Tempers fray as queues grow long at Krungthai Bank’s ATMs

By The Nation

 

 

The last batch of 2.9 million state-welfare cardholders, who are entitled to Bt500 each as part of the Bt5.5-billion New Year gift programme for 11.1 million low-income earners, lined up to withdraw cash from Krungthai Bank’s ATM machines on Monday.

 

“Under the programme, the government will deposit money for those who are entitled to receive the cash between December 8 and 10. The deposit for 4 million cardholders, whose ID cards begin with the numbers 32, 33 and 34, was made on Saturday while the deposit for 4.2 million others, with ID card numbers starting with 31, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39, was made on Sunday.

 

Tempers frayed at Uthai Thani’s Lan Sak district as people accused others of jumping the queue and police were quick to intervene. 

 

Some cardholders reportedly resorted to hiring other people for Bt10 to Bt60 a head to wait in queue and withdraw the cash on their behalf. Villager Nampheung Pongsawat revealed that she had been waiting in the Lan Sak queue for hours when some people showed up with 30-40 cards each to withdraw the cash on behalf of others having been paid Bt10 a pop. The fee apparently was a high as Bt60 in Nong Chang district.

 

In the northern province of Phayao, the queues at Krungthai Bank’s ATM machines were still long even after darkness fell. Those unable to withdraw cash due to technical problems said they be returning to talk with bank officials during office hours.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30360109

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-10

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Nampheung Pongsawat revealed that she had been waiting in the Lan Sak queue for hours

She should have waited a day or two. Standing hours in an ATM queue...

1 minute ago, PatOngo said:

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

Not just the 500 baht. The introduction of six numbers on the atm pins. At my local branch, there were at least a half-a-dozen, at the atms, at any one time while I was there on Friday.

Must be temper fraying time as I also get frazzled when I see how many baht is left in the ATM after the latest pound exchange????

What a shambles! Thailand 4.0.

The Krungthai Bank must make a motza out of this contract to distribute welfare card funds. There are about 11 million card holders and if they collect an average ATM fee of around 40 baht a transaction that nets them a nice 440,000,000 baht for their shareholders. The recipients get a net 460 baht less queuing expenses.

That makes it easy to see why 1% of the population have 67% of Thailand's wealth while the needy have to line up for the scraps.

Quote

Tempers frayed at Uthai Thani’s Lan Sak district as people accused others of jumping the queue and police were quick to intervene. 

who promptly relieved them of their 500thb

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

some people showed up with 30-40 cards each to withdraw the cash on behalf of others having been paid Bt10 a pop. 

It p*ssed me off when someone has just 2 cards and are depositing , taking , depositing dough for minutes .. Imagine someone with 30 or 40 in front of you .. And tempers were fraying they said .. 

20 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

It p*ssed me off when someone has just 2 cards and are depositing , taking , depositing dough for minutes .. Imagine someone with 30 or 40 in front of you .. And tempers were fraying they said .. 

On Friday, there were so many people, at the branch I was at, that the traffic came to a standstill. People stopping their bikes and pick-ups on the road 'cause they only expected to be quick, but were frustrated that they were queuing for 15 minutes. And they could not leave the queue. The traffic was at a standstill. Right back to the cycle repair shop.

 

Tempers were getting frayed. But no fights why I was there.

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by owl sees all

19 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

What a shambles! Thailand 4.0.

The Krungthai Bank must make a motza out of this contract to distribute welfare card funds. There are about 11 million card holders and if they collect an average ATM fee of around 40 baht a transaction that nets them a nice 440,000,000 baht for their shareholders. The recipients get a net 460 baht less queuing expenses.

That makes it easy to see why 1% of the population have 67% of Thailand's wealth while the needy have to line up for the scraps.

I'm a bit bemused by your calculation as at my two (not Krungthai) Thai banks I pay 200 baht yearly. At my recollection. my atm withdrawals are free unless I am outside the Changwat of my bank. This itself is a disgrace for people working away from home as they must pay 30 baht because of some invisible border which apparently causes extra costs. As for the inequality of income this is even a bigger disgrace. Scandalous! 

I'm going to say something here that not everyone will agree with. But if you agree with me then that's good. Some of the posts are nothing short of 'rants'.

 

Why do we not have a 'rant' section, where we can let off some serious steam, and expose the guilty?

 

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by owl sees all

 

"when some people showed up with 30-40 cards each to withdraw the cash on behalf of others having been paid Bt10 a pop"

 

40 cards.......and PINs.

 

Good thing there are no card skimming machines in Thailand.

 

 

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by Enoon

Dry run for the election next year (maybe)?

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

It is called a handout to the poorer people of Thailand.

It may be populist tactics, but the T governments did the same and tried to only give their supporters.

Slightly different.

Must be the burgeoning Thai middle class right there in the photo.

Not surprised. If I see more than one Thai in an ATM queue I move on.

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

Isn't 500 baht the usual amount reported in press for vote buying?

What a cheap program.  500 baht might get you salad bar for two at Sizzler, a bottle Mekhong rum or 2 movie tickets.  The recipients must be going crazy thinking of the possibilities this cash can provide

1 hour ago, ReMarKable said:

Isn't 500 baht the usual amount reported in press for vote buying?

yea I was told at least Thaksin used cash.

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

I've always admired the way that the French Revolution "returned happiness to the people". When you line them up at the guillotine, happiness tends to return quite quickly. Violence works, cringing and begging for crumbs from the tables of the rich, is nearly as effective as lighting a candle at a shrine.

4 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Not just the 500 baht. The introduction of six numbers on the atm pins. At my local branch, there were at least a half-a-dozen, at the atms, at any one time while I was there on Friday.

I was informed 2 month ago about I have to get a new ATM chip card by Kasikorn bank before Dec. 1st. When I went to the nearest ATM with my new card on Dec. 8th the display said: this ATM cannot read the new 6 digit chip cards. Welcome to Moronia 4.0!

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by Lupatria

It's bad and sad that everyone is so desperate for 500 baht that this is what happens. And they say that the monetary inequality figures released are wrong. Pathetic!

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

I bet you would be happy if a whole day of your western wages was given to you for free?

40 minutes ago, madmen said:

5 hours ago, PatOngo said:

So that's how you return happiness to the people, give them 500 baht each.

I bet you would be happy if a whole day of your western wages was given to you for free?

I am happy when I get my foreign salary, but it's not given to me, I work for it! And my vote is NOT FOR SALE! 

So, basically the government is paying for every poor person to get a ST. That's awfully white of them.

3 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Must be the burgeoning Thai middle class right there in the photo.

Middle class?

What might that be.....?

1 hour ago, Lupatria said:

I was informed 2 month ago about I have to get a new ATM chip card by Kasikorn bank before Dec. 1st. When I went to the nearest ATM with my new card on Dec. 8th the display said: this ATM cannot read the new 6 digit chip cards. Welcome to Moronia 4.0!

I had to get a new ATM card. That's why I was at the bank in the first place. Two bank officials outside trying to sort things. 

 

Lucky, I got money OK. But plenty of customers could not; and this was 3-30.

 

There must have been 100 cars in the jam. Tooting away. It was awful. Stacked back to the cycle repair shop and when I came the other way, almost to the happy ending massage place.

 

Police nowhere to be seen though.

Edited December 10, 20187 yr by owl sees all

3 hours ago, hansnl said:

It is called a handout to the poorer people of Thailand.

It may be populist tactics, but the T governments did the same and tried to only give their supporters.

Slightly different.

Hmmm. I don't remember that. I remember the 1 million to every village and micro loan thing. I remember the 30 baht health scheme.

 

I just don't recall any  T government

giving 500 baht to poor people as a straightforward gift ?

 

Be grateful if you could give details on this as its always nice to get to the facts of things.

 

Thanks in advance.

500baht (or more) considered as a straightforward gift comes from a family loan!  Rarely repaid!

and 500 baht is closer to 2 days pay for those lucky enough to get the 300 per day rate..........so yes, it’s worth picking up.