@Steve ******

No longer true. Banking rules in country changed in March. They will not give accounts to tourist visa holders or VOA.

@Till *****

Won't help me when I try to file for my retirement visa in country if it's in another person's name.

@Viola *******

Tried all that. Residence cert, copy of my condo lease, big stack of thai baht. All did not matter because I had a tourist visa and there regs are no new accounts with tourist visa.

Good luck if you don't have a long term visa.

I hit 11 bank branches in Phuket over the past 12 days. Bangkok Bank, SCB and Kasikorn. All said no when I showed them my passport and METV.

At one Bangkok branch in Kathu I was shown a memo that said due to changes in regulations the bank will no longer open accounts for holders of Tourist visas. The paper was dated April of this year.

Good luck.

@Chris ******

That was years ago. Not saying they don't "have ways" of getting it done but things changed drastically this year. And I had a residency certificate from immigration.

@Henrik ****

They won't do it with that either. 11 branches. New rules March this year. No bank account with tourist visa.

@Eddie *****

You start your retirement visa from your home country or get an agent to help you open an account.

@Stephen ********

Yeah I hear that. I unfortunately got a late start. Augh.

@Stuart ********

And that was in February and the rules changed in March. Can't get with tourist visa anymore.

Consider yourself lucky

@Stephen ********

That was not recently. All changed in March/April this year.