Opening a bank account without a work permit at Bangkok Bank
On a more practical note, clients often ask us for assistance with opening a personal bank account in Thailand. Such an account offers a lot of benefits, but many foreigners, who are only visiting Thailand for a relatively short period of time, have faced problems with meeting the bank’s requirements. Most banks ask for a business visa and a work permit, even for the setting up a simple savings account. But a few banks are more flexible than that. For example, foreigners can open a savings account at Bangkok Bank, which is one of the major Thai banks, and apply for additional services such as Debit Card, ATM and Internet Banking, by holding tourist visa only and without holding a work permit.
At Bangkok Bank, currently the documents that you need to provide are
1. your passport,
2. one further official identification document, such as a reference letter from your embassy, your home bank or another person acceptable to the bank.
3. your address in Thailand as well as your regular address in your home country.
Please feel free to contact us if you require assistance with handling your banking matters in Thailand.
Fabian Doppler
Fabian is a founding partner of FRANK Legal & Tax. He focuses his practice on corporate / commercial and real estate law, as well as litigation. He is admitted to the Bar of Stuttgart, where he actively practiced law before coming to Thailand in 2005.
