Krung Sri (Bank of Ayudhya) Blatant Racism

[elfpattaya]

I have a savings account with Krung Sri Bank, which I normally use for immigration purposes. Today I needed money urgently and did not have my passport with me.

My Thai wife telephoned a nearby branch and explained my predicament and told her my Thai driving license would suffice.

However when I got to the branch concerned I was informed that because I was a farang (their words), I could not use my Thai driving license as ID.

Without my passport I could only withdraw money from the Branch where I opened my account.

Only Thai's, not Foreigners can use their driving license as ID. I contacted Krung Sri when I got home and they confirmed that this is their policy.

The ironic thing is that my passport is with immigration for a retirement extension, with my funds endorsed by Krung Sri.

Edited August 14, 2018 by elfpattaya

[Vacuum]

17 minutes ago, elfpattaya said:

Without my passport I could only withdraw money from the Branch where I opened my account.

Yes, well, did you go there?

[Briggsy]

No ATM card? Clearly not.

To be honest, I don't really see "blatant racism". As a foreigner, you always need your passport to withdraw cash over the counter. What I see (and I'm being generous here) is "stricter rules relating to identification required for foreigners to withdraw cash".

 

I am sure you would be the first on here crying is some farang bloke nicked your driving licence and withdrew cash from your bank account from some far off branch of Krung Sri in a town you had never even visited.

 

Perhaps even, you should consider how to access cash in an emergency since you clearly don't believe in ATM cards.

 

p.s. It is unusual for immigration to hang on to your passport for a retirement extension, can you clarify that?

Edited August 14, 2018 by Briggsy

[KittenKong]

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

As a foreigner, you always need your passport to withdraw cash over the counter.

Not true. Some of my banks here will accept my driving licence, some insist on a passport, and my home branch of Krungsri doesnt ask for anything at all: just the passbook. Always bothers me a bit that last one.

[eisfeld]

On top of the ATM card, you could have also used online banking to transfer the needed amount to your wife and she can then withdraw.

[maxcorrigan]

28 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

No ATM card? Clearly not.

To be honest, I don't really see "blatant racism". As a foreigner, you always need your passport to withdraw cash over the counter. What I see (and I'm being generous here) is "stricter rules relating to identification required for foreigners to withdraw cash".

 

I am sure you would be the first on here crying is some farang bloke nicked your driving licence and withdrew cash from your bank account from some far off branch of Krung Sri in a town you had never even visited.

 

Perhaps even, you should consider how to access cash in an emergency since you clearly don't believe in ATM cards.

 

p.s. It is unusual for immigration to hang on to your passport for a retirement extension, can you clarify that?

True or even marriage extensions, it has never happened to me yet, i thought that was what all the duplicate copies were for! 

[elfpattaya]

Did retirement extension today, pick passport up tomorrow

Kitten Kong is correct went to my own branch and no form of ID was needed.

I don't have an ATM for this account as I keep it for Immigration purposes. My other bank account did not have the funds I needed.

Maybe Kitten Kong is correct, in that I did not need any form of ID in my own branch, is more worrying.

Edited August 14, 2018 by elfpattaya

[Pib]

For a farang your "passport" is your ID...it was used to open your bank account.  For a Thai it's their Thai ID card....it was used to open their bank account.

 

If a Thai bank allows you to use another ID such as drivers license, etc., just consider yourself somewhat lucky as "passport" is your ID.

 

 

 

 

[elfpattaya]

The money was required for an emergency, I was quite fortunate that I had my Krung Sri bank book in my possession as I had been to Chonburi immigration that morning.

I was about 50 Klicks from my local branch when I was asked for the money, again an emergency. I was very relieved when I was told I could use my THAI driving license at any branch.

However when I got there, I was told only Thais could use their driving license for ID, so I was  a little annoyed, at being a second class citizen (farang). So I drove back to my local branch and got the required amount without any ID at all.

 

Pib you are correct I opened my account with my Passport, and Thais open their account with their national ID card.

But only Thais can do transactions with their THAI driving license, which does not differ from my THAI driving license.

[KhunBENQ]

I am concerned to read that a bank would hand out money with just presenting the bankbook PM me the details so I can close the account in case...

 

In the past, the present and the future I tell you: never go to the bank desk to do transactions without your passport.

 

On the other hand it is lax that a Thai person is allowed with only the DL taking into account that every Thai person over 15 (?) years of age has to carry the ID with him/her.

DL is easier to fake than the ID card.

ID card has a chip and I guess(!) that the banks can read the chip.

Edited August 14, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[NanLaew]

Does the OP know for a fact that Thai account holders with Krung Sri Bank can withdraw cash from their account at ANY branch of the bank using only their Thai DL?

 

I have an account with Bangkok Bank and in order to do any counter transactions at my home branch, they will accept my Thai DL but they prefer the passport. I have always presented the pass book when doing a counter transaction at the home branch but they also want to see photo ID (passport or DL). I haven't tried to get cash over the counter at any other branch but if I need a new passbook, I can only do that at the home branch.

 

AFAIK, only farangs use their Thai DL's extensively for photo ID and Thai nationals use their national ID card.

 

Racism? Hardly.

Edited August 14, 2018 by NanLaew

[Pib]

42 minutes ago, elfpattaya said:

The money was required for an emergency, I was quite fortunate that I had my Krung Sri bank book in my possession as I had been to Chonburi immigration that morning.

I was about 50 Klicks from my local branch when I was asked for the money, again an emergency. I was very relieved when I was told I could use my THAI driving license at any branch.

However when I got there, I was told only Thais could use their driving license for ID, so I was  a little annoyed, at being a second class citizen (farang). So I drove back to my local branch and got the required amount without any ID at all.

 

Pib you are correct I opened my account with my Passport, and Thais open their account with their national ID card.

But only Thais can do transactions with their THAI driving license, which does not differ from my THAI driving license.

The key thing they are looking for is an ID number match...a number match back to the ID document used to open an the bank account.

 

When a Thai opens a bank account they must use their Thai ID card...and when they get a Drivers License their Thai ID card number is also shown on the Drivers License.  So, when a Thai shows up at the bank either the Thai ID card or their Thai DL has a photo of them and the Thai ID card number is shown on both docs...the Thai ID number used to open the account.

 

When a farang opens a bank account they must use their passport....but if they also have a drivers license the passport number is used unless a person has a Thai Pink ID card which will show a 13 digit number referenced back to his Yellow Book like a Thai ID card 13 digit number.   So, a farang's Thai DL might not reflect the his passport number...and his passport was used to open the account.  Besides, for a farang his ID in the eyes of the Thai govt is his passport....not his Thai DL license.

 

So, if a bank branch does a withdrawal for a farang using his Thai DL, then great...good; but if they wanted to they can require your passport.  

 

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Pib

[jvs]

13 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

I am concerned to read that a bank would hand out money with just presenting the bankbook PM me the details so I can close the account in case...

 

In the past, the present and the future I tell you: never go to the bank desk to do transactions without your passport.

 

On the other hand it is lax that a Thai person is allowed with only the DL taking into account that every Thai person over 15 (?) years of age has to carry the ID with him/her.

DL is easier to fake than the ID card.

ID card has a chip and I guess(!) that the banks can read the chip.

I went to withdraw a large amount today and all they wanted was my bank book,don't know what to think about that.

[KhunBENQ]

Just now, jvs said:

I went to withdraw a large amount today and all they wanted was my bank book,don't know what to think about that.

In the west that has been possible on the basis of "known personally".

Would you think this applies to you?

Bank clerk or personal consultant know you from frequent visits or the like?

Or the only foreigner at the branch (Jon Doe is your name )?

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

p.s. It is unusual for immigration to hang on to your passport for a retirement extension, can you clarify that?

 

2 hours ago, maxcorrigan said:

True or even marriage extensions, it has never happened to me yet, i thought that was what all the duplicate copies were for! 

According to the OP's subsequent posting at #9, Chonburi are his local immigration office, and they are renowned for holding passports overnight (or even over weekends) for extension of stay stamping and signing purposes, even in the case of retirement extensions.

[elfpattaya]

18 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

 

On the other hand it is lax that a Thai person is allowed with only the DL taking into account that every Thai person over 15 (?) years of age has to carry the ID with him/her

You are right a Thai person should have is ID at all times. However I had a copy of my passport (main page) but that was not good.enough.

Pib your Thai driving license has your passport number on it so it is linked.

Nanlaew, I contacted Krungsri when I got home and they confirmed that Thais can use their DL but foreigners cannot.

 

I am now more concerned that I can withdraw a large amount of money at my branch without any ID at all. So things have gone the other way.

Anyway I shall now close my Krungsri account tomorrow, and find an alternative bank for my Immigration money.

 

I would also like to say that I have had this account for about 10 years, and their previous service has been excellent. If they had told me firstly that my DL was not acceptable, I would have said fine. However having told me I could use it, and then saying I couldn't because I was a foreigner I personally find unacceptable.

[jvs]

26 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

In the west that has been possible on the basis of "known personally".

Would you think this applies to you?

Bank clerk or personal consultant know you from frequent visits or the like?

Or the only foreigner at the branch (Jon Doe is your name )?

I had never seen the teller before and i had not been in that branch for at least 5 years but it was the branch i originally opened my account.

I went there because the place i usually go to gave me a hard time when i tried to withdraw a large amount.

[Pib]

12 minutes ago, elfpattaya said:

 

Pib your Thai driving license has your passport number on it so it is linked.

 

Mine don't...it's got my 13 digit Pink ID card/Yellow Book number.   Like I mentioned in my earlier post if you have a Yellow Book/Pink Thai ID card (which most farangs do not have...but some do) you may end up in that 13 digit number being used on your Thai DL  instead of your passport number....depends on the office issuing your DL....like below partial/redacted snapshot from my DL which uses aforemented 13 digit number versus my 9 digit passport number.

 

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, elfpattaya said:

Anyway I shall now close my Krungsri account tomorrow, and find an alternative bank for my Immigration money.

I suspect that you will find this easier said than done to accomplish in practice. An increasing number of Thai banks are nowadays steadfastly refusing to let foreigners open new accounts unless they are in possession of a valid work permit - which, it goes without saying, those of us on retirement extensions do not (or, rather, should not) have.

[NanLaew]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

I suspect that you will find this easier said than done to accomplish in practice. An increasing number of Thai banks are nowadays steadfastly refusing to let foreigners open new accounts unless they are in possession of a valid work permit - which, it goes without saying, those of us on retirement extensions do not (or, rather, should not) have.

Solid advice there.

 

Open the new account first.

Transfer the 'immigration' money to that account.

Keep the existing account open with a minimum deposit (they won't be impressed by your harumpph anyway).

Wait and see how user-friendly the new bank is on your NEXT extension renewal.

 

Now that you are fully aware as to why Thai's can use their DL for banking ID and you can't, it should make it all a bit more digestible.

 

Post back and let us know.

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, jvs said:

I had never seen the teller before and i had not been in that branch for at least 5 years but it was the branch i originally opened my account.

I went there because the place i usually go to gave me a hard time when i tried to withdraw a large amount.

In my experience with Bangkok Bank, my signature is in the pass book in invisible ink and my transaction slip needs to be signed. They compare the invisible signature under UV (black) light with that on the transaction slip.

[Pib]

In my experience with Bangkok Bank, my signature is in the pass book in invisible ink and my transaction slip needs to be signed. They compare the invisible signature under UV (black) light with that on the transaction slip.

And on that same page with info only visible under a UV light is your passport or Thai ID card number.