paying electricity bill in Tesco with(out) THAI ID card ?

[justin case]

2020, you might think that with technology, things/people will get better?

 

Just went to Tesco to try to pay my electrical bill as I always do, in cash

 

NO CAN, person gets someone who speaks some English ...

 

passport ... 

 

why would I bring my passport on a walk to tesco to pay a bill ?

 

In the post office, they accept my scanned passport on my phone...

 

no OK

 

what ?

 

need original ...

 

wait, I see they point to a machine ...I say, my passport will not be fit in that...

 

so apparently, now you need a THAI ID card, and if you don't have, you cannot pay your bills

 

what a retarded country we live in ...

 

what is next ?  your passport to buy a carton of eggs ?

Edited January 31, 2020 by justin case

[dabhand]

Getting closer to Trumpland every day........

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/us/politics/trump-id-groceries.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/14/politics/fact-check-trump-groceries-id-voter-fraud/index.html

[Liverpudlian]

Just been told by the G/F that thais too have to show there ID card.

[FritsSikkink]

You are at least the third person to start a topic on this

[Don Mega]

I got asked for Thai ID number paying my electric at the 7/11 yesterday.

 

Using a Thai ID number generator on my phone I used that and gave them a number... all sorted.

[treetops]

Read previous threads on this so downloaded the PEA Smart Plus app and paid yesterday using that.  It needs a Thai ID to register too and a quick google found one of the generators.

[alex8912]

On 1/31/2020 at 12:38 PM, FritsSikkink said:

You are at least the third person to start a topic on this

Not everyone ( especially those with full lives) would know this. Ever think of that? Anyways it’s a great topic to bring up and if the electric and other companies benefit by this service and the stores who accept the payments benefit with a collected fee. The question really is who would come up with such a stupid rule?  Can you be HELPFUL and answer that?  Or just snarky as usual? 

[FritsSikkink]

31 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Not everyone ( especially those with full lives) would know this. Ever think of that? Anyways it’s a great topic to bring up and if the electric and other companies benefit by this service and the stores who accept the payments benefit with a collected fee. The question really is who would come up with such a stupid rule?  Can you be HELPFUL and answer that?  Or just snarky as usual? 

If you have a full live I assume you have a bank account, do either online banking or pay by ATM, it isn't that difficult.

[jackdd]

 

[tonray]

On 1/31/2020 at 11:07 AM, justin case said:

2020, you might think that with technology, things/people will get better?

 

Why not better yourself and use technology (your phone or PC) and pay the bill online ?

[Mbaki]

what a retarded country we live in ...

 

Might try blaming the company not the country.

[BigStar]

On 1/31/2020 at 11:07 AM, justin case said:

2020, you might think that with technology, things/people will get better?

Things get ever better. I like the new things. 

 

But, no, the people are just the same or worse. Still can't figure out anything or have the same old comprehension problems. For example, Tesco said your original passport would work fine as an acceptable ID. Conclusion: 

 

On 1/31/2020 at 11:07 AM, justin case said:

so apparently, now you need a THAI ID card, and if you don't have, you cannot pay your bills

????

[Moonlover]

On 1/31/2020 at 11:07 AM, justin case said:

what a retarded country we live in ...

You'll have heard of Thailand 4.0 I presume. Part of that plan is to create a digitally integrated and paperless society, just is is happening in modern western countries.

 

Before too long there will be no more paper bills. They will arrive digitally to PC or mobile device and the canny 21st century Thais will simply pay their bills using their ID card and QR code or similar. No more paper, all very convenient.

 

Oh yes, let's not forget that there are 2 million, or so foreigners in the country who don't have ID cards. No problem they're a smart lot, they'll soon realize that there are alternative ways to pay.

 

Well, most of them are smart.

[justin case]

15 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Things get ever better. I like the new things. 

 

But, no, the people are just the same or worse. Still can't figure out anything or have the same old comprehension problems. For example, Tesco said your original passport would work fine as an acceptable ID. Conclusion: 

 

????

they first said passport, than pointed to the THAI ID CARD READER ...

 

doubt there is a passport scanner like at the airport

 

pay in cash with no hassle, or needing to bring a THAI ID CARD, for thais only ...

 

why would/should/need I have to pay electronically if it was ok to be in cash for decades...

 

like things difficult or easy ?

 

government / companies have to spy on you even more ? terrorist paying his electrical bill or something ?  next, need to take a PHOTO while paying ?   info send to police / government ?

[spiekerjozef]

What's your problem?

[SteveK]

The question is, was this just a ballsup on the part of the person designing the system (likely), or a deliberate attempt to annoy ex-pats?

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, Mbaki said:

what a retarded country we live in ...

 

Might try blaming the company not the country.

 

Definitely country.

 

This silliness is all part of the money laundering control brought in by the government.

 

I'm sure it will all get sorted eventually line True Money was.

 

[Jip99]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

If you have a full live I assume you have a bank account, do either online banking or pay by ATM, it isn't that difficult.

 

I don’t think that is the point......or the question.

[Max69xl]

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Not everyone ( especially those with full lives) would know this. Ever think of that? Anyways it’s a great topic to bring up and if the electric and other companies benefit by this service and the stores who accept the payments benefit with a collected fee. The question really is who would come up with such a stupid rule?  Can you be HELPFUL and answer that?  Or just snarky as usual? 

You do know it's 2020,and you still haven't worked out how to use modern technology like internet/mobile banking? 

[Max69xl]

5 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Definitely country.

 

This silliness is all part of the money laundering control brought in by the government.

 

I'm sure it will all get sorted eventually line True Money was.

 

Then you should blame the US. The most paranoid country in the world when it comes to money laundering.

[Jip99]

42 minutes ago, SteveK said:

The question is, was this just a ballsup on the part of the person designing the system (likely), or a deliberate attempt to annoy ex-pats?

 

I think a knee-jerk/sledgehammer to a nut reaction to a new requirement to ID cash payers.

 

Not sure that I can be bothered to money-launder for my 214Baht water bill.

[Max69xl]

52 minutes ago, justin case said:

they first said passport, than pointed to the THAI ID CARD READER ...

 

doubt there is a passport scanner like at the airport

 

pay in cash with no hassle, or needing to bring a THAI ID CARD, for thais only ...

 

why would/should/need I have to pay electronically if it was ok to be in cash for decades...

 

like things difficult or easy ?

 

government / companies have to spy on you even more ? terrorist paying his electrical bill or something ?  next, need to take a PHOTO while paying ?   info send to police / government ?

"2020, you might think that with technology, things/people will get better?"

When will you get better? Maybe you should take a step into the modern world instead of paying bills in cash. 

[Nanaplaza666]

I even paid a bill not to long ago using the nr's on my foreign driving license , worked like a charm . And if it not works let them use 13 times zero as the digits , that will work as well . 

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Maybe you should take a step into the modern world instead of paying bills in cash. 

Lol there's nothing wrong with paying a bill in cash - in fact I find it super convenient to do just that when picking up a few items at 7-Eleven.

 

I tried to use my banks online app to pay an electric bill. It insists that I scan the barcode on the bill, tried 100 times but it just won't read it so stick to paying in cash. For some reason I never have much luck with Thai apps.

Edited February 1, 2020 by SteveK

[Ireland32]

I just went to PEA Shop at Mall, no problem, I only show bill

[Mbaki]

35 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Definitely country.

 

This silliness is all part of the money laundering control brought in by the government.

 

I'm sure it will all get sorted eventually line True Money was.

 

Where is the link saying the government brought this practice in and forced Tesco to adopt it?

[Jip99]

13 minutes ago, Mbaki said:

Where is the link saying the government brought this practice in and forced Tesco to adopt it?

 

Find that for yourself....don’t expect others to do the leg work for you.

 

The fact is that it has been introduced for everyone, with the requirement being a Thai ID card as evidence of identity. My missus was declined this morning because she hadn’t got her ID card with her.

 

The issue comes with Farangs where it appears that specific alternatives have not been advised.

[Samuel Smith]

49 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

"2020, you might think that with technology, things/people will get better?"

When will you get better? Maybe you should take a step into the modern world instead of paying bills in cash. 

I must have missed the memo about using cash being illegal.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Jip99 said:

 

I don’t think that is the point......or the question.

it is the solution though

[Stevemercer]

Most western countries, when companies/gov't departments introduce new public interface systems) are mandated by law to include options to pay cash (or people to people transactions) for those who choose to remain technologically illiterate or who otherwise may have problems with mobile phones (arthritic, poor eyesight, poor internet connections/speed, phone lost or damaged at an inconvenient time etc).

 

So I think it is a fair enough criticism if a payment system is introduced that disadvantages / discriminates (e.g. can't be used) by a significant minority of the population.

 

Though I must admit it hasn't affected me yet in paying electricity, water and internet bills at 7/11. The staff usually enter some sort of code on the ID scanner which seems to bypass the ID number requirement.

Edited February 1, 2020 by Stevemercer