Covid-19: Major Thai bank stops exchanging foreign money

[Just Weird]

7 hours ago, Susco said:

Could it be because foreign bank notes tend to come from outside Thailand, and have gone through an unlimited number of hands, many of those that might be infected?

Why would it be as Thai notes have also been through the same unlimited number of hands?!

[natway09]

Bit surprised the Boss allow this as the way he speaks we need all the foreign monies

the country can get their hands on. 

One major money changer is just giving any notes from anwhere a light Dettol spray & leaving for one hour after transaction completed making the risk of contamination 99.999 % safe.

You cannot jump in a car here with that certainty

[Just Weird]

7 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Why don't they wear...protective gloves while handling their number one god?

Ever tried to count bank notes accurately with gloves on?

[Kadilo]

Their rates are sh.ite anyway. Plenty of atm and money exchanges about. 

[Tony125]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I picked up 31.83 baht per USD on February 28th on a transfer to my K-bank account, today the rate is down to 31.49, does not make any sense at all

Sure it does, the Virus scare has caused the stock market to drop over 3,000 points. With lower economy outlook the dollar  has fallen against the baht once again.

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, drbeach said:

KTB, like other banks, offer horrible exchange rates anyway. Anyone with a bit of sense changes money only at independent money changers such as Super Rich.

 

The most laughably ridiculous thing is the KTB money changer located at Suvarnabhumi on the lower ground floor as you're heading to the ARL. It's opposite Super Rich. No one would ever exchange money there because their rates were much lower than Super Rich. Good riddance if they go out of business - unless they adapt to the competition they're bound to die.

The bank in question is Kasikorn, not KTB.

 

"Horrible, laughable, ridiculous rates"?  31.47 vs. 31.18, that's a ("horrible, laughable, ridiculous" [sic]) 29 satang disadvantage.   Imagine all you could do with that 29 satang!

 

  The difference is almost insignificant on a normal exchange of a few quid.  A queue would tempt some people who aren't worried about a few baht to go elsewhere.  There'd be a difference of only B58 on a $200 exchange right now.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Just Weird

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

They are only refusing to change cash from other countries. 

What they should be looking at, is the fingerprint virus spreading devices at the airport.

They all have hand cleanser next to them if you haven't been to the airport lately.

 

Plus, out of 88000 cases worldwide, no-one has yet reported getting infected from a fingerprinting machine despite 88001 allegations that this would happen on TVF.

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, PowerKat said:

Just a way to send staff home for 14 days unpaid to save some money. 

Nothing to do with saving money, Kasikorn's one of Thailand's biggest banks, those staff won't be on unpaid leave.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Just Weird

[david555]

From K+ app translated by google ....

 

Kasikorn Bank would like to stop the foreign exchange service at branches and foreign exchange offices.

 Announce

 Subject: Stop offering foreign currency exchange services at branches and foreign exchange offices

 ----------------------------

 Orphan Lassen 1

 As announced by the Ministry of Public Health on March 5, 2020 on Coronary Infection Disease 2019 or COVID-19, the area outside the Kingdom is a dangerous contagious area in 4 countries and is an area  That has an ongoing epidemic in 5 countries

 Kasikorn Bank considers the implementation of public health measures in the spread of dangerous communicable diseases.  To protect, monitor and control the epidemic is a duty of citizens (Civic Duty) that should be done and is extremely important.  The bank therefore announces to stop the foreign exchange service.  Both at branches and foreign exchange offices (FX Booth) all over the country indefinitely from 17:00 on Sunday March 8, 2020 onwards until the outbreak of the disease.  Will change significantly for the better as determined by the Ministry of Public Health

 The bank has employees who operate at all foreign exchange offices (FX Booth) to close this.  Self-quarantine at home for 14 days according to the Department of Disease Control's guidelines.  Ministry of Public Health. Currently, no bank employees have been infected with COVID-19 in any way.

 This decision  The Bank has informed the following relevant persons that

 Ministry of Public Health  Through the Department of Disease Control

 Bank of Thailand

 Airports of Thailand Plc.

 King Power Group Company (a person licensed to manage commercial activities  Within the passenger terminals of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang and Phuket)

 Note: Customers can use the foreign exchange service through the bank's electronic channels as usual.
 

[Traubert]

29 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Ever tried to count bank notes accurately with gloves on?

Everywhere I do monetary transactions has counting machines.

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, sahibji said:

this is going to be a major setback for tourism. the few who still brave to visit thailand will think twice, with these exchange limitations.

Garbage.

 

Which "exchange limitations"?  One bank, that's all, has stopped, temporarily.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Just Weird

[mngmn]

7 hours ago, Susco said:

Could it be because foreign bank notes tend to come from outside Thailand, and have gone through an unlimited number of hands, many of those that might be infected?

Unlike the pure as snow Thai Baht?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

8 hours ago, webfact said:

One of Thailand's largest banks has announced they have shut all their in branch and foreign exchange booths immediately. 

 

How sanctimonious...everyone is diseased except us....LOL.

Not sanctimonious in the least, they've also stopped handing out Thai baht.  Obviously.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Just Weird

[observer90210]

No more exchange booths...so where will all the poor Chinese tourists, change their renminbis ? ? ?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

First the Chinese are discriminated, now it is the Italians.

This is not restricted to Chinese and Italians!

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, barryofthailand said:

I'm hoping this will not affect money transfers. Have to transfer money every month for immigration 

Do you do your money transfers from exchange booths?

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

They are only refusing to change cash from other countries. 

What they should be looking at, is the fingerprint virus spreading devices at the airport.

Why should Kasikorn Bank be concerned about that?

[rumak]

8 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

As Prayuth said "everything is under control",most people took this to mean something different than "the government will control everything".

i think your quote is a matter of    Same Same,  but no difference .

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, bluemoonpattaya said:

Are Thai bank notes immune from this virus.     

 

sorry if already posted  

No, they are, obviously, part of all transactions in exchange booths.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, justin case said:

and just when I wanted to exchange some hundred thousands of baht against euro, while it was low... 

 

damn

Plenty of other places to exchange your cash.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, david555 said:

I gueuss it is more an excuse to not give the sudden exchange  rise from euro & others against the drop in Thai baht now . Unwelcome exchange situation by the Thai hiso's.....

It's only Kasikorn!

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, Just Weird said:

It's only Kasikorn!

No one but the most naive used them anyway

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

How about the government  not letting in almost 1,000,000 people from these infected areas I think that would have a bigger effect then shutting down the money changing crapTIT

The government isn't "shutting down the money changing crapTIT" [sic].

Edited March 9, 2020 by Just Weird

[david555]

2 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

It's only Kasikorn!

Then only the KK hisos probably ????....wait untill the others follow in snowball effect ....1 has to be the first one ...????

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, Parsve said:

Money is the root to all evil,  seems to be their point of view. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Parsve
misspelling

Misquoted the quote, also!

[fred110]

They're getting really ridiculous now. It's just the flu.

[Just Weird]

32 minutes ago, Traubert said:

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

Ever tried to count bank notes accurately with gloves on?

Everywhere I do monetary transactions has counting machines.

They're also counted by hand.

[Just Weird]

27 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

No more exchange booths...so where will all the poor Chinese tourists, change their renminbis ? ? ?

At the hundreds of other booths.

[connda]

Just another form of xenophobia: 
Thai money clean; foreign money infected.  <laughs>  

Lord, every thing foreign scares the hell out of Thais.  1997 right around the corner 'eh?  Bohica.

[Steve Vincent]

Kasikorn Bank embarrassing “ majority of people with cash hardly  use banks,. Always use kiosks with a better exchange rate ! Funny enough was looking the other day whilst in Khon kaen believe the rate was 39.45 checked my HIFX account and was receiving just over 40 baht to the pound. Never use Thai banks except to transfer funds from the uk into my partners bank account. Funds take 5 days to clear yet receive no charges. Just glad kasikorn bank don’t run planes as the airports would be empty