Banking: How and where to open bank account?

[frank plato]

Hi fellowexpats... I tried to open bank account. Although I have address long stay, and 1year visa, they keep on asking me about working permit.
Can someone tell me where and how to do otherwise?
Thank you in advance for helping me out.... frank

[Mweiga]

Originally Posted by frank plato

Hi fellowexpats... I tried to open bank account. Although I have a dress long stay, and 1year visa, they keep on asking me about working permit.
Can someone tell me where and how to do otherwise?
Thank you in advance for helping me out.... frank

Puzzling message - you don't need a work permit to open a bank account. Go to another bank, ask to open an account and show them whatever visa you have - normally you'll have an account opened with a passbook and ATM card in just a few minutes. Puzzled how you managed to have a one year visa without already having a Thai bank account.

[frank plato]

Originally Posted by Mweiga

Puzzling message - you don't need a work permit to open a bank account. Go to another bank, ask to open an account and show them whatever visa you have - normally you'll have an account opened with a passbook and ATM card in just a few minutes. Puzzled how you managed to have a one year visa without already having a Thai bank account.

I visited many banks in bkk, but all the same... Passport and work permit....I have 4x multiple entry non-immigrant O visa

I tried kaskorn, Siam, bkkbank etc... Maybe just keep on trying... Anyway it is disappointing they not show any willingness of cooperation.
I will try again Monday, but wondered if rules changed....

Thank you so far, Frank

[Mweiga]

Originally Posted by frank plato

I visited many banks in bkk, but all the same... Passport and work permit....I have 4x multiple entry non-immigrant O visa

I tried kaskorn, Siam, bkkbank etc... Maybe just keep on trying... Anyway it is disappointing they not show any willingness of cooperation.
I will try again Monday, but wondered if rules changed....

Thank you so far, Frank

Must be something strange with your visa. Opening a Thai bank account is normally quick and easy - opened my account with Siam Commercial a few years back with only a standard tourist 30 day "permission to stay" stamp in my passport. Took just 10 minutes and I had the account , passbook and ATM card.

If you already have an O visa and are not planning to work , why are they asking to see a work permit ?

[Newforestcat]

Hi

Based on the info I got from a Thai-language forum where farangs' Thai wives roam, the best advice I have chosen for you with a lot of considerations, is try a branch of Thai Farmer's Bank (AKA K-Bank) in Bkk first. It does not really matter where in BKK, except the ones you already went to. If you have a Thai friend, take them with you. The older and more powerful, the better for you.. Your friend's signature, as your reference and/or witness, will help.

If that fails, go to Thai Farmers Bank in Pattaya downtown. It seems to be the most flexible. They have accepted a deposit from a farang on tourist visa, no relation or GF in this country back in March. He used his hotel address. Wise bank! No comment about the tourist, maybe a bit drunk.

The Pattaya branch is the most favourite among those who had tried and failed to get Thai bank accounts for their husbands elsewhere, you have heard this fresh from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

The problem you had:-

It is Thailand, if they don't know how to open an account for you who is lucky enough to have stopped working, they won't do it! It seems Bangkok Bank is the worst in this situation. Someone said only their Silom branch can and may do it, the only branch in this city. That means the branches outside BKK can't have been trained to do it then.

People fob you off, because they usually get away with it, try elsewhere.

Be sure before you close a Thai bank account though, you will have to pay for the new one again!

[cooked]

I walked into Bangkok bank in our local BigC, and with the help of my girlfriend and my passport, opened an account with direct debit card. I had a tourist visa at the time. No sweat...

[Cer]

Originally Posted by Mweiga

Puzzling message - you don't need a work permit to open a bank account. Go to another bank, ask to open an account and show them whatever visa you have - normally you'll have an account opened with a passbook and ATM card in just a few minutes. Puzzled how you managed to have a one year visa without already having a Thai bank account.

You can obtain your Non O-A in your home country.
This can be valid for almost 2 years before the first extension.All that time you will not need a Thai bankaccount.

[emanmb]

Funny you should post this as I just came back from 4 different banks this morning and only the last one let me open an account. The previous 3 ALL asked for work permits.

The bank that didn't ask was Kasikornbank. They charge 400thb for a dang ATM card but when the previous 3 turned me down basically, I wasn't going to argue. So try there if you haven't already. PITA yes, but my wife, when we were in the US, had the same issue before she was issued a green card there. She checked the bank at our local grocery and they didn't require a green card and she was in.

Branch I went to was between Punnawithi and Bang Chak BTS stations on the odd numbered side of the street.

[emanmb]

any luck?

Originally Posted by frank plato

Hi fellowexpats... I tried to open bank account. Although I have a dress long stay, and 1year visa, they keep on asking me about working permit.
Can someone tell me where and how to do otherwise?
Thank you in advance for helping me out.... frank

[Wayward Wind]

My wife and I opened an account at Bangkok Bank in Pattaya while we were on tourist visas. We had rented a condo and had the lease, but had not yet gone to Immigration to convert our visas to O visas, nor applied for the retirement extension.

The site is down for maintenance at the moment, but here is the link that details what you need:

Bangkok Bank - Downtime Announcement