Bank account opening to deposit retirement monies

Sounds like your in Thailand now and have been unable to open account with any bank.  Best to try branches other foreigners are using.  If that fails then contact main office of bank in Bangkok so they can sort out the local branch.

If your going back to the UK why not get a a Non-Immigrant OA visa for purpose of retirement.  Check the consulate web site for all requirement details.

You only need money in UK banks for that visa and you will receive one year permission to stay stamp upon entering Thailand.  You then have one year to get you Thai bank account open.

1. You *can* open an account in Thailand on a tourist visa. It's easier at Kasikorn and Bangkok Bank. If they say "no", argue with them. And if that fails, try a different branch. You will need your passport, and you'll probably need a Certificate of Residence from Immigration or from your embassy. Taking a Thai person with you makes it even easier.

2. If you apply from the UK, the money can be in a UK account (any currency is OK).

I opened my bank acc with kasi bank but had no tourist visa only v.o.a but had to have residency permit.How i got that is another story.But even then it was about 2 hrs of paperwork before i had my account.

stuart

@Stuart... you are Scottish, so you could not have got a v.o.a. (Visa on Arrival) ... you must have had a Visa Exemption.

And you didn't have a "residency permit" either. You must have had a Certificate of Residence. That is not a permit ... it is merely a confirmation of your address.


@Straydog ... the bank is also likely to accept a Thai driver's licence as proof of address instead of a Certificate of Residence. But you'll need a Certificate of Residence to get a Thai driver's licence.

How did you get a resident permit on a VOA?

Where are you?  I can help you open a bank account and convert your tourist visa to a 90 day non immigrant O without going back to the UK.  That is assuming you have 800K to put in a bank and are 50 or over.  One other obstacle is that I am in Chiang Rai.

Yes sorry, you are  correct a exemption visa  and the form for the bank was provided to me by immigration because I stay at my partner's home in korat.


Stuart

You don't have to have that money in a Thai bank account, or at least I didn't.  I simply showed the Thai embassy that I had it in a US account, and they gave me the retirement visa.  With the retirement visa in hand, I had no problem opening an account at Bangkok Bank.

Also, be careful about how much money you put in a Thai account, and don't leave the account idle for too long.  You might want to read this article:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera … nk-account

I think the fear of Thai banks is really overblown.  In forty plus years of banking here I have never lost a single baht.

I have a feeling that when you go to renew that retirement visa in Thailand they will not accept money in a foreign country.  You will need a Thai bank account at that point if you want to go the money in account route.

When you go to renew a visa, you just have to bring an affidavit from your embassy showing that you have the minimum required income coming in every month.  And you can pretty much write any amount on that form you wish.  I've never had to show how much I have in any account for visa renewal.  I was talking earlier about the original application for a retirement visa, not about renewal.