Lorry

Visa debit cards from Kbank have limits that are preset by the bank and that the customer can adjust. There are 3 types of limits: Limit for ATM withdrawals. Limit for ATM transfers. Limit for spending (ie swiping). There are maximum limits, you cannot raise the limit higher than the maximum. Maximum for cash withdrawals is the lowest, 200,000 iirc. Maximum for ATM transfers 1,000,000. Maximum for spending 500,000. Bangkok Bank has a similar system. So, yes, you can use the card for hospital deposits in most cases. 1,000,000 deposit is very high, but even this would be possible. Most people don't have more than 1,000,000 in a savings account anyway.

Agreed. But that doesn't solve the problem that we cannot pay a hospital deposit anymore. @chiang mai very few farang have a Thai credit card, for well known reasons. If you use a foreign credit card, you have to pay up to 35% tax on the deposit - even if you later get reimbursed because insurance paid directly to the hospital. A deposit of 100,000 or 200,000 is not unusual, in the tourist south 500,000 is not unusual. ATMs have similar limits nowadays. (Thais don't have this problem, they all have credit cards, and younger relatives who will pay the deposit.) BTW I agree with @mokwit

In Thailand, retirement age is 60

Yes

Including most members of AN

Yes, not even parents

Phishing is very labor-intensive and requires skilled staff. It's a one-by-one operation, not scalable. Absolutely not worth it for 5600 baht, not even for 35,000 (if they had gotten the whole amount, which they probably don't get in most cases). According to the scamming industry generates about 350 USD per day, per employee (estimate based on witnesses). You cannot do this with phishing, you need bulk business. You need to buy whole databases, wholesale, just like you buy 200,000 SIM cards wholesale and you make millions of cold calls. In my home country, banks (and sometimes police) usually blame the victim and say his data must have been obtained by phishing. In reality, almost all cases I have ever read about or heard from were cold calls. Just like @richard_smith237reports about Auto-trader. Just like the cold calls all of us get regularly. Having said that, phishing does happen, on a massive scale. Just look at all the beautiful girls on TF or other websites who make their money by bitcoins/forex. From the various online scams quoted on your PBS link, "shopping scams, luring job seekers to transfer money, lending scam, investment scam, and making threats via telephone calls.," some are more suitable to phishing, some (eg threatening calls) to cold calls.

The government knows the place of birth of a Thai. It's not written on the ID and not normally used for identification in Thailand. I wouldn't know where else than in government databases is this information stored. Account number and ID number are relatively easy to get - but by far thre easiest way to get them is buying these data in bulk from the bank. The seller may not be authorized to sell the data, but that doesn't change anything.

Thx. I remember. I asked my bank (which isn't KTB) and they told me to call 1441.

So how did the scammer have all this information?

Yes No, some "pi" convinced her (could even be me, as I am one of these people she calls "pi") She is now sad about her savings. But I think 5600 is not too high a price to learn an important lesson

By now, friends told her it was a scam. She blocked the number and the line account of the caller. She realizes 5600 is gone (= life savings). @richard_smith237She wanted 35,000 because that's what the scammer was asking for. Originally, she was very upset, feels better now. I will tell her - change bank - change phone number - change line Thx, didn't think of that. The scammer knew all her personal details including ID number, bank account and place of birth (which isn't written on the ID card and which she hardly tells anybody). So it's an inside job of government staff and bank staff. That's why I think complaining to police and KTB (= Krung Thai) is a waste of time. But she should probably do it. Correct. But beware: very sharp people (eg an American submarine commander, a German professor of a law school) can get so shocked by these calls that they don't realise it's scam. BTW further reading: https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/05/transnational-crime-southeast-asia-growing-threat-global-peace-and-security

A friend got a phone call. It seems the scammer knew her bank details, from KTB. He called (not from the bank's number) and said, he called from KTB. Then transferred the call to a "police", who added her in line and sent a "polce letter" by line only. An official looking letter, supposedly from the police in Lamphun, with Garuda and stamps. The letter told her not to tell anybody about this letter, it's a goverment secret. Asking for 35,000, accusing her of money laundering. They told her the account where to send the money (it is not written in the letter). She sent the balance of her bank account (5600) to an SCB account of an stranger and is now asking all her friends to lend her 35,000. I still don't understand the details, but I think it's a scam. I am not in Thailand, so it's a bit difficult for me to help. She has the idea to travel to Lamphun (from Bangkok) to ask whether the letter is real. I think that's ridiculous. Any better ideas? I think the 5600 is lost, or would it help to complain to KTB? I think she should change her account to another bank? Which one? I think complaining to police is useless?

Same for Khlongtan Hospital for advanced pregnancies who may need inpatient treatment or observation

Police has nothing to do with it. Abortion has been legal in Thailand for several years. No need for "backroom procedures" nor for improper procedures. Medical abortion (taking tablets) and d&c (dilatation and curettage) are both done here. Abortion is done by doctors, in clinics or hospitals, staff is very caring. The places I named are the most obvious choices, there are others. But many doctors or hospitals won't do it, that's their personal choice. The posts above are misleading. And as I said before, it's walk-in service. No need to call first, just don't come after 3pm. The earlier, the better.

OP said "in Bangkok" First choice, PDA clinic next to the restaurant "Cabbages and Condoms", not far inside Sukhumvit soi 12. Less than 5000 Baht (outpatient). If pregnant over 3 months, Khlongtan Hospital, opposite Petcharavej Hospital on Petchburi Rd, near Khlongtan Intersection. Less than 20000 B for inpatient. Both places are walk-in, best in the morning.

Yes, if these 180 days are within one calendar year. In Thailand, too. The definitions may not be the same as in the UK. You can easily look them up in the revenue code.

What do you mean by "I am registered as living in my condo"??? Registration in Thai is tabien. So how/where can you be "registered" if not in a yellow tabien baan?

The limit is 179 days. I hope he knows that.

Via is the best (unfortunately). If you combine it with Google you often get a good idea of reality. BMTA has a call center for buses, very useful. There is no integrated system. Motorcycle gangs are usually at the entrance of every soi, except the smallest. But they are free not to work whenever business is slow.

Not every private hospital has a complaints department (just like Western companies).

I know. (Not on the ground afaik) They are also one of the most crowded places I know. I recently was seated in front of an obviously sick guy who was coughing non- stop for hours. He didn't wear a mask, of course (farang). His sputum was all around me.

Quite a few of the Chinese here are from HK or Taiwan, which have very efficient government information sharing schemes and pension schemes

Exactly. And less of the accompanying females and "ancillary staff".

I have heard this lame excuse many times, when I was a "middlleman" (one of many volunteers). People who said this were just selfish and wouldn't give to anybody, anyway.