Perhaps useful info, perhaps not. My position was recently changed to being a Thai government officer/employee. As such, they require my having an account with Krungthai Bank (government bank) for my salary deposits. I've been with Bangkok Bank for over 25 years but said it had to be the above bank.

Having not opened an account at a different bank it was new territory for me. Anyway, went in to the Suthep Road branch, looked around a moment to get my bearings and headed over to the queue machine. The young girl manning it appeared panicked and started waving a manager over who spoke very good English. My Thai is plenty good to handle it but guess the girl didn't want to take any chances.

I told him I would like to open a new savings account than he proceeded to ask for passport and if I had at least a 90 day visa. I pointed at my work permit and he smiled and promptly guided me over to a desk and handed me over to another lady. I said new savings account, ATM card and Internet banking. Her focus was more on my WP than my passport as she promptly handed the passport back to me.

Bunch of signatures, enter pin number for ATM card, enter Internet banking password and 15 minutes later was all set. 230 Baht for the ATM card. Surprisingly easy, not sure how different it would have been without the WP though. Also, minimum to open the account was 500 Baht. All very friendly and helpful.

Besides, with the reduction to 1 million baht account insurance somewhere in the future, I wanted another account at sometime. Anyway, just for your info.

Although I have no WP, my wife arranged a bank account for me at Krungthai Bank, Airport plaza. She is a Gouvernment employee. I have only a bank book because my pension is deposited in a foreign bank of course. I've never asked for an ATM card. Use it for save some bahts for what ever.

Edited October 24, 201213 yr by Joop50

I opened one with Bangkok Bank some weeks ago on a 30 day visa exemption,no questions asked and a very friendly service indeed.

Although I'm not in Chiang Mai and where I live there are substantially less foreigners,so this may have helped my situation?

Edited October 24, 201213 yr by stoneyboy

Sometimes it seems it is dependent on the individual branch manager, their attitude toward farang, and how hungry they are for new depositors/customers.

I remember when first arriving getting the brush-off from SCB (sub-branch in KSK), Krung Thai on Huay Kaew Rd. near CMU and 1 or 2 others.

Then of course I discovered the wonderful (former) manager Khun Malai of Bangkok Bank in KSK, who was more than happy to open an acct for me.

Since then I have found the very small sub-branch of Bank of Ayudhya on Huay Kaew Rd. (near Northern Farm) to be very farang friendly.

I started banking with them 3 yrs ago, and find them very helpful and with very competitive rates on fixed deposit accts.

Most of the gov't banks are utterly terrified of farang.

A lady in my apt bldg, who has lived here 30+ years, and who speaks reads and writes Thai flawlessly (she is an academic researcher who does translations into Thai for a living) went to the Krung Thai branch on Huay Kaew Rd. I mentioned above, and they wouldn't even talk to her, when she tried to open an acct (the branch is almost directly across the street from our apt bldg).

I've never been able to figure out this conundrum- why would a bank want to refuse deposits from a new customer?

Sometimes it seems it is dependent on the individual branch manager, their attitude toward farang, and how hungry they are for new depositors/customers.

I remember when first arriving getting the brush-off from SCB (sub-branch in KSK), Krung Thai on Huay Kaew Rd. near CMU and 1 or 2 others.

Then of course I discovered the wonderful (former) manager Khun Malai of Bangkok Bank in KSK, who was more than happy to open an acct for me.

Since then I have found the very small sub-branch of Bank of Ayudhya on Huay Kaew Rd. (near Northern Farm) to be very farang friendly.

I started banking with them 3 yrs ago, and find them very helpful and with very competitive rates on fixed deposit accts.

Most of the gov't banks are utterly terrified of farang.

A lady in my apt bldg, who has lived here 30+ years, and who speaks reads and writes Thai flawlessly (she is an academic researcher who does translations into Thai for a living) went to the Krung Thai branch on Huay Kaew Rd. I mentioned above, and they wouldn't even talk to her, when she tried to open an acct (the branch is almost directly across the street from our apt bldg).

I've never been able to figure out this conundrum- why would a bank want to refuse deposits from a new customer?

Because some nations (especially the USA) are pressuring governments about how remarkably easy it is to open accounts (they are ostensibly worried about money laundering and terrorism). I know in Bangkok it is not possible to open a bank account with a major bank without a work permit now. I expect that will become the norm all over Thailand very, very soon.

But will they require wp for existing accounts? That is the question.

Sometimes it seems it is dependent on the individual branch manager, their attitude toward farang, and how hungry they are for new depositors/customers.

I remember when first arriving getting the brush-off from SCB (sub-branch in KSK), Krung Thai on Huay Kaew Rd. near CMU and 1 or 2 others.

Then of course I discovered the wonderful (former) manager Khun Malai of Bangkok Bank in KSK, who was more than happy to open an acct for me.

Since then I have found the very small sub-branch of Bank of Ayudhya on Huay Kaew Rd. (near Northern Farm) to be very farang friendly.

I started banking with them 3 yrs ago, and find them very helpful and with very competitive rates on fixed deposit accts.

Most of the gov't banks are utterly terrified of farang.

A lady in my apt bldg, who has lived here 30+ years, and who speaks reads and writes Thai flawlessly (she is an academic researcher who does translations into Thai for a living) went to the Krung Thai branch on Huay Kaew Rd. I mentioned above, and they wouldn't even talk to her, when she tried to open an acct (the branch is almost directly across the street from our apt bldg).

I've never been able to figure out this conundrum- why would a bank want to refuse deposits from a new customer?

Because some nations (especially the USA) are pressuring governments about how remarkably easy it is to open accounts (they are ostensibly worried about money laundering and terrorism). I know in Bangkok it is not possible to open a bank account with a major bank without a work permit now. I expect that will become the norm all over Thailand very, very soon.

I think you will find out this post is not accurate. It is no problem opening accounts all over Thailand. Some managers don't want to do it so you just go to another bank.

Yeah, I heard the same "need work permit" argument 6+ yrs ago.

Like the hundreds of thousands of farang retirees who live here, aren't allowed to have a Thai bank acct without a work permit?

I don't think so...

There is a new short questionnaire that is required by some financial services companies here, that needs to be filled out by both existing acct holders and new acct applicants, that addresses the new anti-money laundering thing.

I was requested to complete the questionnaire by Maybank Kim Eng early this year (when I went to open my brokerage acct webpage- there it was!), filled it out and that was that.

Haven't heard anything yet from BBL or BAY.

I have opened 3 accounts with Bangkok Bank (In Bangkok & CM) and a Kasikorn bank account using my tourist visa , this was just 2 months ago.

No questions asked. The Big C Hang Dong Branch all all geared towards farang and have no issues at all.

500 baht is all it takes with an ATM debit card and bank account. Easily done.

Now The Vicar should post and tell us how he got his information so messed up.

I don't recall what my initial deposit was, but the Bangkok Bank branch in Doi Saket was extremely helpful and easy to set up an account. Just photocopied my passport and filled out some paper work.

They were really helpful in some of the transactions we needed done while building our home. They really could not be nicer to us, and it's not a hassle to visit the bank, we don't mind at all.

Yeah, I heard the same "need work permit" argument 6+ yrs ago.

Like the hundreds of thousands of farang retirees who live here, aren't allowed to have a Thai bank acct without a work permit?

I don't think so...

There is a new short questionnaire that is required by some financial services companies here, that needs to be filled out by both existing acct holders and new acct applicants, that addresses the new anti-money laundering thing.

I was requested to complete the questionnaire by Maybank Kim Eng early this year (when I went to open my brokerage acct webpage- there it was!), filled it out and that was that.

Haven't heard anything yet from BBL or BAY.

I too, had to fill out the declaration that I had not been convicted in Thailand of money laundering over the last three years. Apparently (so I was told) they needed it to run a police check.

Yeah, I heard the same "need work permit" argument 6+ yrs ago.

Like the hundreds of thousands of farang retirees who live here, aren't allowed to have a Thai bank acct without a work permit?

I don't think so...

There is a new short questionnaire that is required by some financial services companies here, that needs to be filled out by both existing acct holders and new acct applicants, that addresses the new anti-money laundering thing.

I was requested to complete the questionnaire by Maybank Kim Eng early this year (when I went to open my brokerage acct webpage- there it was!), filled it out and that was that.

Haven't heard anything yet from BBL or BAY.

I too, had to fill out the declaration that I had not been convicted in Thailand of money laundering over the last three years. Apparently (so I was told) they needed it to run a police check.

At what bank?