Open a Bank Account in Phuket as a Foreigner (2026)
Kasikornbank asks a foreigner for a passport and a non-immigrant visa of any type, among other documents, and refuses tourist, Visa on Arrival, free-visa and DTV holders. Of the four banks, it is the only one whose page accepts a non-immigrant visa of any type. SCB wants a passport with a work permit.
On this page
Your visa decides whether some Thai banks open an account at all. Kasikornbank refuses tourist visas and other travel-type visas, and Krungsri’s foreign-currency page refuses tourist visas.
Which banks accept which visa status
The four banks below are the large Thai banks with branches across Phuket. Two of them publish a refusal list. SCB and Bangkok Bank do not name visa types.
| Visa status | Kasikornbank | Krungsri (foreign-currency page) |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa | No | No |
| Visa on Arrival | No | Not stated on its page |
| Visa exemption (free visa) | No | Not stated on its page |
| Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | No | Not stated on its page |
| Non-immigrant visa | Passport and visa listed | Visa listed for its foreign-currency account |
A work permit changes the picture at SCB. For a savings account SCB asks a foreigner for a passport with a work permit.
The DTV article covers what that visa lets you do. The visa types guide covers which routes count as non-immigrant.
Documents each bank asks for
| Bank | Documents listed for foreigners | Minimum to open |
|---|---|---|
| Kasikornbank | Passport, non-immigrant visa | No minimum for savings |
| SCB | Passport and work permit | 500 baht for savings; THB 10,000 for a current account |
| Krungsri | For its foreign-currency account: passport-type ID, work permit or non-immigrant visa, home-government ID | Not stated on its page |
| Bangkok Bank | No list published for foreigners | 500 baht for savings |
Kasikornbank
Kasikornbank asks a foreigner for four things. The first is a passport. The second is a non-immigrant visa of any type.
The third is a document matching why you entered Thailand, such as a work permit for working here or a university or school certificate. The fourth is government-issued ID from your home country, such as a national ID card, driver’s licence or household registration.
The bank adds that it may request further documents, and that more information is available at a branch.
If you are retired and have no work permit
A retirement visa is a Non-Immigrant O visa. Kasikornbank accepts a non-immigrant visa of any type, so a retiree’s visa fits. Its examples of the purpose document are a work permit and a school certificate, and it does not say what a retiree shows.
Krungsri’s foreign-currency page names a non-immigrant visa as a purpose document. SCB wants a passport with a work permit and names nothing for a visa alone. Bangkok Bank publishes no document list. Start with Kasikornbank.
SCB
For foreigners SCB asks for one thing at a savings counter: a passport together with a work permit. Its general savings account opens with a minimum of 500 baht. For an individual current account, SCB asks for the same passport and work permit and a minimum opening deposit of THB 10,000.
Krungsri
Krungsri’s English page read covers its foreign-currency deposit account. A non-Thai resident brings passport-type identity documents, documents matching the purpose of entering Thailand such as a work permit or non-immigrant visa, and ID issued by the home government.
Bangkok Bank
Bangkok Bank publishes no document list for foreigners, so contact a branch. You can open an account with only 500 baht.
Its foreign-currency account for non-residents opens with at least USD 1,000 or the equivalent. For Non-Resident Baht Accounts you need to visit the Head Office, 333 Silom Road, Bangkok.
How to open the account
- Check the status on your visa against the table above.
- Choose a bank whose list matches your papers.
- Collect the passport, the visa, the purpose document and ID from home.
- Go to a branch yourself. Bangkok Bank cannot open an account from abroad.
- Expect the branch to ask for more papers: Kasikornbank may request them.
You can open an account at any Bangkok Bank branch in Thailand. Pick a branch of the bank you chose near where you live in Phuket, and ask it for its hours before you go.
Using the account once it is open
A local bank lets a foreigner living in Thailand do day-to-day banking in baht without the extra charges that may apply to an overseas account and cards.
PromptPay links an existing bank account to a citizen ID or phone number through mobile banking, internet banking, an ATM or a branch. The Bank of Thailand page does not say what a foreigner without a Thai citizen ID uses, so ask the bank.
Until the account is open, a foreign credit card pays THB 250 per withdrawal at a Kasikornbank ATM with Visa and THB 350 with Mastercard, so take fewer, larger withdrawals. See ATM fees for foreign cards. Once you hold a Kasikornbank account, a contactless debit card costs THB 50 to issue and THB 250 a year.
Get a Thai phone number before the branch visit, because the bank app needs one. Phuket SIM cards cover how.
Before you go
- Take the passport, the visa, the purpose document and ID from home listed under Kasikornbank above.
- Ask the branch for its opening hours before you travel.
- Expect to open the account in person at a branch in Thailand, as Bangkok Bank requires.
- The bank pages carry no date, so the documents and minimums are as read on 13 October 2026.
Step by step
- Check your visa statusKasikornbank refuses tourist, Visa on Arrival, free-visa and DTV holders. Krungsri's foreign-currency page refuses tourist visas.
- Pick the bank that lists your documentsKasikornbank takes a passport and a non-immigrant visa. SCB takes a passport and a work permit. At Bangkok Bank, ask a branch.
- Gather the papersKasikornbank asks for the passport, the visa, a document matching your purpose such as a work permit or school certificate, and ID from your home country.
- Go to a branch in personBangkok Bank cannot open an account from abroad; go to a branch in Thailand.
- Expect a request for more papersKasikornbank may request additional documents.
Not confirmed: Proof of address: ask if the branch takes a residence certificate or landlord letter. Retirees on a Non-Immigrant O visa: ask Kasikornbank which purpose document it takes. The Bank of Thailand scrapped the Foreign Exchange Transaction Form in 2017. Below USD 200,000 a bank asks for no supporting documents for incoming money; from USD 200,000 it asks for source-of-funds papers.
Common questions
Can I open a Thai bank account on a tourist visa?
Not at Kasikornbank, and not on Krungsri's foreign-currency page. Kasikornbank refuses tourist visas and other travel-type visas, and Krungsri's foreign-currency page turns away foreign customers on a tourist visa.
Can a DTV holder open a Kasikornbank account?
Kasikornbank will not. It names the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) among the visas for which it will not open an account.
How much money do I need to open the account?
Kasikornbank sets no minimum deposit for a savings account. Bangkok Bank opens a savings account with 500 baht, and so does SCB. SCB requires THB 10,000 for an individual current account.
Can I open an account online or from abroad?
Not at Bangkok Bank: you must visit a branch in Thailand in person.
Do I need a work permit?
SCB asks a foreigner for a passport and work permit. Kasikornbank asks for documents matching your purpose in Thailand, such as a work permit or a school certificate.
Which bank suits a retiree with no work permit?
Kasikornbank. It takes a passport and a non-immigrant visa of any type, and a retirement visa is a Non-Immigrant O visa. Its page does not say which purpose document a retiree shows. SCB wants a passport with a work permit.
Can a foreigner use PromptPay?
PromptPay registration links a bank account to a citizen ID or phone number. The Bank of Thailand page does not say whether a passport replaces the citizen ID, so ask the bank.
Can I open a foreign-currency account?
Krungsri's foreign-currency page asks non-Thai residents for a passport, documents matching why they entered Thailand and home-government ID. Bangkok Bank's account for non-residents opens with at least USD 1,000.
Read next
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (8)
Nomad_Roaming20
You're not imagining it, and it's not a Phuket thing. The same shift is happening at branches all over the country. What you ran into started rolling out in mid-2025, after the Bank of Thailand issued tighter customer-due-diligence rules. SCB, Kasikorn, and Bangkok Bank all updated their account-opening procedures in July 2025: more documents, deeper verification, longer waits. Walk-ins that used to take half an hour now often get refused at the counter. For your situation, 11 years in the country with a real work permit, there's no rule that says you can't have a second account. Nothing about it is illegal. The problem is that branch staff have been told to justify each new account in writing. If you walk in with just a passport and a vague "I want another account," many tellers will default to no. It's easier for them than explaining a non-standard case to their manager.
Lashay_Sombra
Taking a wild guess, Central? If that's case just go elsewhere There is no policy to stop foreigner's with long term visas from opening accounts but there is a dislike at the banks in Central Phuket in dealing with opening accounts for foriegners
Electrical_Concern22
They don't allow foreigners to open bank accounts in Phuket anymore. I’m not a tourist; I’ve been living and working in Thailand for 11 years on a long-term visa with a valid work permit and complete documentation. Recently, I tried opening a second personal bank account at three different banks because I’ve only been using SCB, and honestly having all my savings in a single account doesn’t seem very wise. But all three banks told me I’m not qualified, saying their policies have recently changed. I don’t really follow financial news closely, so I’m wondering: what’s going on with Thai banks lately? Has anyone else experienced this?
Electrical_Concern22
Yeah, my partner suggested the same thing to try a different branch. I’m starting to think mall branches are stricter than others. What confuses me is that I’m on a Non-B visa with a valid work permit, and I’ve been living here for 11 years. I would have thought that would be more than enough qualification for a basic personal account.
madDogVH
You need to try more than 3 banks before reaching that conclusion. I tired 6 or 7 banks until ttb opened an account for me.
career_expat
You say you have a work permit. Did you bring it to the bank with you? Do you speak Thai or did you have a Thai speaker with you? Maybe they misunderstood what you want. There is no bank policy that says they cannot open a bank account for a foreigner with a work permit.
prunford
I opened a Kasikorn bank account 2 weeks ago without any issue. This was at a Kasikorn bank in a Central mall. I am a US citizen on a privelege visa and opened the account the day after getting my visa stamp in my passport. All they needed from me was my passport and my California drivers license.
Senior-Alarm-1135
Try kbank at tesco lotus wichit on the bypass before central . They provided me with an account several weeks ago. I had to provide work permit , pay slips and company dbd. Also Took a letter from my employer stating that I had worked there for several years showing my income and position . Good luck 🍀