Bangkok Bank ATM Requires Switch to Union Pay

[ricklev]

I know there are several topics on this already but this was a new wrinkle for me.

 

I used my Bangkok Bank Visa debit card today in a Bangkok Bank ATM and got a message that said something like switch to Union Pay card with a chip and pin code.  Then there was only two options, accept and cancel.  I canceled and the transaction ended and gave me my card back without letting me withdraw money.

 

Probably just a screw up in what they were trying to inform users, but that's it for me with Bangkok Bank if they demand the switch.  

[jackdd]

They just inform you that you should switch, by 2019 they force you, the old cards will stop working then

[NanLaew]

If you had pressed 'Accept', the transaction you had initiated would have proceeded as normal and you would have got your cash and your card back without any issues.

 

The VISA debit card option has disappeared from the BB website details of available debit cards. Apparently there are only UnionPay variants now.

 

Before you close you account, if you don't already have an account at another bank, better proceed with caution as there's growing evidence that it is getting harder to open a new account if you don't have a Work Permit. There's also evidence that some people on long-term stay visa/extensions are also facing new hurdles when trying to open  a new account.

[chrisinth]

When I used my card this afternoon at a BKK ATM the options were Proceed or Cancel.

 

I proceeded, got my money card and receipt.

 

I then proceeded once again about my business.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, ricklev said:

switch to Union Pay card with a chip and pin code.

Is you current card a chip card already or magnetic stripe only?

[pontious]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

If you had pressed 'Accept', the transaction you had initiated would have proceeded as normal and you would have got your cash and your card back without any issues.

 

The VISA debit card option has disappeared from the BB website details of available debit cards. Apparently there are only UnionPay variants now.

 

Before you close you account, if you don't already have an account at another bank, better proceed with caution as there's growing evidence that it is getting harder to open a new account if you don't have a Work Permit. There's also evidence that some people on long-term stay visa/extensions are also facing new hurdles when trying to open  a new account.

 

 

Visa cards are still on the website

[NanLaew]

Just now, pontious said:

 

 

Visa cards are still on the website

VISA Debit cards? Can you post a link?

 

Thanks.

[patekatek]

I tried using my BB Union card at an ATM in a more remote area and because the card is "chipped", the ATM could not process the transaction.  Just an FYI that this might happen to you as well.

 

[pontious]

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

VISA Debit cards? Can you post a link?

 

Thanks.

I have forgotten how to post links. On the bank website click debit cards and at the bottom there are 2 pdf downloads. Can you put   the links on here?

Thanks

 

[NanLaew]

Just now, patekatek said:

I tried using my BB Union card at an ATM in a more remote area and because the card is "chipped", the ATM could not process the transaction.  Just an FYI that this might happen to you as well.

 

If you tried the BB Be1st card in a non- BB ATM then yes, the transaction would have been blocked. BB's own chip-and-PIN security strategy has ALWAYS been that they can only be usable in BB branded ATM's. Been like this long before they got into bed with UnionPay. I only ever had the VISA chip-and-PIN Be1st card briefly a few years ago and when it literally fell apart, the branch only had the 'old fashioned' black stripe ones available which thankfully can still be used in any flavor of ATM.

 

It is a good point to note though since BB ATM's are notably few and far between when off the beaten tracks.

[NanLaew]

Just now, pontious said:

I have forgotten how to post links. On the bank website click debit cards and at the bottom there are 2 pdf downloads. Can you put   the links on here?

Thanks

 

Good find sir!

 

It would appear that VISA debit cards are still available but one may still need to get past a degree of local branch obfuscation to get one. Many posts about being 'forced' to accept UnionPay plastic or having to wait to get a VISA debit card from 'head office'.

 

Here are the two links. 

 

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBankThai/Documents/Site Documents/Other/debitbe1stdue2019_En.pdf

 

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBankThai/Documents/Site Documents/Other/be1stdue2019_en.pdf

[NoshowJones]

13 hours ago, NanLaew said:

If you had pressed 'Accept', the transaction you had initiated would have proceeded as normal and you would have got your cash and your card back without any issues.

 

The VISA debit card option has disappeared from the BB website details of available debit cards. Apparently there are only UnionPay variants now.

 

Before you close you account, if you don't already have an account at another bank, better proceed with caution as there's growing evidence that it is getting harder to open a new account if you don't have a Work Permit. There's also evidence that some people on long-term stay visa/extensions are also facing new hurdles when trying to open  a new account.

Noted. Thanks.

[jackdd]

54 minutes ago, patekatek said:

I tried using my BB Union card at an ATM in a more remote area and because the card is "chipped", the ATM could not process the transaction.  Just an FYI that this might happen to you as well.

 

This can also happen with other banks / cards. My Krungsri card is also using the chip, and i once tried to get money from an ATM which told me that it doesn't support the chip. But i can't remember of which bank the ATM was, i just used the other ATM right next to it and it worked.

But i think all banks are switching to cards using the chip and so they will also update their ATMs

Edited March 10, 2018 by jackdd

[Confuscious]

15 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Before you close you account, if you don't already have an account at another bank, better proceed with caution as there's growing evidence that it is getting harder to open a new account if you don't have a Work Permit. There's also evidence that some people on long-term stay visa/extensions are also facing new hurdles when trying to open  a new account.

 

I posted a few weeks ago already about this problem.

I have a Foreign Currency Account is USD with Bangkok Bank, and I wanted to open a second Foreign Currency Account in EUR.

The lady which opened my first FCA presented me a printed paper with the NEW requirements for opening a Bangk Account.
I could still use the existing Bank accounts, but for a new account I would need to fullfil the new requirements.

I look briefly trough the list and left Bangkok Bank.

Impossible for a Retirement to bring all the required documents.

Bangkok Bank has become almost impossible for foreigners to open a Bank account.

[tanner]

15 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Is you current card a chip card already or magnetic stripe only?

Problem with UnionPay, nobody will accept it,need to carry cash around if there's no atm handy. 

[nanglong218]

1 hour ago, tanner said:

Problem with UnionPay, nobody will accept it,need to carry cash around if there's no atm handy. 

Discussing this on Buriram Expats site.   The increasing influence (bullying) of PRC is worrying.  Why does the premier bank of Thailand want to lose so much business?   Traders won't accept this card because they can't trust the backers.

Visa/MC/AmEx/Paypal is how we do business.   UnionPay is going to meet resistance forcing itself into the market.

[jackdd]

7 minutes ago, nanglong218 said:

Why does the premier bank of Thailand

Why do so many people think Bangkok bank is something special? Yes, according to wikipedia it's the biggest by assets, but only very slightly ahead of others. In general it's just a private bank, nothing special

If somebody doesn't like what they do just open a bank account at another bank, problem solved

Edited March 10, 2018 by jackdd

[JLCrab]

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Why do so many people think Bangkok bank is something special? <snip>

Yes -- Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank to which you can make domestic US bank transfers via its ACH clearing number.

[nanglong218]

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Why do so many people think Bangkok bank is something special? Yes, according to wikipedia it's the biggest by assets, but only very slightly ahead of others. In general it's just a private bank, nothing special

If somebody doesn't like what they do just open a bank account at another bank, problem solved

OK, I walked out of my BBK branch and 100m to TMB to open said new a/c.  No work permit, no deal.  I'll take the missus next time and get stroppy.

[nanglong218]

7 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Why do so many people think Bangkok bank is something special? Yes, according to wikipedia it's the biggest by assets, but only very slightly ahead of others. In general it's just a private bank, nothing special

If somebody doesn't like what they do just open a bank account at another bank, problem solved

If BBK is a public company,  quoted on the stock exchange, its duty is to its shareholders, no one else.  Why this commercially risky decision?

[jackdd]

4 minutes ago, nanglong218 said:

If BBK is a public company,  quoted on the stock exchange, its duty is to its shareholders, no one else.  Why this commercially risky decision?

As in most other companies, the CEOs only focus on the next quarter, or maybe the next year.

And for the next quarter or year the decision to change to Union Pay probably saved quite some money, thus the company earns more money, which means higher dividends or whatever for the shareholders. Not many CEOs care what will be in 5 years, because then they work at another company already.

 

8 minutes ago, nanglong218 said:

OK, I walked out of my BBK branch and 100m to TMB to open said new a/c.  No work permit, no deal.  I'll take the missus next time and get stroppy.

I would try another bank than TMB, they are a bit special. Here have been many topics about banks recently, try Krungsri or Kasikorn

Edited March 10, 2018 by jackdd

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Yes -- Bangkok Bank is the only Thai bank to which you can make domestic US bank transfers via its ACH clearing number.

Then keep the Bangkok Bank account for this and transfer the money from Bangkok bank to your new bank which you will use for everything else. Of course that's one more step than before, but probably you don't make ACH transfers from the US all the time

[nanglong218]

jackdd     I don't accept that this is a purely commercial choice.   Let's leave it at that.

[JLCrab]

6 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Then keep the Bangkok Bank account for this and transfer the money from Bangkok bank to your new bank which you will use for everything else. Of course that's one more step than before, but probably you don't make ACH transfers from the US all the time

Sometimes monthly. I already have 2 other Thai bank accounts but Bangkok Bank whether VISA or Union Pay is no big deal for me because I never use for debit card purchase transactions anyway.

[Lacessit]

From memory, the old saw is the customer is always right. So the other Thai banks will gratefully accept an influx of customers walking away from Bangkok Bank. And if the management geniuses at BB think the slack will be picked up by Chinese tourists, they should survey shop traders in Chiang Rai And Chiang Mai.

[JLCrab]

I do not think that the number of farang and especially Thai customers who will depart Bangkok Bank over the Union Pay vs. VISA issue is going to cause much vexation.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, nanglong218 said:

The increasing influence (bullying) of PRC is worrying.  Why does the premier bank of Thailand want to lose so much business?

 

Here's the current President. Just another Sophonpanich in a very long line with Sino-Thai lineage.

 

 

But the key to the Chinese connection is the banks founder, his granddad.

 

 

Note where Chin was born.

 

TBH, I don't think they are losing any sleep at all.

Edited March 10, 2018 by NanLaew

[MrMuddle]

Didn't there used to be a couple of people who worked for Bangkok Bank, who used to help members of this forum ? Perhaps they could elucidate.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

21 hours ago, jackdd said:

They just inform you that you should switch, by 2019 they force you, the old cards will stop working then

In that case, Bangkok Bank can expect to lose thousands of customers and I will be one of them.

[glasswort]

I accidentally lost my BB Visa debit card when I entered the Union Pay debit card pin number by mistake. Nothing I could do about it and not liking to carry a lot of cash around I use my BB credit card (there are those that do not agree that it is in fact a credit card and I await all the usual comments etc) where they do not accept the Union Pay card , Big C and PTT filling stations being just two examples.