Bank Of Thailand

[ajahnlau]

A friend opened an account yesterday at Siam Commercial He's on a 30 tourist visa and only deposited 1,000bht.

[desmond]

A friend opened an account yesterday at Siam Commercial He's on a 30 tourist visa and only deposited 1,000bht.

This is what I like about Thailand. You can get things done one way or the other. Unlike other countries, there is always a way out here.

[Maestro]

So I am not sure actually if a WP is really needed or not.

It depends on the type of account you want to open. Stricter requirements for current account, cheque books, online banking facilities. No problem to open a savings account without work permit, without non-O visa, according to everything being posted here.

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Maestro

[Krub]

Hi,

Anybody managed to get internet banking with bangkok Bank without a WP ? Which branch ?

Any other Banks giving internet banking without WP ?

I am still trying to persuade my Bangkok Bank Branch to give me access......(I do not have a WP but one year extensions on a Non-I O for retirement)

Thanks

[Noel]

Hi,

Anybody managed to get internet banking with bangkok Bank without a WP ? Which branch ?

Any other Banks giving internet banking without WP ?

I am still trying to persuade my Bangkok Bank Branch to give me access......(I do not have a WP but one year extensions on a Non-I O for retirement)

Thanks

Yes, I did so a year ago at their satellite branch in Big C South Pattaya.

At first they refused and said I must have a work permit. I then showed them my Non-Immigrant 'O' visa extended on the grounds of retirement. I went on to explain that I was therefore prohibited from working, so obviously could not have a work permit.

In the end I had to speak with the manager, who called his Head Office and then handled everything himself, setting me up on Bualuang iBanking.

I went armed with a completed form that I had downloaded from their website, but apparently it was the 'wrong one', despite it being the only one there.

About a week later I received the log in details etc by post.

I now pay most of my local bills on-line through that account and the system works well.

Edit: Forgot to mention: I also have on-line banking with Siam Commercial, Jomtien Branch.

Edited February 12, 2006 by Noel

[britainmal]

There is no law like that. You can open a bank account on a tourist visa, but it depends on the banks. Racist and Ignorant ones versus the open-minded ones.

[Maestro]

There is no law like that. You can open a bank account on a tourist visa, but it depends on the banks. Racist and Ignorant ones versus the open-minded ones.

You are too harsh on the poor bank tellers. Racist, they are certainly not. Misinformed, rather than ignorant. If a bank teller informs you that he cannot open a savings account for you on a tourist visa or 30-day stamp on arrival he does so because he was told so.

The polite way to handle such situation is to assure the teller that you would not want him to do anything that is illegal or contrary to government regulations and would he please be so kind as to give you a copy of that Bank of Thailand regulation. That will cause the teller to ask his superior and then come back to tell you that there was a misunderstanding, no problem to open an account for you. Face saved all around.

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Maestro

[britainmal]

No, you are wrong. It has nothing to do with the Bank Tellers. It has to do with the management. Since there is no racial discrimination law they can accept or refuse foreigners. They can legally discriminate against any foreigner by giving them a low rate of interest or no interet at all or not allowing them to open an account at their bank. It is up to the management.

[Krub]

Hi,

Anybody managed to get internet banking with bangkok Bank without a WP ? Which branch ?

Any other Banks giving internet banking without WP ?

I am still trying to persuade my Bangkok Bank Branch to give me access......(I do not have a WP but one year extensions on a Non-I O for retirement)

Thanks

Yes, I did so a year ago at their satellite branch in Big C South Pattaya.

At first they refused and said I must have a work permit. I then showed them my Non-Immigrant 'O' visa extended on the grounds of retirement. I went on to explain that I was therefore prohibited from working, so obviously could not have a work permit.

In the end I had to speak with the manager, who called his Head Office and then handled everything himself, setting me up on Bualuang iBanking.

I went armed with a completed form that I had downloaded from their website, but apparently it was the 'wrong one', despite it being the only one there.

About a week later I received the log in details etc by post.

I now pay most of my local bills on-line through that account and the system works well.

Edit: Forgot to mention: I also have on-line banking with Siam Commercial, Jomtien Branch.

Hi

Thanks. It makes my 'job' easier to play the game with my Branch Manager as I know it is done.

Will take some time but hope it works eventually because i do not have a lot of choice of Banks let alone branches in Uttaradit....

[Maestro]

No, you are wrong. It has nothing to do with the Bank Tellers. It has to do with the management. Since there is no racial discrimination law they can accept or refuse foreigners. They can legally discriminate against any foreigner by giving them a low rate of interest or no interet at all or not allowing them to open an account at their bank. It is up to the management.

It is a matter of how paranoid one is. I had a bank in my home country refuse to open an account for me, so I walked across the street and opened my account at another bank and the whole time I never felt racially or otherwise discriminated.

Go ahead then, call it racial discrimination or anything else you like if it makes you feel better. That’s the only thing that really matters, that you should feel good.

Have a nice day!

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Maestro

[sierra01]

Just shop around people, plenty of banks, plenty of branches. One of them will give you a savings account and internet banking.

Why does anyone want a cheque account anyway? This is a cash country, for business use ok but Joe public doesn't needs it here. Remember, this isn't the west.