13 thoughts on “Opening a Thai Bank Account: A Guide for Expats and Tourists”

  1. I just tried to open an account at Bangkok Bank in Jomtien. I had everything, passport with marriage visa, certificate of residence, more forms of ID, everything. My Thai wife was with me. The bank said I’m too old. I’m 67. I don’t understand. I am upset, shocked, and confused. Is this really Bangkok Bank’s policy? Should I try a different branch? What can I do?

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    • Sorry to hear that. You can try a different branch or different bank. Also, it might be a good idea to ask your wife to talk to a bank employee.

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  2. Is it possible to open a bank account in Thailand with a tourist visa? Which banks are allowed?

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  3. hi there, is it possible to get an account with 0% interest rates in thailand? i know – strange question – but at least it is cause i want to avoid tax-stress with my homecountry for a couple of baht..

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  4. I noticed that you mentioned a license to remit funds abroad, could you expand on that please, I am about to deposit funds for a retirement visa, but if there is any difficulty remitting overseas I will speed up my plans to go to Mexico to live (Where they really do welcome me)

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    • Not sure what it’s like with retirement visas. For most people working in Thailand, the maximum a bank will allow them to remit abroad per year is equal to their annual salary. Then again, I guess you could have multiple bank accounts as it seems the limit is set by the individual bank. Not sure how this works if you’re a retiree. In general I presume remittances below 10k USD will draw little scrutiny. However, keep in mind that you’ll lose some money on the exchange rate (inbound and outbound), so if you can afford it and know you’ll need the cash while here in the future, you may want to consider keeping it in the country.

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  5. Hi I recently Nov 18 opened a savings account at Bangkok bank In Tesco lotus in phuket I had to go get a visa extension in patong along with another form stamped by immigration in patong and then was able to open the account.

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  6. We have a Bangkok Bank savings account which originally came with a Visa cards, unfortunately my husband lost it and they replaced it with a Union Pay card, which is completely useless! They refuse to issue another Visa card because they say they aren’t doing them anymore. We are going to look at opening another bank account just so we can have a card which can be used to pay for stuff online.

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    • Hello,
      Just had the issue last month. They are promoting Union Pay with Rabbit – cheaper card issue and some sort of insurance promotion. But ask for Mastercard and they will give it. 100 b more, works online with OTP (everywhere, so far). Does not work like a CC if you give to a supplier over the phone. UP is not even fully accepted in Thailand, not to mind EU or NA.

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  7. Hello siam commercial bank does not have checkbook for USD. My organization has to fill up a form and withdrawal.slip. its odd cheque is not used.

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    • Yeah, foreign currency accounts are very limiting. I usually opt against it as the fees for withdrawals usually destroy any exchange rate savings you might have. It doesn’t really work like a current account. The main benefit is a reduced currency risk when dealing a lot in foreign currencies.

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  8. Could I rent an apartment using a credit card, or must I have a Thai bank account for that?

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    • Some serviced apartments may accept credit cards, but they’ll add the fee (or up to 5%) on top of your rent.

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