Locked out of Bangkok Bank bualuang banking app (overseas)

[USNret]

Hi. I have an account with Bangkok Bank in my name only. Was used for my extension of stay when I lived there. I'm now in the States with my Thai wife; we've continued using the bank account remotely with the app on my iPhone to send money to in-laws, pay Thai bills, etc. Have made at least 1 transaction per month for the past 2 years. I have also deposited money remotely when exchange rates were good.

Today, we wake up to find out we're locked out of the account. It had some screens on how to restore access with your bank book, ATM card, and PIN number -- we have all of those. But each method failed. Of course, if we try too many times, we'll end up super-double locked out so we've stopped trying. But to be clear -- I know my ATM PIN, my online Bualuang PIN, and have both the ATM card & bank book in hand. 

Sounds like they will want me to march into a local branch with PP in order to unlock the account -- kinda tough from 7000 miles away. Has anyone successfully navigated this problem, to unlock an account by phone or whatever? I know how intransigent & unreasonable banks can be on this matter. Thanks 

[Captain Monday]

Call them. They might be able to reset the online account, then you re register

 

I did it by phone last year, but only to get the mobile app back up again

[scubascuba3]

Why suddenly locked out? did you have app and website access before?  you really need to set both up before going abroad

[carlyai]

My Bangkok Bank app won't let me in now either. 

Just happened 2 days ago and they said there can only be one account per person now. I use my wife's username on my phone.

[homeseeker]

A few days ago I was locked out of my on line mobile account.  In my case  I went  to my Bangkok Bank branch  where i have my account, and was told due to security and anti fraud measures, I could only use one mobile device for mobile banking.

For non Thais they use your passport number to identify you as the account holder

Needed to provide passport copy, sign a form etc. They are also implementing facial recognition soon to do large account transfers. For more info look at Bangkok Bank web pages.

Bank transactions on my PC unaffected.

 

However, as to the OPs question, I believe that you may be able to unlock your account if you telephone the bank, explain your location and they will talk you through the unlocking process by sending a password to you.

I may be wrong but just phone the bank and ask....

Edited April 30, 2023 by homeseeker

[MJCM]

 

3 hours ago, carlyai said:

My Bangkok Bank app won't let me in now either. 

Just happened 2 days ago and they said there can only be one account per person now

Do you have the BBL APP installed on another device, since recently (April 20th I believe) they ONLY allow one Device Activation.

[MJCM]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

 

Do you have the BBL APP installed on another device, since recently (April 20th I believe) they ONLY allow one Device Activation.

Found the SMS on my Phone to backup that statement

 

 

[bkk6060]

Same happened to me.  Oddly,  I went into a branch and was told they could not help me I needed to call their hotline.  I called and they forwarded me to an automatic reset bot process just answer some questions and it all worked.

Edited April 30, 2023 by bkk6060

[Issanman]

Bangkok Bank has a large menu of items that you can accomplish by using your telephone. 

 

https://www.bangkokbank.com/-/media/files/personal/digital-banking/phone-banking/fullivrmenu.pdf?la=en&hash=2CF3EC6D2D219E44A7ED9EFAD7B13A4748AD4806

[Liverpool Lou]

"Locked out of Bangkok Bank bualuang banking app (overseas)"

 

It's amazing the  number of people who's first reaction with a banking problem seems to be let's not bother calling the bank's English-speaking call centre to ask them.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Liverpool Lou

[digbeth]

you might still be able to access the online banking through the website (not the app) if your user is not locked out

[sqwakvfr]

I'm in CNX and two weeks ago I was locked out of the Bangkok Bank app as well.  I called the customer service help line (sometimes it is not so helpful), Through trial and error and in the end the only I can access the bank app was to deactivate the Anti-Virus software on the phone.  So every time I use prompt pay or access my account I have to first deactivate the anti-virus software.  So far I have not been able to determine why this only impacts the Bangkok Bank Application.  I have lived in LOS long enough to know the most important thing when it comes to dealing with Thai People or Thoi companies is:  NEVER ASK WHY.  

[USNret]

9 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why suddenly locked out? did you have app and website access before?  you really need to set both up before going abroad

Yes, we had app & website access before. As said in my post, we use them regularly (at least monthly) since leaving. Today when we tried was the first time it didn't work.

 

[USNret]

7 hours ago, homeseeker said:

A few days ago I was locked out of my on line mobile account.  In my case  I went  to my Bangkok Bank branch  where i have my account, and was told due to security and anti fraud measures, I could only use one mobile device for mobile banking.

For non Thais they use your passport number to identify you as the account holder

Needed to provide passport copy, sign a form etc. They are also implementing facial recognition soon to do large account transfers. For more info look at Bangkok Bank web pages.

Bank transactions on my PC unaffected.

 

However, as to the OPs question, I believe that you may be able to unlock your account if you telephone the bank, explain your location and they will talk you through the unlocking process by sending a password to you.

I may be wrong but just phone the bank and ask....

hmmm.... maybe that's it. Wife upgraded her iPhone last month, so maybe it's an anti-fraud thing when they detected the new phone. 

[Ohyesuare]

21 minutes ago, USNret said:

hmmm.... maybe that's it. Wife upgraded her iPhone last month, so maybe it's an anti-fraud thing when they detected the new phone. 

Yes, there is a message on the app too saying that you can only have the app active on one device. You have the option in the settings of deleting/removing devices.

[scubascuba3]

30 minutes ago, USNret said:

Yes, we had app & website access before. As said in my post, we use them regularly (at least monthly) since leaving. Today when we tried was the first time it didn't work.

 

Ah you only mentioned app, very strange losing access for no reason, first time I've seen that reported. Sometimes the app doesn't like certain risky apps on the phone, that has been reported before

Edited April 30, 2023 by scubascuba3

[tgw]

this is yet another danger of using smartphone apps.

 

every company out there tries to match accounts, phones and phone numbers for "security reasons" - but these are manager-designed 80-20 solutions, they work for 80% of users and cause problems for the other 20%.
the problem is, designing and programming security solutions that will foresee all possible problems is costly.

 

the most robust solution is not using apps at all, but website online banking and OTP (one time passwords) sent by SMS. that way, you are not bound to a device (any browser will do, yes even the browser on a smartphone) and not bound to a specific mobile device (the SMS will be delivered to any phone with the the number's simcard in it).

 

I estimate several years will pass before robust smartphone-based banking security solutions will appear.

 

apps are generally a huge security hole - users probably give the app all permissions so that it can work. so banking apps might also report your location.
banks might decide that the app should only work domestically.

or the app might read your private messages, emails, facebook accounts ...

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by tgw

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

I'm in CNX and two weeks ago I was locked out of the Bangkok Bank app as well.  I called the customer service help line (sometimes it is not so helpful), Through trial and error and in the end the only I can access the bank app was to deactivate the Anti-Virus software on the phone.  So every time I use prompt pay or access my account I have to first deactivate the anti-virus software.  So far I have not been able to determine why this only impacts the Bangkok Bank Application.

It is not limited to Bangkok Bank, Krungsri and KTB also won't allow access unless the security software is deactivated as I found out a couple of weeks ago.   Krungsri may have since relented.   

[JustAnotherHun]

6 hours ago, digbeth said:

you might still be able to access the online banking through the website (not the app) if your user is not locked out

Right! BKB online banking via their website works perfectly for me since years from inside and outside Thailand. Last transfer was yesterday from my to my son's account.

[JimGant]

On 4/30/2023 at 2:13 PM, USNret said:

Yes, we had app & website access before. As said in my post, we use them regularly (at least monthly) since leaving.

You say you also have online (website) banking? Is that also a problem? Reports here and elsewhere say online banking is not a problem, only mobile banking. Dunno. I don't have a mobile banking app -- and after all these reports, probably never will. I do my banking from the comfort of my office's desktop, or from a laptop in my hotel room -- nice, big readable screens, with buttons the size of my finger tips. No, mobile phones are for keeping in touch on the road -- not for making a bank transfer from your car in some parking lot.

 

Sorry for the rant. Guess I'm outdated. Just saw that, to get a LTR visa, I couldn't use a credit card, but needed to go the QR route. Jeez, I don't even know how that works! Fortunately, they now say I can use cash (a compensation, I guess, for us geezers).

[Lemsta69]

2 minutes ago, JimGant said:

mobile phones are for

... everything. End of.

[ianguygil]

The requirement of allowing only 1 device (phone) to be used for Mobile Banking is from the regulators. This is not a choice now. Previously it was and some banks like us allowed and some did not. It is a security related requirement in response to the recent wave of fraud.

 

That is as much as I can say about it on a public forum. 

[Time Traveller]

This bank security is getting out of control in Thailand.    I've accounts in Thailand for over 20 years with just ATM PIN and Internet banking password and never had an issue. Now they're forcing everyone to mobile apps, and One Time Passwords and other restrictions.  Now I read they want Facial recognition technology to even access your own account!!!!!!

 

[ianguygil]

Again, without getting too far into it on a public forum. Thailand is relatively unique in that all these payments and transfers are realtime. The money is gone between parties synchronously. Not a day delay or even a few minutes. as in some markets This combined with the relatively high use of ANDROID and a reasonably low level of customer education/awareness of information security principles, leads to the Thai market being a target for leading edge hackers. The most recent of which was exploiting "Accessibility" (which help people with disabilities).

 

I have great respect for the Thai regulators. They are smart. The hackers are smart. 

[Time Traveller]

13 minutes ago, ianguygil said:

Again, without getting too far into it on a public forum. Thailand is relatively unique in that all these payments and transfers are realtime. The money is gone between parties synchronously. Not a day delay or even a few minutes. as in some markets This combined with the relatively high use of ANDROID and a reasonably low level of customer education/awareness of information security principles, leads to the Thai market being a target for leading edge hackers. The most recent of which was exploiting "Accessibility" (which help people with disabilities).

 

I have great respect for the Thai regulators. They are smart. The hackers are smart. 

Huh?    Clearly the Thai bank regulators are not smart if they have to change the security procedures every few months. If all of the security features are so important, then why do we need more of them?

The answer is, because they are not any stronger than a simple a passcode or PIN 

[treetops]

9 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

If all of the security features are so important, then why do we need more of them?

Because hackers are becoming more inventive in their attempts to break through security so banks have to try and keep a step ahead.

[Mac Mickmanus]

10 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

This bank security is getting out of control in Thailand.    I've accounts in Thailand for over 20 years with just ATM PIN and Internet banking password and never had an issue. Now they're forcing everyone to mobile apps, and One Time Passwords and other restrictions.  Now I read they want Facial recognition technology to even access your own account!!!!!!

 

Then the hackers  had cameras watching the bank ATM keyboards and they got peoples pin numbers  and emptied their accounts an so they need extra security measures 

[NanLaew]

12 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

Huh?    Clearly the Thai bank regulators are not smart if they have to change the security procedures every few months. If all of the security features are so important, then why do we need more of them?

The answer is, because they are not any stronger than a simple a passcode or PIN 

The simple passcode or PIN is more robust when it's on one device.

 

Beyond a joint account arrangement, do you have two or more credit cards on the same account? Probably not but if you do it's very unlikely that both cards are being held together in the same safe and secure place. So why have two phones with the 'key' to the vault? Laziness?

 

All this hue and cry about the banks trying to making your accounts more secure. This despite the average customer's attitude that their account security is primarily the bank's responsibility, not theirs.

[ianguygil]

On 5/4/2023 at 2:29 PM, Time Traveller said:

Huh?    Clearly the Thai bank regulators are not smart if they have to change the security procedures every few months. If all of the security features are so important, then why do we need more of them?

The answer is, because they are not any stronger than a simple a passcode or PIN 

It appears that you think that security threats are static and that all are known in advance. Tech as with all knowledge advances every day and these are some smart people making the Malware. The Thai regulators are world class and the security protections here are better than in the UK etc. The main problems as I said in the preface to my prior post was that Thailand has immediate transfers. Plus many Thai people use ANDROID which is inherently less secure because you can install Apps from outside PLAY. Finally, Thai people are not well educated in general about info security basic

 

Making snide comments about Thai regulators is pointless. There is no "Clearly" to it. If a new medical advnace is made today were the doctors using the prior approach not "smart"? They were in general, it is just that knowledge has evolved. Most of the people I deal with in the BOT are UK educated (Oxford, Cambridge, UCL or Imperial) or US educated (Berkely, MIT etc.). They are smart and they are hard working. I admire them

[tai4de2]

Same problem. Suddenly I was essentially locked out of mobile banking at Bangkok Bank. I say "essentially" because I could still log in, but couldn't do anything useful such as making transfers, performing top-ups, etc. I figured it had something to do with having two SIMs active on my iPhone as I had been futzing with the cellular configuration... but who knows really.

 

The solution was to delete my iPhone device, and then start over with mobile banking. To do this, the *only* method that works for foreigner accounts is the user ID and password method. The "user ID" is the user ID from your iBanking (website), along with the password for that. BTW it was the call center who told me this when I called. If you don't have iBanking, I could imagine that they could possibly generate a temp username/pw for you...?

 

Hopefully you are able to receive OTPs via SMS to your Thai number, while not in Thailand.