Have the Bank sent a Thai SIM Card overseas

[st11x]

Hi,

 

I have not been able to get back to Thailand since Covid and during that time, K-Bank’s PIN 2 has been depreciated in favor of SMS-OTP and now K-Plus App. I still have no plans to go back to Thailand at least in 2023 but I now have a need to make some transfers to pay back rent etc.

 

I contacted the bank and they say they can mail me a Thai SIM card to either somewhere in Thailand or my overseas address. However, they said they can’t mail to my “friend in Thailand”; I could always mail to my friend’s address under my name, so I don’t get that. 

 

Has anyone done this before? What’s the catch? What hidden fees am I expecting to pay? e.g. to maintain a Thai phone plan, the cost of shipping? 

 

If I mail it to my overseas address, it wouldn’t work unless it is roaming correct? In that case, the bank must have some auto deduction from my account for that roaming. 

 

I like to know if others have gone through this before responding to the bank. The email from them is a bit unclear in details (also owing to the language barrier), and each time I get a response, my understanding of the previous changes slightly. 

 

Thanks

Matt

[lopburi3]

As SIM cards require in person activation not sure it will even be possible to use.

As it is your account they can not send to someone else (they use the phone number on SIM to send to you) - and your friend will not be the account name.

 

Hope someone can provide better advise.  If you have funds in home country perhaps better to make international transfers to pay bills.

[Salerno]

22 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

As SIM cards require in person activation not sure it will even be possible to use.

Not all, e,g, you can activate AIS online now (not sure about others).

Edited December 25, 2022 by Salerno

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Not all, e,g, you can activate AIS online now (not sure about others).

But not sure if would work outside of Thai ISP provider and would seem a security lapse if able to do so (as there would not be any data proof of passport/immigration available).

[Salerno]

7 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

But not sure if would work outside of Thai ISP provider

Excellent point, I doubt it would.

 

10 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

would seem a security lapse if able to do so (as there would not be any data proof of passport/immigration available).

ID is uploaded along with a photograph, not sure if they still offer video call or not.

[Salerno]

  

42 minutes ago, st11x said:

Has anyone done this before? What’s the catch? What hidden fees am I expecting to pay? e.g. to maintain a Thai phone plan, the cost of shipping? 

Can't say I've heard of it before, nice customer service IMO. Ask if there are any fees involved (other than perhaps postage I doubt it) and if it would be activated with roaming enabled.

 

Cost of keeping the SIM active will depend on the carrier, see https://help.mobiletopup.com/knowledge-base/how-do-i-extend-the-expiry-date-validity-of-my-sim/

 

You could always get a friend in Thailand to do it for you, grab a SIM, activate it, bump it to 12 months validity, make sure roaming is enabled then mail it to you if you want to cut the bank out of the equation.

 

 

 

[lopburi3]

10 minutes ago, Salerno said:

  

Can't say I've heard of it before, nice customer service IMO. Ask if there are any fees involved (other than perhaps postage I doubt it) and if it would be activated with roaming enabled.

 

Cost of keeping the SIM active will depend on the carrier, see https://help.mobiletopup.com/knowledge-base/how-do-i-extend-the-expiry-date-validity-of-my-sim/

 

You could always get a friend in Thailand to do it for you, grab a SIM, activate it, bump it to 12 months validity, make sure roaming is enabled then mail it to you if you want to cut the bank out of the equation.

 

 

 

Don't believe that would work - name on SIM surly has to match bank account.

Although that does not seem to be a requirement inside Thailand in the past.   I do know step-son was not able to register SIM cards bought in my name from Lazada recently.

Edited December 25, 2022 by lopburi3

[Salerno]

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Don't believe that would work - name on SIM surly has to match bank account.

Why? The bank doesn't have access to data re SIM all they need is the number added to your account.

 

Sorry, just noticed your edit.

 

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

 I do know step-son was not able to register SIM cards bought in my name from Lazada recently.

That's interesting, what carrier and did they say why?

Edited December 25, 2022 by Salerno

[lopburi3]

17 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Why? The bank doesn't have access to data re SIM all they need is the number added to your account.

 

Sorry, just noticed your edit.

 

That's interesting, what carrier and did they say why?

There were two - NT(TOT) and believe other was True - was to use for data.

 

My fear is even if he gets SIM card a deposit may have to be made before using it and with no access to funds could be an issue.  

But I am far from a phone guy - having just upgraded to a Nokia 110 (battery lasts more than a week).

Edited December 25, 2022 by lopburi3

[Salerno]

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

There were two - NT(TOT) and believe other was True - was to use for data.

Thanks, worth bearing in mind.

 

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

My fear is even if he gets SIM card a deposit may have to be made before using it and with no access to funds could be an issue.

Plenty of ways for the OP to top up overseas, without even having a Thai bank account. I've used the mob I linked to above a few times before, more recently used a mob called Ding (https://www.ding.com/) via their app and of course can always get a friend to grab a few top ups in 7 and send the code.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Salerno
Typo

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

As SIM cards require in person activation not sure it will even be possible to use.

As it is your account they can not send to someone else (they use the phone number on SIM to send to you) - and your friend will not be the account name.

 

Hope someone can provide better advise.  If you have funds in home country perhaps better to make international transfers to pay bills.

I returned from Australia 12 months ago. For a couple of years before that (in Australia) I transferred funds from 2 different K Bank savings accounts (1 in my name and one joint savings a/c son and myself, only 1 signature required) to other K bank savings accounts and several savings accounts in other Thai banks.

 

I used their OTP number by e.mail service.

 

Obviously using K Bank internet banking.

 

All done by a telephone call to that department of K Bank (sorry I can't find the actual number).

 

The OTP number received by e.mail had to be used within a very short period of time, from memory 60 seconds. Not surprising.

 

Not sure if this is still available. Maybe worth checking. 

[KannikaP]

Can you not use the PC desktop app of your Thai bank, who will send OTPs to your registered email address, so no need for SIM card, just an internet connection.

[DrJoy]

5 hours ago, Salerno said:

Not all, e,g, you can activate AIS online now (not sure about others).

Its only for Thai nationals holding an ID card & NDID registered.

[Salerno]

12 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

Its only for Thai nationals holding an ID card & NDID registered.

There have been reports of foreigners doing it via video link. Whether that has changed or not I have no idea (hence my statement prior).

Edited December 25, 2022 by Salerno

[st11x]

7 hours ago, scorecard said:

I used their OTP number by e.mail service.

 

Obviously using K Bank internet banking.

 

 

7 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Can you not use the PC desktop app of your Thai bank, who will send OTPs to your registered email address, so no need for SIM card, just an internet connection.

 

Is that even an option. I am used to 2FA via email everywhere except Asian banks. When I logged in, it only gave me the option to OTP via SMS. Maybe if I hadn't had a number registered with the bank, it might have been possible. 

 

Let me ask when I have them on the email exchange. Hopefully this is still possible or that I have to speak to the right channel to gain access to that.

 

Thanks

   Matt

 

[st11x]

9 hours ago, Salerno said:

 Can't say I've heard of it before, nice customer service IMO. Ask if there are any fees involved (other than perhaps postage I doubt it) and if it would be activated with roaming enabled.

 

Yes, seems contradicting the other security measures like not allowing you to change your phone number unless in person. 

But maybe because they are sending you the SIM, so it's not just any number. 

 

I saw the guide on using K Plus app, but it stops are needing to scan the QR Code. What happens after that?

 

Assuming I have the bank send it to "myself" in Thailand.  When my friend is ready, I sign into Internet Banking, grab the QR Code, forward that to him, and have him scan it with the phone.  What happens next? Does it want to take a selfie to prove that it is me? Or is scanning the QR code the end of it?  

 

Matt

 

[Salerno]

1 hour ago, st11x said:

I saw the guide on using K Plus app, but it stops are needing to scan the QR Code. What happens after that?

Sorry, I was talking about activating the SIM, nothing to do with a bank. Scan the QR code on the SIM packaging > Scan ID > take a mugshot (see https://www.ais.th/one-2-call/howto_activate/en/ video in Thai but you get the gist plus the screenshots explain). The reports I'd seen in the past from foreigners was they did a similar process but via AIS customer service including a video call due to ID issue. Did a quick search but couldn't track one down, pretty sure I read them in one of the Thailand groups and on Lazada (couple of the vendors that pop up selling good deals including SIM). Haven't been looking for about 10 months so that option may have closed in that time. 

 

Not going to work with a new SIM in your possession overseas anyway (can't activate if not on the carrier network).

 

The other option I mused over was just getting a friend to activate a SIM and set up roaming and mail it to you. From what you said "... not allowing you to change your phone number unless in person." then that option is dead in the water. Pain in the proverbial with my banks (non-Thai) too, can change everything online apart from phone number, but at least I can do it via a phone call, been more than a decade since I last actually went into a bank branch.

 

The email OTP sounds like the best way to go if you can get that set up, if not, does their offer of sending a new SIM negate the having to turn up in person to change the number at your bank - if not why offer? If so, you could coordinate with your person in Thailand when transferring but would be a bit of a pain. Do your thing via website - OTP send to the phone in Thailand - Thailand forwards code to you - you enter on the website to finalise.

 

 

[st11x]

I asked the bank further and that told me that Email OTP is no longer offered. At the same time, I got some other new information that was not brought up earlier. 

 

They said the bank will send the SIM card overseas, and there is a process of follow to activate the SIM card even while overseas and it is all free to the customer. It has data roaming and I do need to maintain the SIM card by topping up 10 THB a month, and that I don't know how to do if the SIM card was overseas. 

 

The new information is that after receiving the SIM card, I need to submit some forms and documents to the bank that they said they mentioned earlier (but they didn't); so I need to clarify that too.

 

To start the process rolling, I have to first send them (pasted verbatim):

1. Full name of customer
2. The consent to let the bank provides the Thai SIM Card (Specify that you confirm to let the bank provides a SIM card.)
3. Full home address for delivery
4. Available Email of customer
5. Available mobile phone number of customer
6. Account number

 

Matt
 

 

[st11x]

21 hours ago, Salerno said:

Sorry, I was talking about activating the SIM, nothing to do with a bank. Scan the QR code on the SIM packaging > Scan ID > take a mugshot (see https://www.ais.th/one-2-call/howto_activate/en/ video in Thai but you get the gist plus the screenshots explain).

 

According to this, the activation of the SIM requires a selfie. That the bank didn't tell me about. If I were to send to my friend in Thailand to make things easier, that wouldn't work unless the photo does not have to be me, since that is activation with the carrier and nothing to do with the bank.  Is that correct?