Problem opening a Thai bank account

[uncle tom]

For my international business payments back in England, I now use a company called SAT Worldwide, who offer exchange rates that are very much closer to the published forex rates than any high street bank.

So for my future trips to the LoS it seems logical to set up a Thai bank account and use SAT to transfer all my funds for each trip in one go - getting a better exchange rate and no ATM fees as a result.

The GF has her account with SCB, so I went with her to the branch near the main traffic lights to sort an account.

Problem: They won't give me an account unless I have a permanent visa to stay in Thailand..

Before I traipse round all the other banks, am I going to get the same message everywhere? - and if so, are there any neat ways round the problem?

[daddy]

Hello!


You need a right visa (no VOA!) and a confirmed address. Then you have to try it in another branch office and you will be successfully.
It's normally that every office is working different. This is my own expierience.

[STEVE G]

Try Bangkok Bank, the main branch in Hua Hin gave me an account on a tourist stamp and I know others who have one as well.

[richard]

Try Bangkok Bank, the main branch in Hua Hin gave me an account on a tourist stamp and I know others who have one as well.

Yep. Very easy. Walk in with passport and some sort of cash. Walk out with account opened and a debit card.

[traveller2]

Try Bangkok Bank, the main branch in Hua Hin gave me an account on a tourist stamp and I know others who have one as well.

Yep. Very easy. Walk in with passport and some sort of cash. Walk out with account opened and a debit card.

Same at Kasikorn bank

[oakdale160]

No problem, find a nice Thai lady in a bar on BB. Go to the bank, open an account in her name and put ALL your money in the account. Explain to her that she cannot withdraw any money from the account. Wasn't that easy. Please keep enough money in cash to get to the airport.

[caller]

SCB turned me down as well, went to Kasikorn instead.

[JuiceLover]

oakdale160: won't try doing that, just curious what BB* stand for (now I'm actually finalizing an HH Forum Expat dictionary just adding some abbreviations)

*BB = wild guess; BintaBaht or Bin Tabac