Russian news agency confirms ban on tourists opening Thai bank accounts
The ban on tourists opening bank accounts may be temporary.
TASS, Russia’s principal international publicist, has now confirmed that Bangkok Bank has been operating under new anti-fraud procedures since the beginning of 2025. These apply to all countries, although semi-official leaks suggest that attention has been focused on Russian and Chinese nationals. But the ban now appears to be iron-clad, at any rate for now.
A bank spokesperson added that any foreigner (not just a Russian) holding a visa-exempt pass or a tourist visa could not open a Thai account and that some existing accounts had been blocked, at least until a face scan was done to confirm the holder’s biometric data. The tightened policy also restricts credit card services and mobile banking. Siam Commercial, Kasikorn and other major international banks have been operating a refusal policy with tourist applicants even more strictly and for longer.
How long the ban will remain is unclear, although nearby countries all have loopholes for non-residents to have banking facilities. In Cambodia, foreign applicants are advised to apply specifically at the National Bank of Cambodia, whereas in Laos a letter from a local police or army official may help with the paperwork. A heterosexual marriage license is a positive feature too. The problem for Thailand has been the sheer volume of international tourists admitted without any prior documentation or meaningful checks on arrival.
But all that changed on May 1 2025 when the online Thai Digital Arrival Card was introduced for all foreign arrivals by land, sea and air. Originally announced as a simple landing card or digital version of the old TM6 manual form, Thai police have now confirmed that it is in reality a de facto approval mechanism. Over 90 percent of tourist arrivals are visa-exempt for at least 60 days, but the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has linked the TDAC data to other computerized records such as police and court files, embassy requests and Interpol.
Many immigration gurus believe that Thai bank rules on opening and maintaining bank accounts will soften once the new TDAC bureaucracy is embedded. A leading Thai visa agency in Bangkok told Pattaya Mail, “Letting in millions of tourists without initial checking led to all manner of abuses including illegal working, fake businesses and financial scams across the board. But the new computerized system is in fact a series of interlocking data bases no matter whether arrivals have a prior visa or not.”
Some tourists, currently denied a bank account, are relying on cash transfer agencies such as Western Union or Wise, whilst others are risking sending cash by courier mail. Wealthier individuals wishing to remain longterm are turning to the five year multiple-entry Bronze Privilege of Elite card which costs 650,000 baht (US$20,000) and does not require a Thai bank account prior to acceptance. Once granted, a Thai bank account would be available.
The five-year Digital Thailand Visa also can be obtained outside Thailand and requires proof of a bond of 500,000 baht in a foreign bank account. However, it’s classed as a tourist visa and holders report the near-impossibility of using it for a Thai bank application. Other possibilities are to apply for a non-immigrant visa in the tourist’s home country. These are available for a variety of functions including study, family and retirement. Holding such an initial non-immigrant visa is the key to opening a Thai bank account. For the time being anyway.
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