New Passport and Banking - some insights

[orchidfan]

As recently posted, I received my new passport and, as others here have advised, I needed to inform the bank (BBL).

 

Well I went along to the largest branch in the local (Large) Shopping Centre and ( as usual looked pretty under staffed) , but finally my number came up.

They were very polite but told me to "register" this new Passport, I had to go to the Branch where I had initially opened the account.

Luckily, this small and obscure branch office ( closed for all of COVID etc) was on the same level at the other end of the mall.

 

So walked down there, and got attended to quite quickly by a pretty ( not looking) officious woman who knew what I needed, but nonetheless got an underling to go and make the obligatory photocopies of the various pages of both Old and New passports....

(NOTE: if you are doing this, Bring both passports , plus new and recently old Bank passbooks....................both appeared to be needed.

 

Now ,the Cruncher,

I told her that I needed to do a Transfer of some 300K by next Friday and that I normally do this on the BBL App on my phone.

NO,NO,NO....cannot until your new passport is registered at the HEAD Office on Bangkok - 5 days.

Maximum 50K.

 

I have never been advised or notified of this by BBL, but thanks to reading the various posts by members here I was aware of this BOT ruling.

 

So, SHE says come back and see ME on Friday ( deadline for my payment) and we will sort it out. But I have to take your photo for face ID next Friday and submit that to HQ !!!

 

Now, yes, I KNOW that this probably ONLY applies to mobile and internet banking and that I could do ti at the branch in person, but I just thought this was worth mentioning for those that might be thinking that "just advising the Bank of your new Passport was a quick and simple/painless exercise!!

 

6 or 8 signatures and mobile phone number on various forms!!!!

[blackcab]

The Bank of Thailand  is making all Thai banks register their customers for facial recognition if they want to transfer over 50,000 baht.

 

In your situation your new passport and your need to transfer 300k happened to coincide.

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, blackcab said:

The Bank of Thailand  is making all Thai banks register their customers for facial recognition if they want to transfer over 50,000 baht.

Thais only or Falangs as well?

[blackcab]

3 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Thais only or Falangs as well?

 

Everyone.

 

It's not mandatory if you don't want to electronically transfer over 50k at a time.

[digbeth]

couldn't you have asked to get your photo taken for the biometric with your old passport, to be able to transfer more than 50,000, then only informing them of the passport change after they have completed the photo, that could save you the return trip 

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, blackcab said:

Everyone.

 

My wife went to do a scan at Krungsri. They told her she does not need to do a face scan since her ID had a picture and they would just use this. The staff told her her app would indicate if she was approved for transfers and indeed she was. No face scan was needed.

 

2 hours ago, orchidfan said:

(NOTE: if you are doing this, Bring both passports , plus new and recently old Bank passbooks....................both appeared to be needed.

 

My passport was lost. They never asked to see the old passport. This was at SCB.

 

But yes, they sent this to the main office and takes 1 week to sort it out,

[blackcab]

4 minutes ago, Celsius said:

My wife went to do a scan at Krungsri. They told her she does not need to do a face scan since her ID had a picture and they would just use this.

 

That's a sensible approach.

[digbeth]

42 minutes ago, Celsius said:

My passport was lost. They never asked to see the old passport. This was at SCB.

 

But yes, they sent this to the main office and takes 1 week to sort it out,

How did they confirm that it indeed was you, as in somebody with a new passport with matching name and forged signature could go up to the bank and assume control of the account if they just say the lost the previous passport

[Gaccha]

4 hours ago, orchidfan said:

as others here have advised, I needed to inform the bank (BBL).

I use my old passport number for the bank. It has never been a problem, and this is after around 8 years.

 

It operates as a security feature in my favour: observe, improvise, overcome. 

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, Celsius said:

But yes, they sent this to the main office and takes 1 week to sort it out,

Does this mean need to allow one week between notifying bank of new passport details and going to immigration to transfer stamps? As they will require bank letter & proof of funds for the transfer. 

[jcmj]

I’m confused. If you transfer money to whom or what institution do you need your face scanned? I just bought a full living room suite yesterday and transferred well over 100,000 from my account to theirs with no issues. ????????

[tandor]

9 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Thais only or Falangs as well?

..this would be the first time a foreigner has been recognised.  ????

[digbeth]

32 minutes ago, jcmj said:

I’m confused. If you transfer money to whom or what institution do you need your face scanned? I just bought a full living room suite yesterday and transferred well over 100,000 from my account to theirs with no issues. ????????

It's mandated for all in July, some banks might have started early, most are in the process of informing their customers to come in and have it done

[Adiudon]

I had a similar issue last week when I tried to get a new ATM card from Krungsri (a Debit all ATMs card for 480b).

I had to do all the paperwork to update my passport number on that visit then return for the new card this week.

I asked for my photo to be taken at the same time just to get it out of the way.

All in all about 20 documents to sign and add my telephone number to.

[jesimps]

9 hours ago, Gaccha said:

I use my old passport number for the bank. It has never been a problem, and this is after around 8 years.

 

It operates as a security feature in my favour: observe, improvise, overcome. 

I was the same until told that I had to have the photo ID for withdrawals of more than 50K. When I went to the bank and presented my book and passport for processing, it was of course spotted and I had to go to the branch where I opened the account and have the book updated to the new passport number. before the new photo ID process.

[Crossy]

I expect to run into this barrier in the next week or so, I need to transfer Madams housekeeping from my bank to hers (it includes the $$$ for the mortgage payment too, I don't pay her that much).

 

Both accounts with SCB, let's see what occurs.

 

[orchidfan]

14 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Thais only or Falangs as well?

I am Aussie....so yes, everyone.

You can do the transfer at the bank (I think) but 50K limit on mobile.app or online banking.

[orchidfan]

14 hours ago, blackcab said:

The Bank of Thailand  is making all Thai banks register their customers for facial recognition if they want to transfer over 50,000 baht.

 

In your situation your new passport and your need to transfer 300k happened to coincide.

Correct.

I should have just done it on the phone app as normal and left my new passport registration until after.

They think my old passport is still valid until December 2023.

 

I just wasnt aware of these implications.

[orchidfan]

10 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Does this mean need to allow one week between notifying bank of new passport details and going to immigration to transfer stamps? As they will require bank letter & proof of funds for the transfer. 

I would think so.

In my case, I went to Immigration last week and got stamps "transferred ",  but don't have to do extension until December l.

 

Btw, bank photocopied  extension stamp on OLD passport and new stamp in NEW passport.

Can't be TOO careful.

[blackcab]

For anyone who doesn't get their facial recognition activated for transfers over 50,000 baht, you can always withdraw cash from your bank and deposit that cash at the beneficiary's bank.

 

The physical process will take longer than a transfer using your bank app but it is still a valid way to send money to a beneficiary.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 6/21/2023 at 8:41 AM, jesimps said:

I was the same until told that I had to have the photo ID for withdrawals of more than 50K. When I went to the bank and presented my book and passport for processing, it was of course spotted and I had to go to the branch where I opened the account and have the book updated to the new passport number. before the new photo ID process.

"...had to go to the branch where I opened the account..."

Updating passport details is something that can be done at any branch, it should not be necessary to go to the account-holding branch. 

[Liverpool Lou]

On 6/21/2023 at 5:10 AM, jcmj said:

I’m confused. If you transfer money to whom or what institution do you need your face scanned? I just bought a full living room suite yesterday and transferred well over 100,000 from my account to theirs with no issues. ????????

The introduction date was originally 23rd June, revised to 1st July, so it's not in effect, officially, yet, that could be one reason. 

If your transaction limit was already set at over B100k there'd be no need to increase it, something the new rules probably wouldn't allow without facial recognition, that would be another reason.

 

It also depends on which bank you're using, BBL would not allow me to increase my transaction limits on the app last week without registering.  Kasikorn, KTB, UOBT, none of which I've facially registered with yet, would.

[jaywalker2]

As it happened, I also had to update my new passport the other day, so I went to the SCB branch close to my house. This was not the branch where I opened the account, which has been closed, but I've used it several times before without any issues.

 

I didn't think to bring my old passport, just my new passport. I did have a copy of the old passport on my phone so the girl said, just let me email a copy to myself here, which I let her do. She then made the hard copies of the new passport and registered it herself.

 

I also asked her to register the SCB easy app on my mobile phone. I had downloaded and installed it but I hadn't registered it yet. She was happy to comply. Despite the fact that I had just registered the new passport, there was no problem, and she had the app up and running in a few minutes.

 

I have to say that SCB has always provided me with excellent service. The service representatives are pleasant and their English has always been more than adequate.

 

So I guess it's a question of where you go.

 

 

 

[jaywalker2]

22 hours ago, blackcab said:

For anyone who doesn't get their facial recognition activated for transfers over 50,000 baht, you can always withdraw cash from your bank and deposit that cash at the beneficiary's bank.

 

The physical process will take longer than a transfer using your bank app but it is still a valid way to send money to a beneficiary.

What about the ATM? Does that have limits?

[GroveHillWanderer]

45 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"...had to go to the branch where I opened the account..."

Updating passport details is something that can be done at any branch, it should not be necessary to go to the account-holding branch. 

This is true, at least in my experience - when I got a new passport last year, I updated my TTB account at the branch nearest me, not the one where I originally opened the account.

[Tropicalevo]

On 6/21/2023 at 10:20 AM, orchidfan said:

You can do the transfer at the bank (I think) but 50K limit on mobile.app or online banking.

I do not have a limit (yet) with my online banking. This is on both private and business accounts. (BAY)

[orchidfan]

The Ongoing Saga.................

 

Appreciate the above comments BUT, as I have mentioned earlier, the BBL branch which I went to ( and who previously issued me with a new bankbook, and provided the mandatory "letter" for extension renewal at Immigration etc) were insistent that I go a few hundred metres down the mall to the original bank branch where I had opened the account years ago!

 

(why they have two sub-branches a few hundred metres apart on the same level, in the same shopping mall is anybody's guess???).

 

So it's back tomorrow for the "facial ID" photo.

The BBL App I have on my phone appears not to have any face recognition facility but I'll see what happens tomorrow!

 

And, to sum things up, I tried to send someone 50K yesterday....but NO ....wouldn't work.

But B49,999 did !!

 

Incidentally, I am pretty sure you can raise your mobile/internet transfer limit using the phone app.

I did it years ago (for a Dee Money overseas transfer), but at a branch, which involved the usual 44 pages, signatures and mobile phone number.

 

I would have known nothing of this New Passport/Fae ID/ 50K+ limit business if it weren't for other members on this Forum posting this advice.

 

Much appreciated........unlike some members here, BBL gave me NO warning of this new BOT instruction and limitations it imposed.

[blackcab]

3 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

What about the ATM? Does that have limits?

 

I'm sorry but I don't know. I never use them for transfers.

 

Good question though.

[Eaglekott]

On 6/22/2023 at 10:42 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

"...had to go to the branch where I opened the account..."

Updating passport details is something that can be done at any branch, it should not be necessary to go to the account-holding branch. 

I also had to go to where I opened my BBL account 14 years ago to change Passport number. I also have to wait a week to update so I could update my account with face picture, but that can be done at any branch.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Eaglekott said:

I also had to go to where I opened my BBL account 14 years ago to change Passport number. I also have to wait a week to update so I could update my account with face picture, but that can be done at any branch.

That may have been what you were told (wrongly) but, officially, updating those details can be done at any branch, I know that because that's what I did at a local mall branch and there's no reason for that branch to have made an exception for me.