What should I do about opening a bank account in Thailand with a tourist visa before my marriage?

maybe the universe is trying to tell you something...like DON'T DO IT...

have you tried your nearest Immigration office. Take your wife.. explain nicely..lots of smiles..no anger no finger pointing..

Officers have lots of discretion !

Money only has to be in the bank for 2 months not 3. I'm guessing you bought a 2 month Tourist (TR) Visa when you should have bought a 3 month Non O Visa and that's why you were only stamped in for 2 months. Or perhaps you didn't show the IO your visa when you arrived so he just stamped you in visa-exempt for 60 days. Opening a bank account is now very hard as you have to prove your address. You will need a letter from your embassy proving you are free to marry and only marriages at the Amphur are legal. Village and Temple marriages are just a blessing. Sin Sods (dowry) are only paid if your fiancé has never been married and doesn't have children so don't fall for that one. Make sure you list all your assets at the Amphur as these will not then be included should the marriage result in a divorce. You need to get all your ducks in a row before you get married and there is no rush and no need to set a firm date until everything is in place. If you find a visa agent they can open a bank account for you, I think they charge about 2000 baht. Remember marry in haste and repent at leisure.

@Scott *******

so you are now in Thailand on a 60 day Visa Exempt stamp (in your passport). As others have said, you can get a 30 day extension on that at a cost of 1900 Baht at the nearest Immigration Office to where you are staying. If you were already married to your Thai partner, getting a Non-O visa based on marriage before leaving Australia would have made it fairly easy to open a bank account when I'm Thailand. As you're already there and not married yet, there's apparently very few bank branches that will let you open an account. Your best option is to find an Agent in Thailand that can help you do that, but it will cost you and from the many posts I've read, it might cost in the region of 5000 Baht. Opening a bank account should be high priority. Are you now staying in the Province where you intend to live full time with your future partner? From the information I've gleaned over almost two years, it's best to open a bank account in the Province where you'll live, otherwise you might end up paying unnecessary fees to the bank (ATM fees at least). If you're currently in Bangkok and intend to live in another Province, then the best option apparently, is to open an account (using an Agent) with the Bangkok Bank Head Office. They supposedly make it a lot easier than other Banks/branches, to transfer your account to one of their branches in other provinces.

@Pete ******

said the funds need to be seasoned for 2 months. I think that's the case with all, or most provinces, but check with the Immigration Office where you intend to reside and they can provide you also with the list of requirement for the Non-O visa based on marriage also, if you don't already have it. Not enough time to season your 400k? Then follow Pete's advice.

Ok. You can be on a tourist visa for up to 90 days. Then visit a Thai immigration office to ask for your mariage Visa. You will then be granted a 90 day « temp » mariage visa before you get your 12 months. This 3

Months granted « temp » will give you the right to open a bank account. Also, some agents are helping out for your bank account 😉

I had kind of the opposite happen to me when I landed at Phuket Airport 2 days ago. I came in visa-exempt but made the mistake of telling the Passport Control agent I was visiting my wife instead of just saying I was on vacation. She asked me why I didn’t have a Non Immigrant O visa. I told her I would have to pay for that and don’t have to pay for visa-exempt. She called her supervisor over, they chatted for a minute, then she stamped me in for 60 days. I was seriously concerned before then.

I also applied for a extra 30 days tourist visa and it was granted by the Thai embassy in Sydney, I was hoping that it would give me 60 + 30 days thus saving me having to go to immigration in Thailand to extend my stay. It appears I may have wasted $65 for a visa that is useless, ahh well we live and learn. I will arrive in Thailand in 3 weeks and will see what happens

I’m so sorry! This is so stressful in a time that is supposed to be joyful. It sounds trite to say it

but good luck. This is so awful.

The Bangkok bank in Silom had a lovely young chap who spoke very good English when I was there in August.

My thai wife got me an account opened at krungrisi all your future wife needs is proof of address and I think they needed to check my passport as well, Good luck

Get an extension, I did, no problem at all BKK, easy as🙏🇹🇭🙏🙏🇹🇭🙏

Try different bank branches and take your future wife with you for translation. It should be no problem to get a bank account on visa exempt. It is just not every bank ready to do it.

I have read all comments and disagree

I also applied for a 90 day visa from the Thai embassy in Canberra and was stamped with a 90 day visa on arrival

It seems the Thai Immi officer has made a mistake on arrival

If you apply for a 90-day tourist visa in your home country it is only good for 60 days, that in English is an oxymoron. But allows you to go to immigration and renew that visa for a further 30 days inside the country for Bt1900. They call it a 90-day tourist visa as in all Thailand just to confuse patrons. I believe it is just confusing for novices and is really obsolete, the 60 visa exemption is now available and for 60 days, you just go to Immigration pay another Bt1900 and extend that visa-free visa to 90 days. (another oxymoron). Simple hay but only in Thailand. TIT. Would you believe it works?

Contact thai visa center pay them n let them do their job to get u a visa

You should have applied for 90 day non o visa, got the money in a Thai bank account which that visa makes easy and then applied for 12 month extension based on being over 50.

I think you are confused. On what grounds did you apply for a 90 day visa?

I think you have to be married already for a marriage visa to be valid. Hence why the IO saw no merit in it. This is an opinion!

Get yourself to Pattaya, open a bank account via agent same day. Get funds into account. Funds need 2 month seasoning for Jomtien. Apply non-o based on marriage. If not enough time after marriage apply 60 day visit family then apply non-o. Good luck.

When approved, the "visa" is the permission to enter within 90 days. On entry you receive 60 day stay as a tourist. You can extend that by 30 days. Keep trying other banks. . Foot slog!

You've got 3 months to enter Thailand after the visa is granted. At the airport, you'll get a stamp for 60 days, and then, within Thailand, you need to visit an Immigration office to get the additional 30 days (by paying a fee, maybe 1.900 baht) That's the normal procedure