Opening A Bank Account In Phuket On Tourist Visa

[LivinginKata]

Quite honestly opening a Thai bank account has always been hit or miss depending on how that branch manager interpretes the rules, and how hungry he is for new business. Recently I supplied a couple of my guests with the appropriate paperwork but they were flatly told a Work permit is required - Kasikorn and SCB. I advised them to try other branches - still waiting for them to report back.

Update - just talked to one of the guys today. With a bit of fast talking and a rental contract he managed to open a bank account with a tourist visa. Bangkok Bank at the Lotus mini mall to the south of Chalong Circle. Kasikorn and SCS branches at this mall would not sign him up. He was well please he managed to open a Thai bank account.

[NamKangMan]

Quite honestly opening a Thai bank account has always been hit or miss depending on how that branch manager interpretes the rules, and how hungry he is for new business. Recently I supplied a couple of my guests with the appropriate paperwork but they were flatly told a Work permit is required - Kasikorn and SCB. I advised them to try other branches - still waiting for them to report back.

Update - just talked to one of the guys today. With a bit of fast talking and a rental contract he managed to open a bank account with a tourist visa. Bangkok Bank at the Lotus mini mall to the south of Chalong Circle. Kasikorn and SCS branches at this mall would not sign him up. He was well please he managed to open a Thai bank account.

Do you know if this requirement for a WP only on Phuket, or Thailand wide?

Edited October 21, 2013 by NamKangMan

[Archie Pelago]

Very much a hit and miss affair, but it can be done.

I opened a bank account with Kasikorn in Phuket several months ago with a tourist visa. Was knocked back by the branch inside the main Tesco Lotus centre on the bypass road.

Went into Phuket Town instead to the branch near Robinsons and they opened an account for me.

I also have another Kasikorn account opened in Bangkok last year (Sukhumvit Soi 6 sub-branch) with a tourist visa - a friend came with me as a referral.

In both cases I asked for a senior staff member (and ended up talking to the branch manager in Bangkok). I explained that I actually work in a neighbouring country to Thailand but spend most of the time away from work in Bangkok and Phuket.

Kasikorn has turned out to be an excellent choice - their product is good, and I can use the debit card in EFTPOS machines throughout Thailand and overseas for visa POS transactions.

For online credit card needs (such as booking hotels and airline tickets) - I use the K-web Shopping card which is a virtual visa card.

[Tapster]

@ Archie............

Thanks, I have a friend in Phuket who will vouch for me, so maybe I'll be lucky!

Is the branch you mention (near Robinsons) this one:

KASIKORN BANK CENTRAL FESTIVAL PHUKET BRANCH

Address

ROOM NO.TC-026 2ND FLOOR CENTRAL FESTIVAL SHOPPING CENTER BUILDING 74-75 MOO5 WICHIT MUANG PHUKET PHUKET 83000

........if not, can you give me any address details, please?

[Archie Pelago]

Hullo Tapster

Not the Central Festival Branch.

It was the Tilok Centre branch - one street North of Robinsons on Chanacharoen Road, right in Phuket Town.

Link for map here: http://kmap.kasikornbank.com/emap2/?hl=en&img=kb&mapid=bnk399

If you use the Services link on Kasikorn's website - http://www.kasikornbank.com/EN/ServicesChannel/SearchServiceChannel/Pages/ServiceChannelsSearch.aspx

Check "Branches" and then select Phuket for the province and Mueang Phuket for the district.

Hope this helps, again no guarantees but its worth shopping around. Have a good story about why you need one on a tourist visa in case they query it. And probably best not to walk in in thongs/flipflops and singlet, they do react better when you're reasonably dressed from what I have seen

Finally - try and get the plain Kasikorn ATM card. They seem to have run out both times I opened accounts. I am now the proud owner of both Hello Kitty and Doraemon debit cards...!

[Tapster]

Thank you very much, Archie, I'll definitely check it out.

By the way, I met your friend, Penelope Insula, the other day!!

:0)

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Archie Pelago]

By the way, I met your friend, Penelope Insula, the other day!!

:0)

Thanks, just made my day.

[Tapster]

@ Archie.....

So, we had our fact-finding week in Phuket (arrived back in Joburg 7am this morning) and made our decision. We're moving to Phuket in 2014. Yay!

Thanks very much for the advice on Kasikorn bank in the Tilok centre.

Success!

I walked in there in long trousers and my least bright Hawaiian shirt, armed only with my passport, stamped with a tourist visa.

I opened a savings account which cost nothing and I paid 800 Baht for a Visa debit card to go with the account.

I used the address of our rented villa as my address in Thailand and I specified that I wanted all communications in email, so I don't think any post will be sent there. I was not asked for a yellow book or blue book or any other paperwork to show proof of residence.

The bank lady took me to the ATM where I chose a PIN for the card and the day after, I received a password by email to register for internet banking. I logged into the system with my account number as username and with their password and was then asked to create my own username and password for future access to the site.

In short: there was no problem opening a savings account on a tourist visa.

I now have somewhere in Thailand where I can put money before I move there.

Many thanks!!

[Simon1985]

@ Archie.....

So, we had our fact-finding week in Phuket (arrived back in Joburg 7am this morning) and made our decision. We're moving to Phuket in 2014. Yay!

Thanks very much for the advice on Kasikorn bank in the Tilok centre.

Success!

I walked in there in long trousers and my least bright Hawaiian shirt, armed only with my passport, stamped with a tourist visa.

I opened a savings account which cost nothing and I paid 800 Baht for a Visa debit card to go with the account.

I used the address of our rented villa as my address in Thailand and I specified that I wanted all communications in email, so I don't think any post will be sent there. I was not asked for a yellow book or blue book or any other paperwork to show proof of residence.

The bank lady took me to the ATM where I chose a PIN for the card and the day after, I received a password by email to register for internet banking. I logged into the system with my account number as username and with their password and was then asked to create my own username and password for future access to the site.

In short: there was no problem opening a savings account on a tourist visa.

I now have somewhere in Thailand where I can put money before I move there.

Many thanks!!

Same experience for me when I went to the Kasikorn Bank. The staff were very helpful. When you think about it. They would be a bit stupid not to take 800 Bhat for a ATM card and deposits that they hardly pay any interest on .