# Bank account



## Kiniyeow

I'm going to be in Thailand for a couple of weeks in early March of this year in Udon Thani, Mukdahan and possible Chiang Mai, and wondered which bank/branch would be the easiest to open up a account with?

I ask this as I know this is the first step in getting a retirement visa. Anyone have any experiances they want to share, good, bad, or indifferant?

Kini


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## Guest

I had an account at Bangkok Bank in 2004. It was pretty easy to open. All you need is your passport and about 500 baht as an initial deposit. Good luck.


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## Cer

Important to have the account opened at an office very near your future living place.
For certain issues you need to go back to this office and it would be inconvenient if you had to travel a long distance for that.


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## Kiniyeow

Cer said:


> Important to have the account opened at an office very near your future living place.
> For certain issues you need to go back to this office and it would be inconvenient if you had to travel a long distance for that.


good to know, as I will probably be traveling around a bit initially. thanks.


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## wildfk

What visa are you on NOW???

You may be refused by most banks without a non immigrant visa.
however you need a "residential" address as well and a certificate of this (A hotel can be acceptable by some banks) - i think they come from the police.

you'll find that this all varies not just from Bank to Bank but even BRANCH to BRANCH. So if you are refused at one just go to another.


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## Kiniyeow

wildfk said:


> What visa are you on NOW???
> 
> You may be refused by most banks without a non immigrant visa.
> however you need a "residential" address as well and a certificate of this (A hotel can be acceptable by some banks) - i think they come from the police.
> 
> you'll find that this all varies not just from Bank to Bank but even BRANCH to BRANCH. So if you are refused at one just go to another.


Just a tourist visa, but the wife has family in Mukdahan, so we should be able to use their address. Once I get the bank accont, then I can look at the retirement Visa.


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## wildfk

Kiniyeow said:


> Just a tourist visa, but the wife has family in Mukdahan, so we should be able to use their address. Once I get the bank accont, then I can look at the retirement Visa.


In reality, I can see that you should be able to open an account as it seems largely up to the bank branch to decide.


However you are i a catch 22 situation in respect that STRICTLY speaking you need a on imm visa to open a bank a/c but you won't have that till you get your retirement visa.

Have you actually got the forms etc for your retirement visa or are you just assuming you need a Thai bank a/c?

I don't know for sure myself, but I have been told that what is needed is proof of either income or capital and this doesn't necessarily need to be in a Thai a/c?


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## Cer

wildfk said:


> In reality, I ca
> 
> I don't know for sure myself, but I have been told that what is needed is proof of either income or capital and this doesn't necessarily need to be in a Thai a/c?


If you use the "money in the bank" formula,you will not need a Thai bank account when you request a non immO-A in your country.However if you request a non immO that you will comvert to a 1 year retiremnet visa within 3 months in Thailand-you will need the money to be in a Thai bankaccount.Also for the extensions you will need the money in Thai bank account.
No problems if you go for the embassy income statement.


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## Mweiga

*Thai bank a/c*



wildfk said:


> In reality, I can see that you should be able to open an account as it seems largely up to the bank branch to decide.
> 
> 
> However you are i a catch 22 situation in respect that STRICTLY speaking you need a on imm visa to open a bank a/c but you won't have that till you get your retirement visa.
> 
> Have you actually got the forms etc for your retirement visa or are you just assuming you need a Thai bank a/c?
> 
> I don't know for sure myself, but I have been told that what is needed is proof of either income or capital and this doesn't necessarily need to be in a Thai a/c?


I was able to open an account with Siam Commercial Bank whilst still on a tourist visa - my local branch of SCB never checked for my visa status and the Thai baht account with ATM card was opened in just 10 minutes. 

For the first time application of the one year non-immigrant visa I was required to hold a minimum balance of THB 800,000 in my account for 3 months before submitting the application to immigration with a letter from the bank confirming this. After that there was no problem and the one year non-imm visa issued.

For annual renewals of this visa I just get a letter from my bank confirming a current credit balance of minimum THB 800,000.

I have an American friend who cannot manage the required Thai bank balance proof in his account for annual visa renewal so gets a letter from his embassy in Bangkok confirming a regular income from the US which satisfies immigration.


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## Changnoy

I have just arrived in Thailand on a Non-Imm OM visa which i got in London by showing my marriage certificate.

I showed this to the Kasikorn Bank in Pattaya and had no trouble opening an account and receiving a debit card.

I believe to renew my visa i need to show an income of 40000b or have funds of 800000b in the account. 

Seeing as i will be leaving the majority of my money back in England, then i like the idea of getting clarification from the Embassy. I have till December to find out whats needed.


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## Cer

Changnoy said:


> I have just arrived in Thailand on a Non-Imm OM visa which i got in London by showing my marriage certificate.
> 
> I showed this to the Kasikorn Bank in Pattaya and had no trouble opening an account and receiving a debit card.
> 
> I believe to renew my visa i need to show an income of 40000b or have funds of 800000b in the account.
> 
> Seeing as i will be leaving the majority of my money back in England, then i like the idea of getting clarification from the Embassy. I have till December to find out whats needed.


For a so called "marriage" visum,you will need a monthly income of 40.000 baht or 400.000 baht in the bank. (800.000 is for "retirement" visum)


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## Changnoy

Cheers Cer....makes life a little less expensive. 

As per what others have said here, do you think getting a letter from the British Embassy would work if i prove to them my financial status in England?

Also..at what age can one apply for a retirement visa....is it 50?


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## Cer

Changnoy said:


> Cheers Cer....makes life a little less expensive.
> 
> As per what others have said here, do you think getting a letter from the British Embassy would work if i prove to them my financial status in England?
> 
> Also..at what age can one apply for a retirement visa....is it 50?


Retirement age is 50 (for visa purposes)
Don't know how difficult it is to obtain income confirmation from British embassy.
I am from Holland and I learned from fellow countrymen here,that it is a simple procedure that can be done by mail.
(visit your embassy website to get information how they do it)


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## HomeExchange

From my experience, when trying to open an account it's not always which bank you go to but which branch you choose. Some branches will not let you open an account - whereas others it is quite simple.

In Bangkok quite a number of expats (including me!) have opened an account at the Phrom Phong branch of the Kasikorn bank. All I need was my passport, 500baht and I also had a non-Imm O visa. 10 minutes later I had an account and an ATM card!


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## HK_Brit

Changnoy said:


> I have just arrived in Thailand on a Non-Imm OM visa which i got in London by showing my marriage certificate.
> 
> I showed this to the Kasikorn Bank in Pattaya and had no trouble opening an account and receiving a debit card.
> 
> I believe to renew my visa i need to show an income of 40000b or have funds of 800000b in the account.
> 
> Seeing as i will be leaving the majority of my money back in England, then i like the idea of getting clarification from the Embassy. I have till December to find out whats needed.


You do not need any money in bank to get a non O immigration visa. But you will need 800,000B in the bank or annual income of 800000B or a combination of the two for the retirement option. If using money in the bank it has to have been there for at least three months. For the income part you need a letter from the embassy confirming this (you need proof to show the embassy).

If married to a Thai you only need 400000B, but this option is more complicated because they check if you really are married etc. 

For retirement option, you have to be 50 or over. For married option any age.

For the visa you get a non O immigration visa in your own country first. You convert to retirement option in Thailand. Every year you have to renew and prove one of the financial options each time.

Opening a bank account will depend on the individual bank. You will probably get away with a tourist visa. Certainly a non-O immigration visa is enough. You do not have to wait for your retirement option.

They issue an ATM card on the spot.

I agree that you need your home branch near where you will live. You will get charges if you use branches far away from your home branch. 

I use Bangkok Bank. They seem OK.


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## Andrew Hicks

wildfk said:


> What visa are you on NOW???
> 
> You may be refused by most banks without a non immigrant visa.
> however you need a "residential" address as well and a certificate of this (A hotel can be acceptable by some banks) - i think they come from the police.
> 
> you'll find that this all varies not just from Bank to Bank but even BRANCH to BRANCH. So if you are refused at one just go to another.


I agree with this comment. The OP seems to think you need a bank account to get the visa. No, you need the visa (non-immigrant for three months obtained before departure) to get the bank account. You then top up the account with the necessary sum and go to Thai immigration to regularise a full one year's retirement visa.

There was a time the banks would refuse an account if you couldn't produce a work permit and a lazy clerk who can't be bothered to open your account for you or is afraid of farang may still say this. But yes, if one branch says no, try another or go back another day and somebody else may welcome you with open arms.

I have used Kasikorn whose service in our small local Isaan branch has been
excellent. Nobody speaks English of course but nor did they in a major branch of another major bank in Sukhumvit that I previously used much to my regret.

Good luck with all this.

Andrew


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