Right or Legal

it is called sin nam jai

to westerners it may look like corruption but to Thais its normal part of its culture    lot to learn !!

 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, phetphet said:

I was talking to an elderly couple yesterday that have recently moved to Thailand. The wife told me that they had tried to open accounts in five different banks, all without success. 

 

I asked if they had all the correct documents and she told me they had, but the banks were not willing to open accounts for foreigners due to a recent crackdown.

I then suggested that perhaps they try an agent. She told me they had tried that too, but the agent wanted THB68,000 from each of them.

From the US? Due to reporting requirements, many banks stay away from that. 

[jerrymahoney]

9 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

it is called sin nam jai

to westerners it may look like corruption but to Thais its normal part of its culture    lot to learn !!

 

 

Right -- so  there should be a "gift" window at every immigration office.

[MikeandDow]

11 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Right -- so  there should be a "gift" window at every immigration office.

Another one with no idea  about Thai culture

[jerrymahoney]

BS if it's such an ingrained part of Thai culture, why should I have to go through an intermediary to make a gift.

There actually are two Sections of the Thai Criminal code on offering a bribe to a Thai official and a Thai official receiving a bribe.

But as one Bangkok law firm put it: ... convictions for bribery are rare. Courts need evidence or wrongdoing for finding of guilt. In most cases, there are no paper trail. A conviction is more or less improbable.

So, the more opaque the transaction and the more hands through which the money flows, the less likely that any bribery conviction could take place.

[digger70]

26 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

it is called sin nam jai

to westerners it may look like corruption but to Thais its normal part of its culture    lot to learn !!

 

 

Don't have to learn what's right or wrong  I Know . You are obviously past that.  🙏

[bamnutsak]

34 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Right -- so  there should be a "gift" window at every immigration office.

 

[MikeandDow]

16 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Don't have to learn what's right or wrong  I Know . You are obviously past that.  🙏

If you have learnt anything about Thai culture you should no its not about right or wrong !!

[RyanWalker]

I have 7 mates who will all leave Thailand this year as a result of the laughable rules and regulations implemented against foreigners. My mates average 100k salary a month and all have wifes etc. Tax payers and real teachers making a difference but Thailand obviously wants to get rid of foreigners, that's it. Why not just say foreigners should leave and are not welcome? Lol.. would be much easier than all the crap behind the scenes of bank accounts and visas

[MikeandDow]

3 minutes ago, RyanWalker said:

I have 7 mates who will all leave Thailand this year as a result of the laughable rules and regulations implemented against foreigners. My mates average 100k salary a month and all have wifes etc. Tax payers and real teachers making a difference but Thailand obviously wants to get rid of foreigners, that's it. Qhy not just say foreigners should leave and are not welcome? Lol.. would be much easier than all the crap behind the scenes of bank accounts and visas

if they want to go,  Go nobody is stopping them !!  all the crap about banks and visa should be easier but this is Thailand accept it or go !!

[CecilM]

Fine by me. Tourists don't need an account. Let the gov't make a rule for those applying for visa. 

[RyanWalker]

2 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

if they want to go,  Go nobody is stopping them !!  all the crap about banks and visa should be easier but this is Thailand accept it or go !!

That's why they will go.. Thailand will be commies within a few years. 

[MikeandDow]

3 minutes ago, RyanWalker said:

That's why they will go.. Thailand will be commies within a few years. 

have you ever seen the Requirments to get into the UK USA or Oz  Thailand is a breeze, also if you look into the History of Thailand you will see how the commies did

[digger70]

40 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

If you have learnt anything about Thai culture you should no its not about right or wrong !!

It's Always about right or wrong .the wrong ones will get  caught out eventually. 

that's all I am going to say about this 🙏

[farangkinok]

On 2/17/2025 at 10:28 AM, lanng khao said:

Same thing happened to me at korat,but a few thousand less than you paid, they gave me

 48 hrs to leave Thailand or they could sort everything that day, so they had me by the kai ham ..

I'm assuming that "kai ham" means "yarblockos"?

[jesimps]

On 2/17/2025 at 5:11 AM, nomad22 said:

 

Anywhere outside your home country you will have the same problem opening a bank account.  These banking laws were forced on Thailand by western countries, and every country in the world that wants to be part of the international banking community has the follow the same rules.

I've been with my UK bank for over 50 years, but when I went onto the site a few days ago, they made me fill in a big questionnaire regarding my pensions, who I paid tax to etc, before accessing my accounts. Bit daunting because it was early morning and I was still half asleep! I must admit that I was panicking slightly because I was about to do my monthly pension transfer. Anyway, they seemed happy with my answers because my transfer went ok and I haven't heard back from them. I did cock up my first attempt at logging in, so it may have had something to do with that. 

[farangkinok]

On 2/17/2025 at 7:48 AM, quake said:

 

What's work ?

 

 

[jesimps]

On 2/17/2025 at 7:17 AM, ChrisY1 said:

We would probably be surprised just how many used the "under the table" visa. In fact..it's openly promoted by the Immigration police.

The local immigration staff would probably struggle without their "bread and butter" money, also if I could afford it, I'd go the agent route myself. Anything rather than come under the stony glare of the dragon lady once a year, clutching my small rain forest of paperwork at the same time. 

[farangkinok]

On 2/17/2025 at 12:52 PM, kimothai said:

Ya think?  I'm not sure which is scarier, the increasing prices of agents or the increasing prices of agogo girls/bar fines.  Prices have been going up all along but since COVID it seems that there is a "sky's the limit" attitude here in Thailand.

It could be worse. Do you know how much people are paying for a dozen eggs in the USA? My wife just bought 30 jumbo eggs at the local market for about 132 Thai Baht, which works out to about $US 1.57 per dozen.

[dayo202]

18 minutes ago, jesimps said:

I've been with my UK bank for over 50 years, but when I went onto the site a few days ago, they made me fill in a big questionnaire regarding my pensions, who I paid tax to etc, before accessing my accounts. Bit daunting because it was early morning and I was still half asleep! I must admit that I was panicking slightly because I was about to do my monthly pension transfer. Anyway, they seemed happy with my answers because my transfer went ok and I haven't heard back from them. I did cock up my first attempt at logging in, so it may have had something to do with that. 

Which bank ?

[shortstop2]

If you really want a bank account you can try telling the bank officer that you will buy their insurance product that you don't need if they open an account for you.

[Unamerican]

5 hours ago, RyanWalker said:

My mates average 100k salary a month

USD, I assume??  

[Jedi888]

OH just perfect, what we all needed in "paradise". I emptied my K recently, obviously cant trust that now!

Just go to Cambo, buy the 6 months visa, get a work permit card, get several accounts which pay high interest,,, such as LOLC and Woori. Woori is the best with their visa card. Just bank in Cambo in USD, get interest monthly at 3% and yank from atm. Much safer than having the BOT rug pull your ass because of your sim card this or suspicion that. Farang need a break in this country geez already. I mean whats next now coming for us all? A genocide coup d' etate?

[Unamerican]

7 hours ago, Alotoftravel said:

Buy 3 mil condo

Cheapskate!! 

[Andrew65]

7 years after leaving Thailand my Bangkok Bank account is still open, I wanted to keep it on the very slim chance that I ever live in Thailand again. It wouldn't surprise me if it is eventually closed due to a lack of activity.

[NedR69]

On 2/17/2025 at 5:11 AM, nomad22 said:

 

Anywhere outside your home country you will have the same problem opening a bank account.  These banking laws were forced on Thailand by western countries, and every country in the world that wants to be part of the international banking community has the follow the same rules.

BS.  

[phetphet]

11 hours ago, worrab said:

Had they got  a Certificate of Residence??

i asked that and the lady said yes.

[ifmu]

It was bound to happen. .. thailand is catching up to 21st century slowly but surely... get ready for more.