What documents do I need to open a Thai bank account as a foreigner?

Every branch reads the rules its own way, so treat this as the folder that gives you the best chance rather than a guaranteed list. Walk in with all of it and the conversation is about your visa category. Walk in with half of it and the conversation ends.

What to put in the folder

1. Passport with a current long stay visa stamp and your latest entry stamp. Non-Immigrant B, Non-Immigrant O, ED, LTR and Thailand Privilege are the categories banks accept. Issa Compass describes the DTV as down to the branch and the officer, and our money guide explains why most branches say no.
2. Copies of the photo page, the visa and the entry stamp, plus a recent passport photo.
3. Proof of your Thai address: a lease in your name, a utility bill, a TM30 receipt, or an Immigration certificate of residence when the branch asks for one.
4. A work permit or a school enrolment letter, if your visa rests on one.
5. A Thai mobile number in your name, from AIS, True or dtac. The banking app sends its codes there.
6. The opening deposit, typically 500 to 1,000 THB depending on the bank and the account.

The certificate of residence

This is the step with its own queue. You apply at the Immigration office that covers your address, and it costs around 200 THB at most offices. ThaiLawOnline says Immigration refuses it if no TM30 was filed for your arrival, and Asian Nomad Hub adds that offices also expect at least one 90-day report first, with up to about 15 working days at the main Bangkok office. ThaiLawOnline notes the certificate is valid for 30 days from issue, so time it close to your bank visit. Start with your landlord's TM30, then the certificate, then the bank.

Budget for the balance, not just the deposit

Some account packages expect around 20,000 THB to stay in the account to avoid fees, according to Asian Nomad Hub. Read the product sheet before you sign, because the account offered is not always the simple savings account you asked for.

Which banks say yes, and to whom, is in our Thai bank account and money guide, and the landlord's side of the paperwork is in what the TM30 is and whether your landlord has to file it.