Tourist Banking

[Chriss]

A couple of questions..

1. Are there any banks that allow a basic savings / ATM card bank account to be opened with just a 60 day visa on entry. If not what is the minimum visa requirement.

2. Is there a daily limit on the amount of foreign cash that can be exchanged for Baht in a bank.

Second question because we took our visitor to the SCB in Central and they limited them to an exchange of £1,000 only… this was exchange for Thai cash, they would allow more if anything over £1,000 was deposited into an account.

Thanks.

[Declan MacPherson]

1. Depends on what day at what bank. Some are successful. Some not. I was able to do it years ago. Good luck.

2. Not aware of any, but I haven't tried more than $10,000 USD. Make sure all of your foreign bills are crisp and with no markings on them.

[Chriss]

1. Depends on what day at what bank. Some are successful. Some not. I was able to do it years ago. Good luck.

2. Not aware of any, but I haven't tried more than $10,000 USD. Make sure all of your foreign bills are crisp and with no markings on them.

I’m thinking maybe your $10k would have been into a Thai bank account.. our visitor wanted to exchange more than £2,000 into Thai Baht notes.. was limited to £1,000…

We’re in the city again Thursday so we’ll have another go at exchange, from a different bank.

[Declan MacPherson]

Do $1,000 at one bank and $1,000 at another bank.

If desperate, pay the fee and go to a gold shop that exchanges currency.

[tamada]

Do $1,000 at one bank and $1,000 at another bank.

If desperate, pay the fee and go to a gold shop that exchanges currency.

Sound advice, or take a trip to where the tourists are? The branches there are possibly less averse to exchanging a wedge of foreign money. I exchanged £10,000 at Bangkok Bank Second Road branch last century, no promplem. They even allowed me to open an account while I was on a 30-day visa-exempt visit.

If the OP has an account here, couldn't he deposit his visitor's poonds in his account, then withdraw the baht the visitor needs?

[Chriss]

Yes, I could have the money deposited into one of my bank accounts, which is how we did it previously but given our guest visits twice, sometimes three times a year (less than six months in total) and spends this sort of cash each trip I’m a little wary at present as this could be classed as my assessable income or a gift and thereby subject to taxation.

We’re going to try for a bank account, if you don’t ask you don’t get, or simply as said above use more than one bank.

[Declan MacPherson]

Yes, I could have the money deposited into one of my bank accounts, which is how we did it previously but given our guest visits twice, sometimes three times a year (less than six months in total) and spends this sort of cash each trip I’m a little wary at present as this could be classed as my assessable income or a gift and thereby subject to taxation.

We’re going to try for a bank account, if you don’t ask you don’t get, or simply as said above use more than one bank.

Even different branches of the same bank on the same day might be different, Chriss.
As you know, TIT. It's whacky.

I opened an account with a Tourist Visa when so many said it couldn't be done (way back when). Wasn't long after that, I was able to buy a scooter (cash of course) after being told probably wouldn't happen.

Like you said, doesn't hurt to try/ask.

[AlexO]

Same for me. Opened an account with Kashikorn while on tourist visa. Think if you are going to deposit a decent amount then the rules tend to be adjusted somewhat.

[tamada]

I don't think "way back when" is relevant these days. I was in the bank to exchange £10,000. While I was waiting for the paperwork, I asked if I could open an account and the forex girl asked the manager, who on being told I didn't have a visa, said "cannot". Then the manager asked the girl how much I was exchanging and when told it was up near 700,000 baht worth (way back when), she said I could open an account.

Much more recently, I needed to renew my pass book and went to the main branch here since my account was in Pattaya. They noticed that I was on a different passport from the one on file from two years ago when I had a Ret Ext. They needed to update that on their system and had a bit of a gurn that the new passport didn't have a long-stay visa, only a visa-exempt entry. They went ahead and updated the file and issued a new pass book but kept taking about the need to open an account in Udon. When pressed, they said it would need either a WP or long-stay visa to do that.

We're not in Kansas anymore.

[AlexO]

I don't think "way back when" is relevant these days. I was in the bank to exchange £10,000. While I was waiting for the paperwork, I asked if I could open an account and the forex girl asked the manager, who on being told I didn't have a visa, said "cannot". Then the manager asked the girl how much I was exchanging and when told it was up near 700,000 baht worth (way back when), she said I could open an account.

Much more recently, I needed to renew my pass book and went to the main branch here since my account was in Pattaya. They noticed that I was on a different passport from the one on file from two years ago when I had a Ret Ext. They needed to update that on their system and had a bit of a gurn that the new passport didn't have a long-stay visa, only a visa-exempt entry. They went ahead and updated the file and issued a new pass book but kept taking about the need to open an account in Udon. When pressed, they said it would need either a WP or long-stay visa to do that.

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Okay good for you.
My first account was in Patts as well. Then moved up to sleepy town. Was getting a wee tad annoyed at paying the out of province surcharge so opened a Udon account. Was totally peed off when the Bank charged the OOP surcharge on the whole transferred amount. More than 4 million transferred, no wonder there's no poor bankers.

[Declan MacPherson]

Same for me. Opened an account with Kashikorn while on tourist visa. Think if you are going to deposit a decent amount then the rules tend to be adjusted somewhat.

My first account here was with Kasikorn also. Then opened in three other banks to stay "covered" in the event of bank idiocy.

When SCB stopped allowing online banking on the desktop, I stopped allowing SCB to hold onto any of my money. After about six months, I closed that account. Still use 4 banks.