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Can I open a bank account in Thailand with a DTV visa and later switch to a Non-Immigrant Type O visa?
DTV VisaThai Bank AccountNon-Immigrant VisaVisa Change ProceduresExpat FinanceThailand Immigration Rules
Jun 26, 2025
10 months ago
Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTERHello, my Name is Dieter and I‘m from Austria. I intend to work in Thailand for my Italian company as freelancer with a DTV visa, long term. My First question is: can I open a bank account in the future? And what requirements do I need to meet? Second: can I make a change-of-visa to a Non-Immigrant Type O visa some day?Especially since a bank account seems to be a requirement for the Type O visa.
Any insights or experiences?
Any insights or experiences?
TLDR : Answer Summary
Dieter, an Austrian intending to work in Thailand under a DTV visa, asks whether he can open a bank account and transition to a Non-Immigrant Type O visa. Responses indicate that opening a bank account with a DTV visa is currently unlikely, and transitioning to a Non-Immigrant Type O visa is complicated, as the DTV visa needs to be canceled first before a new visa can be applied for. Issues such as the requirement of a bank account for the Non-Immigrant Type O visa are also discussed, alongside additional options like using affidavits for income certification.
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Nongnuch ********
@Dieter *********
We already exchanged each other in another group.***you cannot get a Thai bank account opened on a touristic entry, and the DTV is a “tourist visa-class”
*** you cannot do the “change of visa type” from a DTV to a 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa.
The DTV is a multi-entry 5-year visa. It needs to get cancelled before you will be able to apply for another visa or the “change of visa type”. You cannot apply for a new visa as long as you are on a still valid visa. And since the DTV is a multi-entry visa type, you just cannot invalidate it by exiting Thailand without a re-entry permit.
***you will need to ask the embassy that issued your DTV if they are willing to invalidate it
*** You have you can use the 5-years DTV fully up, make a border bounce every 180 days, and just let the visa validity expire, before you apply for a 90-days Non-Imm-O visa either anywhere in the World, or inside Thailand on Immigration by applying for the “change of visa type”
Kerry *********
Discuss it with the company's HR department. I went back and forth between having a non-Imm B and a non-Imm OA when I was consulting for a Silicon Valley company that was outsourcing some of their manufacturing to Thailand. If your company has a good HR department and you have some value to that company, things like that can generally be worked out.
Galen *******
Non O Retirement Visa for you if older than 50 years: You don't need a bank account or 800,000 THB in a Thai account. If you earn more than 65,000 Thai Baht per month in Germany, you can have this certified by your embassy or a German consul in Thailand. If you apply for a Non O Retirement in Thailand you need about 90 days. If you are successful, you can apply every year for a 360 days extension of stay. Once done and without breaking rules you don't need to apply for a visa anymore, only for the yearly extension of stay.
Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Galen ******
Are you referring to the visa application in Thailand or in Germany?Galen *******
@Dieter *********
There is no German embassy or consul in Germany. If you apply in Pattaya, you'll find a consul named Hofer, who is equally responsible for Germans and Austrians.Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Galen ******
I wrote consul Hofer 4 Days ago but haven‘t received a response yet.Reply to
Dieter **********
Reply
Greg ***********
@Dieter *********
You said before that you would relocate from Austria to Germany, to your ex-Bavarian address. There you can apply for the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa with money on the bank, or with proof of income, as for the application by the Munich General Consulate, you do not need to be a "real" pensioner yet. But you need to figure out if you can get your DTV cancelled before you apply for a 90-days Non-Imm-O visa by the Munich consulate. You normally cannot apply for a new visa as long as you still hold a valid one or a valid stay permit.Greg ***********
@Dieter *********
we already exchanged PM in another (German speaking) group where you posted the same questionsGreg ***********
@Dieter *********
he is referring to the "change of visa type" from a touristic entry to the 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa. But you only can apply if you can get an "affidavit of income" over a minimum of monthly 65,000 THB. It must be legalized by the German Embassy or a German honorary consul. You could also use the 800,000 THB deposit method, however this would require you to already have a Thai bank account. Without a Thai bank account, the deposit method is blocked. The problem is that new banking rules came out in February 2025, and you can't get a bank account opened any more on a touristic entryReply to
Greg ***********
Reply
Luc ************
@TAG****
is maybe a solution.Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Luc ***********
Good ideaReply to
Dieter **********
Reply
Wannikea *********
Both your queries are difficult. At this time a bank account is very difficult but not impossible. I'm not sure how easy it is to cancel the DTV so that you can apply for another visa.
Dan *******
better have a bank outside Thailand - more easy. Plenty of online bank solutions
Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Dan ******
Another reason to have a bank account in Thailand is that many stores only accept cash or QR code payments. Foreign credit cards are often not accepted.Jim *******
@Dieter *********
Since year 2000, my foreign credit card card always accepted. Wife has supplement cards, linked to mine, always accepted. 25 years like that. True, she moved to Japan in 2008, still the same.Our daughter has the same, always accepted in Australia. The cards are from Japan.
Further more, any 220 THB fee at ATM withdrawal is anulled by our Japan bank.
Reply to
Jim *******
Reply
Jordan *****
@Dan ******
it’s not easy. If you stay long term in Thailand and your card gets swallowed by the atm, or the account gets compromised, you will be left without money. With a Thau bank account you can get cash without a card.Reply to
Jordan *****
Reply
Anna *********
Its unlikely you will be open a bank account with a DTV visa at the moment Who knows what will happen in the future but you can open an account with a non O visa
Dieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Anna ********
for the non O in Thailand a bank account is required before submitting the application. In Austria I cannot get a non O because I have no pension.Anna *********
@Dieter *********
a pension has nothing to do with itDieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Anna ********
In Austria, only a pension is accepted, 800.000 Baht are not accepted. Believe me, I’ve been researching this for three months.Reply to
Dieter **********
Reply
Chris *******
@Dieter *********
that is NOT a requirement for a 90 day non-o visa, just need to prove 800k thai baht.Greg ***********
@Chris ******
and @Anna ********
unfortunately, this requirement is unique from the Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna. They require you to be a "real" pensioner if you want to apply for a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa. If you are over 50 but not yet a "real" pensioner, they will direct you to apply for the 365-days Non-imm-O/A visa. . . . . . in the past you were able to get around this requirement, I have always directed Austrian citizens to enter Thailand on a tourist visa or visa-exempt, and apply for the "change of visa type" to a 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa inside Thailand. . . . . however, a new problem has arisen this year, because unfortunately, in case your income is not sufficient (lower than 65,000 THB) and you need to prove your financials with an 800,000 THB deposit on a Thai bank account, since February 2025 they cannot get a bank account opened on a touristic entry any more. It will need a good and expensive agent who can circumvene the banking rulesDieter **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Chris ******
In Austria, only a pension is accepted, 800.000 Baht are not accepted. Believe me, I’ve been researching this for three months.Reply to
Dieter **********
Reply
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