I opened a bank account with only my passport in Pattaya, here is how...

[Danbrooks2k]

Ok,

I decided to write this after reading literally hundreds of posts and guides to opening a Thai bank account and none of them worked.

My Thai friends giggle every time they see me in my "Bank clothes" for the last 5 trips to Thailand. I make it a point not to go into a bank wearing a tank top and flip flops. I wear a polo or button down shirt. closed toed shoes and long pants. In 5 trips to Thailand and several attempts each trip I have never been lucky... the right bank, right location, right employee on the right time of the right day. I heard that Bangkok bank will open an account if you buy a 1 year travelers insurance policy, but I have never had any luck even going so far as to holding a few thousand baht in my hand as I approach the teller.

This time I decided to just bite the bullet and pay a concierge service to get me a bank account as all my past attempts have been a failure, while others get a bank account on the first try. So I went to J&E concierge service in Pattaya, on their website they explain that you pay a fee and they send you to a partner bank and you get an account. I was asked if I had proof of residence... all I had was my Air bnb 3 week condo reservation with and address and the dates... They told me THEY COULDNT HELP ME UNLESS I HAD PROOF OF RESIDENCE FROM THAI IMMIGRATION!?!?!?! If I had that I wouldnt need to pay them to help me!!!

So I called Siam Legal ( they no longer have an office in Pattaya ) He said he could get me a bank account at any number of banks for the set fee on their website. I planned on taking a taxi to BKK the next day but really didnt want to leave Pattaya. 

I sat down to eat breakfast at Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao as my holiday GF messaged me to hurry back because she was horny... lol... As I walked out of cheap Charlies just to my left I saw a Visa/immigration office behind a sliding glass door with a single Thai lady sitting alone. I had 30 minutes or so for my Viagra to kick in so I decided to give it a shot. I smiled and offered a Thai greeting and asked if she was busy. I sat down and told her I have been to Thailand 6 times and tried over 15 times to get a bank account. I explained that I was 51 and wanted to work on a retirement visa once covid died down and wanted to have the bank account already in place, and to make transferring money to myself possible.

She said, any Bangkok bank will open an account for you with just your passport if you buy 1 year travelers insurance policy. I explained that they never allowed me this option in many attempts and then asked if she had any "friends" she could call at the bank. Even she was unsuccessful on her first attempt to get bangkok bank in Pratumnak to agree... her second call was the bangkok bank right on beach road. She told me they would open an account for me and wrote me a note to bring to the teller... She never asked me for a penny. She hailed a taxi driver and explained where to take me.

It was about 30 minutes of signing forms and they wanted me to write my signature a few extra times to make them match... I am a paramedic and have a doctors hand writing I guess.... but I walked out with the Bangkok bank app on my phone with 500 baht in my account, a debit card and a bank book... I guess the entire ordeal cost me around 200$ But I just wanted to get it done and over with.

That evening I decided to use the wise app to transfer money from my US bank account to my Thai Bank account... i sent 100$ and it was there instantly... a matter of seconds. I also have the Wise debit card I can send money to and use world wide... I have used Wise for years and its been really reliable, cheap and never an issue.

I made a special trip the next morning to find the lady, show her my bank card and give her 500 baht and to thank her for helping me. When a concierge service that bribes bank employees to open your account wont even accept your money It was amazing to have a stranger help out.

SO TLDR... the Visa service place just next to Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao has a lady that can call a Bangkok bank branch and get you an account...

 

SO HELP ME GOD... The first person that says... My first day in Thailand I opened a bank account at the airport and didnt even have a passport... Just go walk in traffic!!! LOL .... I generally have 50/50 luck in life... but a thai bank account just was really unlucky for me for over 2 years of trying.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Danbrooks2k
spelling

[Poolie]

Thanks for the info. Most helpful.

[JamesR]

1 hour ago, Danbrooks2k said:

Ok,

I decided to write this after reading literally hundreds of posts and guides to opening a Thai bank account and none of them worked.

My Thai friends giggle every time they see me in my "Bank clothes" for the last 5 trips to Thailand. I make it a point not to go into a bank wearing a tank top and flip flops. I wear a polo or button down shirt. closed toed shoes and long pants. In 5 trips to Thailand and several attempts each trip I have never been lucky... the right bank, right location, right employee on the right time of the right day. I heard that Bangkok bank will open an account if you buy a 1 year travelers insurance policy, but I have never had any luck even going so far as to holding a few thousand baht in my hand as I approach the teller.

This time I decided to just bite the bullet and pay a concierge service to get me a bank account as all my past attempts have been a failure, while others get a bank account on the first try. So I went to J&E concierge service in Pattaya, on their website they explain that you pay a fee and they send you to a partner bank and you get an account. I was asked if I had proof of residence... all I had was my Air bnb 3 week condo reservation with and address and the dates... They told me THEY COULDNT HELP ME UNLESS I HAD PROOF OF RESIDENCE FROM THAI IMMIGRATION!?!?!?! If I had that I wouldnt need to pay them to help me!!!

So I called Siam Legal ( they no longer have an office in Pattaya ) He said he could get me a bank account at any number of banks for the set fee on their website. I planned on taking a taxi to BKK the next day but really didnt want to leave Pattaya. 

I sat down to eat breakfast at Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao as my holiday GF messaged me to hurry back because she was horny... lol... As I walked out of cheap Charlies just to my left I saw a Visa/immigration office behind a sliding glass door with a single Thai lady sitting alone. I had 30 minutes or so for my Viagra to kick in so I decided to give it a shot. I smiled and offered a Thai greeting and asked if she was busy. I sat down and told her I have been to Thailand 6 times and tried over 15 times to get a bank account. I explained that I was 51 and wanted to work on a retirement visa once covid died down and wanted to have the bank account already in place, and to make transferring money to myself possible.

She said, any Bangkok bank will open an account for you with just your passport if you buy 1 year travelers insurance policy. I explained that they never allowed me this option in many attempts and then asked if she had any "friends" she could call at the bank. Even she was unsuccessful on her first attempt to get bangkok bank in Pratumnak to agree... her second call was the bangkok bank right on beach road. She told me they would open an account for me and wrote me a note to bring to the teller... She never asked me for a penny. She hailed a taxi driver and explained where to take me.

It was about 30 minutes of signing forms and they wanted me to write my signature a few extra times to make them match... I am a paramedic and have a doctors hand writing I guess.... but I walked out with the Bangkok bank app on my phone with 500 baht in my account, a debit card and a bank book... I guess the entire ordeal cost me around 200$ But I just wanted to get it done and over with.

That evening I decided to use the wise app to transfer money from my US bank account to my Thai Bank account... i sent 100$ and it was there instantly... a matter of seconds. I also have the Wise debit card I can send money to and use world wide... I have used Wise for years and its been really reliable, cheap and never an issue.

I made a special trip the next morning to find the lady, show her my bank card and give her 500 baht and to thank her for helping me. When a concierge service that bribes bank employees to open your account wont even accept your money It was amazing to have a stranger help out.

SO TLDR... the Visa service place just next to Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao has a lady that can call a Bangkok bank branch and get you an account...

SO HELP ME GOD... The first person that says... My first day in Thailand I opened a bank account at the airport and didnt even have a passport... Just go walk in traffic!!! LOL .... I generally have 50/50 luck in life... but a thai bank account just was really unlucky for me for over 2 years of trying.

I have to say it, I opened a bank account 21 years ago in Phuket with Bangkok Bank, passport, address of a friends house.

It took me all in all about ten minutes.

I use the company called 'wise' as well to transfer money from the UK to my Thai bank account, a year or so ago it used to take a few days but the last few times it has taken five seconds to get into my bank account.

 

[Danbrooks2k]

39 minutes ago, JamesR said:

I have to say it, I opened a bank account 21 years ago in Phuket with Bangkok Bank, passport, address of a friends house.

It took me all in all about ten minutes.

I use the company called 'wise' as well to transfer money from the UK to my Thai bank account, a year or so ago it used to take a few days but the last few times it has taken five seconds to get into my bank account.

You bastard!!! LOL... I knew that would be the first reply here... I have talked to many Farang that had great luck with it... and a few with my luck. I think 21 years ago may have been less restrictions in place.

Wise is kinda awesome... I keep a little USD on my wise debit card just in case of emergency... sure enough my normal debit card got locked for suspicious activity ( buying food at an american airport ) but I had my backup until I got it sorted... its like a secondary bank account and transfer service all in one... Love WISE!

[JamesR]

24 minutes ago, Danbrooks2k said:

You bastard!!! LOL... I knew that would be the first reply here... I have talked to many Farang that had great luck with it... and a few with my luck. I think 21 years ago may have been less restrictions in place.

Wise is kinda awesome... I keep a little USD on my wise debit card just in case of emergency... sure enough my normal debit card got locked for suspicious activity ( buying food at an american airport ) but I had my backup until I got it sorted... its like a secondary bank account and transfer service all in one... Love WISE!

Yes I am assuming things were different in those days regarding opening a bank account.

They are certainly different in the UK.

Ten months ago I went to my bank and asked to take out £8000 in cash, they said they did not have it and to come back tomorrow to fill out some forms, bring passport etc, I said I could not be bothered with all that.

I then took out £1000 on a daily basis from an ATM cash machine.

After the fifth day the fraud team at the bank phone me and asked why I need so much cash, I said I am doing up my house to sell and I need to pay builders cash.

He told me to stop taking money out of the ATM.

I carried on and so after two days my account was frozen without notice.

I phoned him and he said I have to go to my main bank and talk to them, I did and the guy there said it all sounds reasonable, my account was set up again.

I had sold a small business two years earlier and had £180k in my account.

I then used the ATM again, the same guy phoned me and I was so annoyed I told him to fu** off, he said he would send the police, I told him to do whatever the effing thing he wanted to do.

Ten minutes later two police officers arrived and asked me why I needed the money and I said it was part payment to put a new kitchen in and the builder wanted part cash, one officer said he had done that, it is normal.

He looked at the house and said £8000 is peanuts compared to the value of the house and he laughed. 

A police report went back to the bank and my account was all OK from that point.

I then sold my house, the money went into my account and then I opened up a number of other accounts online and moved all the money into those and closed down the bank account I had the problem with.

By the way a new law has been passed in Thailand effective 7th jan 2022 where if you send more than 50k baht to a Thai bank account using 'wise' for example you can only do so to Kasikorn Bank, Bangkok Bank and Siam Commerce Bank.

[Vince]

@Danbrooks2kgreat post! 

But I'm not sure what to make of this part:

I am supposed to meet a woman in a cafe and ask her to write a note for me to buy travelers insurance for $200 USD / 6600 THB ? 

What did the note say? How can I do this in my town of (Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Bangkok) also? 

Thanks! 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Vince
Town

[WilliamG]

9 hours ago, Danbrooks2k said:

You bastard!!! LOL... I knew that would be the first reply here... I have talked to many Farang that had great luck with it... and a few with my luck. I think 21 years ago may have been less restrictions in place.

Wise is kinda awesome... I keep a little USD on my wise debit card just in case of emergency... sure enough my normal debit card got locked for suspicious activity ( buying food at an american airport ) but I had my backup until I got it sorted... its like a secondary bank account and transfer service all in one... Love WISE!

REVOLUT is a similar card, but no THB account as yet. WISE is tops!

[Guest1]

23 hours ago, Danbrooks2k said:

if you buy 1 year travelers insurance policy

What I would like to know:

A travelers insurance from Bangkok Bank, isn't that the kind of insurance, that gets you insured, if OUTSIDE of Thailand? Travelling?

If that is like that, I'd say that is lost money!

[Marc26]

On 1/23/2022 at 7:59 AM, Danbrooks2k said:

You bastard!!! LOL... I knew that would be the first reply here... I have talked to many Farang that had great luck with it... and a few with my luck. I think 21 years ago may have been less restrictions in place.

Wise is kinda awesome... I keep a little USD on my wise debit card just in case of emergency... sure enough my normal debit card got locked for suspicious activity ( buying food at an american airport ) but I had my backup until I got it sorted... its like a secondary bank account and transfer service all in one... Love WISE!

I have USD/CAD/THB on my Wise account

 

I don't know why, but I am so excited to you use my WISE card to buy stuff in Thai Baht this time  :)

[SnapDragon]

Wise will be is a solid position if the US Dollar runs into problems. Which it could easily do this year.

I certainly don't trust the UK banks. Rather keep Baht dosh.

[Hansum]

21 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I have USD/CAD/THB on my Wise account

I don't know why, but I am so excited to you use my WISE card to buy stuff in Thai Baht this time  :)

Be wary that should they ever go tits up the money is not protected by the FSCS, so best not to keep too much in.

Funds apparently sit in a Barclays holding account.

 

[Hansum]

6 minutes ago, snapdragon said:

Wise will be is a solid position if the US Dollar runs into problems. Which it could easily do this year.

I certainly don't trust the UK banks. Rather keep Baht dosh.

Wise isn't a bank.

https://wise.com/help/articles/2949821/is-it-safe-to-keep-money-in-my-wise-account

[SnapDragon]

13 minutes ago, Hansum said:

Wise isn't a bank.

https://wise.com/help/articles/2949821/is-it-safe-to-keep-money-in-my-wise-account

Been with them for a few years.

I reckon they will survive the inevitable catastrophe. Banks will not

[Marc26]

20 minutes ago, Hansum said:

Be wary that should they ever go tits up the money is not protected by the FSCS, so best not to keep too much in.

Funds apparently sit in a Barclays holding account.

Only spending money

 

Right now have 400cad, 150usd, 1500 baht

 

But will throw USD on when I go to Chicago in a couple week

And around 50k baht when I go to Thailand end of the month

[JamesR]

3 hours ago, snapdragon said:

Wise will be is a solid position if the US Dollar runs into problems. Which it could easily do this year.

I certainly don't trust the UK banks. Rather keep Baht dosh.

I certainly do trust UK banks , I would not trust  Thai banks. 
 

in the UK I have my money spread  over a number of accounts at a max of £85000 per bank as that is what the government guarantees per bank. 
 

When I am in Thailand I only transfer over what I need on a monthly time scale. 
 

Thailand is just a place to visit even if it is for years as we can only stay there on one year visa extensions which could change at anytime. 

[Thai_Law]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:14 PM, Danbrooks2k said:

Ok,

I decided to write this after reading literally hundreds of posts and guides to opening a Thai bank account and none of them worked.

My Thai friends giggle every time they see me in my "Bank clothes" for the last 5 trips to Thailand. I make it a point not to go into a bank wearing a tank top and flip flops. I wear a polo or button down shirt. closed toed shoes and long pants. In 5 trips to Thailand and several attempts each trip I have never been lucky... the right bank, right location, right employee on the right time of the right day. I heard that Bangkok bank will open an account if you buy a 1 year travelers insurance policy, but I have never had any luck even going so far as to holding a few thousand baht in my hand as I approach the teller.

This time I decided to just bite the bullet and pay a concierge service to get me a bank account as all my past attempts have been a failure, while others get a bank account on the first try. So I went to J&E concierge service in Pattaya, on their website they explain that you pay a fee and they send you to a partner bank and you get an account. I was asked if I had proof of residence... all I had was my Air bnb 3 week condo reservation with and address and the dates... They told me THEY COULDNT HELP ME UNLESS I HAD PROOF OF RESIDENCE FROM THAI IMMIGRATION!?!?!?! If I had that I wouldnt need to pay them to help me!!!

So I called Siam Legal ( they no longer have an office in Pattaya ) He said he could get me a bank account at any number of banks for the set fee on their website. I planned on taking a taxi to BKK the next day but really didnt want to leave Pattaya. 

I sat down to eat breakfast at Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao as my holiday GF messaged me to hurry back because she was horny... lol... As I walked out of cheap Charlies just to my left I saw a Visa/immigration office behind a sliding glass door with a single Thai lady sitting alone. I had 30 minutes or so for my Viagra to kick in so I decided to give it a shot. I smiled and offered a Thai greeting and asked if she was busy. I sat down and told her I have been to Thailand 6 times and tried over 15 times to get a bank account. I explained that I was 51 and wanted to work on a retirement visa once covid died down and wanted to have the bank account already in place, and to make transferring money to myself possible.

She said, any Bangkok bank will open an account for you with just your passport if you buy 1 year travelers insurance policy. I explained that they never allowed me this option in many attempts and then asked if she had any "friends" she could call at the bank. Even she was unsuccessful on her first attempt to get bangkok bank in Pratumnak to agree... her second call was the bangkok bank right on beach road. She told me they would open an account for me and wrote me a note to bring to the teller... She never asked me for a penny. She hailed a taxi driver and explained where to take me.

It was about 30 minutes of signing forms and they wanted me to write my signature a few extra times to make them match... I am a paramedic and have a doctors hand writing I guess.... but I walked out with the Bangkok bank app on my phone with 500 baht in my account, a debit card and a bank book... I guess the entire ordeal cost me around 200$ But I just wanted to get it done and over with.

That evening I decided to use the wise app to transfer money from my US bank account to my Thai Bank account... i sent 100$ and it was there instantly... a matter of seconds. I also have the Wise debit card I can send money to and use world wide... I have used Wise for years and its been really reliable, cheap and never an issue.

I made a special trip the next morning to find the lady, show her my bank card and give her 500 baht and to thank her for helping me. When a concierge service that bribes bank employees to open your account wont even accept your money It was amazing to have a stranger help out.

SO TLDR... the Visa service place just next to Cheap Charlies on Soi Buakhao has a lady that can call a Bangkok bank branch and get you an account...

SO HELP ME GOD... The first person that says... My first day in Thailand I opened a bank account at the airport and didnt even have a passport... Just go walk in traffic!!! LOL .... I generally have 50/50 luck in life... but a thai bank account just was really unlucky for me for over 2 years of trying.

This is a great post! Thanks. it cost you about 7000 Baht. What type of visa did you have ? Just a note the the guys. Thai Legal Protection offers a special privilege to our members to get this done for a lot less money. You can view this post for details: 

 

[Bobbyj]

Back about 1999, I went into an SCB branch in Phosri Road, Udon Thani and opened a bank account on a thirty day visa on arrival. No actual proof of where I was staying, although it was with my girlfriend's Thai family. It was easy back then, now it's totally different. My account diminished and the bank closed it. Five years ago, I went into SCB, Kasikorn and Bangkok Bank in a small town name Phonvisai. I had a two month tourist visa and none of them would let me open an account. I'm  in Thailand at present staying with Thai family and I went with the house owner to Nong Khai immigration to register where I am staying for two months on tourist visa. They gave me a skip of paper confirming where I am staying. I went into an SCB branch in Udon Thani, Central Plaza, with a Thai, who asked, armed with this bit if immigration paper, if I could open a bank account. Lady said no, minimum need a non immigrant 'O' visa, but told me to go to Bank Bank and try there. Not been yet but will try