Big C asks for Passport when purchasing groceries

[Assurancetourix]

2 hours ago, Toany said:

PPT blue card can also only be obtained if you have a Thai In number.  So, most foreigners can't get one. I never use PTT petrol stations.  Caltex give good rewards usung the one card.

You take your head for trivial things ...
If you are married to a Thai woman, have all these things done by her;
all these cards, ours is at PT for fuel, are in the name of my wife and since it is I'm the driver, she doesn'y have a license for cars ,, it is also I who have it in my wallet;
I present it when I pay and I have my points plus one or two bottles of water depending on the number of liters purchased.
In Lotus ( Sawang ) or Makro (Sakon Nakhon and sometimes Udon Thani), the same, card in the name of my wife and she very rarely does the shopping, it is generally me who does them; the cashier never asked me for my passport in 14 years of presence here.

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

Aren't you going to exaggerate a bit?

To send a parcel it is compulsory for everyone, farang and thai;
but to send a letter, even by registered post, I never showed an identity card or my passport; I never have this one with me when I go somewhere in my province or even in that of Udon Thani.

Perhaps it was a large letter - or a French letter perhaps.

[Burma Bill]

Shopped at TOPS and BIGC in Khon Kaen yesterday, paid cash, no questions asked about ID (passport).

However, I am not surprised, as the bureaucracy and stupidity coming out of Bangkok is ridiculous!

Not long now, in 7 days time I leave LOS after almost 20 years. This is 2020, not 1984! 

[pookiki]

On a recent trip back to the USA in November, I was asked to show an ID at a small restaurant when using my credit card.  The waitress politely explained to me that it was the restaurant's policy to prevent fraudulent use of credit or debit cards.  In saying this, I doubt if paying by cash requires an ID anywhere.  In addition, if there is a policy at Big C, it should be equally applied like it is at the Post Office.

Edited February 8, 2020 by pookiki
grammar

[SunsetT]

On 2/5/2020 at 5:25 PM, Orton Rd said:

They also want to see your passport when posting a birthday card

Not in Nakhon Phanom 2 weeks ago.

[CM Dad]

I don't shop at either Big C or Tesco.  If I have to show my passport to spend money anywhere in the world then I simply won't spend it.

[SunsetT]

On 2/5/2020 at 5:47 PM, luckyluke said:

I have a BigC card, in fact it is my telephone number.

Last week the cashier told me I had a 20 ThB discount, but she needed to see my passport.

As I didn't had it with me, I didn't get the discount.

I think I get it now. Like many company marketing schemes, bonuses, promos to get your custom, they often later make it as difficult as possible for u to actually claim those benefits. Or, without actually saying so, they just want to discourage foreigners to claim benefits intended for Thais.

[allenberg]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2020 at 6:35 PM, Felt 35 said:

Home country demand you to show passport when paying with a Visa card??? Must be a sad home country..... could it be one nearby

He didn't say passport; he said ID...

[allenberg]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2020 at 7:05 PM, Just Weird said:

No, it's not, it's because he wanted to use his BigC membership card that they asked for ID!

Perhaps that is the case for the OP. Never have I been asked for ID or passport when presenting my BigC membership card.

[Salerno]

2 hours ago, transam said:

So in your opinion, what is the reason. ?

I cannot see a reason, if I am handing over cash for a box of corn flakes.....????

If you where handing over cash for a box of cornflakes you wouldn't be asked for ID 

[toofarnorth]

' Could I have 4 large Chang please , we have glasses , now where is my passport and credit card.'.     Or is it only Lotus and Big C that they are needed ?

[yogavnture]

if you are gonna use plastic to pay dont they have a right to verify who you are?  seems fair to me

[NoshowJones]

On 2/5/2020 at 5:33 PM, NE1 said:

Just more stupidity from " Big Brother "

 

Very predictable response from my stalker.

 

Welcome again to the LOS. Land of Stupidity.

[lomolagi]

Maybe not so sinister. It may have been because you were claiming your Big C points on the transaction. They have become more strict about whom uses your BigC card these days and even Thai citizens get asked for secondary form of proof of ID when claiming their points. My wife uses her sister's BigC card and yet when claiming points has to produce sister's ID card. Staff probably looked blank as they didn't understand yourself or your partner, not matter how good your language skills may be.

[placnx]

Maybe on their CC-TV they saw you coughing.

[Caldera]

Just went to Big C and wasn't asked for my passport. Never have been asked before either, no matter if paying cash or cashless. In Bangkok.

 

Then again, I'm not a member. I'd assume that they now need (or want) to collect the passport number for their membership database.

[Max69xl]

On 2/5/2020 at 5:40 PM, Just Weird said:

It's fairly easy to deduce that it's because you were using your Big C membership card, that they want ID for, and, presumably, you get some benefit from.  Big C do not ask for passports for a straightforward cash purchase.

 

No, they're not for ordinary cash purchases.

When applying for the member card, you need to show the passport. That's ok. Asking to verify your identity with a passport when buying stuff with a debit card and showing your member card is not ok. Just by entering the correct pin code for the debit card shows that you're the person connected to the member card. 

[Max69xl]

46 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Just went to Big C and wasn't asked for my passport. Never have been asked before either, no matter if paying cash or cashless. In Bangkok.

 

Then again, I'm not a member. I'd assume that they now need (or want) to collect the passport number for their membership database.

They already have the passport number if you have a member card. You need to show the passport when applying for the card. Same at Macro when I got my member card a few years back. 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, lomolagi said:

Maybe not so sinister. It may have been because you were claiming your Big C points on the transaction. They have become more strict about whom uses your BigC card these days and even Thai citizens get asked for secondary form of proof of ID when claiming their points. My wife uses her sister's BigC card and yet when claiming points has to produce sister's ID card. Staff probably looked blank as they didn't understand yourself or your partner, not matter how good your language skills may be.

The problem is that even a manager doesn't understand logic. That's why you can't reason with them.

You seem to be a law abiding citizen who never questions anybody. How fun is that? 

[KKr]

I would've left the groceries and walked.

[CNXman2551]

I shop at Big-Cs in Chiang Mai on almost a daily basis. I present my partner's Big C card and confirm their name to the cashier. I'll pay for my purchases with cash, a Bangkok Bank debit card, or one of my cards from the U.S.A. They did not ask me for any documents two days ago when I used the Big C card and U.S.A. issued credit card. Whenever we can get a discount, they will ask my partner for their id. I see them ask other Thai shoppers for their id cards when giving them the discounts.  They do ask for the Big C card when I pay a utility bill as a back-up for their records for the commission they charge and that the bill was paid.

 

I find it interesting when I go to Siam Commercial Bank to make a car loan payment for my partner, one bank branch will ask for my passport. Another branch will not ask for any of my identification.

 

 

[ianezy0]

Went to Big C today and pay by cash as I always do and also put mobile number in the computer. The girl informed me that I will get a 168baht refund (bill was 1499 baht) Then she asked if I had my passport, to which I replied, “No”. So I paid 1499 baht. 
The prices on the receipt hadn’t increased from other times, so I wonder why they suddenly offer a discount if you have your passport? 
Anyway, this is for everyone’s info. Do with it what you will.

[RocketDog]

On 2/5/2020 at 6:08 PM, BobbyL said:

Bizarre as usual.

 

I guess it must be to stop that really dangerous money laundering that expats are involved in, especially in terms of electrical bills at Tesco. 

No, it can't be that. Last well I paid $157,892.23 on my electric bill at 7 using new $100 notes and nobody ask me anything. ????

[FarFlungFalang]

Yesterday at Lotus I bought stuff and paid cash,no problem then I tried ti pay the internet bill and the wife' phone bill and the cashier started babling the wife came over and told me the cashier needs ID so I pulled out my ID pink card no good as it doesn't have a chip said the cashier so the wife starts rifling through her purse and finally finds her ID and then we got to pay.Never had this before and the cashier said it's a new law.

[dave s]

A friend from France is on his annual visit here. We stopped at BigC Phuket on the way home today from lunch at Central Festival. He presented his member card and cash at the checkout. She wanted to see his passport. The register screen did show a discount of 10 baht in English. I had told him about this article, and he had his passport with him. The register did not like it when she entered his passport number. After a discussion in Thai, he dug out his previous passport, and it was happy when she entered that number. She apparently suggested he stop at the service desk on the way to the car, so I expect that next time there will be no problem with his current passport.

 

Then I told her "no have" when she asked me for a member card, I paid her in cash, no problem. Except that I have now eaten too many of the jelly donuts, and don't feel so good.

[BritManToo]

Just now, dave s said:

She apparently suggested he stop at the service desk on the way to the car, so I expect that next time there will be no problem with his current passport.

I'd leave my current passport at home, and carry the expired one, less aggro if you lose the old one.

[Sydebolle]

Why on Earth do these Thais hate us so much? Their inferiority complex is a direct result of inadequate education, a medieval society structure and permanent debts which have a distinct depressive aftertaste. What a pity and a shame; when I arrived in the mid 80s we were still welcome and beneficial to the Land ............ 

[treetops]

On 2/8/2020 at 3:41 AM, digger70 said:

Why worry, if they pull that crazy stunt to us ,,, easy, we  just leave the groceries there say nothing and walk out and go shopping elsewhere .  ????

Not everyone has that option, and besides, most are probably at the shop they like most, whether that be for price, range, quality, convenience or whatever, so going to another means they're losing out.  That's as dumb as asking for ID when it shouldn't be required.

Edited February 9, 2020 by treetops

[mojaco]

I carry a reduced laminated copy of my passport to show at BigC for the discount.  Never a problem.

 

They only want to enter your passport number into their computer for you to get the discount.  I am sure it is just to keep you from claiming someone else's discount by using their card.

[jack7106]

On 2/5/2020 at 5:40 PM, Just Weird said:

It's fairly easy to deduce that it's because you were using your Big C membership card, that they want ID for, and, presumably, you get some benefit from.  Big C do not ask for passports for a straightforward cash purchase.

 

No, they're not for ordinary cash purchases.

I suggest you read the post carefully in relation to trying to purchase even with cash – it is quite clear that they still required the passport in his case even though he was paying cash. That is why he got his non-Thai girlfriend to pay for the goods without problems????????‍♂️????????????