Opening a Thai Bank Account as a Foreigner: They Said “No” 5 Times... Keep trying until it works!

Описание: Welcome to Ready Retire FIRE!
In this video, I share my real journey of trying to open a Thai bank account while living in Northern Thailand on a marriage visa.

Spoiler alert — it took six different banks, a few mountain drives, and a lot of patience!

I started in Pai (Mae Hong Son) and went bank-to-bank — from Krungthai to Bangkok Bank, Krungsri, and finally Kasikorn Bank (KBank) in Chiang Mai — before finally opening my account and depositing the required 400,000 THB for my visa extension.

If you’re a foreigner trying to:

Open a Thai bank account on a Non-O (Marriage) visa

Understand the required documents (residence certificate, blue book, yellow book, marriage cert, etc.)

Or figure out how to transfer money and get a fair exchange rate...

…this video walks you through exactly what to expect, what I learned, and which bank finally said yes!

Documents I used:

Passport with Non-O visa

Marriage certificate (original copy)

Wife’s Thai ID and blue book

Residence certificate

International driver’s permit

Passport photo

Tip: If you’re in Chiang Mai, try the Kasikorn Bank (KBank) at Central Festival — they were the only ones willing to open an account for me.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you want more real-world expat experiences about early retirement, Thailand life, and FIRE freedom!

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⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 My Bank Account Journey
00:35 Why You Need 400,000 Baht for Marriage Visa
01:10 First Attempts in Pai
02:16 Frustrations with Thai Banks
03:06 The Long Drive to Chiang Mai
03:22 Bangkok Bank Says No
03:49 Krungsri and the Yellow Book
05:41 Success at KBank Chiang Mai
6:42 Sending Money from the U.S.
8:26 Updating the Passbook
9:44 Document Checklist
11:00 Final Thoughts Subscribe for More