Bank account .... Visa ... Is this a 'Catch 22'?

[RoboLB]

Hi,

Hopefully I have misunderstood something.........

Short version of story. I have a Thai wife. We live in Sydney. We have a Condo in Bangkok (in her name). It was easier at the time. We aim to spend a few weeks a year in Bangkok and potentially retire in Bangkok. Or at least spend our time between Sydney and Bangkok. I have no intention of working in Bangkok. So don't have a work permit.

As part of our preparation, today we dropped into a couple of Banks in Bangkok, to see if I could open a Bank Account. So I can start accumulating enough funds for a retirement visa etc.

I wasn't allowed to open an account.....

The best result we got was this.

Go to the Australian embassy, and get a 'certificate' allowing me to open a bank account in Thailand.

Then make sure we got both our names on the house book.

Then apply to open an account.

Perhaps naively I thought I'd be able to just open an account.....

Is this what most people have had to go through just to open an account?

And do different banks have different rules? (some perhaps being easier than others)

[paz]

Wrong forum...

Check

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/260738-opening-a-new-bank-account-in-thailand/

[Lite Beer]

You can open a bank account.

You will just have to do a bit of leg work and try a few.

Even try a different branch or a different official in the same branch.

[RoboLB]

Wrong forum...

Check

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/260738-opening-a-new-bank-account-in-thailand/

OK, got it. Thanks.

[finy]

In Chiang Mai they opened a Bangkok Bank account for me with a tourist visa.

In Bangkok they asked me to go to embassy to get passport certified first.

In Koh Samui they said they couldn't do it, then I showed them my other passbooks and they opened it right away.

They basically don't know what they're doing lol

BTW on their website, BB, it does state anyone can open a bank account.

[Pib]

When it comes to farangs how receptive the bank branches are to opening an account can vary from "branch to branch" even with the same banking company (i.e., Bangkok Bank, KBank, SCB, etc). Some branches just don't seem to be expat friendly or some branches want to see a long term type visa versus just an entry stamp allowing you to stay in Thailand for 15 to 30 days like in tourist status. Best thing to do is just try another branch.

You might want to try stopping at the Bangkok Bank branch in the "HQ Bangkok Bank building" on Silom Rd if you haven't already. The branch is on the first floor and then all the upper floors deal with HQ Bangkok Bank operations across the country/world. That branch has many farang customers as farangs in tourist and long term status are a dime a dozen in central Bangkok. You can go to this Bangkok Bank webpage for more info on opening an account....I would think opening an account along with your Thai wife would be easy simply because she is Thai as she can vouch for you.

[Julie H]

Kasikorn Bank (green colour) located in government complex Chaengwattana Bkk allow foreigners to open accounts, 10k Bht deposit

[96tehtarp]

Try a few different banks. The decision on how to deal with foreigners is made by the local manager and is usually not head office policy.

[Asiantravel]

Plus it doesn't harm situation if your Thai wife could enlist the support of an existing Thai customer (p rovided they have a good relationship with that bank) to simply put a phone call to the manager to smooth the way. In my case I got VIP treatment and my bank account was opened very speedily.

[RoboLB]

Plus it doesn't harm situation if your Thai wife could enlist the support of an existing Thai customer (p rovided they have a good relationship with that bank) to simply put a phone call to the manager to smooth the way. In my case I got VIP treatment and my bank account was opened very speedily.

Thanks for the advice guys.

6 banks later, and a Thai friend calling ahead with an introduction for us. We managed it.

[Pib]

Plus it doesn't harm situation if your Thai wife could enlist the support of an existing Thai customer (p rovided they have a good relationship with that bank) to simply put a phone call to the manager to smooth the way. In my case I got VIP treatment and my bank account was opened very speedily.

Thanks for the advice guys.

6 banks later, and a Thai friend calling ahead with an introduction for us. We managed it.

Good deal...congrats. Opening a bank account in Thailand for a farang can indeed be challenging & frustrating sometimes even with a Thai wife.

Where you say "6 banks later" was that trying completely different banks like Bangkok Bank, Kbank, SCB, etc., or did you just try 6 different "branches" with some of those branches being part of the same bank. Just wondering if the "branch" which finally opened an account for you was part of the same bank where another branch of that bank had rejected opening an account for you.

[RoboLB]

I think it was 4 different banks.....6 branches. So Yes, worth trying different branches.