Commercial banks close all branches over weekend to prevent overcrowding

By THE NATION

 

 

Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krungthai Bank and TMB-Thanachart Bank announced on Friday (March 27) that they would close all branches nationwide on Saturday and Sunday (March 28-29), while electronic services would remain available.

 

 

According to Krungthai Bank’s announcement, the closure decision was made to promote social distancing amid the escalating Covid-19 outbreak and to prevent overcrowding at branches. A large turnout of people is expected to register for the government’s cash handout of Bt5,000 per month.

 

The cash handout campaign will last three months starting April, providing Bt5,000 cash per month to those who are not under social security system (eg temporary employees, freelancers, self-employed persons) and affected by the government’s closure order of business venues.

 

The bank said in the announcement that people should register online to receive their Bt5,000 at www.เราไม่ทิ้งกัน.com from 8pm March 28 onwards, while the registration result will be sent via SMS or registered mail.

 

All branches of the abovementioned banks will open again on March 30.

 

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384969

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-28

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

 

 

As the main branches are closed on weekends anyway I assume that this now also stretches to the micro-branches in shopping centers etc.?

 

5000 Baht handout at Krungthai (only?).

Expect another significant chaos at the branches and possible breakdown of internet access etc.

Remember to have enough cash available at these times.

 

The other welfare action (meter deposit at MEA/PEA) still tears down the server.

Edited March 28, 20206 yr by KhunBENQ

2 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

As the main branches are closed on weekends anyway I assume that this now also stretches to the micro-branches in shopping centers etc.?

Yes

Covid-19: All commercial bank branches closed this weekend

 

 

Thailand's commercial banks have announced they are closing all branches today and tomorrow, March 28th and 29th.

 

Daily News said this will affect all commercial banks: They mentioned SCB, Kasikorn, Bangkok Bank, Krung Thai and Sri Ayudhya as examples.

 

This is to prevent spread of the coronavirus due to a large amount of people that were expected to register for the government's 5,000 baht handouts that are set to continue for the next three months.

 

People have been urged to register online and Kasikorn said those without bank accounts can open one using a mobile app.

 

Registration for the handouts can be done through "www.เราไม่ทิ้งกัน.com"  ("www. rao mai thing gan - we won't desert you.com")

 

Banking can still be done online 24 hours a day. Use apps or internet banking, they said.

 

SCB were among the banks with signs saying they were concerned about Thais and the spread of the virus. They apologized for the inconvenience.

 

Daily News did not say whether the closures were a one off or might be repeated.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-28

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

1 minute ago, rooster59 said:

Banking can still be done online 24 hours a day. Use apps or internet banking, they said.

Don't bet on that. Available or broken down?

talk about the worse possible thing for a bank to say or do during a global freakout!

 

i saw groups of Thais at banks yesterday in Hua Hin. 

 

i am using BB Visa credit card to pay for food wherever possible.

Edited March 28, 20206 yr by NCC1701A

one day it was eggs

then condoms

now banks. 

 

the condoms thing is really serious.

5 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

am using BB Visa credit card

BB? Bangkok Bank? You still have the VISA? (like me)

And remember: if the networks are overloaded/crashed the credit card is worth the plastic material.

It's obvious they closed the branches in fear of the 5000 Baht stampede.

Edited March 28, 20206 yr by KhunBENQ

My US credit union slammed the online gate shut on transferring money out of my account. Just glad I didn't put all my eggs in that one basket.

8 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

BB? Bangkok Bank? You still have the VISA?

And remember: when the networks are overloaded/crashed the credit card is worth the plastic material.

It's obvious they closed the branches in fear of the 5000 Baht stampede.

well i meant to hang on to the cash as long as possible.

all the panic is like the virus clogging up the health care system.

have to flatten the panic curve.

 

 

Said it previously, there will an outbreak of food riots soon

GET THE MONEY ... Mr Potatoe ... before it's too late ...

 

 

So who exactly can claim this 5,000 Baht/month?

 

The GF works for me part-time cleaning my gaff and doing other odd jobs, but as I've been advised to self-isolate by the authorities (like anybody elderly or with a chronic health condition) she can no longer come to work for me until this is over.

 

She says she's asked about this scheme but was told mai dai, something about not having a poor card (whatever that is). I'll still transfer money to her bank account, of course, but the 5K would have been a useful little extra for her.

 

She qualifies as a freelancer which is included in the list of those eligible, but she hasn't been directly "affected by the government’s closure order of business venues", but she is still a victim of the present situation which is beyond her control and none of her fault.

 

Surely the government should be helping her, and is there anything she can do to get them to take notice?

Edited March 28, 20206 yr by Guderian

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

talk about the worse possible thing for a bank to say or do during a global freakout!

They must be trying to create a panic situation as nobody could possibly be so stupid to give such an order. Amazing Thailand.

10 minutes ago, Venom said:

They must be trying to create a panic situation as nobody could possibly be so stupid to give such an order. Amazing Thailand.

And as long as they are filling the ATM's up. Took me 4 tries to get some cash earlier in the week!! Mainly needed cash because TMK won't accept my Kasikorn Debit card for some reason. ????????????????????????????????

So the Banks will close on Saturday and Sunday to prevent overcrowding, so it doesn't take a Uni Degree to work out what is going to happen on Monday!  Why, oh why is this Country so short on common sense?

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

one day it was eggs

then condoms

now banks. 

 

the condoms thing is really serious.

Wassa condom......?   ????

So what happens on Monday.....?  ????

I have US Social Security direct deposited to Bangkok Bank. However Direct Deposit accounts require a branch visit for withdrawal. I have asked Bangkok Bank to change this but have little hope for a fast, positive result. I will probably return to international transfer after SS deposit to my US bank. Will wait until I complete my Retirement extension of stay expiring 26 May

Surely extending opening hours would be the way to reduce overcrowding, not reducing them. 

Why are people not just using ATMs? If people are drawing large amounts at a time, why not just limit how much can be withdrawn a week to slow down a run on the banks?

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

one day it was eggs

then condoms

now banks. 

 

the condoms thing is really serious.

If you cannot get your money out the bank, then you wont require any condoms , so the bank issue is more important 

I am surprised that they are going to use big private banks to give away the 5,000 baht.

 

Usually, they always use the small government banks, with branchs at tambon level, for these handouts.

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Said it previously, there will an outbreak of food riots soon

Dont say that please Ubon everything is going fine

Thai banks are 20 years behind the rest of the world in the way they trade. They love paperwork. You see one person walk up to teller to do a deposit. 20 minutes later they are still standing there You think they are buying the bank or something.Paper work Paper work

6 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

I am surprised that they are going to use big private banks to give away the 5,000 baht.

 

Usually, they always use the small government banks, with branchs at tambon level, for these handouts.

Possibly because of the numbers of people that are registering for this payment that it was thought that it would be better to handle it at more than just the small government bank and keep the numbers down from large crowds

39 minutes ago, JimLuce said:

Well on Monday the branches open again. I called SCB customer service and asked them a few hours ago. 

So all the folk that could not attend on Saturday will be queued up with Mondays lot...????

Hmm, makes perfect sense eh...????

21 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

Possibly because of the numbers of people that are registering for this payment that it was thought that it would be better to handle it at more than just the small government bank and keep the numbers down from large crowds

High numbers have not stopped them in the past.

 

I have seen people setting camp for many days in front of the local branch...then street vendors were rushing to also set camp around those waiting...

 

Maybe they want to avoid that, this time, because of the pandemic...

About as a BONEHEADED thing the Banks could have done.

Thais have VERY little savings anyway - and now the banks are

spooking them with closures. To blame it on Over Crowding makes about as

MUCH sense as a foreigner living here for 5000 years and still being asked

to fill out a 90 day report by immigration.

1 minute ago, Brunolem said:

High numbers have not stopped them in the past.

 

I have seen people setting camp for many days in front of the local branch...then street vendors were rushing to also set camp around those waiting...

 

Maybe they want to avoid that, this time, because of the pandemic...

That was Cabbage Patch Dolls.................????

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Venom said:

They must be trying to create a panic situation as nobody could possibly be so stupid to give such an order. Amazing Thailand.

Right. And what do they expect will happen on Monday?