How to open a Bank account in 2025?

[DrJack54]

Ongoing posts regarding OP removed along with replies. 

@TroubleandGrumpy enough. 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Just now, MarkT63 said:

Get a residence certificate from Immigration

Take your passport

Have the money in your hand

Take your wife, and any documentation she can bring - marriage certificate, house book etc.

Try and try again

🍻

Yes - if you have a non-immigrant O Visa - any type, including Tourist - then you can do what you said for sure.

 

Have some document to prove where you are staying/living - rental agreement - wife's blue book etc etc.

Go to Immigration with Wife and Marriage Certificate and Passport and get a Residency Certificate.

Then take all that and go to the bank head Office in the nearest big Mall and apply to open an account.

Bangkok Bank or Krungsri will never refuse anyone meeting those conditions and with that paperwork and who has 400K in their hands. 

[transam]

About 18 months back a friend came over on a VE to meet his possible new love, who was also a long term friend of mine. As he didn't know how his future would go here, he felt possitive how things were going, so he wanted to open a bank account.

 

The lady and I knew a 'respected' member of the community who had a sideline of helping farangs out. 

He went with them to the bank, my friend came out with a bankbook and card............

 

Epilogue: Sadly things didn't go to plan, he is now back in the UK...............😌

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

 

If you are then please explain how you married a Thai previously but did not have a bank account?  Nil reply means a scammer troll. 

 

 

1 hour ago, transam said:

I never had a Thai bank account when I first came here and set up shop, I used my UK bank card in ATMs...........

Likewise, I only opened a bank account after I married.

[Schoggibueb]

3 hours ago, BS25 said:

Hi all 

I just arrived in Thailand with my 90 day visa.

now i need to open a bank account for my 400 000 B Deposit for the 1 year visa 

 

my problem every bank say not possible without tabian ban ( the yellow bock for Farangs )

that i can get after 6months on a place i get told in village who i want to live

 

my problem i have 14 day left to open and fill the account to keep my 2 month limit

 

i tried Bangkok bank, kasikorn, krunthai 

( im married with a Thai and my marriage is already registered since February 2025)

 

thanks for your help

Not sure if still the same. At BKK Bank it was like this... You need three accepted official documents.

- Certificate of Residence -> get at Immigration.

- Passport with the Visa stamps etc.

- Thai Drivers licence (CoR needed there too)

- being registered in the yellow housebook of your wife you don't need to go through the process to make a CoR. Might be too short now, but for the future I strongly recommend it. You don't have to run every time to immigration to get a CoR.

 

For the CoR you can find what is needed to get that. I have heard, that they don't make them quickly anymore. A few months ago you could pay a "express fee" of 500bht to get your CoR on the next day. In CNX somebody told me, that they don't do this anymore. You have to wait 4 weeks.

 

You can also try to get some help at a visa-office. That costs money of course. But sometimes they have "connections" to make your life easier.

 

Good luck.

 

[Jake44]

2 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Scam topic? Another nutter troll??  How does one marry a Thai in Thailand previously and not already have a bank account?  I do not think this is a genuine OP. 

 

If you are then please explain how you married a Thai previously but did not have a bank account?  Nil reply means a scammer troll. 

I've been in Thailand most of the last 2 years with no Thai bank account.  It's really not necessary to live here.  I just use my US ATM cards, credit cards, and bring cash.  

 

Considering the hassle I read about, I'm glad I never tried to open an account here.

 

[Dan O]

2 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Scam topic? Another nutter troll??  How does one marry a Thai in Thailand previously and not already have a bank account?  I do not think this is a genuine OP. 

 

If you are then please explain how you married a Thai previously but did not have a bank account?  Nil reply means a scammer troll. 

 

Are you the new AN police ? 

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

I agree regarding Krungsri. I would also suggest his wife accompanies him and have their marriage certificate as well. There's a lot paperwork nowadays and I get the feeling that the staff out front are reluctant to get involved, try asking to see the branch manager.

I agree they are one of the easiest to open an account with if your on a ltr permission stamp. I also would ask for a manager and have them call the main office in bkk if there are any questions that seem odd. 

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Scam topic? Another nutter troll??  How does one marry a Thai in Thailand previously and not already have a bank account?  I do not think this is a genuine OP. 

 

If you are then please explain how you married a Thai previously but did not have a bank account?  Nil reply means a scammer troll. 

 

What a load of rubbish! There is no need to have a bank account here in order to marry a Thai lady. My wife and I were married for over a year before we came to live here full time together.

 

Only then did I open an account with Krungsri.

[Ralphanous]

8 hours ago, BS25 said:

Hi all 

I just arrived in Thailand with my 90 day visa.

now i need to open a bank account for my 400 000 B Deposit for the 1 year visa 

 

my problem every bank say not possible without tabian ban ( the yellow bock for Farangs )

that i can get after 6months on a place i get told in village who i want to live

 

my problem i have 14 day left to open and fill the account to keep my 2 month limit

 

i tried Bangkok bank, kasikorn, krunthai 

( im married with a Thai and my marriage is already registered since February 2025)

 

thanks for your help

Interesting that it happened to you as well

I went to SCB Buriram to open a second account this week(I'm lucky I have had a BB account for years in Pattaya)

I had Wife, her blue book, letter from immigration(COR) ,passport and my Non O visa(retirement)and our marriage cert

The first lady went and got the MGR who politely told us in English and Thai that a yellow book is now required and she has to send to Bangkok for authorisation that takes about 2 weeks

And that with my documents I would get one easily

I'm just after a second account and find the amphur about the only place in Thailand that gets me frustrated

So I might try K bank or stop being lazy and get a yellow book

Just found it interesting as I've never been asked for a yellow book ever, for anything...............

 

[BrandonJT]

3 hours ago, Ralphanous said:

Interesting that it happened to you as well

I went to SCB Buriram to open a second account this week(I'm lucky I have had a BB account for years in Pattaya)

I had Wife, her blue book, letter from immigration(COR) ,passport and my Non O visa(retirement)and our marriage cert

The first lady went and got the MGR who politely told us in English and Thai that a yellow book is now required and she has to send to Bangkok for authorisation that takes about 2 weeks

And that with my documents I would get one easily

I'm just after a second account and find the amphur about the only place in Thailand that gets me frustrated

So I might try K bank or stop being lazy and get a yellow book

Just found it interesting as I've never been asked for a yellow book ever, for anything...............

 

They just don't want to do it for you.  If you get the yellow book, there will magically be a new requirement they forgot to tell you about last time you went in. On and on until you give up.

[Ralphanous]

2 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

They just don't want to do it for you.  If you get the yellow book, there will magically be a new requirement they forgot to tell you about last time you went in. On and on until you give up.

When I went to the branch the teller sorted through the documents looking for the yellow book and asked straight away where was it, when I said to her no I have a COR that's when she asked the other lady to come over

When I asked at Buriram immigration for the COR I didn't say it was for a second account, as I'm new to them(all previous are Jomtien O retirement or Australian issued O marriage)

They wrote 2 letters, the first was addressed to "the bank manager" and the second was to "the office of population registration"(Google translate, wife says to amphur)

I never asked for the second letter and assumed the wife did, after writing the original reply I asked her and she said she didn't but immigration had told her that I would need to get a yellow book(thanks for filling me in dear...........), I thought I just had 2 COR for some reason and if the wife had told me what the second letter was for would have asked the IO to clarify what the local issue was or at least if they were having issues with certain banks as I just wanted a local account in light of all of the current banking issues

So the IO must have known that there was an issue in Buriram at least with opening new accounts and its probably a very new problem not affecting those of us who have been around for a while

And these were actually 2 letters separately addressed including on the envelope, again these were letters not COR, I had just assumed this was the Buriram version of a certificate of residence

I feel sorry for those trying to get accounts at the moment and hope the original poster has managed to get one,

I'm good,I have a account, I just view these interactions as part of a wider effort on behalf of Thai officialdom to keep me entertained in retirement

 

 

[TroubleandGrumpy]

21 hours ago, Jake44 said:

I've been in Thailand most of the last 2 years with no Thai bank account.  It's really not necessary to live here.  I just use my US ATM cards, credit cards, and bring cash.  

 

Considering the hassle I read about, I'm glad I never tried to open an account here.

 

Hope you have a lot of money to waste on transfer costs, fees and exchange rate rip offs. But up to you.

If you have been staying here for most of 2 years then you have a non-immigrant Visa - get a bank account and use Wise or XE or Western Union or whoever - save a small fortune over time.  

[TroubleandGrumpy]

20 hours ago, Moonlover said:

What a load of rubbish! There is no need to have a bank account here in order to marry a Thai lady. My wife and I were married for over a year before we came to live here full time together.

 

Only then did I open an account with Krungsri.

You married overseas - and then came here - and then got a bank account.  My point exactly. Easy as.

The OP's name is BS25.

 

[Moonlover]

35 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

21 hours ago, Moonlover said:

What a load of rubbish! There is no need to have a bank account here in order to marry a Thai lady. My wife and I were married for over a year before we came to live here full time together.

 

Only then did I open an account with Krungsri.

 

35 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

You married overseas - and then came here - and then got a bank account.  My point exactly. Easy as.

The OP's name is BS25.

 

There you go making another assumption. We did not marry overseas, we married right here in Thailand during a visit from Egypt.

 

Even holiday makers can come and get legally married here. Do you suppose they have banks accounts?

 

Your accusation against the O/P is completely unfounded.

 

 

[Jake44]

1 hour ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Hope you have a lot of money to waste on transfer costs, fees and exchange rate rip offs. But up to you.

If you have been staying here for most of 2 years then you have a non-immigrant Visa - get a bank account and use Wise or XE or Western Union or whoever - save a small fortune over time.  

Actually, no, I'm not wasting money.  I've done the math.

 

1) For cash, superRich has basically the same exchange rate as wise.

2) My credit card has no fees, gives a good exchange rate plus 2-3% cash back on every purchase.  That easily beats wise, so I put everything I can on my credit card.

3) My ATM card has no fees, a good exchange rate, and even refunds the Thai ATM fee.  I think wise still gives a little better exchange rate, but not by much.  

 

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 6/28/2025 at 12:33 PM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Scam topic? Another nutter troll??  How does one marry a Thai in Thailand previously and not already have a bank account?  I do not think this is a genuine OP. 

 

If you are then please explain how you married a Thai previously but did not have a bank account?  Nil reply means a scammer troll. 

I got married to a Thai in Thailand and I didn't open my first Thai bank account till some 20 years later.

 

As someone already pointed out, you don't need  a Thai bank account to get married here. 

 

On 6/28/2025 at 1:43 PM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Another big laugh - thank you.  That was not the point mate - you missed it - again.  He lived in Thailand before and married a Thai (allegedly) but did all that without a bank account?  Not impossible - but extremely unlikely. He has not answered yet too. 

He doesn't say he lived in Thailand before - and says his marriage was only registered in February of  this year.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Jake44 said:

Actually, no, I'm not wasting money.  I've done the math.

Your post about methods of transferring funds to Thailand is off topic. 

Reason being that the OP entered Thailand with Non O and intention to obtain 12 month extension. 

He NEEDS a Thai bank account for that. 

 

Unrelated however suggest you spend some time in finance/banking forum. 

[Jake44]

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Unrelated however suggest you spend some time in finance/banking forum. 

 

This part of your post is off topic.  I suggest you don't tell people they are off topic, and then go off topic yourself.  

[kingstonkid]

On 6/28/2025 at 12:56 PM, CallumWK said:

 

Some banks make it just over complicated, because they don't know the rules, or should I say their job.

 

Few banks I have visited lately asked for the following.

 

• 1 year visa or work permit (I agree with that)

• Yellow tabien baan which I have but I don't agree with it, as proof of address should be sufficient.

• Driver license??????????? Really? So if I don't use a motor vehicle I don't qualify for a bank account?

• Passport.

• ID card from your home country. Don't they realise that my passport IS my ID and shows the exact same details?

• Address in my home country. How I can have an address in my home country when I permanently live in Thailand?

 

Take note, none of those requirements were and/or, it was you had them all, or you got refused, and head office had to get involved to explain that some of those requirements were and/or, so it was for example passport OR ID card, not passport AND ID Card.

 

But hey, you can't fix stupid.

 

Another related event about banks don't know their own rules.

 

I got a refund from the revenue office. Asked if it could be deposited to my Krung Thai account was not possible, so then you receive a cheque which only can be collected by depositing it in a krung Thai account in your name.

So went to the branch where I have my account for several years already. 

Never received a bank book, but have a smart card (which they discontinued) and their app activated on my phone.

Provided them with the cheque, my pink id card, the (discontinued) smart card and opened the app on my phone so they could see my account number.

Can not sir because name on checque is not same as name on account and pink card.

Revenue office uses first and last name for cheque, while account and pink card have my middle names as well.

We need the yellow receipt you received from the revenue office or we can't deposit this in your account.

 

Again you can't fix stupid, so went from there to the next branch (which I have never visited before) and got the cheque deposited in my account within minutes providing the same documents I had at my local branch

 

The id card is a new government thing.  I tried to open an account and they need passport and secondary id.

 

Been here 15 years finally going to have to get a Thai driver's licence for id

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

The id card is a new government thing.  I tried to open an account and they need passport and secondary id.

Which bank 

[Captain Flack]

Troll post removed.

 

@TroubleandGrumpy discuss the topic and stop trying to moderate.