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How do I apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa in Thailand if I can't open a bank account?

Aug 9, 2025
22 days ago
Ted *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Applying for non immigrant visa ( married to a Thai) Online.

I have just arrived in Thailand ( Chiang Mai ) yesterday and went to a few banks today to open an account.All the 4 banks I asked said I cannot open an account unless I have a work permit, or is studying in a university( degree min) or has a pink card ( whatever that is). These combination or one of these .My question is how do I apply for that visa if I cannot open a bank account in Thailand. I don't meet any of these 3 requirements

Or can I download my bank statement from my home country?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is seeking guidance on applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa (Type O) while facing challenges in opening a bank account in Thailand due to lack of work permit or student status. Multiple commenters explain that they need to find a bank willing to let them open an account under a free entry stamp, or alternatively, they could apply for the visa through a Thai consulate in another country where proving funds from their home bank would be easier.
Tod *********
I declined this post multiple times, AND told the O/P in notes field when I declined it that they needed to CHECK their message requests as I'd messaged them

When I did message them I found messages from 2023 that they'd never read from me too ๐Ÿ˜•

I will let this post on, I will answer it best I can and I will close commenting so that hopefully the O/P will look in their message request folder and respond to me via messenger

๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—น๐˜†๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฎ ( ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฎ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ถ) ๐—ข๐—ป๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ.

๐—œ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ( ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ถ ) ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†

Okay, just so you're clear you cannot apply for a Non-Immigrant Type O visa from a thai consulate in another country (your country OR any other one) unless you're IN that country when you submit your application and unless you stay there until the application is approved or rejected.

Now the fact you can't find a bank to open an account at is sadly NOT a visa issue and you're far from the only foreigner to run into this. It's gonna take you going from bank to bank, branch after branch over and over until you find one that will let you open an account on a free entry stamp, and it's taking a LOT of tries (15-20 in some areas) and sometimes people totally strike out trying to do it

What you COULD do is go to a thai consulate in another country (your country or a nearby one) apply for the initial 90 day Non-O visa thru the eVisa online website <- where you CAN show proof of funds from your country to get the visa issued ๐Ÿ™‚

Once the visa is issued you print it, enter the country and then start hitting up banks again, until you find one that will let you open an account on a 90 day Non-O marriage visa so you can bank the 400K baht to get your year extension when that visa runs out.

You have a far better chance of getting a bank account open when you're here on a 90 day Non-O visa based on marriage than you do trying to open one on a free stamp entry..

As I said I will close commenting on this thread, and hopefully the O/P will respond to me on messenger..

Best of luck to them in their endeavors (y)
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