John Drake

I'm anti-social. I avoid everybody.

Watched episode 1 about Singapore. Thought it fair. Well done all the way around. Hope the following episodes are as strong. I like these documentaries and their style from the 1970s and 1980s, pre Ken Burns' The Civil War. Startling to realize that the age of the youngest participants during the Fall of Singapore were on that episode approximately the same age as I am today.

Perhaps. It's SCB's decision, however, and I suppose we either adapt or go to another bank. When I first got to Thailand, 98 percent of my banking was with SCB. After getting a BBK account, my business has steadily shifted toward 90+ percent with Bangkok Bank. I just have fewer problems with BBK. Other people apparently feel better served by SCB. Right now, however, the only time I use the SCB phone app is when I receive a large amount of money into SCB account and need to transfer it out immediately to one of my BBK accounts. Probably should have also got a Kasikornbank account years ago when it was easier. Too late now.

I just did a Wise transfer a couple of hours ago. It went through from my Bank of America account to my Bangkok Bank account faster than I could click the "done" key. I've had to wait several days before, however, when the amounts were greater. Today, I just transferred $1200 from my tax refund. In the past, when I transfer $8000 or $9000 it takes at least 24 hours.

I've only had two major problems with Bangkok Bank. They are both ongoing. The wait times in the banks are usually, although not always, thirty minutes plus (except for the Mahidol branch which usually hasn't got but one or zero other customers when I go in). I must use the counter because my Social Security account with Bangkok Bank is locked and I can only withdraw money from it in person. I don't mind that, because I like the "locked feature" and keep my 800,000 for the retirement extension in that account. I also have a separate BBK ATM account. The second issue is the receipt of my SSA deposit which is usually a day late. I wouldn't mind the day late, except that it sometimes hits the weekends and subsequent holiday, so I may not get the SSA deposit until the 5th or 6th, instead of the 3rd. SCB has been largely indifferent. I went three times to ask about facial recognition. Why? Because they kept telling me to come back and they would have it available for foreigners in a month/6 weeks/2 months time, until eventually telling me it wasn't available for foreigners (although like I said in a post above, I have it and have used it with BBK). The woman who last told me that they wouldn't have it for foreigners also told me not to ask again. This was at the Phutthamonthon Sai 5 Lotus, at the branch that closed. So maybe she's looking for another job right now. Several other posters have pointed out that they've seen no decline in the number of SCB branches or ATMs where they live. So perhaps it's regions they are shutting down.

There are big fires surrounding Bangkok. Srettha is doing nothing, after taking credit a few weeks ago for "improved" air quality.

I see that you changed it after I posted.

Did you read what I wrote? I said I did use it once. You seem to be Liverpool Lou without the charm.

You can choose RFKjr and not need to worry about a couple of mentally unfit 80 year olds.

Yes, because they said they could not put facial recognition in the app for foreigners. Funny, Bangkok Bank said they could. So somebody must be lying. And since I did get the facial recognition adjustment to my Bangkok Bank account and have even used it once, that means the liar must be SCB.

Sounds like Taylor Swift's Mini-me.

45c is an entirely different experience. Asphalt starts to come off the road and stick to your shoes.

So does this legalize loan sharking? Or was it already legal here?

The entire point is that I don't want to use a phone for any financial purposes and SCB is all but forcing customers to do so.

Okay. I see your point. I did, however, have nearly all my transactions set up for online banking. The last time I had added a new one was almost four years ago. I simply dislike being forced to put more and more compromising information on a phone. Just added to the trouble this week, when I finally broke down and got an ID.me account over the phone.

No. There was no need. I didn't have anything other than the telephone and FB and LINE on it. Everything else I accessed was no danger of compromising me. It's only recently that financial transactions have been forced onto phones. I was happy to do all my secure business on my desktop.

It all started when SCB required me to lock my phone.

It sure is looking like you're right and we'll eventually need a phone dedicated only to the bank apps. Or will we need a separate one for each bank's app? Phone companies going to love this.

I don't like to use the phone apps at all. That's why I was disgruntled when SCB removed online internet banking. Now, to use SCB I have two choices, use the phone app I don't like to use or try to find a SCB branch that's still open and go there. Or I guess I can use my SCB ATM card on another bank's ATM machine. That appears to be what SCB is doing using other bank's ATMs as the only option so they can save on "servicing" their own. They're a parasite like the cuckoo laying its eggs in other birds' nests.

Just on the phone. I did a search for VPN and found the Samsung VPN listed. Went to it and was given only the option of deleting it. Didn't see a toggle under "connections" or anywhere else. After deleting, the app worked. And btw my Bangkok Bank phone app has continued to work without ever sending me these warnings about disabling stuff on my phone. I really hate SCB, especially for removing the internet online banking. If I didn't have money set up years ago to come to SCB I'd get rid of the account.

I had been using the phone app since July, when they closed down online internet banking. But today, I got the VPN message and the app automatically closing itself. Just give me the option of online internet banking and I would be okay with things. But they are frogmarching everyone into the phone app and then making the phone app difficult to use.

Yes, there are no SCB ATMs that I can find inside the Lotus now. I live on Phutthamonthon Sai 3. Used to have two SCB ATMs within 200 meters. They went some time ago. The Mahidol branch where I originally opened my account has been closed since Covid and never reopened.

That's what happened to me when I arrived here and began working for Mahidol. No choice. Opened a second and third account a couple of years later with Bangkok Bank. Thankfully so.

They've become the "No Service Bank."

Just today, the SCB app on my Samsung refused to open and told me to toggle off the VPN option if I wanted to open the app. I didn't even know I had a VPN on the phone. Anyway, the only option, after I found it, was to delete the Samsung VPN. No toggling found. Why is SCB making it so difficult to bank with them? 1) They removed online banking 2) I haven't seen an SCB ATM in my area in over a year. 3) SCB is closing branches left and right, the latest being the one I used most often (and its ATM) at Lotus on Phutthamonthon Sai 5. 4) Made me sign a waiver instead of installing the photo recognition function on my SCB app, saying they couldn't do it for foreigners (funny, Bangkok Bank had no problem doing so months and months ago.) 5) And now the VPN obliteration on my phone along with the earlier disabling of Malwarebytes. Do you need to get a "dumb" phone dedicated to using SCB that does nothing else?