last night gave 100 baht and my bts passcard to top up as i have been doing for years. never asked for passport. what gives?

A government (AMLO) directive happened (actually several year back, Rabbit et-al have been fighting it, and lost).

 

All "e-money" instruments have to be registered just like your mobile phone.

 

You shouldn't need the passport again, it's supposed to be a one-off task.

 

If you have a 7-eleven card you'll have the same issue.

 

Cash is the way to go.

 

I ain't scanning my passport for any commercial outfit,

You never know whose hands those photocopies could end up in!

I take it you don't have a Thai SIM then, or did you do the same as me (friend used her ID)?

Edited August 12, 20196 yr by Salerno

I used my Thai driver's licence. No big deal, <deleted>.

there are reports of farang being asked for passport in Tesco Lotus when buying groceries.

Where and when?

Paying cash as most people do?

That's it for me, I'm outa here along with my 26 best mates that left for Vietnam. Thai BTS can suck it! ;))))

it is part of the tm30 scam. if you have left your province you will be flagged if you don't report. 

6 hours ago, Crossy said:

A government (AMLO) directive happened (actually several year back, Rabbit et-al have been fighting it, and lost).

 

All "e-money" instruments have to be registered just like your mobile phone.

 

You shouldn't need the passport again, it's supposed to be a one-off task.

 

If you have a 7-eleven card you'll have the same issue.

 

Not really.

They didn't fight the directive, the directive was also not meant to apply to cash cards/gift cards and co.

There's no such directives applied for payments within banks at all.

It's imho either an over sensitive extremely cautious interpretation they use or they just use it as a reason to justify why they do it, 

i suspect they want the user data for analytics, advertisment and co. and that's the real reason.

 

They could just sell BTS only cards and not have to deal with this stuff like MRT does if they wanted to.

9 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

there are reports of farang being asked for passport in Tesco Lotus when buying groceries.

No, there are not.

Edited August 13, 20196 yr by Just Weird

16 hours ago, kellersphuket said:

Cash is the way to go.

 

I ain't scanning my passport for any commercial outfit,

You never know whose hands those photocopies could end up in!

Never been asked to give a passport until one time. Just told them I don't have it on me and don't have a photocopy on me. She then topped up my card and said next time I need to show passport. Next time went to the exact same station to top up and was never asked again.

i have heard you can top up the cards at mcdonalds, no passport. is this true? have not tried it yet. 

2 hours ago, meand said:

i have heard you can top up the cards at mcdonalds, no passport. is this true? have not tried it yet. 

 

Probably.

 

Eventually all the reload terminals will be able to interrogate the registration database and that avenue will close.

 

Also there will be a time (as yet not determined) when all unregistered cards will be blacklisted and will stop working until they are registered.

 

23 hours ago, kellersphuket said:

Cash is the way to go.

 

I ain't scanning my passport for any commercial outfit,

You never know whose hands those photocopies could end up in!

They neither scan nor photocopy it. 

18 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

there are reports of farang being asked for passport in Tesco Lotus when buying groceries.

Yes and a completed TM30 if they return to the store after traveling out of province. 

Edited August 13, 20196 yr by possum1931

I showed them a photo of my passport I had on my phone. They did not ask about the photoshopping that may or may not have occurred after the photo was taken.

On 8/13/2019 at 2:17 PM, meand said:

i have heard you can top up the cards at mcdonalds, no passport. is this true? have not tried it yet. 

No passport is needed at the BTS either after you have registered it.  Why would anyone, except the deliberately awkward and those with something to hide, have a problem registering with a document (PP) that the authorities already have seen?

2 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

No passport is needed at the BTS either after you have registered it.  Why would anyone, except the deliberately awkward and those with something to hide, have a problem registering with a document (PP) that the authorities already have seen?

Because they don't want someone tracking their movements, obviously. I'd have thought with all the hoo-hah about Facebook and Google monetising our personal data the old "if you've got nothing to hide" mindless retort would have disappeared by now

10 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

Because they don't want someone tracking their movements, obviously. I'd have thought with all the hoo-hah about Facebook and Google monetising our personal data the old "if you've got nothing to hide" mindless retort would have disappeared by now

"...mindless retort..."?

 

What have Google and FB got to do with the BTS, exactly? 

 

By registering with the BTS, using your passport details that the authorities, obviously, already have, how are they in a better position to track you, the paranoid?  And why would you be bothered about your movements being tracked if you have nothing to hide?  Do you really think that if any agency wanted to track you they couldn't do it until you registered your Rabbit card?  What a joke.

 

By the way, you need to be a bit careful with the "mindless retort" flame/personal attack, particularly in view of the content of your comment to me, maybe you're not au fait with the forum rules?

I have topped up my card a couple of times in the past month, never been asked for ID or passport. Simply hand over card with 1,000 THB note and ask them to top it up... No problem. Both at Thonglor BTS.

 

This is an orange Rabbit card if people are talking about different cards.

 

Out of interest why would you top up with just 100 THB? Thats what 3.5 trips?

 

Also someone talking about linking this with TM30 is a complete retard.

1 hour ago, smutcakes said:

I have topped up my card a couple of times in the past month, never been asked for ID or passport. Simply hand over card with 1,000 THB note and ask them to top it up... No problem. Both at Thonglor BTS.

 

This is an orange Rabbit card if people are talking about different cards.

 

Out of interest why would you top up with just 100 THB? Thats what 3.5 trips?

 

Also someone talking about linking this with TM30 is a complete retard.

That's the same for everyone who has registered their card, as you must have done also, unless they have made an exemption from the law for you. 

11 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"...mindless retort..."?

 

What have Google and FB got to do with the BTS, exactly? 

 

By registering with the BTS, using your passport details that the authorities, obviously, already have, how are they in a better position to track you, the paranoid?  And why would you be bothered about your movements being tracked if you have nothing to hide?  Do you really think that if any agency wanted to track you they couldn't do it until you registered your Rabbit card?  What a joke.

 

By the way, you need to be a bit careful with the "mindless retort" flame/personal attack, particularly in view of the content of your comment to me, maybe you're not au fait with the forum rules?

Paranoia aside, one only needs to watch the YouTube videos regarding China's digital authoritarianism, to send chills down your spine. So, while registering for the BTS card may seem like a small detail, it is these small steps that lead to giant leaps into the reality of China. I do not expect Thailand to follow that extreme path, but history shows it is better to resists these small steps earlier rather than later.

 

My biggest fear is that China will offer to export their frightening technology to other nations, and some governments will all-to-happily snap it up. I can imagine the military here getting a chubby thinking about the possibilities.

2 hours ago, smutcakes said:

I have topped up my card a couple of times in the past month, never been asked for ID or passport. Simply hand over card with 1,000 THB note and ask them to top it up... No problem. Both at Thonglor BTS.

 

This is an orange Rabbit card if people are talking about different cards.

 

Out of interest why would you top up with just 100 THB? Thats what 3.5 trips?

 

Also someone talking about linking this with TM30 is a complete retard.

 

just usually go short distances and not very often on bts

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

That's the same for everyone who has registered their card, as you must have done also, unless they have made an exemption from the law for you. 

Well the OP signaled that he was asked for passport just for topping up, something he has been doing for years.....

 

Incidentally i dont think i have ever been asked or been required to provide my passport here other than by immigration when doing visas or with work.

The registration system does seem a bit flaky. We have members who have been asked several times so I see no reason why the opposite should not be true.

 

Please note that the registrations are NOT handled or requested by BTS, it's the Rabbit provider (BSS) who are managing registrations.

 

7 hours ago, smutcakes said:

Well the OP signaled that he was asked for passport just for topping up, something he has been doing for years.....

 

Incidentally i dont think i have ever been asked or been required to provide my passport here other than by immigration when doing visas or with work.

"Well the OP signaled that he was asked for passport just for topping up, something he has been doing for years....."

Of course he has, the legislation was only introduced this year so everyone has been able to top up without registering until recently.

 

"Incidentally i dont think i have ever been asked or been required to provide my passport here other than by immigration when doing visas or with work".

If you've topped up your card since 15th February this year you will have needed to show your passport, or other acceptable ID, just once to register it, every Rabbit card holder has had to do it, even if you claim that you have never had to do it.  Subsequent top-ups don't need ID because your card is then registered.

On 8/15/2019 at 2:25 PM, ThaiBunny said:

On 8/15/2019 at 2:21 PM, Just Weird said:

No passport is needed at the BTS either after you have registered it.  Why would anyone, except the deliberately awkward and those with something to hide, have a problem registering with a document (PP) that the authorities already have seen?

Because they don't want someone tracking their movements, obviously. I'd have thought with all the hoo-hah about Facebook and Google monetising our personal data the old "if you've got nothing to hide" mindless retort would have disappeared by now

 

 

 

absolutely agree and since ANYONE can buy plastic fare tokens with cash no questions asked why should the fare card be any different?????????

Edited August 16, 20196 yr by atyclb

5 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"Well the OP signaled that he was asked for passport just for topping up, something he has been doing for years....."

Of course he has, the legislation was only introduced this year so everyone has been able to top up without registering until recently.

 

"Incidentally i dont think i have ever been asked or been required to provide my passport here other than by immigration when doing visas or with work".

If you've topped up your card since 15th February this year you will have needed to show your passport, or other acceptable ID, just once to register it, every Rabbit card holder has had to do it, even if you claim that you have never had to do it.  Subsequent top-ups don't need ID because your card is then registered.

I have never had to show my ID. I top up every other month or so, so probably 3 times since 15th Feb. Maybe i have just been lucky and the staff lazy and one of these next times i will need to show.

If you have a mobile phone "The Government" already have a far better tracking device than any payment card (even without a "Tourist SIM").

 

If you are that worried get the missus / GF / BF to register your card.