@Zac *******

When? Last year is not this year.

@Noppakhun **************

OK. When and where?

@Eddie *****

The document I saw from Bangkok Bang was dated April this year that stated no new accounts for tourist visa holders.

@Lutz *******

Not recently without an agent.

@Viola *******

Doesn't matter. Tourist visa is now a dead stop no account.

@Viola *******

Not true. 5 branches in Phuket. All said no last week.

OK. Here is my experience going to 11 branches of Bangkok Bank, SCB and Kasikorn with a tourist visa.

Cannot open bank account with a tourist visa. Period.

I went with a great personable friend of mine who is thai national.

Even offered to buy insurance. Was denied everywhere.

One Bangkok Bank branch showed us corporate document that instructed everyone not to open accounts for any tourist visa. Even if depositing 800k baht.

I had...

Copy of my bank statement from USA showing some of my holdings

My passport

My Thai drivers license.

My residence certificate from Immigration.

My original condo lease.

My original electronic METV.

A large handful of thai baht.

No luck. No negotiation. Full stop when they looked in my passport and saw my stamp and METV.

This was in Phuket over the past 8 days.

@Marc *******

Not anymore. You have tourist visa you better get an agent.

@Dave *********

This really doesn't show true categories.

If you look at business travel a good portion of visas are approved.

If you look at single female the refusal rate is extremely high because of the trafficking issues in prostitution and massage.

Sure if you pull all applicants together I could see the percentage of refusal being in the 20+ percentile.

I would bet a years salary that they might approve 1 out of every 200 single females and that this category is the highest rejection category with single males under 35 the next.

The US does not want women in prostitution nor do they want male overstays working unauthorized.

@Frank *********

I have a friend that works in one of the Asian embassies (not Thailand) and he has pretty much explained how applications get processed. And there are so many variables one of which is visa return status for prior holders. When they have more overstays for a period they reduce approvals. There is an unofficial cap which contributes to future approvals.

And let me add that this is one of those situations that knowing someone inside really does nothing because in many cases the approval is not done at the local level.

And I was being sarcastic with the questions in my post.