Opening A Thai Bank Account

[ricklee]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

[JacknDanny]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

She is wrong.

You are able to open an account with several banks, with just a passport

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

You can do it if you have an address in Thailand. Some banks will try to tell you that you need a work permit to open an account, but that is ludicrous. There are thousands of retired foreigners in Thailand, and retirees are ineligible for a work

permit. Just visit a few different banks/branches if you are declined.

[lopburi3]

You must be in Thailand to open a bank account. And even then it may take some footwork to find a branch willing to open the account.

A retirement visa is obtained outside of Thailand and requires the money/police check in your country of residence.

Believe you are talking about a one year extension of stay inside Thailand. That would require the 800k in a Thai bank account for 3 months prior to application. If you have a chance to obtain a multi entry non immigrant O visa that would allow the first 90 days + for the account balance and on second entry, after 60 days, you would make the extension of stay request. But you can use any entry and then use the conversion/visa change at 2,000 baht from immigration to obtain the needed non immigrant visa entry. It is not hard but you will not be able to apply until the 800k are in bank three months if you use that method. If you have 65k pension method available there is no time restrictions.

[ignis]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

A simple way is to open an account there in Viet Nam at HSBC, and then transfeer the 800,000 to the branch in Bangkok = shows the money came from outside of Thailand

[dman961]

I had no problems opening an account with the siam commercial bank public company limited in Ubon. With just my passport, drivers licence and a deposit of 7000bht.

www.scb.co.th (for more information)

The HSBC bank is a good idea too, they claim to be the worlds local bank. They have an international service which may help.

Have you tried just walking into a bank in thailand and opening an account?

[melbat]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

You should try and open an account with Tharachart Bank.. As far as i know they are the only Bank to pay interest to foreign bank account holders. I'm sure someone will soon put me right if I'm wrong!

[greenmember]

A staff in Bangkok Bank told me if I need a credit card, I must have a work permit or name in tabien barn if I'm not a Thai resident / citizen. To open a bank account, you don't need a work permit for sure.

[Brigante7]

Just opened an account at Siam in Nackhon Phanom with just my passport but had to use my wifes family address.

[twschw]

If posters would state which branch they opened the account in it would be helpful. Also what kind of visa you held at the time. Rules are applied differently at different branches and with different kind of visas. Opened a Kasikorn savings account at the Muang Thong Thani branch with a Non-O Immigrant visa only. One week later opened a Bangkok Bank account at the Siam Paragon branck with a newly aquired work permit. It was hard to find a branck that would open an account without the work permit. I had to try several. As luck would have it just a week later the work permit was ready.

[Mosha]

I have a couple of accounts at the Kasikorn branch in Ranong. 1 is my (Visa) account where i keep enough for my visa. The other is where my company pension arrives. I get interest on both.

[BigSnake]

Beware of Lawyers. Yes you can. Bet she will open it for you for a SMALL fee, wise up my friend.

[apetley]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

You should try and open an account with Tharachart Bank.. As far as i know they are the only Bank to pay interest to foreign bank account holders. I'm sure someone will soon put me right if I'm wrong!

Kasikorn pay interest on all my accounts.

[ricklee]

Thank you EVERYBODY! I guess I'll make a trip to Saigon and check in with HSCB--if that doesn't pan out it will be yet another trip to Bangkok to do some footwork. My penance for listening to a lawyer in the first place.

Edited February 26, 2008 by ricklee

[ignis]

Last month an attorney in Thailand told me that I cannot open a Thai bank account. (I currently live in Viet Nam.) But, as I understand it, if I am to deposit 800,000 baht for a retirement visa I need to put the money in 3 months before I apply for the visa. How does this work? Did she give me correct information?

You should try and open an account with Tharachart Bank.. As far as i know they are the only Bank to pay interest to foreign bank account holders. I'm sure someone will soon put me right if I'm wrong!

I have retirement Visa, Have accounts at HSBC [savings + fixed term A/Cs] Bangkok Bank with Visa card and Siam Commercial, I get interest on all 4 accounts

[dr_Pat_Pong]

SCB pays interest to me.

[Krub]

Krung Thai wanted a residence certificate from immigration before they changed my accounts to bear interest. It seems that at opening if you are a non Thai they open it without interest unless you specifically ask for it and produce some sort of proof you are living here. This was in Khun Han (Sisaket, Isaan). My other 2 accounts with Siam Commercial Bank (Uttaradit and Sisaket) were bearing interest from the start.

[PattayaParent]

I notice that the Islamic Bank of Thailand is opening new branches and may be keen for some new customers.

[favre360]

I opened one with no problem at Bangkok Bank. If your a US citizen like me you can go to the embassy and get an affidavit saying its ok for you to have an account. It takes like an hour and no WP is required in fact I was still on my free 30 day visa when they took my passport info.