Report Thailand to Verify 700,000 Foreigner-Registered Phone Numbers for Mobile Banking Use

[kiwikeith]

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

So, you can´t call your bank, and check what phone number is connected, or maybe you know that. Most people do. Same do you know if the phone number is in your name? If not, can you call the phone company and check, or log in to app and see? If you know all is okay, you don´t have to do anything. They check, and if ok you will pass.

My sim is in my wifes name, she does all the internet banking on her phone, no need for me to worry, I can transfer by internet from NZ  to her and she give to me, when I asked BK bank to set up internet banking for me they were not interested, I think this latest move may also have something to do with tax

[NoDisplayName]

4 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Geeez... I am back in my motherland till july... what options will those in my situation have?

 

Did you yourself personally open your telephone SIM account under your name?  And that is the mobile number associated with your bank account(s)?   If so, you 'should' be fine.

 

[ronster]

Just had to do this . Wife is in samui and I'm near Roi et at moment. She went in yesterday and asked to change it to my name as was in hers , the phone number is my number and bank accounts are in my name from SCB.

She asked for copy of my passport and then they made her pay the months bill . This showed up and I thought great it's done and I don't need do anything.

Nope 😞 

She then said I had to go to True office within 24hrs to verify my identity. I said I just sent copy of my passport so why can't they talk to me on video call and see it's me the person on passport. No can do she said.

So 50km drive this morning to hand over my passport and even then the woman took 20 mins to put in information before charging me 21bht and saying all done . Then 50km drive home again 🙈

[Seeall]

3 hours ago, LosLobo said:

Obviously, you haven't tried phoning them!

 

[Seeall]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Thai Rath

 

Brace yourselves, foreign mobile users in Thailand! A sweeping verification is in motion, targeting 700,000 mobile numbers registered since January 1, 2022.

 

The checks, ordered by Thailand’s minister of digital economy and society, Prasert Jantararuangtong, could lead to the termination of mobile banking services unless certain criteria are met.

 

The Thai government plans to scrutinise names linked to these mobile numbers and their mobile banking accounts. The aim is to clamp down on technology-related crimes by ensuring that the names on mobile banking services align perfectly with those on corresponding phone registrations.

 

A striking 1.8 million numbers currently lack registration, adding to the urgency of these checks.

 

 

 

 

Introduced on February 1, this regulation requires mobile banking service users to have their information sorted by April 30—this very Wednesday.

 

Failure to comply could see their mobile banking services suspended come June. Banks have been instructed to communicate directly with customers whose numbers don’t match up, urging them to update their registration information promptly.

 

Those who don't receive such outreach can continue with their banking activities without worry.

 

This initiative throws a spotlight on Thailand's stringent efforts to stamp out technology crimes, tightening the noose around inconsistent mobile-registration pairs. As the deadline looms, affected users should act fast to avoid disruptions in their digital banking life.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-04-28

 

 

brace ourselves?  is the media trying to create clicks/headlines with this dramatic looking heading?  relax... if the mobile anything stops working just go and clog up the bank...  TIT, most likely nothing will happen anyways..

 

 

 

[NanLaew]

3 hours ago, seajae said:

never have and never will use my phone to do any sort of banking

 

Luddites of the world unite!!!

[TigerandDog]

this doesn't just apply to mobile phone numbers registered since 2022. My mobile was registered in 2014 when I moved to Thailand, and I received notification from Krungthai Bank a few months ago with regards to this. So just make sure that the data on both matches exactly, viz full name and the form of ID used to open the bank account and register the mobile number. If you've had a passport renewal and updated that info with the bank make sure you also update that info with the mobile service or the bank will restrict your online banking use until you do.

[Cabradelmar]

It's not hard to get a thai phone number (SIM) in your name, and to them open a bank account (in your name) using your thai number for mobile banking... remain calm.

[CecilM]

Typical exaggeration. Every phone number (Thais and foreigners) is being checked.

[sqwakvfr]

About a year ago the Bangkok Bank was locked and I got a text message to come to a local branch. I had to birng in my passport and have my face registered.   I guess I am now in compliance? 

[Sydebolle]

Since all other problems of Thailand are meanwhile solved, go for the nitty-gritty stuff now. 

Disconnect all numbers missing registration but keep them for i.e. six months to allow all those foreigners, who are presently not in Thailand, to fulfill the requirements. Send each and everyone an SMS with a URL link which gives the details in various languages on a website. 

For all others - the verified ones - you might want to re-instate PayPal again so I can legally shop again and do not have to misuse my wife's PayPal account 😉 

[Magictoad]

5 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Geeez... I am back in my motherland till july... what options will those in my situation have?

Check with your app!

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Geeez... I am back in my motherland till july... what options will those in my situation have?

Go to your bank when you return, and ask them.

[lordgrinz]

36 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

this doesn't just apply to mobile phone numbers registered since 2022. My mobile was registered in 2014 when I moved to Thailand, and I received notification from Krungthai Bank a few months ago with regards to this. So just make sure that the data on both matches exactly, viz full name and the form of ID used to open the bank account and register the mobile number. If you've had a passport renewal and updated that info with the bank make sure you also update that info with the mobile service or the bank will restrict your online banking use until you do.

 

Or avoid it all together and use your Pink ID 😉

[DULEROY]

In May 2025, the Bank will proceed to send information on the names, surnames, and telephone numbers of those who have activated Mobile Banking since January 1, 2022, for all customer groups of all nationalities, status P, approximately 1.8 million numbers, and for foreign customers, status N, approximately 700,000 numbers, totaling approximately 2.5 million numbers, to the Operator for further verification.

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/95781

 

 

 

[Tomtomtom69]

5 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Still haven't gotten any warning from SCB bank, and my wife contacted True and they told her not to worry if the number was registered before a few years ago. The number is registered in my wife's name. Have had this sim/number on my phone for probably 7-8 years now. We got it as part of our True cable and internet package. I'm just going to wait it out, not worth stressing out over.

 

Read somewhere that if your number was registered before 2022, you're good. I've been using the same number since 2002. I haven't even been living in Thailand continuously since then; just that I've kept the number active throughout this time. 

[Dmaxdan]

Deleted 

[Photoguy21]

I assume this is to stop scammers. If it is it wont work and I doubt if the banks will do anything about it. I reported a scammer to the bank. Gave them name, bank account details etc and what did the bank do? Nothing. They just ignored it. I understand they cant get the police involved until someone has reported losing money to them but they can put a watch on the account to see if there are deposits from a variety of people.

This seems like an exercise to say "look how good we are trying to stop scammers" whilst in reality they are doing almost nothing.

[Colki]

In regard to AIS , I received a text to ' confirm my identity' . I went to office with passport and they took details of my new pp.

 

I renewed pp in 2/25 and was advised by AIS they were aware my previous pp had expired.

, 

[Andycoops]

Doesn't bother me I've had the same number for 15+ years.

[Andycoops]

4 minutes ago, Colki said:

In regard to AIS , I received a text to ' confirm my identity' . I went to office with passport and they took details of my new pp.

 

I renewed pp in 2/25 and was advised by AIS they were aware my previous pp had expired.

, 

Your bank account as a foreigner is registered with your passport details, if you renew your passport you need to inform the bank(s) of the new passport details.

[Colki]

Andycoops, thank you am aware of that re bank and have done so. Was not aware re phone number.

[Caldera]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Those who don't receive such outreach can continue with their banking activities without worry.

 

The problem with that silly approach is that you won't know if they haven't contacted you because (a) your registration is fine and your name match is confirmed or (b) they haven't gotten around to it yet or have screwed up the notification.

 

I've heard nothing from my banks and I know that my SIM card is properly registered in my name. No need for me to worry, says the guy. And yet, there's a lingering suspicion that their name matching exercise could go wrong, especially with foreigners and complications like middle names.

 

Now I'm in Thailand and could fix whatever needs fixing with relative easy, what worries me is that they might have another go at it while I'm abroad and unlikely to be able to visit my bank at a moment's notice. 

[lordgrinz]

5 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Your bank account as a foreigner is registered with your passport details, if you renew your passport you need to inform the bank(s) of the new passport details.

 

Not always, in my case my account is registered with my Pink ID details. SCB didn't seem to care that I got a new passport, thought I had to update them with the new passport number, but they said no need.

[daveAustin]

5 hours ago, seajae said:

never have and never will use my phone to do any sort of banking

Boomer alert ☠️

[SunsetT]

6 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

Geeez... I am back in my motherland till july... what options will those in my situation have?

Me too I'm back in the UK, and I changed my telephone number this year and my bank has my old number. But I haven't heard anything from Kbank about it. Maybe they're contacting customers using the phone number they have which means customers whose numbers don't match up won't know anything until they're account is suspended...Very Thai! 

[ignore it]

True move/SCB. Cost me 59Bhat to switch name to mine. (Maybe that was for the paperwork for the bank)

 

So now I have to figure out a new way to do my money laundering.  After I figure out how to get dirty money that is.

[carlyai]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

I got an SMS from AIS in Thai, mentioning ID.  I figured that it was related to this.  So this month when I came to Bangkok, I went by an AIS shop in T21 and asked.  They told me it was only for Thai people.

 

Go figure...

 

 

That's not correct. My Kbank contacted us as my phone number was registered under wife's name as I didn't have my passport with me when we changed to True.

Went to a True place and the lovely Thai staff changed the registration to my name.

Bugger, now I have to pay the phone bill as before my wife paid for both phone bills. I wondered why I never got a phone bill, so now I know. 🙂

[AhFarangJa]

6 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Still haven't gotten any warning from SCB bank, and my wife contacted True and they told her not to worry if the number was registered before a few years ago. The number is registered in my wife's name. Have had this sim/number on my phone for probably 7-8 years now. We got it as part of our True cable and internet package. I'm just going to wait it out, not worth stressing out over.

Same here, my sim is in Wife's name, but have had it for well over 12 years. The crazy thing is that about two months ago my phone was playing up, saying no sim inserted. Took it to AIS who said I need new sim as it was outdated.....He knew it was my phone, but it is still in the Wife's name....

[Nairbem]

5 hours ago, Upnotover said:

In my experience it always goes very well.  They are streets ahead of my home country banks.

Home country not on this planet?