Opening a bank account, this just gets more bizarre.

[tropo]

Perhaps a bit far for people who live in Pattaya though.

LOL. I don't know if you're serious about that last comment or not. Once a bank account has been opened and internet banking is set up there's hardly any reason to return to home branch. I've hardly been into the bank there in the 4 years I've had the account.

I was serious. Jomtien is a fair way to go if you live in Pattaya, especially if you have no other reason to go there.

If you live on the South side of Pattaya, Jomtien is convenient. Certainly more convenient than going to Central. I suppose if you must drive cars around town you have to consider parking - a problem I've never had to deal with.

[balo]

If IrishBosco could just show a rental contract as proof of address or just go to his embassy to get it , he would have no problems with Kasikorn .

The excuse with a work permit is just because the staff in some sub branches do not want to assist foreigners.

[tropo]

OK, so you have a lot of money invested in Thailand. Fair enough. I understand that. Silly not taking into consideration rich foreigners.

I never have more than about 100K here and only need one bank for day to day spending. Kasikorn does a good job.

I dont think that I have "a lot" of money invested in Thailand. If I only had 100K on hand here I would be a little bit concerned in case I fell ill and had some big bills to pay.

What I do have I prefer to place where it earns me the best return, and you cant get that from one instant access account.

I have several foreign credit cards in the case of emergency so I don't stress aboout that.

How much interest are you getting here, because from what I see the rates are so low you'd need megabucks to be making anything worth counting?

The problem I have with the Kasikorn Bank is they won't allow me to send money out of Thailand unless I have a work permit. I found that out when I tried to organise an offshore transfer on Internet banking. They required quite a bit of paperwork.

Transfer funds out of Thailand are eligible to the foreigners at the bank branches. The bank will ask you to submit the documents shown the "source of funds", if the funds remit more than US$49,999 or its equivalent. If less than that, you can only specify the source of funds other the bank.

If you are working and earning an income in Thailand and can provide the bank with your employment pass or work permit or employ letter, you can apply for an International Funds Transferred via the internet banking service at Bangkok bank.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/OnlineBanking/PersonalBanking/iBanking/BualuangiBanking/services/pages/ift.aspx

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It's still a big nuisance if you want to make smaller wire transfers via Internet banking. They're making it impossible to do this... therefore I chose not to have anything more on my account other than funds to cover living costs.

Edited February 28, 2014 by tropo

[OMGImInPattaya]

OK, so this thread is about opening a bank account, here is my experience from today.

Firstly I will point out that I did not want a Thai national to be guarantor on my account. This is important as it totally change the playing field. Secondly I have no Thai paperwork in my passport in terms of visas although I do have many many entry stamps in my passport (not that this is relevant). For today's bank account opening I had no visa but an entry stamp on a fresh page from last night. I dressed to impress, trousers, shirt and shiny shoes. In my possession I had only passport, Irish driving licence, Thai phone number and a somewhat loose Thai address on a piece of paper.

Kaisikorn: This was my preferred option. I went to the sub branch on Soi 11 and was told quickly that head office only allow them to open accounts for foreigners holding a work permit, not even a student visa would appease them. I also tried the more main branch on Sukhumvit around Soi 15. The girl on the ticket machine there tried hard to block my entry as I had no work permit. I asked to be allowed to upstairs anyway. The rep I spoke to there had excellent English but would not open the account on the grounds that instead of a work permit I needed proof of a rental agreement or lease in Thailand. On the way out the manager was standing outside his office. I asked him for two minutes and he agreed. I explained that I really wanted a K account and that the company I worked for abroad banked with the. He was decent but held the line about the proof of address.

SCB Bank: Branch on Soi 11.No work permit, goodbye.

Bangkok Bank: As per their website, on the basis of having the second ID in the form of a driving licence, the branch on Soi 11 opened a savings account for me!!! It comes with a Be1st visa debit card immediately and a pass book. It also takes in transfers from abroad up to any value.

However there are two major drawbacks to this account. As they registered me as a Tourist on their system they do not allow me to have internet banking on this account. I was quite shocked by this but vowed to sort it out later. They also limit withdrawals to 50,000THB per day whether by ATM, purchases or in branch. I phoned their call centre later who confirmed that there was no possibility of getting internet banking unless I visited a branch once I had a visa of more than 3 months in length.

Other banks: I visited a number of other sub branches of different banks and one main bank (think it was TMB) on the travels but got negative responses all around.

All in all quite a failure. At least an account of sorts is possible but without the internet banking it is, for me at least, essentially useless as I will never use it.

Funny, I've had the ladies at my Kasikorn branch calling me the past few days trying to get me to open more accounts or put money in their time deposits...but I have this thing in my passport called a visa. Same with SCB and BAY...so maybe you should get your own situation sorted rather than blaming the banks for not giving you access to their banking services.

[KittenKong]

Funny, I've had the ladies at my Kasikorn branch calling me the past few days trying to get me to open more accounts or put money in their time deposits...but I have this thing in my passport called a visa.

Maybe K-Bank should put their rates up instead of wasting money on cold calling?

My K-Bank TD expired last week and the best they could offer me for my 801K was about 2.6% That's a whole 1% less than they gave me on the previous one. So I just took my envelope full of cash next door and gave it to TMB, who do 3% with the interest paid up-front.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Funny, I've had the ladies at my Kasikorn branch calling me the past few days trying to get me to open more accounts or put money in their time deposits...but I have this thing in my passport called a visa.

Maybe K-Bank should put their rates up instead of wasting money on cold calling?

My K-Bank TD expired last week and the best they could offer me for my 801K was about 2.6% That's a whole 1% less than they gave me on the previous one. So I just took my envelope full of cash next door and gave it to TMB, who do 3% with the interest paid up-front.

They offered me 3% for a deposit of 5M. They could see from my accounts that I easily had that much lying around in lower interest accounts. Didn't get all the details as I'm busy but might check it out later. Also tried to sign me up for a 1M baht credit limit Wisdom Visa card. Edited March 1, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[giddyup]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

OK, so this thread is about opening a bank account, here is my experience from today.

Firstly I will point out that I did not want a Thai national to be guarantor on my account. This is important as it totally change the playing field. Secondly I have no Thai paperwork in my passport in terms of visas although I do have many many entry stamps in my passport (not that this is relevant). For today's bank account opening I had no visa but an entry stamp on a fresh page from last night. I dressed to impress, trousers, shirt and shiny shoes. In my possession I had only passport, Irish driving licence, Thai phone number and a somewhat loose Thai address on a piece of paper.

Kaisikorn: This was my preferred option. I went to the sub branch on Soi 11 and was told quickly that head office only allow them to open accounts for foreigners holding a work permit, not even a student visa would appease them. I also tried the more main branch on Sukhumvit around Soi 15. The girl on the ticket machine there tried hard to block my entry as I had no work permit. I asked to be allowed to upstairs anyway. The rep I spoke to there had excellent English but would not open the account on the grounds that instead of a work permit I needed proof of a rental agreement or lease in Thailand. On the way out the manager was standing outside his office. I asked him for two minutes and he agreed. I explained that I really wanted a K account and that the company I worked for abroad banked with the. He was decent but held the line about the proof of address.

SCB Bank: Branch on Soi 11.No work permit, goodbye.

Bangkok Bank: As per their website, on the basis of having the second ID in the form of a driving licence, the branch on Soi 11 opened a savings account for me!!! It comes with a Be1st visa debit card immediately and a pass book. It also takes in transfers from abroad up to any value.
However there are two major drawbacks to this account. As they registered me as a Tourist on their system they do not allow me to have internet banking on this account. I was quite shocked by this but vowed to sort it out later. They also limit withdrawals to 50,000THB per day whether by ATM, purchases or in branch. I phoned their call centre later who confirmed that there was no possibility of getting internet banking unless I visited a branch once I had a visa of more than 3 months in length.

Other banks: I visited a number of other sub branches of different banks and one main bank (think it was TMB) on the travels but got negative responses all around.

All in all quite a failure. At least an account of sorts is possible but without the internet banking it is, for me at least, essentially useless as I will never use it.

Funny, I've had the ladies at my Kasikorn branch calling me the past few days trying to get me to open more accounts or put money in their time deposits...but I have this thing in my passport called a visa. Same with SCB and BAY...so maybe you should get your own situation sorted rather than blaming the banks for not giving you access to their banking services.

Tell me what you mean by "get your own situation sorted". My friend applied for a savings account with several different banks and was knocked back by all of them. He had his passport, retirement visa stamp, letter of residency from Immigration and still they knocked him back. He eventually got an account with Kasikorn bank, Big C Extra branch. It seems that the people who manage to open an account with no fuss think that those who had problems must be dummies.

[OMGImInPattaya]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

OK, so this thread is about opening a bank account, here is my experience from today.

Firstly I will point out that I did not want a Thai national to be guarantor on my account. This is important as it totally change the playing field. Secondly I have no Thai paperwork in my passport in terms of visas although I do have many many entry stamps in my passport (not that this is relevant). For today's bank account opening I had no visa but an entry stamp on a fresh page from last night. I dressed to impress, trousers, shirt and shiny shoes. In my possession I had only passport, Irish driving licence, Thai phone number and a somewhat loose Thai address on a piece of paper.

Kaisikorn: This was my preferred option. I went to the sub branch on Soi 11 and was told quickly that head office only allow them to open accounts for foreigners holding a work permit, not even a student visa would appease them. I also tried the more main branch on Sukhumvit around Soi 15. The girl on the ticket machine there tried hard to block my entry as I had no work permit. I asked to be allowed to upstairs anyway. The rep I spoke to there had excellent English but would not open the account on the grounds that instead of a work permit I needed proof of a rental agreement or lease in Thailand. On the way out the manager was standing outside his office. I asked him for two minutes and he agreed. I explained that I really wanted a K account and that the company I worked for abroad banked with the. He was decent but held the line about the proof of address.

SCB Bank: Branch on Soi 11.No work permit, goodbye.

Bangkok Bank: As per their website, on the basis of having the second ID in the form of a driving licence, the branch on Soi 11 opened a savings account for me!!! It comes with a Be1st visa debit card immediately and a pass book. It also takes in transfers from abroad up to any value.

However there are two major drawbacks to this account. As they registered me as a Tourist on their system they do not allow me to have internet banking on this account. I was quite shocked by this but vowed to sort it out later. They also limit withdrawals to 50,000THB per day whether by ATM, purchases or in branch. I phoned their call centre later who confirmed that there was no possibility of getting internet banking unless I visited a branch once I had a visa of more than 3 months in length.

Other banks: I visited a number of other sub branches of different banks and one main bank (think it was TMB) on the travels but got negative responses all around.

All in all quite a failure. At least an account of sorts is possible but without the internet banking it is, for me at least, essentially useless as I will never use it.

Funny, I've had the ladies at my Kasikorn branch calling me the past few days trying to get me to open more accounts or put money in their time deposits...but I have this thing in my passport called a visa. Same with SCB and BAY...so maybe you should get your own situation sorted rather than blaming the banks for not giving you access to their banking services.

Tell me what you mean by "get your own situation sorted". My friend applied for a savings account with several different banks and was knocked back by all of them. He had his passport, retirement visa stamp, letter of residency from Immigration and still they knocked him back. He eventually got an account with Kasikorn bank, Big C Extra branch. It seems that the people who manage to open an account with no fuss think that those who had problems must be dummies.

Well of course I was replying to a specific poster who was going around trying to open a bank account with only a 30-day entry stamp and then complaining how difficult it was. I was not commenting on your friends situation, however reports are that some banks/branches are farang friendly and others aren't. One just has to shop around, even when ones residence in thailand is "sorted." In the end, like your friend, one will find a bank willing to take one's money. Edited March 1, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[IrishBosco]

i do not understand the problem.

I opened a B/A with the Bangkok bank many years ago with a tourist visa!

Over the years BB has provided me with a very good service which now includes internet banking and a means of moving money from the UK to Thailand economically and within 24 hours.

I think the point is that things have changed since 'many years ago'.

[IrishBosco]

If IrishBosco could just show a rental contract as proof of address or just go to his embassy to get it , he would have no problems with Kasikorn .

The excuse with a work permit is just because the staff in some sub branches do not want to assist foreigners.

Agreed but I don't live in the country and have no intention of living here so a rental contract is unlikely. I do live 1km from Thailand though for ten days each month so I am not a complete outsider

[CharlesHH]

Pardon but I do not know how to start a new or newish thread .... so..............

Question... For American citizen full time living in Thailand, does a saving account in Bangkok Bank eliminate that person from filing a FATCA......... because Bangkok Bank has a real office in New York City.

FATCA regulations say that such a person having an account in a bank with a branch in Thailand or a Thailand bank with a branch in USA do not have to file the FATCA paperwork.

So, does Bangkok Bank satisfy this requirement??

Financial account held at a U.S. branch of a foreign financial institution or reverse?

[partington]

Pardon but I do not know how to start a new or newish thread .... so..............

Question... For American citizen full time living in Thailand, does a saving account in Bangkok Bank eliminate that person from filing a FATCA......... because Bangkok Bank has a real office in New York City.

FATCA regulations say that such a person having an account in a bank with a branch in Thailand or a Thailand bank with a branch in USA do not have to file the FATCA paperwork.

So, does Bangkok Bank satisfy this requirement??

Financial account held at a U.S. branch of a foreign financial institution or reverse?

You still have to file FATCA.

The Bangkok Bank branch in New York is not a retail bank - it has no personal customer accounts, and therefore you cannot have an account with it.

A branch in a country means a retail branch that can hold personal customers' accounts.

[Tomtomtom69]

The foreigners can open a resident Thai Baht account or a Non-Resident Foreign Currency account to receive the money transfers from overseas without having a work-permit at the Bangkok Bank anywhere in Thailand. I mainly go to the bank branches where they are more familiar to the foreigners.

You need to bring along your passport with validity visa-stamp entry Thailand + the another official documents from your country such as your ID Card or Driving License.

You need to be able to provide the bank with your address in Thailand. It can be your rental property or your friend address in Thailand. The bank do not accept the hotel addresses or P.O.Box.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/SpecialServices/ForeignCustomers/Pages/Openinganaccountnew.aspx

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That's exactly what my dad did and brought along these documents this morning at the main Bangkok Bank branch on Silom Road. He had with him 1) passport with 30-day entry stamp and 2) driver's license from home country and 3) Thai address

Nothing else was required even though we expected the possibility of requiring a confirmation of address in the form of a statutory declaration from the Australian Embassy, like they require for buying/selling vehicles, or driver licence applications/renewals, but this was not asked for. Even if it were, the Australian Embassy is just over a km away.

Apparently the clerk told my dad that all Bangkok Bank branches operate in the same way with the same documentary requiremnets, but I specifically told him to go to the main branch as I remember opening my account there a few years ago with just a passport and I didn't want him to be given the run around in case smaller branches (particularly the ones inside shopping malls) suddenly want all sorts of documents. My account has since been upgraded with internet banking access due to working here, but is otherwise the same as his account.

[jackvale]

The foreigners can open a resident Thai Baht account or a Non-Resident Foreign Currency account to receive the money transfers from overseas without having a work-permit at the Bangkok Bank anywhere in Thailand. I mainly go to the bank branches where they are more familiar to the foreigners.

You need to bring along your passport with validity visa-stamp entry Thailand + the another official documents from your country such as your ID Card or Driving License.

You need to be able to provide the bank with your address in Thailand. It can be your rental property or your friend address in Thailand. The bank do not accept the hotel addresses or P.O.Box.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/SpecialServices/ForeignCustomers/Pages/Openinganaccountnew.aspx

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That's exactly what my dad did and brought along these documents this morning at the main Bangkok Bank branch on Silom Road. He had with him 1) passport with 30-day entry stamp and 2) driver's license from home country and 3) Thai address

Nothing else was required even though we expected the possibility of requiring a confirmation of address in the form of a statutory declaration from the Australian Embassy, like they require for buying/selling vehicles, or driver licence applications/renewals, but this was not asked for. Even if it were, the Australian Embassy is just over a km away.

Apparently the clerk told my dad that all Bangkok Bank branches operate in the same way with the same documentary requiremnets, but I specifically told him to go to the main branch as I remember opening my account there a few years ago with just a passport and I didn't want him to be given the run around in case smaller branches (particularly the ones inside shopping malls) suddenly want all sorts of documents. My account has since been upgraded with internet banking access due to working here, but is otherwise the same as his account.

I just opened a Bkk bank account on 2nd road/soi 6 last Monday. Today, Monday, my new ATM card was ready and I was able to get internet banking and a verified by visa shopping card. I needed passport, residence certificate, 500 baht to open the account + 300 baht baht for the ATM card.

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[Farang two dot zero]

I just opened a Bkk bank account on 2nd road/soi 6 last Monday. Today, Monday, my new ATM card was ready and I was able to get internet banking and a verified by visa shopping card. I needed passport, residence certificate, 500 baht to open the account + 300 baht baht for the ATM card.

True, same for me

[jaywalker]

"(he has a Maltese passport) stating that he's not a terrorist! Can Thailand get any crazier?"

I have a Maltese dog & she's definitely a terrorist!

[DisparateDan]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, but are you Maltese? Just curious

No, I'm not, and he was born in Australia by Maltese parents.

Explains everything