Finance Foreign Nationals Face Account Bans in Bangkok Bank Crackdown

[ryandb]

3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Get a proper visa then

DTV is a proper visa....

 

I already have a bank here anyway but what exactly is your issue with digital nomads getting a bank anyways?

[FritsSikkink]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

In the UK you can arrive in a rubber dingy and stay forever.

In the USA you can walk over the Mexican/Canadian border and stay forever.

In the EU you can arrive on foot or by boat and stay forever.

No, you can't. People do get deported, not enough though.

[norsurin]

Now they want to freeze this accounts,.means stealing the money.They force tourists to use their foreign ATM cards and punished them with this idiotic high 220 baht in ATM.What a country this is!!!

 

[Espanol]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

How many of tha advanced economies allow ... people to arrive without a visa and stay for years on end.

 

 

All the countries in Western Europe: France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Belgium,... even give them accommodation, free healthcare, and an allowance. And they don't even need a passport.

 

 

[K2938]

4 minutes ago, Espanol said:

All the countries in Western Europe: France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Belgium,... even give them accommodation, free healthcare, and an allowance. And they don't even need a passport.

We are not talking about refugees...

[Espanol]

1 minute ago, K2938 said:

We are not talking about refugees...

 

 

Refugees? There's no war in Morocco.

 

 

[jacnl2000]

To sum it up: It’s not just about having money—It’s about what you do with it, how clearly you communicate, and how transparent your intentions appear in a world where systems are watching more closely than ever. That’s the new currency of trust—and it’s not limited to Thailand.
Even in your home country, shifts in spending patterns can trigger scrutiny, whether you notice it or not. If a red flag is raised, don’t panic. Communicate clearly, stay calm, and be open about your intentions.
Bank directors may try to explain this to you, each in their own style—so don’t take them too literally. Instead, listen between the lines.
And above all: choose your bank wisely.

[alw22]

27 minutes ago, ryandb said:

DTV is a proper visa....

 

I already have a bank here anyway but what exactly is your issue with digital nomads getting a bank anyways?

 

It took me a while to realize why there's so much bitterness and resentment on this forum. My theory is that tourists and expats enjoy visiting foreign countries because of the reasons it differs from their home countries, so they'd prefer that as few as possible other tourists and expats come to their country of choice because then it will become more like their home country and lose its appeal to them.  They also enjoy the special treatment of being a "rich foreigner" in a poorer country, but will lose that unique status the more foreigners that come here.

 

It's pretty silly to have that attitude on a forum meant to help other foreigners though.

[Seppius]

9 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

Use agents and risk account freeze when HQ initiates  the purge 

 

 

I know someone looking for bank account and

tourist to retirement visa, 40K to 50K quoted if you can find one to do it

[K2938]

9 minutes ago, alw22 said:

It took me a while to realize why there's so much bitterness and resentment on this forum. My theory is that tourists and expats enjoy visiting foreign countries because of the reasons it differs from their home countries, so they'd prefer that as few as possible other tourists and expats come to their country of choice because then it will become more like their home country and lose its appeal to them.  They also enjoy the special treatment of being a "rich foreigner" in a poorer country, but will lose that unique status the more foreigners that come here.

 

It's pretty silly to have that attitude on a forum meant to help other foreigners though.

I agree with you, but I would just call it the disgruntled old men syndrome..

 

 

[lordgrinz]

When investors, retirees, skilled workers, and families are looking for stability and security, give them pure chaos and ever changing rules. Sounds like a great Pheu Thai plan, good luck with it's implementation, they'll need it.

[arick]

On 5/28/2025 at 1:04 PM, arick said:

The drugs are even proven to help.

 

6 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Catch 22 for some, can't get long term visa without funds in the bank- Can't open the account without the visa ?

 

..... the left hand stopping the right hand again in Thailand.

Show them the 400,000 or the 800k in your hand sed if it works 

[arick]

6 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Well, yes!  I've been a Bangkok Bank account holder for 20 years and have never had any issues.  

Krung Thai hands down compared with Bangkok Bank 

[sambum]

12 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

Bash the foreigners to punish the actions of a few Thai bank staff, that's retarded.

 

Like banning alcohol on trains because of the horrendous actions of one of their own employees?

[CHdiver]

2 hours ago, Toby1947 said:

Cash is and always will be King. 

Spoken like a true pickpocket 555

[BritScot]

8 hours ago, BritManToo said:

90% of my payments are made using QR codes.

Can't do that with a western bank account.

Think your wrong there. I lived and banked in Thailand for years and found the banking system about 20 years behind the UK.  Now live back in the UK,  do all my banking including personal and business (including international) on my phone without any problems. Even taking a loan out is done in seconds. 

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, Dart12 said:

Please share a reputable link that this is occurring.

Googling it says this is not the case.

ttb (formerly TMB) Bank REFUSE to open accounts for Americans. No link to this, it's THEIR policy because THEY don't want to do all the paperwork involved in the mandatory reporting the IRS demands for Americans outside the USA.

[Lemsta69]

6 hours ago, CharlieH said:

can't get long term visa without funds in the bank

 

Of course you can. Apply for the non-O in your home country before leaving for Thailand. Simple.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Of course you can. Apply for the non-O in your home country before leaving for Thailand. Simple.

Non o from your home country only gives a 90 day stay, and the bank want 9 months permission to stay to open an account.

 

[John Drake]

It's always something, isn't it? I need to learn to avoid these topics that will now probably run 40+ pages and end up having no effect on me. Back to the Bangkok River Flood Level thread.  

[KannikaP]

6 hours ago, arick said:

Bangkok Bank do I need to say anything more

On reading this topic, I thought i would check the KYC, no not the fried chicken shop, Know Your Customer, only to find that my Registered address was one I had in UK almost 20 years ago when I first came here, I was still a singer at a pub in Pattaya. So I asked the nice girl if she could change them, I had my yellow book, passport and phone. 'Oh no cannot do without Passbook', of which I have four. When I showed her my excel with passbook numbers in it, and wrote my Thai address in English, it only took a further half hour and two more operatives to do it. Even then, when I got home, some of it was wrong, so I had learned how to do it myself by watching. They DID NOT take a copy of my passport! 

[ronnie50]

6 hours ago, JAS21 said:

I’ve two accounts with BB …not had any problem so far.

 

I’ve also had an account with CIMB Thai for many years … wanted to open a joint account with my wife …no can do …this was more than a year ago now

 

Have Non O visa…here since 2007…don’t work………….

Were you able to open a joint account at one of the other major banks? I think if you have a marriage certificate and at least a one-year visa extension of some kind it should be possible.

[K2938]

4 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

On reading this topic, I thought i would check the KYC, no not the fried chicken shop, Know Your Customer, only to find that my Registered address was one I had in UK almost 20 years ago when I first came here, I was still a singer at a pub in Pattaya. So I asked the nice girl if she could change them, I had my yellow book, passport and phone. 'Oh no cannot do without Passbook', of which I have four. When I showed her my excel with passbook numbers in it, and wrote my Thai address in English, it only took a further half hour and two more operatives to do it. Even then, when I got home, some of it was wrong, so I had learned how to do it myself by watching. They DID NOT take a copy of my passport! 

May I ask if my understanding is correct that this only happened in the very last few days, it happened at Bangkok Bank and they did not ask for any tax ID numbers from you when you thereby changed your tax residence from the UK to Thailand?

 

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, K2938 said:

How long ago was this?

2 days

[ronnie50]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

The message to tourists is straightforward: if you're here for a short stay, don’t expect to open a local account. If you already have one, it’s advisable to verify your continued eligibility.

I don't really get why any 30 or 60 day tourist would even think he or she could open a bank account here. I'm not aware of other countries that would allow non-residents to open an account, but maybe there are some. The DTV holders should be given a break though if they can produce a six month Thai lease.

[daejung]

13 hours ago, mangkut70 said:

A Wise card connected to Apple Pay, Grab, etc., goes a long way. (Getting cash at an ATM, however, is another story; there will be fees.)

Only if you earn money in Thailand and receive THB would you really need a local bank account, I guess. (Sadly, Wise does not provide a local bank account number to receive Thai Baht.)

For genuine tourists, apps like Wise combined with a card should be absolutely sufficient.

 

Just wondering: Are there other countries in the region where it was/is possible to open a bank account as a tourist? I always thought this possibility was quite amazing.

I have a Wise card but never use it in Thailand, only for transfers : Wise card is a foreign card and many places in Thailand charge a fee up to 3% if you pay with a foreign card

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, K2938 said:

May I ask if my understanding is correct that this only happened in the very last few days, it happened at Bangkok Bank and they did not ask for any tax ID numbers from you when you thereby changed your tax residence from the UK to Thailand?

 

Never asked for anything regarding Tax, even though I do have a Tax Number.

[Lemsta69]

29 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Non o from your home country only gives a 90 day stay, and the bank want 9 months permission to stay to open an account.

 

 

That's not what the original Bangkok Post article from the 28th of May says.

[Magictoad]

Does this apply to "European farang" only or Chinese & Malaysians & the other foreign Asian people here?

Can we have a more precise explanation please? Some people are sounding very bitter and paranoid.

[StevieAus]

It’s not only in Thailand that banks are tightening up, my Thai wife and I both have accounts in Australia that we have held for close to twenty years.

Each year we now have to provide a certified copy of the front page of our passports to prove we are the same persons the fact that we are at the same address for fifteen years doesn’t count.

Early this year I visited a friend in the UK and transferred money to their account for use during my stay.

On my return she sought to transfer two thousand pounds that was remaining to my Thai bank account.

The transfer was blocked as a suspicious transaction and her account frozen.