I’m getting ready to apply for a non-o retirement visa…. I’m going to use an agent, which I have sat down and talked to already.

They’re going to help me out, including opening a bank account, etc.

He gave me two different prices, based on if I entered the country with a certain visa prior to filing for the retirement visa

What visa was he asking me to get, when I enter this next time so we could file for the retire retirement visa…? Any ideas…?

The fees were substantially different if I came in on a certain visa prior to filing for the retirement

Over $1000 USD difference

I thought I’d share this banking experience, just in case it could help someone. Background: I have a newer US Passport, the one with the weird patterned photos that make you look like a criminal. Anyway, I’m at the K-Bank at Central, on Beach Road in Pattaya. I have all my docs in order and we’re flying along in the process when it comes time to A) take my picture, and B)take a picture of my passport photo. The K-Bank system rejected multiple attempts by their rep, each time saying the photos do not look like the same person. By the way, at K-Bank they use their iPads to take the photos - I wonder if they should upgrade that process. The rep tried and tried with no success, finally telling to go home and make my beard shorter. That night, I followed this advice and the next day went to the K-Bank located in the Big C Super Center on Central Road. Same sh!t. Just when the rep and I were wondering what to do next, another rep who had been following along at a distance ran over, saw that I have a new US passport and started shouting, “no, no, no! US Passport! US Passport!”. He grabbed it and with a big smile told me he was going to make this work. He went to a remote corner of the small branch and took photos of the passport at a weird angle. He came back laughing and gave everything to my rep saying, “go ahead, it will work now”. And just like that, when the rep took my like 20th photo….voila! it matched with the passport photo, and we sailed through the rest of the process. So if anyone has this problem at a bank, I recommend you ask the rep to call their home office and check on the best practices for taking a photo of the new USPassport.

I’m coming to Thailand next month. Can I get a 90 day tourist visa or 90? Day Visa as I want to retire in Thailand? I was unable to get a non-o as the the online application form would not download my bank statements. I am going to open a bank account when I arrive in Thailand. 

Dumb question time, but i really can’t see how it works.

I need a bank account to get a visa, but i need a visa to get a bank account.

How do i do it ?

EDIT: Heaps of good advice and surprisingly few

w ⚓️ s.

Thank you everyone for your help.

Can agent help open a bank account with entry visa?

Hi All , a friend come to Thailand in Autumn, doing the Non O Retired here . But as he not has a bank account before , how he can do it ..

I’m in Koh Samui can anyone recommend an agent in the chaweng area . I would like to open a bank account I have a non o retirement visa from the UK . Thanks in advance for replying.

Hello everyone, Please i need advice on which bank allow NON O (90 days) Visa to open account in Bangkok or nearby province.

Currently in Thailand in the first 90 day period of a Non O visa. Trying to open a bank account so I can deposit the 800K which I have available in my UK bank.

I have a TM30 but no lease/rental agreement as am staying at my girlfriends house.

Any suggestions of what I could try? The house is in girlfriends fathers name and we have blue book and he can come to bank if required.

I don’t want to use an agent if possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Successfully opened another Bangkok Bank account in Sattahip today, had all my documents for Rental agreement, passport with 12 month extension stamp on my Non-O visa. Phone number verified.

Half hour later tried at Krungsri branch in the Big C Super Store complex at Sattahip.

Was told that I would need to wait till I renewed my Visa, for the record my 12mth extension was on 9th Jan 26, so it goes through till Jan 27, not sure what the Bank Staffer was thinking, called her out on her claim and then the story changed to it was not possible with Krungsri Bank and I should try other banks.

So there you have it, make of that what you will, my thoughts are that the staffer didn’t want or know how to deal with a Foreigner opening a Bank account or Krungsri are not wanting Foreign account holders on their books.

🤔🤷🏽