Thai Bank Account

[punisher]

You are trying to open a Savings account and not a checking account? The latter will probably require a work permit but the former does not. As lop said try another branch.

Well,going to another branch,going to another city,this is all blablabla,the regulation issued by Bank of Thailand are saying clearly foreigner without workpermit cannot open any bankaccount in Thailand,sure some branches are foreigner friendly,but only because they hope the foreigner will deposit alot of money,anyways it against the law and not legal,if one day the bank will keep the money of the foreign customer,i assume there is no chance to see the money again,funny thing is even the immigration knows about that,but still try pressure foreigner who want to extend their visa without leaving Thailand to open a Bankaccount

[Noel]

You are trying to open a Savings account and not a checking account? The latter will probably require a work permit but the former does not. As lop said try another branch.

Well,going to another branch,going to another city,this is all blablabla,the regulation issued by Bank of Thailand are saying clearly foreigner without workpermit cannot open any bankaccount in Thailand,sure some branches are foreigner friendly,but only because they hope the foreigner will deposit alot of money,anyways it against the law and not legal,if one day the bank will keep the money of the foreign customer,i assume there is no chance to see the money again,funny thing is even the immigration knows about that,but still try pressure foreigner who want to extend their visa without leaving Thailand to open a Bankaccount

The Bank of Thailand Roles & Responsibilities include the statement:

"The BOT supervises, monitors and examines the operations of commercial banks."

Are you therefore implying that Thai banks under BOT supervision are flagrantly disregardng a regulation passed down by their overseers and the BOT are blissfully unaware?

[thatguy]

how can you have 400,000 or 800,000 B in the bank if you're not allowed to have an account?

if a WP is necessary, what about those who are retired?

conflicting rules abound everywhere, but this is nonsense.

i have 3 accounts with BKK bank. pattaya across from VC hotel, bangkok nana-nua near bumrungrad hospital, and a joint account in khon kaen.

the only trouble i've ever had, is internet banking could only be done under the wifes name.

we had to open a hotmail account and come back.

i rather doubt that the thai gov't is going to nationalise all "foreign accounts"

tg

[thohts]

I've been to 4 banks in the past 2 weeks to open an account. I have only a 30 day tourist stamp.

2 SCB locations said no.

1 SCB branch said yes. (This branch initially asked for a work permit but I said I don't work in Thailand. He gave me the application anyway.)

1 Krungsri branch said yes.

Just continue to try. Each branch acts independently.

Be sure to say that you want to open a SAVINGS account. (For some reason, most of them seem to assume you want to open a checking account)

It may also help to tell them your money comes from overseas.

[Maestro]

Well no workpermit,no bank account,rule by Bank of Thailand,

Would you be so kind as to post a link for this, please?

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Maestro

[Maestro]

the regulation issued by Bank of Thailand are saying clearly foreigner without workpermit cannot open any bankaccount in Thailand

You sound very sure about this. What is you source? Presumably, it would be a Ministerial Regulation published in the Government Gazette, or perhaps a Memorandum, unpublished, of the Bank of Thailand sent to the banks. Your posting a copy of it would be helpful.

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Maestro

[PattayaXpat]

I went to BangKok bank on second road and had no problems at all (Savings account with ATM) and I'm also on a 30 day visa. After checking their website I saw that they also have dollar accounts available and I went back the next day to open one. The initial person that I saw just gave me a blank look when I said "dollar account", but the bank manager new and set it up for me. This was a little uncommon so he had to have the account opened in BKK and I'm waiting for the info to arrive tomorrow.

[Maestro]

conflicting rules abound everywhere, but this is nonsense.

What rules are you talking about? The alleged rule of the Bank of Thailand mentioned by punisher, of which nobody has official confirmation?

Rules are one thing, hearsay, rumours and unfounded allegations are another.

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Maestro

[baboon]

A lady on my soi worked for Bank of Ayudaya. I asked if I could open an account there. "No problem, just give me a copy of your Passport and I will do the rest." Work Permit? "Youre married arent you? You dont need one."

"Why did other banks [in Chumphon] refuse me?"

"They couldnt be bothered."

[Maestro]

"Why did other banks [in Chumphon] refuse me?"

"They couldnt be bothered."

...which is what I have suspected all along.

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Maestro

[Krub]

No problems to open a savings account with ATM card and internet access on the spot at SCB bank in Uttaradit.

I have a 1 year non Im on basis of retirement.

Copy of passport and Thai driving license and a promise of a large deposit from abroad brought all smiles and a glass of ice tea !

Internet access works perfectly and I could see the credit of my transfer from Japan within 24 hours of sending it at a very good rate of exchange. There is however no details or breakdown of the transaction just a credit amount in Thai baht.

[snookium]

Yesterday(13/08/06) I went to Lad Prad Carrefour(BBK) to open a saving account at bangkok bank and was turn away because they do not deal with opening of new account. Feeling disappointed I went over to Robinson and saw UOB, thinking UOB was a Singapore owned bank so i try my luck thinking since i am a singaporean. Again I was rejected because they want a work permit which i dun have. Wat a bad day.

By the way thr the web site in Bangkok Bank they really said a work premit is definately needed.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Bangkok+Bank/Pe...ers/default.htm

Bangkok Bank

Anyway now already back in SINGAPORE, I will try my luck again next month. Any Bros can enlighten me which bank in BANGKOK require no Work Premit to open a saving account.

[Hans Lankari]

Just another update:

Yesterday a dear friend of mine went to BKK Bank of south-Pattaya.

He opened an account by showing his passport (with TR-visa) and giving them his address (just on paper, no rental contracts or such required). 300 baht for an ATM-card and he walks out happy with a shiny new bank account and the card.

Now, this raises a question in my mind: Why, oh WHY, you, who live within 100 km of south-Pattaya, even CONSIDER battelling with other banks? Just go to BKK Bank of south-Pattaya and open yourself an account.

No, I have nothing to do with this particular bank and as a matter of fact I am not even a client of them. Which I regret more and more every time I speak with my friends about their good experiences of BKK Bank confronted with my old and all-diffilcult Krung Thai.

[lopburi3]

A bank account should be in your local area or every ATM or other transaction will be subject to an extra charge. Although the charges are not that much they do eat up passbooks very quickly. And spending an hour or more in a Bangkok Bank queue to obtain a new book is not my idea for a fun day.

[Hans Lankari]

A bank account should be in your local area or every ATM or other transaction will be subject to an extra charge. Although the charges are not that much they do eat up passbooks very quickly. And spending an hour or more in a Bangkok Bank queue to obtain a new book is not my idea for a fun day.

Yes, you are somewhat right. Although my opinion is that it is better to sometimes travel a bit (since it definetely is not that often) and pay some small fees than NOT to have an account at all.

I repeat; on MY opinion and in MY situation.

And as I already said in my earlier posting; it would be of course of everyone's interest to have thai banks a bit on this century with their policies.

[oda561]

Savings Accounts.

Part of the requirment for my retirement visa was to have a savings account and as the immigration official said, you just need "little" money in it. So we went to TMB on 2nd rd, just down from the Marriott. Passport, address, signatures and we had our account.

Dick Cooper

[andy1308]

Everyone has their own experiences and comments - primarily because it seems that each bank and each branch operates by different rules.

I personally tried several branches of Bangkok Bank (including the head office) and was told no savings account without work permit. Once I got the work permit they were more than happy to help.

It just depends on who you deal with and how their day is going at the time.

Andy

[meloncoly]

out of interest (haha), what kind of interest rates do you get in Thai banks?

[Soju]

out of interest (haha), what kind of interest rates do you get in Thai banks?

Depends on the bank, how much money you have, and if you have a term deposit account or other account. I'm getting something like 4.3%. With more money and a longer term I could get as high as 4.9%

[meloncoly]

also, if you went into a Thai bank with a foreign currency, I assume this would be ok to them, and they'd just do the conversion there and then? Or do you think they'd need it in baht?

[Maestro]

if you went into a Thai bank with a foreign currency, I assume this would be ok to them, and they'd just do the conversion there and then?

Yes, for bank notes of many, but not all, foreign currencies.

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Maestro

[Noel]

out of interest (haha), what kind of interest rates do you get in Thai banks?

Click on: Bank of Thailand Interest Rates

[Losangels]

if you went into a Thai bank with a foreign currency, I assume this would be ok to them, and they'd just do the conversion there and then?

Yes, for bank notes of many, but not all, foreign currencies.

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Maestro

Beware that they will not accept the old US$100 bank note. If I can remember correctly the new US$100 note came into circulation around year 1995

[lung]

ok....

today i got some "western union" .i go to the bank... (ayudhya)

we beginn talking...

i ask .. can i have a account ? because my krungthaibank (buuh) don't have "western u.."

little bit BAK-WAAN and i show my fresh tr-visa and...

do you want atm (150baht) or visaelecton ?(220baht)

o.k. ... i take the 2.one

hmm... and a free ambera

how much you want put in ?

500baht

you ever know

ok... thanks and khop khun maak

(and g/f mai lu)

i like tuesday

Edited August 22, 2006 by lung

[Amethyst]

ive got 4 Saving Bank Accounts from a Thai Bank with no problems