What challenges did you face in opening a bank account in Thailand with an E-Visa?

Question

I got my E-Visa in November and went to Tha Bo in the Nong Khai province in order to open a bank account. That's where I stay with my SO. The biggest problem I ran into was the banks had never dealt with an E-Visa, and they had a hard time understanding that it was the long-term visa needed to open a bank account. Two banks said if I got a Thai driver's license they would do it and even after I got the license they said that wasn't good enough. They needed a certificate of residency from immigration. Nong Khai immigration won't do that unless the bank requests it, the banks say they can't request it. I even had the COR from my driver's license (copy) and they said they needed the original.  I finally found a wonderful lady in Si Chaing Mi at Krungthai bank that made it happen. I hit every bank I saw in Nong Khai and Tha bo and finally got lucky. Just a heads up for those in the Issan area wanting to open a bank on the E-Visa. Krungthai only accepts wise transfers of 49,999 baht at a time, so that is a pain as you can transfer up to 1 million at a time to Bangkok bank.

Thomas ******* · Accepted Answer

The user faced challenges in opening a bank account in Thailand with an E-Visa, as local banks were unfamiliar with the visa type. Despite obtaining a Thai driver's license, banks insisted on a certificate of residency from immigration, which Nong Khai immigration would only issue if requested by the banks. Eventually, the user succeeded with the help of a bank employee at Krungthai Bank in Si Chaing Mi, but highlighted limitations on fund transfers compared to other banks.