Ran into a banking roadblock in Chiang Mai that took 6 hours to fix

I thought opening a Thai bank account as a digital nomad would take maybe an hour. Showed up with my passport, visa, and a rental agreement like I read online. The bank manager said I needed a work permit (which I don't have) and a letter from my embassy. I went to 4 different banks and finally found one that accepted a 90-day rental contract plus a $500 deposit. That whole process ate up my entire Tuesday and I had to cancel a coworking session I was really looking forward to. Has anyone else dealt with this weird rule splitting between banks?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarapalmer10d ago

Bureaucracy always finds new ways to waste your time.

grayperez10d ago

oh come on, is it really that deep? i mean yeah it's annoying but it's not like they're personally trying to destroy your day or anything. you just gotta roll your eyes and move on, right?