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What steps should I take to activate my Non-O visa and open a bank account in Thailand?

Thai VisaNon-O VisaVisa ActivationBank Account RequirementsExpat HelpRetirement Visa
Jul 15, 2025
2 days ago
Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
What a nightmare...

Probably most my fault.

Got my Non immigrant 0 e visa the other day with digital print out of which i print out in colour.

With done i took print out and I my ID I needed to kasikorn bank.

Was refused bank account

Lady quite polite..

She says i need passport stamped and then get retirement visa from immigrant. Completely opposite to what government says...

I heading to Khon Kaen

immigration tomorrow to

See where I go from here.

Is Kasikorn a difficult bank

Or which is best

All new to me....

Cheers
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is facing challenges in setting up a bank account in Thailand due to holding a Non-O e-visa that has not been activated correctly. They entered Thailand on a tourist exemption and were told by a bank representative that they need a stamped passport for their Non-O visa to open an account. Numerous comments from the community clarify that the user must exit Thailand and re-enter on the Non-O visa to activate it. Once activated, they will be able to get a certificate of residency and open a bank account. Some users suggest using an agent for assistance, while others share their experiences with local banks and the difficulties involved.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
  • Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
  • For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
  • Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
  • Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
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Ant ***********
@Peter ********
Is it possible to show us the stamp you received when you arrived in Thailand ?
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ant **********
 only a 60 day passport

Got 30 day extension the other day at

Immigration
a day ago
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Ant ***********
@Peter ********
Ok mate

Sorry I thought you did all the Non-O process in Sydney before you arrived
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ant **********
. Make mistakes and do here... should have done before leaving Sydney 🙄 Cheers 🍻
a day ago
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Peter *********
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Bob **********
You have to do a border bounce to get stamped in on the non-o do it before it expires
a day ago
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Leonard *********
Stay away from the snake village. The biggest scam in Thailand
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Leonard ********
 what's the snake village
a day ago
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Leonard *********
@Peter ********
 A pillage close by with snakes and a show. Biggest rip off in Thailand I even wrote to the tourism board. But got no response
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Leonard ********
 and what has this to do with visa retirement.
a day ago
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Peter *********
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John **********
That's why I paid an agent to sort it. No worries and all sorted. You can end up running your self ragged trying to sort it yourself!
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
 who did you use as agent..
a day ago
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John **********
@Peter ********
 It's not cheap, Peter but well worth it. Like I've said to many, one mistake on the documentation and they send it straight back and it's void and off you go again. Also Onestop use their 800K to go in the bank so you don't have to upfront that to start off with only when you renew after 15 months then every 12 months after that!
a day ago
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John **********
@Peter ********
 Hi Peter ONESTOP SERVICES. Absolutely brilliant. His name is Mark, answers every question on WhatsApp for you. Runs it with his wife Pom. Sorted my Non O Retirement Visa and my car/bike driving licence, has all my info on file and any problems is sorted straight away. Take all the worry out of doing it yourself.
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
 thanks John.I'm in Khon Kaen so probably get one there...cheers
a day ago
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McLaren ***********
@Peter ********
 I worked with a great agent in Khon Kaen and she took care of my retirement visa and bank account. It's very difficult to do this all on your own.
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@McLaren **********
 im in Khon Kaen
a day ago
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McLaren ***********
@Peter ********
 sent you DM
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@McLaren **********
 who was it
a day ago
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Peter *********
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Einat *******
SCB is great
a day ago
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John *******
You are only allowed to apply for visas via the e-visa website while you are outside of Thailand. You lied on your application, stating that you were in Australia, when you were in fact already in Thailand. While you now have been approved for a retirement visa, it is still not activated. You are still on Visa exemption. The only way to activate this visa now, Ia to exit the country and than renter, showing the immigration officer at the airport tour digital visa. He/She will then stamp you in on it. Then you can apply for a bank account.
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John ******
 so I do border run to Laos

For 2 days. By Bus at Nong khai then on return

Show my paper Approved to get proper stamp.
a day ago
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Peter *********
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Greg ***********
Peter Roberts . . So, you are on a touristic entry and CAN'T get a bank account opened.

Firstly, you MUST exit Thailand and re-enter using the 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa you got issued.

Stamped in on this Non-Imm-O visa for a 90-days stay permit, you visit Immigration, have them issue a “certificate of residency”, get a Thai mobile SIM card and number, and get the Thai bank account opened in your name.

Then deposit the 800K, and as soon as the money has been sitting in the account for 60 days, get the bank letter that confirms it, and apply for the 1-year extension of the stay permit
2 days ago
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Lee *************
Took me 5 goes at the bank, 6th try success but only because wife never gave in, it's not easy
2 days ago
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Brandon ************
You are not on a non-O visa. You entered as a tourist and therefore you are a tourist. You have to leave Thailand, and return on the non-O visa. Your visa is also fraudulently obtained since you were not in the jurisdiction of the embassy when you applied for it. The visa application asked for proof of your current location so you lied on the application, because if you had showed them you were in Thailand they would have rejected your application.
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
 was told by immigration to do online here through thai Embassy. I'm on non immigrant 0 visa...Need to go Laos get stamp to activate visa... the go immigration to show stamp... then immigration can help
2 days ago
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Pui *****
@Peter ********
 despite your best intentions, you were not ever supposed to apply for a visa from any embassy or consulate while you are still in Thailand. The evisa website specifically asks you your current location, as embassies/consulates require you to physically be in their service area (in your case, Australia) in order to grant you a visa. You got away with it, so do what everyone is telling you and exit and re-enter to activate that visa.
a day ago
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Brandon ************
@Peter ********
 Immigration knows NOTHING about embassies. They are completely different government agencies. Never listen to what an immigration officer tells you about embassies, and never listen to what an embassy tells you about immigration.

And you are NOT on non-immigration O visa. You entered as a tourist. You are a tourist. You are not on any visa because you did not enter using a visa.
2 days ago
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Brandon ************
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Ben *******
Welcome to Thailand!!
2 days ago
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Bent *************
TiT
2 days ago
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Tony *****
Similar story here. Got my Non O before I entered the country. I now have a certificate of residency from immigration which immigration assures me allows me to open a bank account. Both SCB and Kasikorn have denied account!! They say I either need to be married to a Thai national or have yellow Tabian Ban. Who I also can’t get.!!!!!!

WTF!!
2 days ago
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Greg ***********
@Tony ****
 use an agent, costs something like 5000 THB, they definitely can get a bank account opened for you on a simple single-entry Non-Imm-O visa. It is just those incompetent lazy bank staff they don't know what to do and will pull out of their noses anything they dream up
2 days ago
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Tony *****
@Greg **********
 thank so much for is there someone you could recommend
2 days ago
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Ant ***********
@Tony ****
See my reply to Greg below
a day ago
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Greg ***********
@Tony ****
 in Pattaya that would be Mot's, Maneerat or F.S. Consulting. In Bangkok that would be Thai Visa Centre. In Hua Hin I would pick Anna Visa
a day ago
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Ant ***********
@Greg **********
Tried to tag Tony also

Only one of those mentioned is able to help

Going rate for a new bank acc

Is
*****
baht
a day ago
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Ant ***********
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Tony *****
Ok which agent would people recommend. I’m a broken man 🤣🤣
2 days ago
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Christopher ***********
@Tony ****
 My Amphur require 12 months residence and also to be married to a Thai to qualify for the yellow house book. That narrows it down even more!
2 days ago
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Tony *****
@Christopher **********
 exactly!!!
2 days ago
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Tony *****
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Mikkel *******
Your problem is that you have a visa that isn't active yet. You entered visa exempt, and applied, while inside Thailand for an e-visa in Australia. You need to exit and re-enter Thailand to activate the visa. You can't use it for anything as it is now.. It's a piece of paper that shows you have the right to enter Thailand.

The bank is right, and you will probably get the same answer in any bank, because ypur current stay is not on a non o as you haven't used that yet to enter Thailand. Only way without exiting Thailand, would be to deposit 800K in a Thai bank in an account in your name only, and buy the 90 day non o directly at an immigration office here.
2 days ago
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Greg ***********
@Mikkel ******
 Sorry, the first part is correct, but the second part is wrong! "Only way without exiting Thailand, would be to deposit 800K in a Thai bank in an account in your name only, and buy the 90 day non o directly at an immigration office here." . . he is on a touristic entry and CAN'T get a bank account opened. Firstly he MUST exit Thailand and re-enter using the 90-days Non-Imm-O Visa. Only stamped in on this Non-Imm-O visa, he can get the Thai bank account opened, deposit the 800K, and as soon as the money was in the account for 60 days, he can apply for the 1-year extension . . . . . . . he can't buy the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa on Immigration, because for this he first needs the Thai bank account. I don't understand - you described everything correctly in the first part, but with the end part of your reply, you are completely lost
2 days ago
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Mikkel *******
@Greg **********
 you are absolutely right. Forgot about the recent issues with opening bank accounts. So yeah.. Has to exit and re-enter to activate his non o e-visa.
2 days ago
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Mikkel *******
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Andy ************
It seems you're in Thailand on free entry stamp (60-days visa exempt). That's not complete opposite of what government says. They say you apply for visa overseas, once you've got the visa you come to Thailand
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andy ***********
 have got non immigrant visa 0 for retirement expires in mid October
2 days ago
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Andy ************
@Peter ********
 You said you got your non-o the other day. When did you enter the country?
2 days ago
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Jan ******************
@Andy ***********
 Seems to be a problem now. Even if you enter on a 90 days Non O several banks require the first year extension of stay done (minimum one year visa as they say) before they let you open a bank account which really set people in a catch22 situation.
2 days ago
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Andy ************
@Jan *****************
 He's on a visa exempt entry. Read his original post. He applied for the non-O from within Thailand. You turn up at a bank with a tourism entry of course they're going to turn you away
a day ago
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Jan ******************
@Andy ***********
 Ok, that might be the case, seems strange that he’s got a Non O in country without a bank account in the first place.

My point is still the same. Even if you arrive with the initial Non O u still can struggle to open bank a account now. I was turned down in three branches myself In February with a Non O before I was allowed in the fourth. They demanded a house book or work permit or the first extension of stay done. Non O and residence certificate was not accepted.
a day ago
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Jan ******************
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Ralph *******
What is your current visa and how long is it for?
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ralph ******
..oops...go non immigrant 0 visa for retirement
2 days ago
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Ralph *******
@Peter ********
 But what is the duration of your current visa? If it’s less than a year the banks are unlikely to let you open an account.
2 days ago
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Graham ******
@Peter ********
 you don't seem sure
2 days ago
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Graham ******
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ralph ******
 90 days..60 on passport with 30 day extension
2 days ago
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Ralph *******
@Peter ********
 That’s your problem. The banks want a longer period than 3 months.
2 days ago
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Reply to
Ralph *******
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Paul *********
I had trouble I had to get a yellow book before they would open at Kasikorn Udon Thani
2 days ago
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Max *************
@Paul ********
 A yellow house book is totally useless except for some provinces in isaan or northern Thailand.In "normal" provinces they might ask for a residence certificate from immigration showing the official address in Thailand.
a day ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ********
 what's yellow book are you married to thai 💛
2 days ago
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Peter *********
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Ant ***********
Did you show her your passport stamp from when you arrived - that should have the Non-O ? and be enough

K bank normally one of the better ones
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ant **********
 i am already in Thailand.. Done visa here online.. through Sydney Thai Embassy. Thinking of going Laos 2 days then get stamp on returning
2 days ago
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Peter *******
@Peter ********
 in that case your visa has not been activated. You need to exit and re-enter the country to get the Non 'O' stamp in your Passport. Without the correct stamp the Bank will not open an account.

Be a bit wary about asking Immigration for advice, the visa is nothing to do with them and you are not supposed to apply from inside the country.
2 days ago
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John **********
@Peter ********
 you can't apply for a visa at the Sydney consulate while you are inside Thailand (unless you lie about your location of course). Having said that you do actually need to enter Thailand on the visa to activate it, if you received the evisa while you were already inside Thailand its just a bit of paper until you activate it
2 days ago
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Ant ***********
@Peter ********
I understand you are here

But when you arrived in Bangkok did you get a stamp in your passport
2 days ago
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Greg ***********
@Ant **********
 that Non-O visa had not been issued yet, when he entered Thailand. So he got in on a visa-exempt entry and got stamped in for 60 days. On this "touristic" entry, you cannot get a bank account opened anymore since February 2025
2 days ago
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Peter *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ant **********
 yes but only on passport..for extension
2 days ago
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Reply to
Peter *********
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