Opening bank account rules catch 22 (1-year extension)

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, pdebuck456 said:

If I understand correctly I can always get a 60 day extension based on my marriage if needed,

Yes the recent entry is on new visa. 

You can obtain a 60 day extension to visit Thai wife. 

She needs attend immigration with you 

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, pdebuck456 said:

Tomorrow I have to pop over to Buriram, will get a re-entry over at Buriram Castle immigration office there (done several times before with them, usually in and out in 5 minutes).

 

As you go to Buriram anyway, you could as well check with a few banks there. If you take your wife along and if she has a local address, they might be more accommodating.

[pdebuck456]

1 minute ago, Caldera said:

 

As you go to Buriram anyway, you could as well check with a few banks there. If you take your wife along and if she has a local address, they might be more accommodating.

Will most definitely try!

[pdebuck456]

On 7/21/2025 at 11:57 AM, pdebuck456 said:

Will most definitely try!

No luck in Buriram.

 

They initially had no idea and had to contact head office.

Head office mailed them the document woth the requirements, they printed it and that also stated non immigrant B with workpermit.

 

Tried Kasikorn and GSB  (what the Thais call "Oamsing" bank). The latter was decided instantly as they said couldn't because my COR stated my BKK adress.

Di inquire a bit further as to ascertain it would be worthwile to pick up a COR at the Buriram castle immigration office, but same Non B + WP requirement.

 

Basically threw the towel in the ring, That is 0 out of 10 tries.

 

At least I have a multiple re-entry stamped in, cheaky buggers ask 4000 Baht at immigration (with a big friendly smile), but in and out in about 10 minutes...

 

 

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, pdebuck456 said:

At least I have a multiple re-entry stamped in, cheaky buggers ask 4000 Baht at immigration (with a big friendly smile), but in and out in about 10 minutes...

Don't follow. 

You have a Non O that provides a 90 day permission of stay. 

No luck in opening a bank account for 12 month extension. 

That's a horrible situation. 

How does a multi reentry permit come into play. 

BTW: The permit is 3800b and if immigration provide picture etc the service fee (optional) is 200b 

 

[pdebuck456]

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't follow. 

You have a Non O that provides a 90 day permission of stay. 

No luck in opening a bank account for 12 month extension. 

That's a horrible situation. 

How does a multi reentry permit come into play. 

BTW: The permit is 3800b and if immigration provide picture etc the service fee (optional) is 200b 

 

Ah, clear on the 200 Baht then, they did indeed take a picture with their webcam thingy!

 

Needed a re-entry as planning several trips in and out of the country over the next 2-3 months, and I still am a (very little) bit hopeful I can get sorted by an agency on the bank/1 year extension, so keeping the non-O visa alive through the re-entry made sense, especially being so fast and easy as in Buriram (compared to CW anyway, with taxi rides, queing, ...)

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, pdebuck456 said:

....the re-entry made sense, especially being so fast and easy as in Buriram (compared to CW anyway, with taxi rides, queing, ...)

For future reference the reentry permit can be obtained at airport upon departure. 

Same price. Quick process. 

[pdebuck456]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

For future reference the reentry permit can be obtained at airport upon departure. 

Same price. Quick process. 

I know, but I am a planner 😃

The idea of even the slightest possibility of something going wrong (officer away for lunch and almost boarding time after getting stuck in a traffic jam or some silly stuff) would leave me sleepless a full week before departing 🙃

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, pdebuck456 said:

The idea of even the slightest possibility of something going wrong (officer away for lunch and almost boarding time after getting stuck in a traffic jam or some silly stuff) would leave me sleepless a full week before departing 

Your issues are treatable. 

The officer is never away for lunch and other io can step in. 

Traffic jam has nothing to do with reentry permit. 

Granted folk need to plan very early arrival to airport for international flights, regardless if reentry permit 

[pdebuck456]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Your issues are treatable. 

 

Tell that to my shrink 😁

 

NAh, I just don't like airports and everything going with it  much...

The faster and with the least amount of hassles I get through, the happier I am!

 

And nobody really likes dealing with immigration, unless you tried Buriram. Simply a breeze, perfect location, plenty parking, Amazon for a coffee and the Buriram FC shop for he latest T-shirt 😇

 

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, pdebuck456 said:

No luck in Buriram.

 

Thanks for the update. That's very unfortunate for you and also for many others who will be in the same situation.

 

Unless someone already has a Thai bank account, for example from prior employment in Thailand or opened when the rules were more relaxed, the rule change you've reported means it's pretty much impossible to satisfy the banked money requirement for an extension based on marriage or retirement. Hopefully this will be addressed somehow. 

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

Unless someone already has a Thai bank account, for example from prior employment in Thailand or opened when the rules were more relaxed, the rule change you've reported means it's pretty much impossible to satisfy the banked money requirement for an extension based on marriage or retirement. Hopefully this will be addressed somehow. 

To me this is a major issue. 

Perhaps will become major topic moving forward. 

The word comes to mind... "Gobsmacked" 

Why need a Non B to open bank account. 

Thailand more unwellcoming by the day

[seeyoujimmy]

I have an o retirement visa went into Kasikorn today told i just need my passport and Thai driving licence, this was in pattaya.

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, seeyoujimmy said:

I have an o retirement visa went into Kasikorn today told i just need my passport and Thai driving licence, this was in pattaya.

 

Just to be clear, do you have an initial 3-month Non-O visa or a 1-year extension based on retirement? That could make a big difference for someone trying to open an account. 

[JackGats]

On 7/7/2025 at 6:52 AM, pdebuck456 said:

...

 

I contacted my embassy, and they will not issue this certificate unless I register my Thai address with them, which to Belgian law I can only do after I cancel my Belgian home address, which at te time is not possible for various reasons (own a business, own an appartment in which I need to be registered else I pay a hefty "empty housing unit tax", ...).

...

 

I didn't know the embassy could issue certificates of residence (aka "attestation de résidence principale"). I think what you would get is a letter stating that your are registered with the embassy in Bangkok. And of course when you renew your ID through the embassy your ID will have "Bangkok" on it. Same for a passport ("lieu de délivrance: Bangkok"). So I'm not sure  giving up your Belgian residency and registering with the embassy in Bangkok would solve your problem.

 

Why not settle in Pattaya or elsewhere for a while and have a local agency get a COR on the basis of a hotel letter? 

[CallumWK]

6 minutes ago, JackGats said:

I didn't know the embassy could issue certificates of residence (aka "attestation de résidence principale").

 

Of course they can, but only if you are registered on the embassy as living in Thailand with an address. Which mean you have unregistered yourself in your home country/

You can't register with your embassy without unregistering in your home country.

Isn't cheap either, think my embassy charges a few thousand baht for that service. 

[JackGats]

15 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

Of course they can, but only if you are registered on the embassy as living in Thailand with an address. Which mean you have unregistered yourself in your home country/

You can't register with your embassy without unregistering in your home country.

Isn't cheap either, think my embassy charges a few thousand baht for that service. 

A few thousand bath for unregistering/ registering, or a few thousand baht for issuing a certificate of residence?

 

It is obvious the embassy will not issue any certificate that falls under the jurisdiction of the municipality where you are still a resident in your home country.

 

I know of an EU citizen living in TH who is registered with his own embassy. He gets his passports from his embassy but the embassy couldn't issue a certificate of residence. The embassy told him they had no means of verifying his residence in TH. Eventually he got such a certificate from the city where he lives in TH. City hall sent someone to check he was living there. He couldn't have got the certificate had he not been registered in the yellow book of the house where he lived.

[DrJack54]

4 hours ago, JackGats said:

It is obvious the embassy will not issue any certificate that falls under the jurisdiction of the municipality where you are still a resident in your home country.

The OP (page 1) was able to obtain the COR from CW immigration,. 

The certificate of residence is not the issue. Also many embassies do not issue address verification. 

 

The banks are telling him that he needs a Non B and work permit to open a bank account. 

This is NEW. 

If turns out to be the new norm then those that have a Non O +COR cannot obtain a bank account which means they cannot apply for 12 month extension. 

[pdebuck456]

6 hours ago, JackGats said:

I didn't know the embassy could issue certificates of residence (aka "attestation de résidence principale"). I think what you would get is a letter stating that your are registered with the embassy in Bangkok. And of course when you renew your ID through the embassy your ID will have "Bangkok" on it. Same for a passport ("lieu de délivrance: Bangkok"). So I'm not sure  giving up your Belgian residency and registering with the embassy in Bangkok would solve your problem.

 

Why not settle in Pattaya or elsewhere for a while and have a local agency get a COR on the basis of a hotel letter? 

The COR is not the issue anymore.

I was mistakingly assuming immigration needed the first 90 day reporting done, which used to be but is not required anymore.

The problem now is simply banks refusing to open an account unless holding a non immigrant B visa.

Haven't tried Pattaya, don't have much love for the place, I'd rather live in Thailand, which, for me anyway, Pattaya ain't.

When trying in Bangkok opening the account, on two occasions I thought I got lucky, as they said, ah, non immigrant, can do, until in one bank they took their recently updated "checklist", and in the other bank a supervisor/senior bankstaff was called in, where at that point they noticed specifically the non B being needed.

 

So when someone actually opened an account (not just asked the lady at the counter) with just a non immigrant O and on their first 90 days stamped on entering Thailand, I'd love to know, I'll be there ind a jiffy....

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, pdebuck456 said:

The problem now is simply banks refusing to open an account unless holding a non immigrant B visa.

@ThaiVisaCentre any advice on this matter. 

[CallumWK]

7 hours ago, JackGats said:

A few thousand bath for unregistering/ registering, or a few thousand baht for issuing a certificate of residence?

 

It is obvious the embassy will not issue any certificate that falls under the jurisdiction of the municipality where you are still a resident in your home country.

 

I know of an EU citizen living in TH who is registered with his own embassy. He gets his passports from his embassy but the embassy couldn't issue a certificate of residence. The embassy told him they had no means of verifying his residence in TH. Eventually he got such a certificate from the city where he lives in TH. City hall sent someone to check he was living there. He couldn't have got the certificate had he not been registered in the yellow book of the house where he lived.

 

Ok if you say so, but obviously you have no idea what you are talking about.

When you are registered on the embassy as living in Thailand, then they will issue a COR. Some Thai government departments, for example if you apply for a yellow book, are not satisfied withe COR issued by immigration, and demand you have one from the Embassy, and have it translated by a certified translation office.

 

@DrJack54 Can you confirm that an embassy will issue a COR if you are registered on the embassy as permanently living in Thailand?

[NanLaew]

Looking at Bangkok Bank's published list of requirements for a foreigner opening a new bank account, the previous detailed list of requirements, including the visa type, has been replaced with "enquire at any branch."

 

For foreigners

For more information, please contact any Bangkok Bank branch

 

As the OP has exhausted that option at every other bank he has tried, this is a very worrisome change of policy.

[NanLaew]

Kasikorn Bank's current online advice with regard to visa is as follows.

 

[hotandsticky]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Kasikorn Bank's current online advice with regard to visa is as follows.

 

 

 

Interesting that DTV's are not specifically mentioned.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

Interesting that DTV's are not specifically mentioned.

DTV is another kettle of fish. 

It's class is "special tourist visa" 

 

That term not made up by myself. 

No idea what "special" means, however it is a tourist class visa. 

Opening a bank account may be difficult esp in current times. 

 

[pdebuck456]

8 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Kasikorn Bank's current online advice with regard to visa is as follows.

 

I showed them that, and only got a "old info, website not yet updated" answer....

 

When on that page at the top you change to Thai language, and then use google translate, you'll see that on the Thai language version absolutely no mention is made about requirements for foreigners (tought I was going to be smart and show them the Thai page of their own website)..

 

 

[pdebuck456]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

@ThaiVisaCentre any advice on this matter. 

Asked them as well through Line, but apparently a waiting que of over 8 hours on Line and over a day on inquiries by e-mail.

Hopefully they are not that busy just because of bankaccount inquiries 🙃

 

[pdebuck456]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

DTV is another kettle of fish. 

It's class is "special tourist visa" 

 

That term not made up by myself. 

No idea what "special" means, however it is a tourist class visa. 

Opening a bank account may be difficult esp in current times. 

 

Many reports of DTV holders being excluded of opening a bank account specifically on the premise of it being just another variation of a tourist visa.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, pdebuck456 said:

I showed them that, and only got a "old info, website not yet updated" answer....

Have you inquired about also obtaining insurance from bank? 

Think policy is ~4k.

In Oz we would call that a bribe or more subtly an incentive. 

 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, pdebuck456 said:

Many reports of DTV holders being excluded of opening a bank account specifically on the premise of it being just another variation of a tourist visa.

And for same reason only being able to obtain 2 yr TDL renewal instead of 5 yr.