I Need a Bank Account in or near Amnat Charoen

[allane]

- I am on a Retirement Visa, using the B 800,000 money in the bank method. I have been doing this for a few years now.

- I am contemplating moving to a location within the Amnat Charoen Immigration District

- Today. I went into a local branch of a bank I have dealt with for 16 yrs. (I am a "long-timer"; having lived continuously in Thailand for longer than that.)

The bank in question said that they would not open a new acct. for me as I don't have a Work Permit, and don't own the property where I plan to reside.

Neither of these conditions is likely to change in the foreseeable future.

This will force me to continue to use my account(s) in Bangkok, while residing in mid-Isaan, and dealing with the Immigration office in Amnat Charoen. It

isn't an issue at present, as I have just renewed my one year visa. But I can foresee trouble a year from now, given the long distance between Amnat Charoen

and Bangkok.

- So, does anyone have a recommendation for a bank in or near Amnat Charoen which would likely be friendly to someone in my position ? If you have the name of a

particular indididual, so much the better. I speak Thai well enough to speak with almost anyone; there is no requirement that the person speak English.

[lopburi3]

You were asking about a passbook savings account and they would not open because you do not own your home? That makes no sense at all. Even the work permit spell is not valid for anything but saving them the time. But if you were asking your bank to open an account at another branch it starts to make sense - you go to the new branch and open account - then close Bangkok account and deposit money there. I suspect same parent bank will be happy to get your account and if not use another. Each branch of bank here is independently run so they are not helpful for transfers or moving to another branch.

[ubonjoe]

Are you married to a Thai?

If yes she should be able to act as your guarantor to open an account.

It seems you got somebody at the bank that didn't want to be helpful at all.

Having an account at the same bank already should of made it easy.

Edited September 17, 2013 by ubonjoe

[allane]

My "significant other" is non-Thai.

[ubonjoe]

OK just asking to help.

Suggest you try Bangkok bank. At least they have info on opening an account on website.

Click on documents required here: http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/SpecialServices/ForeignCustomers/Pages/Openinganaccountnew.aspx

Edited September 18, 2013 by ubonjoe

[gvherk]

Hello,

I stay near Phon Thong, 45 near Roi Et and have to do my 90 days report in Amnat Charoen.

Last time 1 august I have to go for new 1 year retire visa to Amnat Immigration.

They asked a letter from bank for confirmation of 800.000 Bath at my account.

I went to the Kasikorn Bank in Amnat. They were very friendly and helped me with the letter. I have a bankaccount in Roi Et at Kasikorn bank.

I think in Amnat no problem to open.

Greetings Geert

[axel2001]

Just say you are going to deposit 10 million baht and they will more than happy to open account for you.

[Figglymiggly]

Hi all, an urgent question on banking for all you more knowledgeable people out there. Im an Irish national live in Thailand on a Non O visa, i'll be travelling to Turkey in a couple of days to conclude a deal for my house there and i've asked that the proceeds are paid to me in British Pounds. Now im sure i could open a Stg account in Turkey and deposit it there, but living in Thailand thats of little use in terms of access etc, i'd prefer not to get involved in transferring occasional amounts from a Stg acc in a Turkish bank to an acc here in Bangkok bank, given the fee's both ways, exchange rates etc. I'd probably lose too much that way. So finally heres the question, if i take a cheque from a Turkish bank back to Bkk with me (around 110K sterling), can i lodge that in a british pound acc which i would open at that stage. Will Bangkok bank accept the cheque, how long would it take to clear and what kind of fee's would they charge? If sometime in the future i wanted to repatriate that same amount back home in Stg, can i do so again and what fee's apply. Sorry for the long-winded post, im not that familiar with banking procedure here. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Malthus101]

Bangkok Bank will let a tourist open an account.

They'll also give you an FCD account to move your US or UK money over and leave it in that currency to be exchanged when you need it. No charge.

[tragickingdom]

Try a bigger branch of Kasikorn. I have hear bad stories about BBL lately when it comes to new bank accounts. A Chinese friend of mine opened a bank account last week on a passport without any stamps in it. She holds two passports and the other was in a Western Embassy for visa purposes. No problem at all. She has no work permit and no property.

What I do not understand though is that you seem to have used the same method before. Why closing your old bank account instead of keeping it alive by making a small withdrawal and deposit now and than?

[Figglymiggly]

Bangkok Bank will let a tourist open an account.

They'll also give you an FCD account to move your US or UK money over and leave it in that currency to be exchanged when you need it. No charge.

Thanks for the reply Malthus101, just to clarify and forgive the ignorance, on my return to Bkk will they accept the funds by way of cheque which i would be carrying with me, as distinct from transferring the funds electronically, and approx how long would clearance take? Also, would a cheque (not cash) for the amount of 110K sterling, need to be declared at customs on my return?

[marell]

I would identify a branch of your current bank in the vicinity of Amnat Charoen. Then visit that bank branch and request they open an account for you and hopefully assist in transfer of your funds from the Bangkok branch. So it would be a branch to branch transfer. The new branch may be more cooperative and helpful in gaining a customer than your old branch is in losing one. But I believe it's important to open the new account before withdrawing funds from or closing out the old one.

Edited September 18, 2013 by marell

[YeaBiGgiEs]

Let me say this... We are all intelligent people with different reasons for being in Thailand instead of our home countries. Through life we've learned to do things a certain way to lessen our risks and increase our success in getting what we want. Research, due diligence or posting on a public blog as this OP has done are just some of those things.

I have read every single response here along with many past blogs on banks in Thailand and their replies. It seems that everyone has had a different experiences, with similar intentions and circumstances at just about all Thailand banks. There is no rhyme, reason or rule or method to follow that will work for everyone and the only thing that is consistent is the fact that there is no consistency with getting a Thai bank account or anything else in the world for that matter. What works for one person, won't necessarily work for another.

Now with regard to Thaivisa rules and mentioning/supporting any illegal acts, let me remove any illegal acts to ascertain a bank account from the table. That doesn't exclude what may have worked for you or anything else in your life; how you dress to impress, primp your hair, tight shorts/loose blouse, bare your cleavage, engage/relate to the person you want something from, manipulation, finesse, tact, professionalism, political associations, taking advantage of a persons lack of knowledge/stupidity, playing the odds to your favor, distraction, name dropping...the list goes on.

My experience was as follows: I searched the internet, read blogs, took the most credible and popular suggestion/advice/vote and went to the specific bank/branch mentioned. I had a US passport, 30day VOA and name/address of some dump I was staying at along with a strapped pack of 1000b bill (100,000b). Shorts/t-shirt/sandals I entered the branch, said "open account,yes, yes, yes" to the queue ticket person, sat at desk, as he thumbed through my passport it was then I made a comment/remark/compliment whilst setting my deposit on his desk. I left 45min later with a savings account w visa/debit card and online banking. With online banking, I was able to get a virtual card for internet shopping that acts in my experience as a debit card with a limit that I can set to anything I wanted and left the bank accomplishing what I set out to do, end of story.

I've learned in my life to do what I have to do to get what I want and that honesty is not necessarily the best policy in todays world and never to volunteer unnecessary information that can be used against you. Do it legally and don't hurt anybody and you'll be fine and be able to sleep at night. In this case baring my cleavage probably wound not have worked but then again TiT (This is Thailand) maybe it would have man to man.

[umbanda]

By my own experience, every bank branch, every bank name, every immigration office, every police station, every school, every province, every town, and every people working in those places have different attitude and rules to follow...and principally...a lot of common sense or nothing at all ....It is upsetting, but needs to keep trying until find the right one for every particular situation.....

[lopburi3]

Flame/moderation post removed.

[allane]

I was in Amnat Charoen yesterday. The Bangkok Bank gave the same reasons I described in my OP. On the other hand, Kasikorn Bank seem to want my patronage, and now they have it.