In which bank, except Kasikorn, is it easy to open an account?

[chado]

In which bank, except Kasikorn, is it easy to open an account? That is, with tourist visa and preferably with a small deposit.

[Sandman77]

My information , you cannot open an acount anymore on any bank
Only if you have a one year visa , or resident!
Existing acount holder on scb, have the problem after i want chabching my acount type for a higher intrests rates for saving , the Aswer was , this is not possible must close acount and open new one , but this not possible anymore also under non immigrant o visa !kasikorn bank does not have this stupid rules , but there's hotline is always unantended!
Otter banks, i not have information , coz no acount there !


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[CharlieH]

Impossible to answer !

 

It will vary by Bank by branch by location by province by city and even by who you speak to on the day.

 

The key is if one says no, you simply try the next.

[Andrew Dwyer]

When I tried to open an account on a tourist visa the consensus I got from reading threads on TVF was that Kasikorn and Bangkok Bank were the easiest.
Kasikorn refused me at 3 branches because of no work permit.
Bangkok Bank refused me at one for no work permit, second said I needed a letter from Embassy ( British in my case), this seemed my only option but on the way home I tried one more Bangkok Bank branch and they opened it there and then with a 10,000 baht deposit I think ( got a savings account with ATM card ).

My gf was with me which helped for translation, she does not have a Bangkok Bank account.

The general feeling I got, from reading various TVF threads is Kasikorn and Bangkok are easiest, try in tourist areas or areas that have more farangs and just keep trying .

[chado]

28 minutes ago, Sandman77 said:

My information , you cannot open an acount anymore on any bank
Only if you have a one year visa , or resident!


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that's not true.

[chado]

25 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Impossible to answer !

 

It will vary by Bank by branch by location by province by city and even by who you speak to on the day.

 

The key is if one says no, you simply try the next.

right, but still there're some banks where it's easier to open an account regardless on a branch and city.

[CharlieH]

Just now, chado said:

right, but still there're some banks where it's easier to open an account regardless on a branch and city.

Not judging by years of posts on this forum.

It might help if you said WHERE so atleast we can get local input.

[chado]

has oneone tried at chinese ICBC?

[cracker1]

Krung Thai Bank

[Pib]

It depends on the spin of the bank's Decision Wheel.  

 

A potential new customer, bank customer support representative, and bank branch manager will need to spin the branch's Decision Wheel.  The wheel must stop on Yes each time to successfully open an account same day.  Not 1 out of 3 or 2 or of 3 stops on Yes; it must be 3 out of 3.   If the wheel stops on No on any spin the account can not opened.  If the wheel stops on Maybe that means additional documents are needed...once providing requested documents the wheel spinning process is repeated as previously described.

 

Note: the more quick decision oriented branches have modified their wheels by replacing the Maybe's with No's. 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

All banks make up their own rules, all you can do is try different branches and you should eventually get an account.

[Destiny1990]

Why not try with kasikorn since u say its easy with them?

[Kabula]

This is a hard question to answer.

 

I understand it is very hard to open a new account on a tourist visa now.

 

They want to see work permit visas.

 

I was recently informed by Kasikorn Bank that if I close my account with them, even after 11 years,  they will not open a new one with a retirement visa. 

 

I was also informed that foreigners cannot wire money out of Thailand now, unless they can show documentation that the money they are wiring out was wired into Thailand.

[fvw53]

One of my Dutch friends is coming to Thailand end of April to buy an apartment in Hua Hin.

He will need to open Thai bank account to send money for the purchase and the renovation :  do I understand he will have problems to open an account?

 

[soinowinbkk]

I have been told that Bangkok Bank's main office told someone a year ago that "the law has changed and now you must have a 1-year visa of some sort". This would be contrary to years and years of practice there. I opened an account 15 years back as a tourist, in on an entry stamp.

I was denied one at 2 other branches until one finally told me that I would need to go to the downtown main office (Silom Soi 5). I recommend you tell your friend to start there. Also advise him to dress nicely and be very courteous, kind and express gratitude, regardless of the result. Most Thai people are suspicious of "newly arrived" farang and following Thai cultural ways of respectful treatment of others will go a long way. (I know this will get a lot of laughs here but really this is advice for THIS situation.)

[Foozool]

1 hour ago, fvw53 said:

One of my Dutch friends is coming to Thailand end of April to buy an apartment in Hua Hin.

He will need to open Thai bank account to send money for the purchase and the renovation :  do I understand he will have problems to open an account?

 

Yes,

If he enters the kingdom by tourist visa then he will need a letter from his country consulate in Thailand for opening a bank account. 

I don't believe that anyone could open a bank account with a tourist visa by just walk in a bank branch anymore. 

As far as I know you can open a bank account by tourist visa (not a visa exempt) and letter from your consulate at any "major" (not all branches do that) Bangkok Bank branch.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Foozool

[lordblackader]

Bangkok Bank. Easiest way to do it is have a Thai person with you who can vouch for who you are (I'd say guarantor but I'm not quite sure what the form is they fill in as it's in Thai), the Thai person with you negates other requirements.

 

Not sure if I'm allowed to mention their name here but there is a service in Chiang Mai who you pay to have someone come with you to fill in that form, personally I used my now ex-girlfriend to do it. 

[Guest Jerry787]

bangkok bank

 

go to your embassy

get official aper from the embassy saying that you temporarily live in bkk or else in thailand showing a rent contract (they didnt ask to me, my declaration of living at certain condo was sufficient.

 

once got it with cash to open the account and the letter of the embassy with your passport walk in in any BKK bank branch... they will open it

[SiSePuede419]

Cash. ?

[SiamBeast]

Most banks require a work permit or a proof that you are residing here, i.e. a 1-year visa. The requirements have toughened a bit, but if you get turned down at a branch, just try another one. It's all a question of branch-hopping. With a Thailand Elite visa, I was able to get Bkk Bank after 2 tries, and SCB after 2 tries. It all depends on your luck.

It also depends on what you want to do with the account - if you plan on wiring funds home, do not go with Kasikorn or Krungsri, as they do not offer outbound international transfer services.

[chado]

what if I told them that I want to buy a condo and therefore I need a bank account? Later after I have an account I might change my mind about buying a condo.

[Moonlover]

On 4/5/2017 at 7:33 PM, CharlieH said:

Impossible to answer !

 

It will vary by Bank by branch by location by province by city and even by who you speak to on the day.

 

The key is if one says no, you simply try the next.

Without doubt, this is the only answer that can be relied on!  Yes, I know, that sounds totally oximoronic, How can one rely on a completely negative answer? But it's true.

 

My wife and I went to 3 different banks, before we got a positive answer. And we had a very plausible case. We were married and I had a none imm O visa. We intended to take up residence in Thailand and I had 3 pensions that would be paid directly into the account.

 

When we, at last visited Krungsri we couldn't have been made more welcome.

 

And even then, when we tried to open an additional account, at the same bank in a different town, they mumbled and muttered! At first they were not interested, even though by then we had fixed accommodation and I had a year's extension.

 

Wear good shoes and just keep on trying.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Moonlover

[Moonlover]

On 4/6/2017 at 11:58 PM, SiamBeast said:

if you plan on wiring funds home, do not go with Kasikorn or Krungsri, as they do not offer outbound international transfer services.

I cannot speak for Kasikorn, bu I can confirm that Krungsri most certainly does have international SWIFT transfers available.

 

I have made 2 purchases from abroad and paid by SWIFT transfer.

[chado]

what kind of document do I need from embassy to make a chance to open a card higher, the one that proves that I live in Thailand?
also, does it have to be an address in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand? say, I get a document which proves that I live or is staying in Chiang Mai. will I be able to open an accout in Bangkok with it? or will they send me to Chiang Mai?

yes, I remember that their decistion can be random.

[Anythingleft?]

that's not true.

It is according to Kasikorn Pattaya Klang

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[Anythingleft?]

Everybody as mentioned has differing experiences, on the whole Bangkok bank seems to be the most user friendly to open with.
You will have to talk with the banks in your local area and see the responses.
Every person here can state the rules but it as the representative interprets them on the day that you have to deal with, rightly or wrongly.
Walk around and tell us what happens......

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[Moonlover]

On 5/3/2017 at 10:53 AM, chado said:

what kind of document do I need from embassy to make a chance to open a card higher, the one that proves that I live in Thailand?
also, does it have to be an address in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand? say, I get a document which proves that I live or is staying in Chiang Mai. will I be able to open an accout in Bangkok with it? or will they send me to Chiang Mai?

yes, I remember that their decistion can be random.

You do not need any document from your embassy.

 

It obviously makes sense to open an account close to where you live.

 

And you are correct, the decisions they make regards opening an account for you are random and completely arbitrary. 

 

Good luck.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Moonlover

[steve187]

from experience on a multi entry non 'O' needed a own name account for immigration

have a joint account with wife at Kasakorn ban chang, wife has 2 other accounts, no can do

 

wife has an account at krungthai, no can do

 

no accounts at Krungsri, again ban chang, no problem to open account, needed an immigration proof of address, at the same time i was there an  Aussie was opening an account, he was refushed at  2 other banks, no problem at Krungsri, another friend on a long term extension of stay, could not open at Kasakorn, but ok at Krungsri.

[ThaiBob]

On 4/6/2017 at 11:09 AM, fvw53 said:

One of my Dutch friends is coming to Thailand end of April to buy an apartment in Hua Hin.

He will need to open Thai bank account to send money for the purchase and the renovation :  do I understand he will have problems to open an account?

 

Shouldn't be a problem. The developer will have a relationship with a local bank branch. They will send you to their contact at the bank. Will need the sales contract. Rules will be bent if necessary, no one is going to lose a sale over a technicality. 

[Gopro]

Hi Just checking krungsri website, try opening a foreign currency account. They list requirements for thais, non thais and non thai residents. With the different requirements a non thai only needs his passport. Residents need more paperwork. lol

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