Opening A Bank Account - How Easy?

[Freddy]

Hi Guys. More questions I'm afraid- Sorry! All still on schedule for arrival in Lam on the 18th September. Got the Non O visa and pretty much got my head around the retirement visa extension requirements. How easy and quick will it be to open a bank account in Lam. My TGF uses Bangkok Bank so thought I would use the same. I will need to get funds transferred over sharpish to season the retirement visa amount and suspect there will be hoops to jump through at the bank. What documents other than my passport will they want to see to open account??   

[urleft]

Freddy,

Check out this thread:  http://www.buriramexpats.com/forum/index.php/topic,2997.msg47398.html#msg47398

However, it should be fairly easy to open a bank account.  BB is good with international bank to bank transfers, but they seem to have large waiting lines.  And it is difficult to get internet banking with them. 

So you might consider BB and another. 

[smoooth2]

Hi Freddy. Your passport will be the only documentation you require.

Your GF will need to sign a doc as a "referree". This might freak her out a bit, as she will probably think she's going "guarantor" for you. Not the case. She's just a Thai national introducing a foreigner to the bank. Will be even easier for you, as your GF is already a Bangkok Bank customer.

You will sign lots of docs, but all standard procedure like any bank. You will need at least 400 baht cash to open the account, as they will immediately give you a Debit Card linked to your new account. The Debit Card costs 300 baht, which will immediately be deducted from your new account. Thereafter it costs 10 baht per month service fee.

You can put the account soley in your name if you wish, or you can make it a joint account. I recommend that you put the account in your name only. Long term ... it's the safest bet. You will be able to transfer money into your GF's account easily in the future if you wish to.

I also recommend that you make the "account mailing address" the same as where you personally live in Buriram ... not the address of your GF or her mother.

Your new account can be accessed online with codes and PIN numbers that the bank will give you.

You will walk out of the bank with a new account, a passbook and a Debit Card. You can fully operate the account immediately, except for the online bit, as they take over 4 weeks or so to post you online access details.

The whole documentation & signing up process takes about 30mins. You will probably sit in the waiting chair for much longer than that !

Good luck & cheers. Really is a very simple straight forward process, but certainly your GF will need to introduce you first up.

[Freddy]

Thank you Urleft and Smooth 2.  Looks like BB the way to go initially and has put my mind at rest about getting account set up quickly. When transferring money I am using a foreign transfer bank called UKForex. They give a better xchange than the high st bank rate ( as much as 2 THB per £) and any transfers over £1k are fee free so just the receiving bank charge (BB) to pay. Worth checking out if you from UK and there must be similar banking services in US and other countries.

[gotlost]

Hi Guys. More questions I'm afraid- Sorry! All still on schedule for arrival in Lam on the 18th September. Got the Non O visa and pretty much got my head around the retirement visa extension requirements. How easy and quick will it be to open a bank account in Lam. My TGF uses Bangkok Bank so thought I would use the same. I will need to get funds transferred over sharpish to season the retirement visa amount and suspect there will be hoops to jump through at the bank. What documents other than my passport will they want to see to open account??

You already got your O visa and your not going to be in Thailand tell September 18. Thats some 67 days away. Whats your enter by date on the O-visa?

[Freddy]

Hi Gotlost. Understand concern. I didn't know how long it would take and couldn't believe it when passport back within 48 hours. Visa is good for entry up to 7th October.

[gotlost]

Hi Gotlost. Understand concern. I didn't know how long it would take and couldn't believe it when passport back within 48 hours. Visa is good for entry up to 7th October.

Great. Signal or multi ?

[Starman]

Hi Gotlost. Understand concern. I didn't know how long it would take and couldn't believe it when passport back within 48 hours. Visa is good for entry up to 7th October.

Great. Signal or multi ?

Wouldn't a multi entry O be valid for 12 months?

[Freddy]

I think so but would still I believe have to leave country every 90 days. My very limited understanding is that the single gets me a stamp in for 90 days, I then extend to 1 year on a retirement visa. 90 day reporting but no need to leave and renter country every 90 days. As not planning to return to UK in first year I opted for the single entry. Hope I got this right !!?

[Starman]

I think so but would still I believe have to leave country every 90 days. My very limited understanding is that the single gets me a stamp in for 90 days, I then extend to 1 year on a retirement visa. 90 day reporting but no need to leave and renter country every 90 days. As not planning to return to UK in first year I opted for the single entry. Hope I got this right !!?

Yes. Everything looks fine. No need to leave the country on an extension of stay.

[gotlost]

I think so but would still I believe have to leave country every 90 days. My very limited understanding is that the single gets me a stamp in for 90 days, I then extend to 1 year on a retirement visa. 90 day reporting but no need to leave and renter country every 90 days. As not planning to return to UK in first year I opted for the single entry. Hope I got this right !!?

Your O visa is apparently a single entry good for only 90 days. There for is a problem. You do not have a bank account and will need to set this up ASAP. You will need to transfer money and that takes time. Your funds for a retirement extension by police orders only needs to be seasoned the first time 60 days and all extensions thereafter 90 days BUT Kap Choeng Immigration says 90 days NO exception. You will have to do a boarder hop one time to gain another 30 days for your funds to season. You can not apply for your extension until your moneys are seasoned for 90 days.

[mudcat]

Make sure the account is in your name only as a joint account will double the retirement qualifying amount.  We got a second atm card to allow our bill-paying relative access to funds while we are out of the country.   Will set up a separate (term) account to hold the qualifying balance.

[toffo]

Bank transfer from the Uk to Thailand takes 1 Day only..

[Freddy]

Hi Gotlost - Thats interesting. Is the 90 day money seasoning requirement unique to KCI ??  if so I guess I have a couple of options. Views welcome:-  I can show monthly pension income sufficient to meet requirement or continue to go the money in bank way and go and do the retirement extension at the Bangkok Embassy after 60 day seasoning. Thats assuming they follow the 60 day rule? 

[gotlost]

Hi Gotlost - Thats interesting. Is the 90 day money seasoning requirement unique to KCI ??  if so I guess I have a couple of options. Views welcome:-  I can show monthly pension income sufficient to meet requirement or continue to go the money in bank way and go and do the retirement extension at the Bangkok Embassy after 60 day seasoning. Thats assuming they follow the 60 day rule?

This is KCI's requirements. What do you mean by "retirement extension at the Bangkok Embassy"? My suggestion is get a certification letter of income from your embassy in Bangkok. This letter can not be more than 30 days old. So I would suggest since you can apply for your extension up to 45 days before your O-visa expires you return to BK about half way threw your 90 days and go to your embassy and get your letter. When you come back go to KCI and apply for your retirement extension it will be granted and tacked onto the end of your O-visa so you will get full use of it. When the O-visa ends you automatically go into your retirement extension.