Opening Bank Account

[sam666]

Might be better in a different forum, but how to open bank account? I'm a Brit on a standard 60 day visa and soon to be a student 1 year visa, I want a bank account and ATM card, will save me a bundle on ATM charges from the UK and hassle.

[katabeachbum]

there are guidelines from the main offices, but its still basicly up to the branch manager

some want one year visa, some require work permit

what always seem to work is to bring a "Certificate of Residence" from Immigration, valid as long as possible (valid as long as your permit to stay)

and/or thai drivers lisence as it contains your adress on the back side

its easy to understand they dont want to open accounts for everyone here on holiday, so providing docs you actually live here makes it more easy

getting a thai credit card for farang, bank of ayudhya requires secured deposit. 80k baht provides 64k gold card. sufficient for car rental, airfares and hotels etc. need more balance, just make an installment to creditcard

[Carib]

Take a look at the pinned thread about this subject too;

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/260738-opening-a-new-bank-account-in-thailand/

[sam666]

Don't have thai drivers license, just use my UK ... Certificate of Residence, where can I get?

[Carib]

Don't have thai drivers license, just use my UK ... Certificate of Residence, where can I get?

If you read the thread about opening a bank accounts, you will see that in a lot of cases it is as easy as walking into a bank, stating what you want, providing them an address and they will hook you up within 20 minutes. Like I said read the thread, lots of good info there.

[sam666]

Don't have thai drivers license, just use my UK ... Certificate of Residence, where can I get?

If you read the thread about opening a bank accounts, you will see that in a lot of cases it is as easy as walking into a bank, stating what you want, providing them an address and they will hook you up within 20 minutes. Like I said read the thread, lots of good info there.

Just have, thanks, gonna hit up every bank with my passport and gf and say i'm a student ..

[Expat7]

Bangkok Bank

[tomat]

When I got my bank accounts created just after I moved here all I needed was my passport. They did not care about visa or anything. Got Kasikorn, SCB and Bangkok Bank accounts all made with nothing but my passport. Had another Kasikorn account made recently, again they just needed my passport.

Only time I have been asked for more than passport was when I got my credit cards, that took more paperwork, but worked out fine.

[thrilled]

Kasikorn ,ya only need A passport

[katabeachbum]

Don't have thai drivers license, just use my UK ... Certificate of Residence, where can I get?

If you read the thread about opening a bank accounts, you will see that in a lot of cases it is as easy as walking into a bank, stating what you want, providing them an address and they will hook you up within 20 minutes. Like I said read the thread, lots of good info there.

Just have, thanks, gonna hit up every bank with my passport and gf and say i'm a student ..

I would go alone, with passport only.

If you fail, get a "Certificate of Residence" at Immigration. I belive Hua Hin still carges 500 baht no reciept though

[hhfarang]

I'm guessing that in the government's view and most bank's views, there is no reason for a person not living here, i.e., one year visa or work permit, to have a local bank account. If you're not living here on a long term visa and don't have a work permit, then you are expected to bring money in with you or access your home bank account via transfer or ATM. In their view if you open an account and start depositing money into it from a source other than an international transfer, then you must be working illegally.

[coldmike]

Question for those who were able to open accounts with passports alone: Was Thai language proficiency also required? Were you able to read/write Thai? - or is spoken & written English acceptable.

[tomat]

Question for those who were able to open accounts with passports alone: Was Thai language proficiency also required? Were you able to read/write Thai? - or is spoken & written English acceptable.

Not needed at all, most of the banks have a couple of staff that assists English speaking customers.

[blyish]

I opened mine at the Kasikorn branch in Market Village. Just showed passport, paid a 500 baht deposit (and I think 300 extra for the ATM card; can't remember) and it was ready in 20 minutes. They didn't ask for anything else and I only had a tourist visa on my passport (not an actual visa, just the entry stamp from the airport). No questions asked,, no problems.

[katabeachbum]

I opened mine at the Kasikorn branch in Market Village. Just showed passport, paid a 500 baht deposit (and I think 300 extra for the ATM card; can't remember) and it was ready in 20 minutes. They didn't ask for anything else and I only had a tourist visa on my passport (not an actual visa, just the entry stamp from the airport). No questions asked,, no problems.

Kasikorn (green bank), Ayudhya (yellow bank) and Siam Commercial/ Thapanich in Thai(purple bank) have a tradition of being farang friendly banks.

Be aware some charge a monthly fee if farang account is below 1-5.000? baht, and I belive all close the account if balance is less than 1.000? baht for more than 6? months

[sam666]

Went today with gf to Kasikorn on 2nd floor of market village, she did most of the talking and said I was a student but haven't got the visa yet. Opened the account with in about 10 minutes ... wanted me to me to take a picture and have my picture on atm card (<deleted>? who wants to let everyone know its a farangs atm card?) And the machines made for people with a height limit of about 5.5ft ...

[hhfarang]

wanted me to me to take a picture and have my picture on atm card (<deleted>?

Was it just an ATM card or were they giving you an ATM/visa card that can be used for purchases as well? Photos have been commonly used on that second type of card in the U.S. for years so that the sales clerks can identify if you are really the owner of the card or if it was stolen.

[sam666]

wanted me to me to take a picture and have my picture on atm card (<deleted>?

Was it just an ATM card or were they giving you an ATM/visa card that can be used for purchases as well? Photos have been commonly used on that second type of card in the U.S. for years so that the sales clerks can identify if you are really the owner of the card or if it was stolen.

Visa, it's a good idea in that sense but not such a good idea in the fact its thailand.

[katabeachbum]

insulting post removed