Opening a Bank Account

One would think that opening a bank account would be a simple matter.

Think again!

Unless you have a work permit or meet some other cumbersome requirements you cannot open an account without

• A Thai guarantor  (Only required in special circumstances, but if needed, Jen can be your gaurantor.)
• A rental agreement
• A non-immigrant visa
• And in most cases, someone with you who speaks Thai. (Jen)

If you are a husband and wife, be sure the rental agreement is in both of your names.  Because, for your visa extensions, you will both need to have your own bank account with the required amount of money (800,000 THB for a retirement visa or 400,000 THB for a marriage visa).

IMPORTANT: BANK ACCOUNTS CANNOT BE JOINT ACCOUNTS.

Once your account is opened, there is an abundance of ATM machines where you can get cash with no fee.