Thai Banks are Starting to Require Facial Recognition for High-Value Transactions

[webfact]

 

Thailand – Financial institutions in Thailand have begun mandating facial recognition for customers conducting high-value transactions. The move, aimed at reducing fraudulent activities and scams, is expected to provide extra security for clients.

 

Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul announced that all commercial and government banks will implement this new security measure. Starting from July, customers transacting 50,000 baht or more via mobile banking, or whose transactions exceed a daily limit of 200,000 baht, will be required to verify their identities via facial recognition systems.

 

Traisuree explained that this measure is part of broader anti-cybercrime initiatives spearheaded by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and other relevant agencies.

 

By Adam Judd

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/06/04/yes-thai-banks-are-starting-to-require-facial-recognition-for-high-value-transactions/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-06-05

 

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[scubascuba3]

Old news except the July date, no mention if foreigners will be the same unlike some branches have indicated

[Classic Ray]

Started using the Bangkok Bank one after photo at local branch. 
 

Problem 1. Asked me to remove glasses before asking me to do range of other activities like smiling. Problem is could not read instructions without glasses.

 

Problem 2. Asked me to remove face covering in spite of being photographed at the bank with my white beard. Eventually had to cover beard with hand to be accepted.

[alyx]

50 K and 200 K are hardly high-value transaction imo

[quake]

38 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

Started using the Bangkok Bank one after photo at local branch. 
 

Problem 1. Asked me to remove glasses before asking me to do range of other activities like smiling. Problem is could not read instructions without glasses.

 

Problem 2. Asked me to remove face covering in spite of being photographed at the bank with my white beard. Eventually had to cover beard with hand to be accepted.

Yes that's progress, well Thai style progress.

imagine doing that at the airports around the world 

just to funny.

 

 

[MJCM]

43 minutes ago, alyx said:

50 K and 200 K are hardly high-value transaction imo

It maybe is for you, but for some it is. 

[sikishrory]

Old news. I checked with kasikorn and scb when this was a new story a couple of months ago.

Both said they are implementing it for Thais. However still working out the system for foriegners.

Apparently we need to be separated for some reason?

Anyway the difference was:

SCB were implementing a 50k baht limit as mentioned here.

Meanwhile kasikorn were not and it's business as usual.

While they both work out the complicated issue of how to scan an aliens face.

This was about 6 weeks ago that i called to check. Possibly changed.

[hotchilli]

51 minutes ago, alyx said:

50 K and 200 K are hardly high-value transaction imo

Are we boasting by any chance?

[jacko45k]

I always figured some common sense as missing in these fraud cases.....I have recollections of people being able to use other people's various cards too easily. Should a Thai woman be able to use one that is tied to a foreign man's account... is the 6ft 2 Ladyboy really called Angus McTavish?

[quake]

1 hour ago, sikishrory said:

Both said they are implementing it for Thais. However still working out the system for foriegners.

Apparently we need to be separated for some reason?

 

They are still trying to work out what the fee will be for us.

 

[Skeptic7]

Got SMS from Bangkok Bank about 4-6 weeks ago kindly requesting that I drop by any branch to have a pic taken for this upcoming security "enhancement". Took my PP and bank book to Jomtien Branch by immigration Soi 5. Was in and out in successfully in 10 minutes. I have long hair and a short white beard...neither posed a problem. 

[worgeordie]

All the black money from corruption, drugs , human trafficking etc , will

continue to be moved about , they are just making things more difficult

for the ordinary person .

 

regards worgeordie 

[Tubulat]

Is that also applicable with a bank transfer, what can you do when your computer doesn't have a camera?

[Tubulat]

22 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

All the black money from corruption, drugs , human trafficking etc , will

continue to be moved about , they are just making things more difficult

for the ordinary person .

 

regards worgeordie 

That is intent to use that argument but any right-thinking person knows that it is only to gain even more control over the citizen, we can see it in many countries around the world, and I suspect the WEF is working to bring this about.

[PattayaKevin]

Went to my 3 banks, Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank, and Siam Bank all 3 said this was for thais only and will not affect foreigners. They refused to update the picture they had from when I opened the accounts. 

[oxo1947]

27 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

All the black money from corruption, drugs , human trafficking etc , will

continue to be moved about

Oh Good.........I was worried about .....

[ripper15]

Just keep your tranfers under B50,000 and do multiple online transfers, no fees yet for transfers at Bangkok bank. I could not be bothered to go to the bank when I got the message this month to go to the branch here in Pattaya.

[TigerandDog]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Old news except the July date, no mention if foreigners will be the same unlike some branches have indicated

Foreigners are not included.  The reason being when the banks are taking the pic of the customer their Thai ID card is scanned before the pic is taken and then linked to the ID card.. As foreigners do not have Thai ID cards with a data chip in it, it is not possible for us to have our pic taken for this new process.

[huangnon]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

All the black money from corruption, drugs , human trafficking etc , will

continue to be moved about , they are just making things more difficult

for the ordinary person .

 

regards worgeordie 

Yep, introducing more surveillance and intrusive technology to 'protect' us.

[scubascuba3]

28 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

Foreigners are not included.  The reason being when the banks are taking the pic of the customer their Thai ID card is scanned before the pic is taken and then linked to the ID card.. As foreigners do not have Thai ID cards with a data chip in it, it is not possible for us to have our pic taken for this new process.

Except some foreigners have already reported of going through the process in branch 

[Tubulat]

2 hours ago, ripper15 said:

Just keep your tranfers under B50,000 and do multiple online transfers, no fees yet for transfers at Bangkok bank. I could not be bothered to go to the bank when I got the message this month to go to the branch here in Pattaya.

That's not always possible, for example i book a flight from 60,000 thb, how i can do multiple transfers?

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Problem 1. Asked me to remove glasses .............................................

 

Problem 2. ...............................................photographed at the bank with my white beard. Eventually had to cover beard with hand to be accepted.

With the gretest respect, may I enquire if you are related in any way to Colonel Sanders?

 

 

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

8 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Started using the Bangkok Bank one after photo at local branch. 
 

Problem 1. Asked me to remove glasses before asking me to do range of other activities like smiling. Problem is could not read instructions without glasses.

 

Problem 2. Asked me to remove face covering in spite of being photographed at the bank with my white beard. Eventually had to cover beard with hand to be accepted.

In other words effin useless software.

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Except some foreigners have already reported of going through the process in branch 

Yes I have seen that, but after witnessing how the process was done with my wife and being told that foreigners were not included, I don't believe any of those posts.  As I said the process involves first scanning a person's Thai ID card and THEN taking the photo. The ID card scanner is attached to the tablet used to take the photo and the data on the ID card is linked to the pic that is taken and then linked to a person's bank account number. I have accounts at 3 different banks and have been told at all 3 that foreigners are NOT included and the process was exactly the same, scan the ID card first and then take the photo.  So the only way a foreigner can be included is to have a Thai ID card, and I don't mean a pink ID card. They can't be scanned as there is no data chip in them.

[h90]

9 hours ago, alyx said:

50 K and 200 K are hardly high-value transaction imo

If you earn 10K per month it is like the salary of 5-20 months

[h90]

4 hours ago, huangnon said:

Yep, introducing more surveillance and intrusive technology to 'protect' us.

And getting worse...and wait for the digital money, what nice features it will have to protect us.

[swissbie]

I did it last week at a KrungSri branch in Hat Yai. There was some confusion and they admitted, that they aren't used to this system yet, but finally no problem. They used the passport instead of an ID and didn't say a word about different rules for foreigners.

[WilliamSmits]

This is rolling out now, also for foreigners.

My transfer of 50.000 thb was blocked and a message popped up to go to the bank with bank book & passport.

Picture is taken, uploaded and verified with passport.

(+ few copies and other forms to s8gn)

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On a recent trip back to the U.S., I was somewhat shocked when I arrived at the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) checkpoint at my arriving airport, and the officer there didn't even ask for or want to examine my U.S. passport.

 

Rather, he pointed a handheld camera/scanner at my face, and then a couple seconds later simply said.... "Thanks Mr. Tallguy. Welcome back to the U.S."

 

That was a new one for me...

 

Likewise, when at the airport in the U.S. preparing to board the flight back to BKK, the final entry gate before boarding the plane was controlled by facial scanning instead of presenting or scanning my printed boarding pass.

 

The times are a changin'...

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, Tubulat said:

Is that also applicable with a bank transfer, what can you do when your computer doesn't have a camera?

 

Or what about ATM transactions. The machines have security cameras, but not facial recognition capability AFAIK.