Have the Requirements for a Thai Bank Account Changed?

[Dan5]

I went into Bangkok Bank today and asked for a second bank account. I was told that I needed a document from the embassy (a proof of address I think) to open an account. I've never run into this before and I have 3 bank accounts at 3 different banks, nor have I heard of this. I asked to speak to the branch manager and she said the same thing. Its always possible given what I know about Thai bank accounts that I could just open it at another branch. But given the branch manager told me this, not likely. 

 

Does anyone know anything about this?  Is it a new Bangkok bank policy. A new regulation applying to all banks?

[thetruth revealer]

Depending on every Branch there are different rules applied, Kasikorn seem to be Farang Friendly , which i cant say for Bangkok Bank per example.Often its depends on the clerk as well what kind of Documents are required. Some branches would even allow TR Visa for opening  accounts where others require what you described. Its not consistent .

[ukrules]

I had to get a 'certificate of residency' from immigration to open a bank account at Kasikorn.

 

As far as I'm aware they will accept this instead of something from your embassy who have no idea where you live, etc.

 

They charge 500 Baht for this 'certificate' which is just a letter. Tell immigration that you need it for opening a bank account, this is similar to the letter they issue for a new car, it's valid for 30 days after it's issued and the reason it's issued is mentioned in the letter.

 

It was a few years ago when I last got one of these.

[KhunBENQ]

It's not uncommon or new that you need a proof of residence for various procedures in Thailand.

One of them opening a bank account (other typical example is getting a driving license).

 

What type of proof is required (and which entity issues it) can vary,

I assume you live on a one year extension.

In this case some immigration offices might issue a proof of residence.

 

Expats who have a "yellow house book" and/or the "pink card" might succeed with those.

[thetruth revealer]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

I had to get a 'certificate of residency' from immigration to open a bank account at Kasikorn.

 

As far as I'm aware they will accept this instead of something from your embassy who have no idea where you live, etc.

 

They charge 500 Baht for this 'certificate' which is just a letter. Tell immigration that you need it for opening a bank account, this is similar to the letter they issue for a new car, it's valid for 30 days after it's issued and the reason it's issued is mentioned in the letter.

 

It was a few years ago when I last got one of these.

I could open a Savings Account on TR Visa in Ko Samui 4 years ago without problems and as well here in their Branch in Chiangmai inside CM University showing them my ED Visa ,but contrary i was asked for a Guarantor to open a new Account at Bangkok Bank Branch which is as stoopid since i wasnt demanding any Credit or requesting a Loan but transfering a certain amount every month from Europe.

SCB allowed me to open a Account as well, though im not sure anymore wether they wanted to see Rental contract, but most probably no Certificate of Residence .

 

So far, the handling in different Branches of different Banks in different Provinces.

[MarcelV]

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

[mick220675]

In my experience Bangkok bank are the most difficult to deal with. The last straw for me was when they made me photo copy both side of 25 X £20 notes all on separate papers and signed, before they would exchange them.

 

The day I open'ed a  Kasikorn bank account I could not believe the difference, nice friendly staff who want to help.

[Wanderer555]

10 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

Not sure why you cannot get these things. Shortly after arriving on a TR Visa, I opened a bank account (Bangkok Bank), and received both a car and motorcycle license with No Work Permit required. 

As some have indicated, what you need to do will vary with location, for me this was having the local police issue a 'Certificate of Residence' (no charge).

Cheers!

[seajae]

have no problems with Bangkok Bank, easy to open an account(with out a work permit), no problems exchanging money, in fact they have been really great as far as I am concerned but at one branch I did come across a manager that appeared to have a "thing" about farangs, she was rude and very unhelpful and even interfered with her workers when they tried to help me. I went to my normal branch and sorted out my problem very quickly and lodged a complaint about the other branch manager, depends entirely on who is running the branch you go to

[chrisinth]

11 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

 

Are you sure about that? It never used to be a problem with the 3 examples that you just gave. That was true up to about 6 months ago, when a friend both opened a bank account and got a Thai driving licence on a tourist visa. At least I'm pretty sure that is what he had.

 

With reference to the bank account, you may have to try various banks and branches to open one, but it can certainly be done without a WP.

[Kwasaki]

Yeah it seems so now rather than years past with some banks let alone branches of,  l only wanted to change bank from Bkk bank to SCB also KTB and gave up after all the forms that they wanted filled in apart from proof of everything etc.

[MrMo]

20 hours ago, thetruth revealer said:

Depending on every Branch there are different rules applied, Kasikorn seem to be Farang Friendly , which i cant say for Bangkok Bank per example.Often its depends on the clerk as well what kind of Documents are required. Some branches would even allow TR Visa for opening  accounts where others require what you described. Its not consistent .

In most bureaucratic Thai organisations, be they public or private institutions, the one constant is inconsistency.

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, Wanderer555 said:

Not sure why you cannot get these things. Shortly after arriving on a TR Visa, I opened a bank account (Bangkok Bank), and received both a car and motorcycle license with No Work Permit required. 

As some have indicated, what you need to do will vary with location, for me this was having the local police issue a 'Certificate of Residence' (no charge).

Cheers!

 

It really depends more on the branch you're dealing with than the name of the bank. I've had a Bangkok Bank account at a small branch for at least 15 years and find everyone to be very friendly and helpful. I also like being able to make domestic money transfers from my US bank to the Bangkok Bank branch in New York.

 

When I've had to do business with the local Kasikorn branch, I'd give them mixed reviews and the local Krung Thai more negative than positive experiences.

 

15 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account

I originally opened my bank account while here on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry. I know things have tightened up since those days., but I've read fairly recent accounts on TV of people opening bank accounts while here on either Tourist Visa or Visa exempt entry. 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by Suradit69

[ravip]

2. Foreigner with Long-stay or Tourist Visa

1. Passport and one of the following documents:

2.1 A letter of reference from one of the following:

1. Embassy or international organization
2. An official document from another country, such as a document from the  relevant agency giving evidence of the customer’s right to receive pension funds
3. Customer’s home bank to Bangkok Bank via the SWIFT messaging network
4. Person acceptable to Bangkok Bank e.g. branch officer, customer, government officer or company executive
5. Educational institution located in Thailand and acceptable to the bank
6. Company that is acceptable to the bank, confirming the customer is in the process of getting a work permit

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/DailyBanking/Accounts/SavingsAccounts/Pages/Default.aspx

(Click on the Tab "open an account")

 

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by ravip
Add text

[Oishii]

16 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

 

You do not require a work permit to open a bank account, own a motorcycle or to get a driving license.

[Dan5]

16 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

 

9 minutes ago, Oishii said:

 

You do not require a work permit to open a bank account, own a motorcycle or to get a driving license.

 

[Dan5]

Well, from the comments so far, it looks like the same old story. Depends who you talk to at what branch of what bank. I thought maybe this was a real change, since I talked to the branch manager. My experience has been that the branch managers generally know what they are doing and will open an account even if the clerk at that branch says no. But given no one (so far) has heard of any change, there likely hasn't been one. Or maybe Bangkok Bank is being difficult now. At any given time, some banks are more difficult than others.

[Dan5]

2 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

Well, from the comments so far, it looks like the same old story. Depends who you talk to at what branch of what bank. I thought maybe this was a real change, since I talked to the branch manager. My experience has been that the branch managers generally know what they are doing and will open an account even if the clerk at that branch says no. But given no one (so far) has heard of any change, there likely hasn't been one. Or maybe Bangkok Bank is being difficult now. At any given time, some banks are more difficult than others.

 

2 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

Well, from the comments so far, it looks like the same old story. Depends who you talk to at what branch of what bank. I thought maybe this was a real change, since I talked to the branch manager. My experience has been that the branch managers generally know what they are doing and will open an account even if the clerk at that branch says no. But given no one (so far) has heard of any change, there likely hasn't been one. Or maybe Bangkok Bank is being difficult now. At any given time, some banks are more difficult than others.

 

2 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

Well, from the comments so far, it looks like the same old story. Depends who you talk to at what branch of what bank. I thought maybe this was a real change, since I talked to the branch manager. My experience has been that the branch managers generally know what they are doing and will open an account even if the clerk at that branch says no. But given no one (so far) has heard of any change, there likely hasn't been one. Or maybe Bangkok Bank is being difficult now. At any given time, some banks are more difficult than others.

And this was a new one. I've heard the need a work permit story and to open my current account at Bangkok Bank I had to show drivers license, but hadn't needed one to open a Kasikorn account (was on a tourist visa for that one). Didn't need anything special to open an account at SCB. But this this proof of address from the embassy was completely out of the blue. I guess they're just getting creative.

[maccraw]

3Days ago I went to my local Bangkok bank in order to open a savings account. After an hour or so I was told that as I have a one year visa I could open an account with either an embassy letter or an immigration certificate of residence.As it happened I had both with me but they were not acceptable as they were not recent. If I got a new embassy letter I could open an account with only 1000 baht plus the atm card charge—however if I got a new immigration letter I had to open with a minimum of 7000—BUT only 1000 of that could be withdrawn—the 60000 being held “For insurance”. I demurred and was told that other banks were even stricter.

I have accounts at TMB but I needed a different account for a particular purpose.

Later that day I opened an account at Kasikorn with new immigration letter, 10,000 and atm fee.

[bark]

17 hours ago, MarcelV said:

I have lived and worked in Thailand for over 5 months now, but I still don't have a work permit. This means I cannot open a bank account, legally own a motorbike or get a driver license. It sucks but I have to deal with it. Every month I simply receive my pay check in cash. My international license will expire next month however, so perhaps I need to take the full course of driving lessons, exam etc. Sucks.

If you are working in Thailand without a work permit. Then the bank account is the least of your worries.

You should get legal or stop working.

[Dan5]

13 minutes ago, maccraw said:

3Days ago I went to my local Bangkok bank in order to open a savings account. After an hour or so I was told that as I have a one year visa I could open an account with either an embassy letter or an immigration certificate of residence.As it happened I had both with me but they were not acceptable as they were not recent. If I got a new embassy letter I could open an account with only 1000 baht plus the atm card charge—however if I got a new immigration letter I had to open with a minimum of 7000—BUT only 1000 of that could be withdrawn—the 60000 being held “For insurance”. I demurred and was told that other banks were even stricter.

I have accounts at TMB but I needed a different account for a particular purpose.

Later that day I opened an account at Kasikorn with new immigration letter, 10,000 and atm fee.

Strange. I've never needed anything more than a driver's license to open an account in the past and don't remember ever being charged a fee. Possibly a hundred Baht or so and I don't remember it. And my first deposit has never been more than 1000 Baht. Did Kasikorn ask for the immigration letter or did you just volunteer it since you had it? Actually this is no more than an annoyance for me, since I have accounts at 3 banks. But a second at Bangkok Bank would have been nice since they disabled my ATM card once I started transferring money from the USA. So I've been then transferring money to my other banks when I need cash. Never  a dull moment.

[userabcd]

I'd say what's required to open a bank account is clearly indicated on banking websites.

 

Some branches and their staff are flouting the banks rules in opening bank accounts without the required proof of address.

 

The proof of address docs are quite easy to get for example a letter from the embassy, however the embassy also requires some form of proof of address to issue such a letter.

[NoshowJones]

This s Thailand. Banks, Schools, Amphurs, Immigration offices etc, all make up their own rules, they love the authority over people.

I tried to open another bank account just like you (the OP) and was told to get a letter from my Embassy which costs about 2.600Bt.

I told them to stuff it, I really did. and opened an account at another branch of the same bank.

[Wake Up]

I like Bangkok Bank. I was told the embassy letter is required because they have a NY bank office and it is required by the USA. Whether that is true I can't verify but I can verify that the USA has been putting political pressure on all international banks that open accounts for Americans due to the Swiss tax fraud cases. 

 

The US embassy has the form for you to fill out and not a big deal. You can transfer money to Bangkok Bank from your USA bank for cheap through ACH transfer. 

 

I dont know which bank is the best bank for Americans but Bangkok Bank has many helpful people that speak English and branches all over and I see no reason to switch to another Thailand bank. 

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, Wake Up said:

I like Bangkok Bank. I was told the embassy letter is required because they have a NY bank office and it is required by the USA. Whether that is true I can't verify but I can verify that the USA has been putting political pressure on all international banks that open accounts for Americans due to the Swiss tax fraud cases. 

 

The US embassy has the form for you to fill out and not a big deal. You can transfer money to Bangkok Bank from your USA bank for cheap through ACH transfer. 

 

I dont know which bank is the best bank for Americans but Bangkok Bank has many helpful people that speak English and branches all over and I see no reason to switch to another Thailand bank. 

This was Bangkok bank, and I'm not American. but all the banks and branches make up their own rules.

[Dan5]

21 minutes ago, userabcd said:

I'd say what's required to open a bank account is clearly indicated on banking websites.

 

Some branches and their staff are flouting the banks rules in opening bank accounts without the required proof of address.

 

The proof of address docs are quite easy to get for example a letter from the embassy, however the embassy also requires some form of proof of address to issue such a letter.

Easy.??? Would cost me nearly a half a day to go down there, wait and then come back. And It would cost me $50. I'll go for flouting the rules any day., Much easier to just go to another branch.

[Dan5]

Just now, Dan5 said:

Easy.??? Would cost me nearly a half a day to go down there, wait and then come back. And It would cost me $50. I'll go for flouting the rules any day., Much easier to just go to another branch.

And no, the embassy doesn't require any proof. I've been through that to get a driver's license. All they require is to see your passport and you to swear the information is correct.

[Dan5]

And I doubt that it is a case of "flouting" I think that different people at different branches have their own ideas as to what the rules are.

[maccraw]

Dan5--

The certificate of residence from immigration was a requirement at Kasikorn so I got a new one—wait 20 minutes and 300baht

Interestingly enough last year the same branch wanted a minimum deposit of 15,000-- also fees adding up to more than 1100[included atm charges].

[Dan5]

23 minutes ago, maccraw said:

Dan5--

The certificate of residence from immigration was a requirement at Kasikorn so I got a new one—wait 20 minutes and 300baht

Interestingly enough last year the same branch wanted a minimum deposit of 15,000-- also fees adding up to more than 1100[included atm charges].

It seems like a crap shoot. Luckily I've never been asked for a large deposit or fee. But I'm in Bangkok. Are you in another province perhaps?