I have a DTV visa and I opened an account with Bangkok Bank last year, i had problems making scan payments so last week I went to the bank in person, they told me my account has been frozen, I was asked if I wanted to close my account, I told them no, I have about 5000 bhat.

Im hoping the situation improves in a couple of months and simply they unfroze my account one day.

Hi all,

Bangkok Bank has closed my account.

I came to Thailand this year with a DTV visa and tried to open a bank account at several banks, but none accepted the DTV visa. Later, I bought a condo, and since the process required a bank account, I opened one at the seller’s bank, Bangkok Bank.

A couple of days ago, Bangkok Bank blocked my account. When I visited the branch, they gave me two options:

1. Convert my visa to a Non-Immigrant Visa to keep the account open, or

2. Close the account.

Since the Non-Immigrant Visa doesn’t offer the same advantages as the DTV, my account was closed. Now, I own a condo in Thailand but don’t know how to pay the electricity bill, and neither do they.

I went to the Bank with my DTV:

So previously I had an education visa and opened an account with Krungthai. Everything works and I’ve had no problems at all.

However I wanted to move the Krungthai Next app to my new phone so I went in to ask if they could do it (because it would not let me login on my new phone without going in person)

First they asked straight away “visa”. I showed them my DTV and they were confused, speaking in Thai with each other then they called the call Center, as the visa I registered the bank account with was different.

At the end they basically said DTV holders aren’t meant to have a bank account so we can’t register you for the app on your new phone. However you can keep the bank account open and continue to use it.

So now I’m stuck with a very old phone just to use for scan pay.

Not ideal but better than nothing. If anyone has a work around or any advice I’d appreciate it. But yeah seems like they’re a lot stricter now

Bangkok bank accounts have been freezing for everyone.

Question is, has anyone managed to keep the account with a dtv visa and how?

My account was opened a year ago and it was frozen a few months ago and I managed to reactivate it. Now it’s been frozen again. Are there any hopes?

Edit: it looks like most people in the comments didn’t notice it’s a dtv group. I know work visas don’t have a problem with having a bank account but I would ask in a work visa group if I had a problem with a work visa bank account

A few questions for those with DTV and Bangkok bank accounts

1. Do Bangkok bank notify you? Message? Email?

When we try to make any mobile banking transactions it now says "recipient invalid" (they were fine before), so we wonder if that means they have cancelled our account?

2. If we are cancelled, do we have to visit the branch where we setup the account?

Thanks for your help

What are the signs that your Bangkok Bank account has been frozen? Today I was unable to pay for a ฿79 lunch so paid cash then I tried cardless cash withdrawals at two ATMs that also failed. Now I'm waiting with a ticket at a branch to ask. If it has been frozen then I believe I need to go to my account branch?

I'm seeing a few posts recently where people are saying that immigration do not like in country extensions on the DTV and prefer you to do a border bounce. And also that Bangkok Bank (and perhaps soon others) are shutting down accounts for DTV holders.

We have Bangkok Bank accounts, opened years ago when we lived there. Also a Krung Thai bank account. No issues so far. Currently we are off shore.

We qualify for DTV, LTR or retirement. We have an online business that produces passive income and have savings.

I'd like to hear from holders of each to see which is better and if you've had any trouble before with extensions. Thanks.

I havent been to thailand since mid july, my account was frozen in june. I visited a branch and gave them all the paperwork and a sweet lady agreed to open it again. As there has been so many problems with these accounts after I left, do they usually close them 2 times in a row? I am on the DTV visa, I am not married, no kids and no rental contract. but i desperately need a bank account so I can transfer money here for tax purposes. If they wont allow me I guess the elite visa is my only option for opening up an account? Thats gonna be one expensive bank account!

I might be another person with there account shut down, any one else that had there bank account shut down get this error when trying to scan for purchases?

OK, I don't want to look like a bore posting links to videos made by Benjamin Hart (as this has been done before), because he's otherwise a fairly good guy, but I think the analysis he has made about the DTV and general working authorization is a little bit off base. This time he even seems to have a problem with the Pattaya Mail article he quotes from, which he would previously constantly praise.

He claims that the reason DTV holders can't get bank accounts (for the most part...though exceptions still seem to exist here and there) is because it's "not work authorized". Well, LOL - the elite/privilege and retirement visas aren't work authorized either and yet you need a bank account to qualify for a retirement extension, so there's already one flaw in his argument. Also, consulates and embassies abroad allow you to show your proof of funds in a Thai bank account, not to mention some immigration offices insist on sighting the 500K needed for a 6 month in-country extension in a Thai bank account!

Secondly, even if not all stakeholders agreed on the terms of the DTV, but the DTV DOES allow for working remotely. Like the retirement and privilege visas, it's a "employment prohibited" visa, but all that means is you can't work in Thailand for a Thailand based entity. You CAN work for a foreign entity that does not impinge on the Thai economy and has no relationship with Thailand.

Benjamin seems to be implying that the authorities aren't going after digital nomads and remote workers, but that it's still not officially allowed. Well, according to this logic, if the Thai authorities did arrest digital nomads for doing exactly what they qualified for to get their visas, then the publicity would turn off millions of potential visitors / remote workers and have a long-lasting negative impact on the economy.

There may be some grey areas with respect to YouTubing in Thailand, but I'm not going to get into that. Most of us work for companies based abroad that have nothing to do with YouTube and that's what this analysis has been about.

His last point about the DTV supposedly being for those who want to come and go but not live in Thailand for 5 years (with appropriate border runs) is also off base. So far, there is nothing to suggest that isn't allowed. In that respect, it's nothing like the US B-1 visas he references or other similar types, such as those 10 year multiple entry ones Thai nationals receive...which in practice, are supposed to be for occasional short visits or one longer visit not exceeding 6 months, followed by an extended absence before coming again. For Thailand, no need to do that, because you can just spend 60-90 days on an exemption, leave for a year and come back to do the same, no need for a DTV then.