Open a bank account in Thailand

guatem wrote:

How hard is it to open a bank account in Thailand, and what will i need to do so??

It depends on the specific bank and your status. If you have a work permit, simple.

If you do not, some banks will tell you that you need a work permit to open an account. If they do this, ask them to call the head office to make sure of this. If they still insist you need a work permit, go elsewhere.

I've got 6 or 7 bank accounts here, some opened with a work permit, others opened without. So it is definitely possible. Just depends on the particular bank and the person you are dealing with.

Scott , thanks for the information , I am retired and dont plan on working, what city do you live in?
thanks
guatem

Bangkok, 16 years. If you are retired, do you plan on getting a retirement visa in Thailand? Een without a work permit or retirement visa you should be able to open a bank account but it might take going to a couple of banks. Having one of those can eliminate some of the hassles though.

Scott thank you for the information, i waw there in febuary and never even thought to inquire, frankly because i did not think about moving there until I got back states side. Am still        considering it or somewhere in latin america.
thanks again
guatem

I am American and live in Thailand now with my Thai wife. Before we were married I was able to open up a bank account with SCB (Siam Commercial Bank). Granted at the time my wife was just my Fiance and she did the translating for me at the bank to get it setup, but I'm sure if I were alone someone at the bank would have spoken English and helped me open it up.  Even now I use that same bank account to wire-transfer money to from the USA.

I'm not sure if other banks would have let me open one up as a foreign citizen as I didn't try.

Cheers,
Buddy

buddyj wrote:

I am American and live in Thailand now with my Thai wife. Before we were married I was able to open up a bank account with SCB (Siam Commercial Bank). Granted at the time my wife was just my Fiance and she did the translating for me at the bank to get it setup, but I'm sure if I were alone someone at the bank would have spoken English and helped me open it up.  Even now I use that same bank account to wire-transfer money to from the USA.

I'm not sure if other banks would have let me open one up as a foreign citizen as I didn't try.

Cheers,
Buddy

It really depends on the particular bank and branch whether or not they will allow you to open an account. They are supposed to allow foreigners to do so, but they do sometimes require a work permit or Non-IMM O visa. Most banks have at least one or two people who speak passable English so if you speak to them politely and if need be, ask them to call the main branch, you should be fine. If not, go elsewhere.

Right now I have Kasikorn, SBC (2), TMB, Bangkok Bank, UOB, so if I want to open another account I can even do it online. Wiring money FROM the US is easy, it's wiring it abroad that's a little more involved. I used to wire large sums abroad to the US, Korea, and Russia, and they always wanted to see something — emails, a copy of a website, invoice, whatever. All in all, Thai banks are a piece of cake.

guatem wrote:

How hard is it to open a bank account in Thailand, and what will i need to do so??

You can't when you only have tourist visa, but other visa you can have bank account.

Do you think everyone wants to get an ED visa?

nedariel wrote:

You can get it if you enroll at a school and get ED Visa. I think it's the easiest way.

The easiest way to open a bank account is to enroll at a school to first get an ED visa, and then open a bank account????

That seems to me about the hardest way (find school, apply for a visa which is relatively hard to get, and then go to a bank?). Btw, do not forget the fees for the Ed visa (1,900 baht), plus going to immigration which takes hours, plus paying the school where you want to study housands of baht to enroll.

Easier might be to try a few banks and hope they let you open one with the stamp you got at the airport, or otherwise you can apply for a tourist visa in your home country and use that to open a bank account here.

Just google a bit and you will find tons of links on how to open a bank account in Thailand.

Hello guatem.

A new thread has been created from your message for more interaction on the Thailand forum.

Thank you,
Aurélie

Again I will say it - YOU CAN OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT IN THAILAND WITHOUT A WORK PERMIT. However, it may take you two or three attempts (or only one) to find a bank and a bank officer who will allow you to open an account with a tourist visa. Tell them you would like them to call the main branch and see what they say.

I have accounts at SCB, Kasikorn, UOB, TMB, Bangkok Bank, and Government Bank (with the wife). I did not use or have a work permit when I opened the accounts at TMB, UOB, or Kasikorn.

Please Nedariel - getting an ED visa is expensive as you need to pay the school fees in order to get the visa. To suggest this is the best way to open a bank account is plain wrong.

you need a letter from a school or company that shows you live or work here. it's the only choice

That's rubbish - I know because not only have I opened several Thai bank accounts without any letter from a school, but I have also opened accounts with tourist visas. Please, your info is erroneous. I've been here 16 years and have helped friends open bank accounts too.

You definitely do not need a letter from a company or school. Maybe if you're trying to open an account around Suukhumvit Soi 4 or that area they may be more strict but there are literally thousands of tourists who post in various forums that have opened accounts. It may take more than one attempt but it definitely is possible.

hi
it mostly depends on what kind of account do you need. There are several types of accounts possible here, the most interest are the current account and savings account. Quite difficult to understand the difference between them, but thais do somehow.
You can open savings account having only tourist visa, and you will get internet banking and debitcard related to it

have sent unfinished accidently.
to continue - TMB, Bangkok bank, Krung Sri, Krung Thai banks definetely open accounts to foringers  on tourist visas. The list of documents may vary, but the main are passport and prove of address. Bangkok bank may ask for international driving license. This is all about the saving accounts, to open current account you will need long-term visa, not nesessary work permit. But generally I can not see the difference betwen these 2 types of accounts - both allow you to send and receive money, use card to shop and withdraw cash. If you will be refused by one bank, just go to next. You may even try another branch of the same bank, it seems to me they don't have common standards here.

Bauson wrote:

have sent unfinished accidently.
to continue - TMB, Bangkok bank, Krung Sri, Krung Thai banks definetely open accounts to foringers  on tourist visas. The list of documents may vary, but the main are passport and prove of address. Bangkok bank may ask for international driving license. This is all about the saving accounts, to open current account you will need long-term visa, not nesessary work permit. But generally I can not see the difference betwen these 2 types of accounts - both allow you to send and receive money, use card to shop and withdraw cash. If you will be refused by one bank, just go to next. You may even try another branch of the same bank, it seems to me they don't have common standards here.

Exactly.

Different between current and savings is that a current is a checking account and you can write drafts. For me, this is unnecessary in Thailand although I have two accounts in the U.S.

Also, a fixed account is a long term account, like a 3 or 6 or 12 month CD. I have had two of these, one with Kasikorn which is now closed and the other with SCB which is still open. If I remember correctly, they wanted to see a long-term visa for this type of account.

You can go to any border town to open your Bank account without work permit provided you have a local address to contact ,I did mine at border town too.

Godwin

I was denied a bank account by the SCB branch at the Mall here in Korat. They said I needed a work permit. I just left and went to the Bangkok Bank and opened another account with them -- no problem at all. I have a Retirement visa and have lived here 4 years and our house mortgage is at the SCB so they see me every month but their bureaucracy would not allow them to open an account for me. STUPID !!

I would be interested in how you wire money from North America to Thailand while you are in Thailand. I used to do that from Canada  to Thailand when I was still working in Canada but do not know how to do it from here. I would greatly appreciate that information.

even in chiangmai you can open your bank account at Bangkok Bank without work permit ,I got one at carefour near Bus terminal Chiangmai.

wasagabob wrote:

I was denied a bank account by the SCB branch at the Mall here in Korat. They said I needed a work permit. I just left and went to the Bangkok Bank and opened another account with them -- no problem at all. I have a Retirement visa and have lived here 4 years and our house mortgage is at the SCB so they see me every month but their bureaucracy would not allow them to open an account for me. STUPID !!

I would be interested in how you wire money from North America to Thailand while you are in Thailand. I used to do that from Canada  to Thailand when I was still working in Canada but do not know how to do it from here. I would greatly appreciate that information.

I have my Bangkok Bank iBanking (online) set up where I can transfer money to and from my US account. It costs $3 for normal transfer (3 days) and $6 for express (1-2 days). I also have my Suntrust and ING Direct accounts in the US set up to transfer to Thailand. It takes a little time to set everything up but once you do it's easy.

Thanks but how do you do it with Bangkok Bank ... I also have ibanking but do not know how to set up for international transfers .. sorry to be so dumb but you also do not get much help at the bank .. they are not trained to think !!

wasagabob wrote:

Thanks but how do you do it with Bangkok Bank ... I also have ibanking but do not know how to set up for international transfers .. sorry to be so dumb but you also do not get much help at the bank .. they are not trained to think !!

You need to be very patient with them. They have a form for changing and adding information to your iBanking. You need to tell them that you want to be able to transfer internationally with your iBanking and they'll give you a form. You might be able to do it online. If you go in to iBanking and check on the transfers, it might lead you to the form. I don't have time this minute to check but if I get some free time later I'll look.

I did look and they have the form on line but it is for sending money from Thailand to other country ... I want to go the  other way.
I will contact bank in Canada ... thanks for your help

wasagabob wrote:

I did look and they have the form on line but it is for sending money from Thailand to other country ... I want to go the  other way.
I will contact bank in Canada ... thanks for your help

I just checked my Bangkok Bank and you are correct, it is for international outgoing transfers only.

But I have two accounts in the US, ING Direct and Suntrust, and both of them allow me to transfer money from the US to Thailand. So I would think you can do the same from Canada. I opened the ING account online, the Suntrust in Florida. But once the Suntrust account was opened I just added international transfer to the online account.

It's not that hard to open a bank account as a foreigner in Thailand, you just need to find the right Bank!

Every branch seems to have its own rules and policies, even if its the same Bank. Some ask for working permits some not, some allow internet bangking, some will not.

I opened an account at Kasikorn Bank, all they wanted was to see a passport and my address in Thailand. I got an ATM card + internet banking.

If they ask for work permit, just visit another branch.