If you want to open a bank account in Thailand, there are some strict regulations in place. This section breaks down those regulations and explains what you need to open a bank account, the process of doing so, and which banks are the most popular for foreigners.
Thai Banks tend to work differently than their counterparts back in your home country. A lot of policies tend to be branch specific. Just because something works one way in one branch, that doesn’t say anything about any other branch of the same bank.
That can work in your favor, but often is a source of frustration because individual bank managers and employees opt to follow a stricter interpretation of the rules.
There are reports of some branches in Bangkok asking for only your passport, but the more common case seems to be that proof of address or another supporting document is required. Bangkok Bank’s current guidance for foreign customers without a work permit says you need a passport plus at least one acceptable supporting document or reference. Depending on the bank and branch, any of the following documents might also be accepted:
- Thai driving license with your current address
- Thai house registration
- Letter of reference from a “reputable” Thai person, an embassy, a university, an employer, or a similar person or organization accepted by the bank
- Letter from a company stating that you are employed or are in the process of getting a work permit
- Reference message from your home bank to the Thai bank via the SWIFT messaging network
Bring anything that shows you’re in Thailand for a longer period of time, any ID with a picture on it, as well as any documents showing you receive a salary or pension. What gets accepted will depend a bit on the officer on duty and the branch manager in charge.
Banks that let you open an account even with a tourist visa or visa exemption are often located in tourist areas. If in Bangkok, it’s going to be in Silom, Siam, and Sukhumvit sections. If you are in Chiang Mai, check out Central Chiangmai, Nimmanhaemin, and the old town area. Remember that each bank in Thailand has different regulations.
If you are not successful with Bangkok Bank in Siam Paragon, Kasikorn Bank nearby or another branch might do it for you with the same set of documents.
For Bangkok Bank, the Bangkok Bank foreign customer page has online instructions available on how to open an account as a foreign customer. Following them is a good guideline regardless of which bank you’re applying to.
Dress nicely and consider bringing a Thai person to help translate when opening an account. Sometimes indicating that you’d like to make a deposit of THB30,000 to THB50,000 rather than just the minimum balance will be looked upon favorably. None of that is required, but it makes life somewhat easier. As mentioned above, it’s a bit of a branch-by-branch thing.
If approved, you’ll receive a passbook and a debit card. For some things like updating the passport number on file, you’ll have to contact the branch where you opened the account, otherwise you can just use whatever branch is convenient.
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