Opening A New Bank Account In Thailand

[mosesk]

Long since given up on all the speculation and BS on here as far as info on opening bank accounts in BK..

I went on a short trip to Surin recently and got an account with Kasikorn, no problem

needed no work permit, no yellow card ect ect

My passport was the only requirement, with the usual info needed

Got all the info,card,book and guide for internet banking..had to deposit 500, and pay 600 for the account itself

worth every penny both the the account and the trip to Surin, as have been trying the BK banks mentioned on this forum with no success on occasion during the lpast 2 years ive been coming here

would have deposited many k's when the aussie rate was 29-30 if i had this account before

no need embassy letter?

My post above, referring to my opening a bank account in Surin, would have to be many years old now. Ive had it for some time.

No, there was no mention of any embassy letter at that stage.

Seeing the way things have gone lately, id have no clue what is now required for a farang to get a bank account in Thailand.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is all but impossible these days, either in Bangkok or upcountry without a valid work permit.

I believe its not just the Thai system, but I think many countries all around are putting pressure on these kinds of regulations so they can keep an

eye on their nationals abroad..no doubt for taxation matters

[mosesk]

Long since given up on all the speculation and BS on here as far as info on opening bank accounts in BK..

I went on a short trip to Surin recently and got an account with Kasikorn, no problem

needed no work permit, no yellow card ect ect

My passport was the only requirement, with the usual info needed

Got all the info,card,book and guide for internet banking..had to deposit 500, and pay 600 for the account itself

worth every penny both the the account and the trip to Surin, as have been trying the BK banks mentioned on this forum with no success on occasion during the lpast 2 years ive been coming here

would have deposited many k's when the aussie rate was 29-30 if i had this account before

no need embassy letter?

My post above, referring to my opening a bank account in Surin, would have to be many years old now. Ive had it for some time.

No, there was no mention of any embassy letter at that stage.

Seeing the way things have gone lately, id have no clue what is now required for a farang to get a bank account in Thailand.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is all but impossible these days, either in Bangkok or upcountry without a valid work permit.

I believe its not just the Thai system, but I think many countries all around are putting pressure on these kinds of regulations so they can keep an

eye on their nationals abroad..no doubt for taxation matters

[mosesk]

One thing I discovered earlier this year is that one of the non- Thai banks allowed me to open account easily

It was Malaysian I believe

One of the letter banks like CIMB, although I'm not sure that was the one

They have different regulations

In the end I decided not to bank with them but they would have easily opened an account for me

[ThaiNoobie]

One thing I discovered earlier this year is that one of the non- Thai banks allowed me to open account easily

It was Malaysian I believe

One of the letter banks like CIMB, although I'm not sure that was the one

They have different regulations

In the end I decided not to bank with them but they would have easily opened an account for me

yes, cimb is malaysian bank.

[siam2007]

No idea about the soi 33 branch. Any branch will do. Last time i delt with bangkok bank in bkk was at mbk.

In regards to the thai number. After u get the Internet banking pin code (2 to 3 weeks after u apply for it) u will then need to receive an sms to your thai sim to activate the mobile banking app, but if using your pc you wont.

the "SOI 33" bank discussed here frequently in earlier years was a KASIKORN BANK, not a BANGKOK BANK. I had opened my Kasikorn account there too around 6 years ago or so. Cost me 500 Baht and no questions asked whatsoever (very little English was spoken anyway). I had and have a non-immi-B-multiple Visa. No idea if they are still "Farang-friendly", but if anybody can share recent (2015) experiences, it would be appreciated, as a friend of mine is coming to Thailand in October and wants to open an account, but he will enter the country on a 30-day-Visa-exempt stamp only.

[pattayamick64]

just go to any bangkok bank it is so easy soi 6 or the one in soi buakhao

[pattayamick64]

smacko is dead right about his post it takes 2-3 weeks for internet banking but easy done if you have thai address on a savings account i did mine bangkok bank soi 6

[ThaiNoobie]

No idea about the soi 33 branch. Any branch will do. Last time i delt with bangkok bank in bkk was at mbk.

In regards to the thai number. After u get the Internet banking pin code (2 to 3 weeks after u apply for it) u will then need to receive an sms to your thai sim to activate the mobile banking app, but if using your pc you wont.

the "SOI 33" bank discussed here frequently in earlier years was a KASIKORN BANK, not a BANGKOK BANK. I had opened my Kasikorn account there too around 6 years ago or so. Cost me 500 Baht and no questions asked whatsoever (very little English was spoken anyway). I had and have a non-immi-B-multiple Visa. No idea if they are still "Farang-friendly", but if anybody can share recent (2015) experiences, it would be appreciated, as a friend of mine is coming to Thailand in October and wants to open an account, but he will enter the country on a 30-day-Visa-exempt stamp only.

do u have the exact address of this soi 33? I tried to ask kasikorn but they gave me a soi 23 instead.... cannot be all type wrong right?

[ThaiNoobie]

just go to any bangkok bank it is so easy soi 6 or the one in soi buakhao

is this in pattaya?

[smacko]

just go to any bangkok bank it is so easy soi 6 or the one in soi buakhao

is this in pattaya?

Yes pattaya. Both those bangkok banks are farang friendly

[theoldgit]

do u have the exact address of this soi 33?

The branch is in the UBC building which is on the corner of Sukhumvit 33/1 and Sukhumvit itself. The bank is on the ground level, actually up a couple of steps from the pavement, accessible from the main Sukhumvit Road.

The easiest way to get there is by the BTS, alight at Phrom Phong and walk for a couple of minutes in the direction of Asoke, it's a large bank and you can't miss it.

[ThaiNoobie]

Thank u! U saved my day!

[siam2007]

Thank u! U saved my day!

Yep that is the one indeed. There is a VILLA MARKET next to it if I remember that right.

Would you mind to share your experience in case you go there to open an account ?

This would be very much appreciated, so we can have an update here

[ThaiNoobie]

the info is WRONG. STILL NEED EMBASSY LETTER

in the end i went to the branch, only to find a NO and after much talking then only im allow to open unless i got the embassy letter. I was told the rule change since this yr,.

I think i give up. Will just bring CASH AROUND.

[yocahuna]

Yesterday my attempt to open an account at a Pattaya mall Kasikorn branch was refused because I have a US passport and thus required to have/be listed in a yellow book. I have an O-A visa and a residency letter from Thai Immigration. Has anyone else encountered this and is there a work-around?

[Pib]

Yesterday my attempt to open an account at a Pattaya mall Kasikorn branch was refused because I have a US passport and thus required to have/be listed in a yellow book. I have an O-A visa and a residency letter from Thai Immigration. Has anyone else encountered this and is there a work-around?

No such requirement exists. For some other reason that branch just didn't want to open an account for you...had nothing to do with being a U.S. citizen and therefore you need a Yellow Book. I'm going to guess there was a communications disconnect and what they really wanted from you is a Certificate of Residency from Thai immigration or your home country embassy...which basically says, Yes I do have a residence in Thailand...I'm not just passing through. And they probably said "if you happen to have a Yellow Book" that would also satisfy their desire for a certificate of residency since a Yellow Book is nothing more than a house registration issued by the Thai local govt saying your have a residence in Thailand.

And some branches are just not farang-friendly. Just try another branch...and don't limit yourself to just Kasikorn branches.

[shinichi229]

Dear All , Please Help Me :

+ Have any Bank in Bangkok which i can Open account and Card .. With Only Passport , Deposit money (If more , i have friend in thai person . I can go with her to the Bank ) . Please please help me !!!

[khrai]

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

[yocahuna]

Yesterday my attempt to open an account at a Pattaya mall Kasikorn branch was refused because I have a US passport and thus required to have/be listed in a yellow book. I have an O-A visa and a residency letter from Thai Immigration. Has anyone else encountered this and is there a work-around?

No such requirement exists. For some other reason that branch just didn't want to open an account for you...had nothing to do with being a U.S. citizen and therefore you need a Yellow Book. I'm going to guess there was a communications disconnect and what they really wanted from you is a Certificate of Residency from Thai immigration or your home country embassy...which basically says, Yes I do have a residence in Thailand...I'm not just passing through. And they probably said "if you happen to have a Yellow Book" that would also satisfy their desire for a certificate of residency since a Yellow Book is nothing more than a house registration issued by the Thai local govt saying your have a residence in Thailand.

And some branches are just not farang-friendly. Just try another branch...and don't limit yourself to just Kasikorn branches.

Are you sure? The officer said this very recent rule requiring a yellow house book applied ONLY to US passport holders. Yet, a similar US friend managed to open an account in Ko Samui with only a letter from the embassy (not sure what kind of letter) that cost US$50 to get.

[yocahuna]

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

Similarly have a non-immigrant O-A visa which does not allow the holder to work so the request for a work permit is a non-starter. The validation letter from the embassy seems like just another unnecessary bureaucratic hoop to jump, from reports, costing US$50 at the US Embassy. It has been suggested i wait until i move to Chiang Mai later on, closer to when i have to transfer the minimum amount of funds to qualify for renewal of my visa to apply there.

[craigt3365]

Yesterday my attempt to open an account at a Pattaya mall Kasikorn branch was refused because I have a US passport and thus required to have/be listed in a yellow book. I have an O-A visa and a residency letter from Thai Immigration. Has anyone else encountered this and is there a work-around?

I opened an account for my mother last year at Krungsri bank in Central Festival. Only needed her passport. They were super helpful as she's blind and can't sign anything. Great branch.

[yocahuna]

Yesterday my attempt to open an account at a Pattaya mall Kasikorn branch was refused because I have a US passport and thus required to have/be listed in a yellow book. I have an O-A visa and a residency letter from Thai Immigration. Has anyone else encountered this and is there a work-around?

No such requirement exists. For some other reason that branch just didn't want to open an account for you...had nothing to do with being a U.S. citizen and therefore you need a Yellow Book. I'm going to guess there was a communications disconnect and what they really wanted from you is a Certificate of Residency from Thai immigration or your home country embassy...which basically says, Yes I do have a residence in Thailand...I'm not just passing through. And they probably said "if you happen to have a Yellow Book" that would also satisfy their desire for a certificate of residency since a Yellow Book is nothing more than a house registration issued by the Thai local govt saying your have a residence in Thailand.

And some branches are just not farang-friendly. Just try another branch...and don't limit yourself to just Kasikorn branches.

Are you sure? The officer said this very recent rule requiring a yellow house book applied ONLY to US passport holders. Yet, a similar US friend managed to open an account in Ko Samui with only a letter from the embassy (not sure what kind of letter) that cost US$50 to get.

Forgot to mention i had a certificate of residency from Thai Immigration in hand. Maybe you are right. I'll just try another branch or another bank.

[Pib]

Forgot to mention i had a certificate of residency from Thai Immigration in hand. Maybe you are right. I'll just try another branch or another bank.

Yea, sounds like you could have just visited a branch that prefers not to have farang customers if they can avoid it...such branches seem to make up reasons based on posts I've read over the years.

[Langsuan Man]

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

Go back and ask to see the manager or try another branch

They are wrong and all it takes is a call to the main branch in Bangkok and they will get a code that will allow them to register your passport number alone, no need for a work permit or declaration (residence certificate) from your Embassy

There used to be a requirement for a work permit but that was dropped years ago but unfortunately the "training" manual at the branch level has never been updated. So the employees get frustrated because of the coding issue so in many cases they just blow you off with nonsensical requirements .

All it takes is a little patience and talking to the right person

[khrai]

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

Go back and ask to see the manager or try another branch

They are wrong and all it takes is a call to the main branch in Bangkok and they will get a code that will allow them to register your passport number alone, no need for a work permit or declaration (residence certificate) from your Embassy

There used to be a requirement for a work permit but that was dropped years ago but unfortunately the "training" manual at the branch level has never been updated. So the employees get frustrated because of the coding issue so in many cases they just blow you off with nonsensical requirements .

All it takes is a little patience and talking to the right person

[khrai]

Just typed a long reply but lost it somehow

In short: got refused two times by Bangkok Bank today,+ one time by KrungThai, + one time by SCB.

Got an account with K Bank!

All this with an OA non immigrant visa and a 6 month lease...

[WorkingTourist]

Went to Krungthai with a friend on a visa waiver who wanted to open an account.

Clerk initially told us that work permit was required, but after a little back and forth it was only required to get interests.

So my friend agreed to forgo interests and ended up with a bank account.

Don’t know if this is the general policy (for Krungthai) but for anyone without a work permit that gets denied, it’s worth a try to tell them that you do not expect interests on your balance.

[Pib]

Went to Krungthai with a friend on a visa waiver who wanted to open an account.

Clerk initially told us that work permit was required, but after a little back and forth it was only required to get interests.

So my friend agreed to forgo interests and ended up with a bank account.

Don’t know if this is the general policy (for Krungthai) but for anyone without a work permit that gets denied, it’s worth a try to tell them that you do not expect interests on your balance.

The bank classified your friend as a non-resident (not on a long stay visa/extension...got nothing to do with a work permit). When coded that way the account is non-interest bearing. Sweet deal for the bank.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

I know that BKK Bank branch you're referring to. Never been particularly helpful or friendly toward farang customers, in my experience. Same with the nearby Siam Commercial Branch on Suk Soi 11.

For BKK Bank, a better option is their Siam Paragon branch on the lower/basement level.

[Fab5BKK]

Re. Bangkok Bank, if you're in Bangkok, go to the HQ on Silom. Very good service.

I have a non-immigrant OA visa.

Went to Bangkok Bank on Sukhumvit (between soi 8 and soi 10) in Bangkok. They told me I needed a work permit or a declaration from my embassy (they have the forms at the bank) to "validate" my passport with the OA visa....

I know that BKK Bank branch you're referring to. Never been particularly helpful or friendly toward farang customers, in my experience. Same with the nearby Siam Commercial Branch on Suk Soi 11.

For BKK Bank, a better option is their Siam Paragon branch on the lower/basement level.