# How Hard Is It To Open A Chekcing Account In Another Country?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-open-a-chekcing-account-in-another-country/634522>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 12, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-open-a-chekcing-account-in-another-country/634522 "2012-09-12T16:59:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 31

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-hard-is-it-to-open-a-chekcing-account-in-another-country/634522/31 "2012-09-16T11:07:09Z")

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I apologize to Dopers tired of this question, but placing the truth on record is a fetish of mine. 😃

> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Technically, you need to be employed or on a retirement visa to open an account …

I’m glad you’ve put me on Ignore, Sam, so I can finally correct this without you re-posting this mistake yet again.

All that a foreigner needs to open a bank account in Thailand is a non-I visa. I know about a dozen foreigners who’ve done so and only one (you) who’s been asked for a work permit. Why _you_ are asked for the work permit I don’t know. My best guess is a conversation like  
Sam, opening my account: “Would you like to see my work permit?”  
Bank officer: “Uhh, OK. Why not?”

That your claim is absurd is logically clear as I explained earlier: Most people with retirement visas open bank accounts _at least two months before_ they apply for the retirement visa, to satisfy the “financial proof” requirement for the visa, and retirees are _not permitted to have work permits_. (I notice you’ve added “retirement” to your claim but the retiree is never asked to return to the bank to validate his account!)

All that a foreigner needs to open a bank account in Thailand is a non-I visa. One foreigner (Sam) was, supposedly asked for his work permit. I wish he would say “I had to show my permit” rather than the false statement “permits are ‘technically’ or ‘generally’ required.”

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