I have a Bangkok bank account, today I wanted to try opening a Kasikorn bank account with my LTR-WP visa in Nonthaburi. Omg š±š± What an incompetent branch or person. She called their headquarters, she had no idea about LTR, she spoke simultaneously with two individuals on two phones in both hands. She passed the phone to me at times so I could answer their questions, well finally no account with LTR after wasting about 40 min ! They asked work permit or country ID .. US has no country ID, we have passport and driver's licence. I run to the next door which is SCB bank. This time she was much faster to let me know their bank don't open a bank account for LTR visa holders. I said LTR visa holders were selected through a stringent process and it is given to top earners, why would SCB refuse to do business with us. She run inside, then came out with a better idea, she copied all my docs and told me that they will notify me in 1 week about their decision. Really pissed I barged into next door which was Kurungsri Bank. They also called their headquarters then copied my docs and told me to wait a week to hear their response. All in all, today I failed opening a bank account three times with my LTR-WP visa. Thai banks are going through a huge confusion, trying to implement new rules but doing it in a total chaos.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the author's frustrating experiences trying to open a bank account in Thailand with an LTR-WP visa. They visited multiple banks, including Kasikorn, SCB, and Krungsri, only to face incompetent staff who were unfamiliar with the LTR visa and various bureaucratic hurdles. Many commenters shared similar experiences, noting confusion and inconsistency among Thai banks regarding document requirements for foreign accounts, especially following recent stricter regulations. The situation reflects a broader trend of increasing difficulty for expats in navigating Thai banking services.
LONG TERM RESIDENT (LTR) VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES