Bank account as tourist

[Mekong]

3 hours ago, think_too_mut said:

When I purchased my condo, the developer gave me their bank and account number to transfer the funds

I would never take such a risk, I transferred funds from offshore to my Thai account and had a bankers draft written for the amount and met the seller and land registry. I gave the bankers draft to land registry office transferred names on Chanote and gave me, and checked I was happy, before giving bankers draft to the seller.

 

[think_too_mut]

That was in 2008. Can't remember now, possibly, they opened an account where it was crearly stated that the funds were going into condo purchase and the account is one-off. There were land titles, building and condo address and codes with Land Registry office.
My Aus bank accepted that and moved the money. No other action from me with any bank was required.
July 2024.  we were considering selling it, engaged a lawyer. She searched the books of the Land Registry, the developer and building management and she could find the funds transfer document and that the condo fees have been paid on time each year since (about 22,000THB a year).

[think_too_mut]

On 12/5/2024 at 3:26 AM, Stickman said:

Try going in to a bank with a respectable Thai who holds an account in that bank and is willing to vouch for you.

I have no such acquaintances. My colleagues, some directors at our global company office in Bangkok, have left and I have no track of them.
To acquire such a confident, may take me forever, if ever, even if I get a doctor or dentist or lawyer, they would have to have known me for more than a year, formally and atop of that, be willing to vouch for me. Can't do it. Even if I could, how could I ask someone in that respect to vouch for a visa runner (that is what I would have to be in Thai for over one year).

The banks were firm: Immigration have their rules, we, the bankers, have ours. Show me your passport with visa other than 60 days stay.
That is probably where those  "THAI VISA" agencies saw their business opportunity. It would be OK if the agencies could, somehow, open a bank account for me to deposit 800K THB into it.
No, the account they open (or somehow make it legal) is theirs. True, they say I will never have to deposit 800K THB. 
If I can open my own account, once I have the retirement visa through your agency stamped? 
You can, we are here to deal with 3 months reporting, renewal of visa, 20,000 THB a year. You may find it comfortable.
 

[Stickman]

10 hours ago, think_too_mut said:

I have no such acquaintances. My colleagues, some directors at our global company office in Bangkok, have left and I have no track of them.
To acquire such a confident, may take me forever, if ever, even if I get a doctor or dentist or lawyer, they would have to have known me for more than a year, formally and atop of that, be willing to vouch for me. Can't do it. Even if I could, how could I ask someone in that respect to vouch for a visa runner (that is what I would have to be in Thai for over one year).

The banks were firm: Immigration have their rules, we, the bankers, have ours. Show me your passport with visa other than 60 days stay.
That is probably where those  "THAI VISA" agencies saw their business opportunity. It would be OK if the agencies could, somehow, open a bank account for me to deposit 800K THB into it.
No, the account they open (or somehow make it legal) is theirs. True, they say I will never have to deposit 800K THB. 
If I can open my own account, once I have the retirement visa through your agency stamped? 
You can, we are here to deal with 3 months reporting, renewal of visa, 20,000 THB a year. You may find it comfortable.
 

 

There are agencies who can help you open a bank account. Around 5K baht seems to be the going rate. This is a bank account in your name and has nothing to do with the agency. The "agency" is just a regular Thai who knows someone in the bank and most likely they split the fee you pay the agent for opening the account.

A few months back a friend used such an agency in Pattaya and it cost him 4K baht.

[think_too_mut]

Thanks, Stick. I will check arround when next time in Thai. It is fair to assume, the account would be open where they have connections, not my choice (the bank, vicinity). Then, the account is mine, no mediators. It is a serious amount of money, 800,000 THB deposit.
Appears, it is not a blatant law breaking,  if it is possible for someone to do that for me, even for a fee.

Wherever the branch where the account was open, for anything serious, it has to be sorted out with that particular branch. I don't mind going from BKK to Pattaya if it has to be there.

My wife, after years of not using her ATM card (her account is used to pay electricity and water for our condo, automatic, peanuts as we are rarely there). She once needed to withdraw some small money, errored with her PIN 3 times, the card got swallowed by the ATM. She had to go to the very branch where the account was open (a shopping mall Rama 4, Khlong Toey) to retreive it.

[think_too_mut]

Thai driving license. 
I have a valid Japanese license, Intrenational too.
Japanese Road and Traffic Authority just asked for my Australian driving license and issued me with a Japanese one, with no any exam. Just converted it and no P-plate.
My wife, she has Thai driving license since 2006, told me - as you are already a driver, for 40 years, either wait all day or pay 5,000 THB and get a Thai one. On the spot.
 

[think_too_mut]

Now, I am on the brink of abandoning my plans to retire in Thailand. Too much of a red tape. And humiliating visa rules. Can even get sucked into corruption with visa agencies.
I can go to my home in Bangkok, 2 months a pop, no visas, spend there my winter months, possibly hop on on an low cost airline to Singapore to reset it. No need for more than 4 months.
What would I do in Thai, anyway? Other then enjoying the climate, laze around the pool, nothing more. My Thai wife is with me. My 100 of trips to Thai were travelling around the provinces, with my wife and our daughter (student in Australia now).
Sure, some places like Hiltons, Sheratons, Marriotts. That is what one can do while in full employment.
As a retiree, I would not do that again, hardly any place remained unvisited anyway.
Health insurance, every hospital where we are is a Mayo Clinic, national health insurance (like MediCare in Australia).
Walking distance to a cluster of 15 Thai restaurants, flocked by Thai office people lunch time, 7-11, Tops supermarket, even Starbucks. No car needed. 
Roaming shopping malls, where I am they are world class (BKK is also), no need for that.

Oh, my wife has a pension from my former employment, if I die, she will have it as long as she lives, anywhere in the world.

For some, Thai might be a destiny. Not for us. Much loved country it remains.
 

[think_too_mut]

To move money from Japan and avoid taxing by the new tax law (some farang advisors said that), simply move the money to my wife's account, it is counted (by Thai) as a present and no tax.
Any account outside of Japan has to be registered and approved (takes 2 weeks). She has been cleared for 21 years.

To buy a car in Thai, she gets that "present" money.

I don't need anything, no accounts, no visas, two months in, then back two more months if we want to. A 5 hours flight.