How can we keep our money safe until the appointment date for the bank account?

yeah that's a lot of cash to be sitting on honestly. one thing i'd add is you can rent a safety deposit box at a bank like SCB or Krungsri just with your passport, no account needed. runs about 500-800 baht for a month, way more secure than any hotel safe. the ones near Chit Lom or Silom are easy to get to.

the FCD account is a hard no without the visa sorted. Bangkok Bank won't even look at you for that without a work permit or long-term visa, tourist visa just gets you a basic savings account. and that basic account card is domestic only, no international use at all.

for the debit card, they'll issue a temp card same day but it's locked to Thai ATMs. the real Visa card takes 7-10 business days to arrive by mail, so don't plan on using it abroad during your trip. best bet is just splitting the cash between the bank box and what you need for daily spending.

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honestly just split the cash between the hotel safe and carry what you need for the day. most decent places like the ones around sukhumvit soi 11 have front desk safes that are way more secure than those little in-room ones. i'd keep like 15k in the safe and take out maybe 1-2k baht worth for daily stuff.

the FCD thing is a no-go without the agent and visa docs, banks here are super strict about that. even with the appointment they'll prob ask for your passport and TM30 receipt first so dont expect to walk in and open anything day one.

for the debit card, bangkok bank usually gives you a temporary one at the appointment but it only works locally. the real card with international access takes a week or more to arrive by mail. honestly the safest bet is just using the hotel safe and being smart about it until your account is fully set up.

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ngl 20k euros in cash is a lot to sit on even for a few days. one thing nobody mentioned is you could stash most of it in a safety deposit box at a bank like SCB or Kasikorn - they rent those out to anyone with a passport, no account needed. around 500-1000 baht for a month near places like Siam or Silom. way safer than any hotel safe if you ask me.

the FCD account is def not happening day one, even with the agency. Bangkok Bank will want the visa sorted and a workpermit or education visa proof usually, tourist visa is basically a no for anything beyond a basic savings account. and that savings account card is purely domestic, no international use at all.

for the debit card thing, when you do get the account they'll give you a temp card same day but it's locked to Thai ATMs only. the actual chip card with Visa/Mastercard takes about 7-10 business days to get mailed to you, so dont count on using it abroad during your trip. just split the cash between the bank box and your daily carry, you'll be fine

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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