Thailand going cashless. Are you for or against it?

[bob smith]

it seems that Thailand is really pushing to become a cashless society by 2030. more and more places are only accepting credit cards or bank transfers these days. just yesterday i went to buy a coffee with a 500 baht note and was refused. credit card/transfer only sir. this is not an isolated incident, it has happen a few times before in various different places.

 

of course all this is done under the guise of national security, tracking the bad guys, money laundering etc but i think we all know the real reasons why. just one more privacy right they want to take away from us by making everything we purchase traceable to a specific person.

 

i'm personally dead against this trend and I think the cash market economy in thailand will also push back hard when it starts to affect them. imagine going to buy a pad thai on the street for 40 baht and having no cash to pay only credit card?? where is the vendor gonna swipe it exactly, lol.

 

how about you lot? are you for or against going cashless?

Edited November 24, 2022 by bob smith

[Heng]

Ambivalent.   Whether it's paper or nfc.... all I care about is getting my wampum and beaver(s).   

Edited November 24, 2022 by Heng

[scubascuba3]

Unless you have something to hide I don't see the problem 

[Real Name Hidden]

Means waiting in line longer for these transactions to clear

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Unless you have something to hide I don't see the problem 

ridiculous comment.

[JonnyF]

I'm against it. Too easy to "switch someone off" if they hold the wrong opinion, protest the wrong party etc. 

 

Also, I like the anonymity of cash. I don't want records of every place I've been, every taxi I've taken, every meal I've eaten. Nothing to do with having something to hide, it's the basic human right to a bit of privacy from the government. They are there to serve us, not spy on us and decide when we can have access to our money.

[nigelforbes]

News of the demise of cash in Thailand is greatly exaggerated.

 

That said, we did take our first holiday in the UK in 2019 for many years. We hopped on a bus in Fleet Street and tried to pay for two tickets with a fiver and everyone stared at us as though we were escapees from the nut house......that was a shock.

[bob smith]

3 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Also, I like the anonymity of cash. I don't want records of every place I've been, every taxi I've taken, every meal I've eaten. Nothing to do with having something to hide, it's the basic human right to a bit of privacy from the government. They are there to serve us, not spy on us and decide when we can have access to our money.

This ^^^

 

thanks for explaining the importance of privacy to those who may be in need of educating.

[Lemsta69]

Meh. This topic was covered a week or so ago. Find something else to moan about mate. Or better yet just haud yer wheesht.

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Meh. This topic was covered a week or so ago. Find something else to moan about mate. Or better yet just haud yer wheesht.

oh really? i didnt see it. must have been at the bar that day.

errr, if you dont like it then why are you commenting? nothing better to do?

[sqwakvfr]

Here’s a TIT moment:  Went to a cashless Starbucks in Chiang Mai but there was a cash tip jar at the counter.  One problem some may face is not all foreign debit or credit cards will work in the Land of Smiles.  

[huangnon]

If you are only holding (centralized) digital money, it's just numbers on a screen. You actually own nothing.

These numbers on a screen can be credited or deducted, depending on your behaviour. It's about controlling populations, not ease of business or shopping transactions.

 

This is actually happening in China, and their "social credit" system:

Quote

Starting in 2009, the Chinese government began testing a national reputation system based on a citizen’s economic and social reputation, or “social credit.” This social credit score can be used to reward or punish certain behaviors. The idea is that the state can give or takeaway points from a social credit score in order to engineer good behavior from the people. 

By late 2019, Chinese citizens were losing points on their score for dishonest and fraudulent financial behavior, playing loud music, eating on public transportation, jaywalking, running red lights, failing to appear at doctor appointments, missing job interviews or hotel reservations without canceling, and incorrectly sorting waste. To raise one’s social credit score a Chinese citizen can donate blood, donate to an approved charity, volunteer for community service, and other activities approved by the government. The Chinese government has begun to deny millions of people the ability to purchase plane and high-speed rail tickets due to low social credit scores and being labeled “untrustworthy.”

 

[stoner]

26 minutes ago, bob smith said:

where is the vendor gonna swipe it exactly, lol.

p2p phone payments through cbdc's 

[Adumbration]

Against.  Anyone who is not is a moron.

[Lacessit]

16 minutes ago, bob smith said:

ridiculous comment.

Par for the course.

[Robin]

Thailand will never go cashless.  Expect vendors to accept the deduction made on credit card payments?  NO WAY. Only cashless if you pay the surcharge.  

Also too many in Thailand like the anomality of paying cash, and being able to  launder cash so easily.

[sandyf]

33 minutes ago, bob smith said:

just yesterday i went to buy a coffee with a 500 baht note and was refused. credit card/transfer only sir. this is not an isolated incident, it has happen a few times before in various different places.

Just like many other countries.

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, Robin said:

Also too many in Thailand like the anomality of paying cash, and being able to  launder cash so easily.

I think that is the excuse they are giving to implement these new cashless measures. i dont believe that is their sole motivation though. more like tracking it's citizens because, well, why not?

[Lacessit]

I get rather fed up waiting at checkouts while people faff about on their smart?phones, when I get change in about 30 seconds flat for my cash.

 

The Romans said it first. "Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who shall guard the guardians?

IMO anyone who trusts any government not to use the data of a cashless society, in ways never anticipated by a participant, is a complete moron.

[bob smith]

Just now, Lacessit said:

IMO anyone who trusts any government not to use the data of a cashless society, in ways never anticipated by a participant, is a complete moron.

I totally agree with you.

[phetphet]

29 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Unless you have something to hide I don't see the problem 

Until you can't access your money because of a "glitch" in the  system.

 

Or the bank or government have locked your account because they think there is something suspicious..

I, and several friends have had bank accounts closed in the last few years by the banks. Never given a reason. Just a message that the bank has decided to close the account.

Without cash. How to survive that?

[sandyf]

6 minutes ago, Robin said:

Thailand will never go cashless. 

One can only assume you have never been to China, virtually cashless, even old ladies in the market paying the equivalent of 5 baht with a smartphone.

Very difficult for tourists with many services unattended and payment by QR code.

Paying by cash is expensive, nobody has any change and you end up paying over the odds, but you get what you pay for so to speak.

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, phetphet said:

I, and several friends have had bank accounts closed in the last few years by the banks. Never given a reason. Just a message that the bank has decided to close the account.

Without cash. How to survive that?

wow. tyranny at work. just like when hotmails mail server detects 'suspicious activity' and automatically suspends your account. no more details given, just the system doing what systems do.

 

it's frightening when you think about it.

Edited November 24, 2022 by bob smith

[lopburi3]

48 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Unless you have something to hide I don't see the problem 

If of an age that smart phones are inoperable it makes a huge difference.  And for those of that age using smart phones it could turn into a major financial loss with one slight error.  1,000 baht risks no more than 1,000 baht.

[it is what it is]

20 minutes ago, sandyf said:

One can only assume you have never been to China, virtually cashless, even old ladies in the market paying the equivalent of 5 baht with a smartphone.

Very difficult for tourists with many services unattended and payment by QR code.

Paying by cash is expensive, nobody has any change and you end up paying over the odds, but you get what you pay for so to speak.

in major conurbations, sure, in the countryside? no. even european/western countries will not go completely cashless, there will always be sections of the economy that necessitate the use of cash.

[bob smith]

to make this more of a debate, if you have voted please explain why you have voted for or against. i am interested to hear from those who have voted for in particular. aside from convenience, what are the benefits of going completely cashless?

 

if you wish to remain anonymous that is of course fine.

[Hummin]

voted For
 

I love to just swipe the card and only once and awhile need to press the pin code, or using a bank app tranfer. Money is a hassel to carry around as well dirty. 
 

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Hummin

[bendejo]

Hong Kong around 2010, I bought a metro card (or whatever it was called), put a few bucks on it to get around buying tickets for each ride.  It was a plastic touch card.  Then I noticed a 7-11 type store took them, the little touch gadget right there on the counter.  Well, it turns out nearly every damn shop took the things, so I got with the program and used it as a cash card, the transaction took an instant.  This was the first time I saw this.  I guess this is what they will ultimately push for.  Credit cards take a few %, no one wants fees. 

On the other hand in LOS vendors might give you a discount if you pay cash, the expression in the US is "off the books."

 

 

[HuskerDo2]

Just now, JonnyF said:

I'm against it. Too easy to "switch someone off" if they hold the wrong opinion, protest the wrong party etc. 

 

Also, I like the anonymity of cash. I don't want records of every place I've been, every taxi I've taken, every meal I've eaten. Nothing to do with having something to hide, it's the basic human right to a bit of privacy from the government. They are there to serve us, not spy on us and decide when we can have access to our money.

I agree. Will you also need to have the bargirls carry a credit card swiping machine if they spend the night? 

 

This world is going bonkers. When will it end? What if there is a technical problem or power outage and the ability to use your card or transfer money stops for any reason. What will people do? Can't accept cash for goodness sakes. 

 

What an idiotic idea.

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, Hummin said:

voted For
 

I love to just swipe the card and only once and awhile need to press the pin code, or using a bank app tranfer. Money is a hassel to carry around as well dirty. 
 

 

interesting. thank you for your input