Answereda year ago
What are the alternatives to opening a traditional bank account in Thailand for freelancers?
What are the alternatives to solve this that you can’t open a traditional bank account in Thailand?
Do they have neobanks that are easier to open?
I’m a freelancer and I just need to get paid somewhere, right now I have a balance account on the clients platform but that service only is deposit and I need to cash out those money to an Bank who have IBAN and who can give me virtual pay card so I can spend and use my money.
Please give me all tips and tricks. Thanks!
Do they have neobanks that are easier to open?
I’m a freelancer and I just need to get paid somewhere, right now I have a balance account on the clients platform but that service only is deposit and I need to cash out those money to an Bank who have IBAN and who can give me virtual pay card so I can spend and use my money.
Please give me all tips and tricks. Thanks!
Answer summary
The post discusses alternatives for freelancers in Thailand who face challenges in opening traditional bank accounts. Suggestions include using neobanks like Wise and Revolut, which provide IBANs and virtual payment cards. Other options mentioned are maintaining a bank account in one's home country or using payment platforms like Stripe for billing. There are also references to local payment apps like TrueMoney and the importance of considering the location of clients for banking purposes.
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Henrik *****
Your customers can not be in Thailand, so no need for a Thai bank account, but a account in the country of your customers, so they don’t need to pay for international transfers.
Alain ***************
Wise offers IBAN, virtual and physical cards
Alain ***************
Looks like they have a thai version website. It jumps to german because of my browser settings, so I can’t really check
Thoughtful**********
OP@Alain **************
but that’s because you still are tax resident in your home country that’s why u could open? The things is I don’t have any ties to my home country and I don’t want either because I don’t want be considered as tax resident and maybe opening wise account with home country address do consider me lie that even if I live in Thailand?Alain ***************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 you could try calling wise support. They’re quite friendly and helpful
Thoughtful**********
OP@Alain **************
even if you open it in Thailand? And not changing the country to your home country?Alain ***************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 I opened it before I moved here but they were able to send me a replacement card to bangkok. Maybe they can send new cards, too
Stuart *********
Wise account will sort all your problems
Amir ***********
Hello 👋🏼
I have a Digital Marketing company and use stripe to bill. Highly recommend it.
I have a Digital Marketing company and use stripe to bill. Highly recommend it.
Mercy *********
If you have a bank acvount at home, I think Wise and Paypal offer a debit card. Grab takes cards, but sometimes it doesn't work or gets disabled. TrueMoney is a scan app that you can top up with cash or have a Thai friend top up with their bank. But TrueMoney is also not 100% reliable. Otherwise, cash and ATM. Keeping my fingers crossed that my TH bank from a few years ago doesn't close though. It's a lot more convenient.
John **********
Open a bank account in your home country like others do. It's about your only option. I find it hard to understand that you don't already have one, so I can only surmise you don't want to use it for some reason
James ********
Agreed 👍
Anonymous ******************
Change to a really visa. I buy the Goldcard from Thailand Privilege and its worth every penny. I get treated like King on the bank. I get 5 years drive License and other vip treatment. DTV its a Visa for poor people.
Thoughtful**********
OPAnonymous participant 631 how much did it cost and what’s the requirements
Anonymous ******************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 900 000 baht. No crimes in Thailand and no overstay.
Andi ***********
ThoughtfulLychee5096 Yes, you just pay the money and you good to go. They help you set up a bank account,
Thoughtful**********
OPAnonymous participant 631 so only pay 900 000 and no crime register then you get the gold visa without any other requirement ?
Anonymous ******************
Dont you have a bank account in your home country? Otherwise maybe look into Revolut or wise?
Thoughtful**********
OPAnonymous participant 722 I’m in a gray zone atm don’t have any ties to my home country anymore and don’t want either.
Jef ********
Gray area meaning you are trying to evade tax 😂😆
Jerry ***********
Anonymous participant 576 weed shops? Laundries? Hardly comparable
Anonymous ******************
@Jerry **********
Ah yes, let’s allow “nomads” who have no real ties to the country to open bank accounts. Surly that will not lead to a bunch of money laundering.Jef ********
I didn’t ask you for your opinion 🙏🏽👌
Jerry ***********
@Jef *******
big assumption. I left my home country over 20 years ago. Why the hell would I want my money going there or being taxed there which is no benefit to me at all. The whole point of a DTV is being able to earn money pretty much freelance or remote so it's insane Thailand won't let you open an account.Jef ********
Yeah from what i can gather though thais tax is alot better then some European country’s etc.
That’s why there is also so many people eager to get a TIN number in Thailand
That’s why there is also so many people eager to get a TIN number in Thailand
Greg ********
@Jef *******
Yet he wanted his payments to come into a Thai account. At the moment that might raise red flags here lolGreg ********
What bank account did you use to get the DTV? Will that not work?
Andi ***********
@Greg *******
good questionAndi ***********
Wise is a very popular neobank, Revolut is another option.
Anonymous ******************
@Andi **********
Revolut is trying to close my account because they noticed my cards spendings are all in Thailand. And they don't accept Thailand as a residence.Andi ***********
Anonymous participant 473 That's not good. Wise is not like that. Starling, Monzo are other options, not used them myself but have heard others do
Andi ***********
ThoughtfulLychee5096 Wise is available in Thailand as I use it, and thousands of others do. Majority got the Wise card from their country of residence not Thailand, People buy property in Thailand via Wise and receive their overseas pensions via Wise. You should contact them direct and ask about opening an account from Thailand, on Reddit some say they opened an account via phone bill and apartment lease.
Thoughtful**********
OP@Andi **********
but again, can I register it with Thai address and phone number ? Because I have seen people say Wise is not available in Thailand while on their website you can change the country to Thailand and it’s says it’s available but you can’t use the services so what’s true here?Andi ***********
ThoughtfulLychee5096 Yeah WISE uses SWIFT, so send money to your WISE account and you can use a virtual card online. and transfer money online to other accounts. Starling, Monzo are other neobanks, not used them but know some do.
Thoughtful**********
OP@Andi **********
how does wise and other services you mentioned work? Does wise have SWIFT where you can send money to your wise account and then use wise virtual card to spend the money? Or what alternative are there for me?John **********
@Andi **********
Wise is not a bank and Revolut is only a bank in certain territories. Both can be used to receive payments however. His problem is going to be opening an account with either of them which you can't do with a Thai address.Andi ***********
@John *********
They fall under the neobank umbrella but yeah they have limited govt registration.Thoughtful**********
OP@Andi **********
when opening Wise must it be with same home country or I can choose Thailand one? Because if I register wise in the country I from then I need to fill out home address and stuff which I don’t either have and I don’t want it since I’m not tax resident there or how does it work?
Luit *****************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 When you are not tax resident in your home country (anymore), how did you get your DTV?
Luit *****************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 You always have to pay tax somewhere. Not paying tax somewhere is not a gray area, but black, and very unfair to let others pay for you.
Thoughtful**********
OP@Luit ****************
only some embassy do it when you first apply for DTV, I have seen reports from users who applied from Malaysia. Thailand dosent care where u pay tax. Also want to add it’s very common that Europeans people are afraid and think it’s crime to not pay tax. Which it’s not true. You can do as many digital nomads and stay in gray zones. But it’s hassle and stress to manage the bank and always worry about getting bank account locked.Luit *****************
ThoughtfulLychee5096 but often they ask you to show tax return.
Thoughtful**********
OP@Luit ****************
DTV has nothing to do where u pay tax lolAndi ***********
ThoughtfulLychee5096 You maybe able to open the account in Thailand but they do not deliver debit cards to Thailand. Can you use your client's/friend address to open an account?
Shaughn ***********
@Helen *******
because you were travelling at the time.Greg ********
@Andi **********
I have had emails from them but never bothered. Might try and log in later.Andi ***********
@Greg *******
Not logged in since 2019 🫨. They may have closed it..Yeah they do have business account options.Greg ********
@Andi **********
I have not logged in since 2019. I will have a look. I was thinking about opening a Wise account through a Ltd company in the UK - business account.Andi ***********
@Greg *******
Ok, you probably have their virtual debit card option for online payments.Andi ***********
@Helen *******
Seems a case by case situation with the card delivery to Thailand. Some get it sent, others don't.
Helen ********
@Andi **********
interesting, they must have changed that. I had an existing account and my card got hacked the day before I flew back. Wise sent me a new card to my Thai address. It took almost a month but I got it.Greg ********
@Andi **********
I think it must have been when I lived in Singapore. It is not a full bank account though. Just the one transferring money around.Thoughtful**********
OP@Andi **********
do they offer virtual card at least ?Andi ***********
@Greg *******
How did you get the account?Greg ********
@Andi **********
I am sure I looked before and could not open one. I have no UK address so that route is closed off too. I have the account just for transfer of money though, not banking.Andi ***********
@Greg *******
i have read posts where they have changed to a Thai address but some have probs getting the debit card delivered. Reddit has threads on it, utility bills, tenancy agreement helps with the Thai address registration.Greg ********
@Andi **********
Can you even use a Thai address for a Wise account?Activity
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