Finance Foreign Nationals Face Account Bans in Bangkok Bank Crackdown

[bigginhill]

I have had accounts with Bangkok Bank for 20 yrs odd, but I have been out of the country for a while. I am currently abroad, and locked out of my accounts. Luckily, it seems the direct debits are going through, as I get a text message when the payment is made, but I can't access the account in any way to pay other bills. They (Bangkok Bank) insist I have to go in to the branch for a photo verification. I proposed that I could go in to the London Branch in person for the photo, but was told it was not an option, as it is a commercial branch only. However, to make transactions, the London Branch accepts a certified copy of a passport (https://www.bangkokbank.com/-/media/files/personal/other-services/transferrring-intothailand/identityverification.pdf). I proposed this option, but it was also denied. I don't see why this is ok as a verification for the London Branch, but not for Thailand. So, basically, it seems that not only do I have to wait till I get back to Thailand to reactivate the account, but, as I understand from a YT video, I will also have to have a long-term visa. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZq4c0J5miE) before they will activate it. 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

3 hours ago, bigginhill said:

I have had accounts with Bangkok Bank for 20 yrs odd, but I have been out of the country for a while. I am currently abroad, and locked out of my accounts. Luckily, it seems the direct debits are going through, as I get a text message when the payment is made, but I can't access the account in any way to pay other bills. They (Bangkok Bank) insist I have to go in to the branch for a photo verification. I proposed that I could go in to the London Branch in person for the photo, but was told it was not an option, as it is a commercial branch only. However, to make transactions, the London Branch accepts a certified copy of a passport (https://www.bangkokbank.com/-/media/files/personal/other-services/transferrring-intothailand/identityverification.pdf). I proposed this option, but it was also denied. I don't see why this is ok as a verification for the London Branch, but not for Thailand. So, basically, it seems that not only do I have to wait till I get back to Thailand to reactivate the account, but, as I understand from a YT video, I will also have to have a long-term visa. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZq4c0J5miE) before they will activate it. 

 

The photo ID verification requirement is fairly new.  Mine is only used for transactions over 100,000 baht, but the photo had to be added to my account in my local BB branch.  

[KhunBENQ]

23 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

The photo ID verification requirement is fairly new.  Mine is only used for transactions over 100,000 baht, but the photo had to be added to my account in my local BB branch.  

Good that BB could do it.

Neither SCB nor Kasikorn, for Thai people only.

Mobile banking limited to 50k per transaction.

Kasikorn still has website banking. Have to check how it differs.

SCB closed website. I closed accounts.

 

[chilly07]

And BB's facial recognition doesn't work after they have set it up. Now NatWest bank are also introducing biometrics for which I have to travel to my local branch in the UK! And it's becoming increasingly difficult to transfer aps to a new phone! And many banks are closing there on line non app access. There has to be better ways of combatting mule accounts and scams than biometrics which don't work!

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

And BB's facial recognition doesn't work after they have set it up. Now NatWest bank are also introducing biometrics for which I have to travel to my local branch in the UK! And it's becoming increasingly difficult to transfer aps to a new phone! And many banks are closing there on line non app access. There has to be better ways of combatting mule accounts and scams than biometrics which don't work!

Nah, NatWest facial recognition can be set up online.

But you have to phone them to get the invite link, then complete the process within 30 mins.

I did it earlier this year, bit of winking, teeth showing and turning sideways nonsense, but not impossible.

 

NatWest phone app,

Bit of a pain, on your existing phone app, when it offers to update, if you click update outside the UK it will fail, but if you click more information, then update from the information page, it will work

 

For a new phone,

Add the app from the play store on your old phone, my apps, install on my other devices option.

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

NatWest phone app,

Bit of a pain, on your existing phone app, when it offers to update, if you click update outside the UK it will fail, but if you click more information, then update from the information page, it will work

Make sure you have a Google account in the UK and 1 outside. Does the trick for location restrictions.

[RAZZELL]

On 5/30/2025 at 2:25 AM, NanLaew said:

 

Yes, that change has happened within the past few weeks. Prior to that, Bangkok Bank was pretty much instantaneous as well.

 

There's some debate on other threads on how there's probably been a change in corresponding banks or the payment processor.

 

Yes, the last few weeks my Wise - > Bkk Bank has been very slow.

 

This could explain it.

 

 

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Make sure you have a Google account in the UK and 1 outside. Does the trick for location restrictions.

Doesn't work, they will change your Google account to Thailand.

Google can see where you are.

[NanLaew]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Doesn't work, they will change your Google account to Thailand.

Google can see where you are.

 

I became aware of this 'automatic' change a couple of months ago. I was working offshore South America with a satellite down link in Florida. About five weeks into the gig, Google tells me that 'in a few weeks' they are going to relocate me to the US, as that's what their tracking shows where I am. No questions asked if I wanted to move, they are going to do it. They did offer a link to a page where I can relocate myself and I selected Thailand, but it said it I was already there. It didn't offer the option to STAY where you were, so it only works AFTER they've migrated you.

 

A few days later, Google has me in FL. It totally screwed up my searches for Accrington Stanley and Peterhead FC results or UK weather as it went all American on me with adverts for American products and services. The only good thing was dates rendering in the Gregorian calendar instead of the Thai one. Now, five weeks later and about two months after my last FL connection, I am suddenly "back" in Thailand.

 

I think it's regional rather than country specific, as I have done long tours offshore Malaysia with satellite down links in Japan and Google never suggested I had moved to either country. However, it's not a user selectable option and the small print says the Google has to do it to "comply with regulations". The only thing you can do is when they notify you of the pending change, bookmark the link they provide to change it as it does not appear anywhere in your account setup or settings.

 

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

 

I became aware of this 'automatic' change a couple of months ago. I was working offshore South America with a satellite down link in Florida. About five weeks into the gig, Google tells me that 'in a few weeks' they are going to relocate me to the US, as that's what their tracking shows where I am. No questions asked if I wanted to move, they are going to do it. They did offer a link to a page where I can relocate myself and I selected Thailand, but it said it I was already there. It didn't offer the option to STAY where you were, so it only works AFTER they've migrated you.

 

A few days later, Google has me in FL. It totally screwed up my searches for Accrington Stanley and Peterhead FC results or UK weather as it went all American on me with adverts for American products and services. The only good thing was dates rendering in the Gregorian calendar instead of the Thai one. Now, five weeks later and about two months after my last FL connection, I am suddenly "back" in Thailand.

 

I think it's regional rather than country specific, as I have done long tours offshore Malaysia with satellite down links in Japan and Google never suggested I had moved to either country. However, it's not a user selectable option and the small print says the Google has to do it to "comply with regulations". The only thing you can do is when they notify you of the pending change, bookmark the link they provide to change it as it does not appear anywhere in your account setup or settings.

 

I actually created a new account just for the UK, using a VPN.

Same as you, a week later informed that they were changing it to Thailand.

Couldn't change it back using the link either.

On a mobile you can't hide where you are, they can see your mobile tower.

[unblocktheplanet]

59 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Nah, NatWest facial recognition can be set up online.

But you have to phone them to get the invite link, then complete the process within 30 mins.

I did it earlier this year, bit of winking, teeth showing and turning sideways nonsense, but not impossible.

You mean, like a mugshot! Have to account numbers to chest level?

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Doesn't work, they will change your Google account to Thailand.

Google can see where you are.

Works for me. I can download apps limited to a location different from Thailand. Where you ate is not the determining factor, where your account is registered is.

[NanLaew]

13 hours ago, stevenl said:

Works for me. I can download apps limited to a location different from Thailand. Where you ate is not the determining factor, where your account is registered is.

 

I can't install the Argos (UK) app. I couldn't even do it while I was in the UK with a UK ip address. I tried several times on both my phones while passing through the UK, when Google had my account in Thailand AND when they briefly relocated me to the US. One of those devices was my second smartphone with a UK SIM and connected over 3 mobile data in the UK and also via BT Wi-Fi.

 

Play Store no longer finds the Argos app in a Play Store search. Using the embedded link on the Argos website brings it up in Play Store with the note, "This app is not available for any of your devices".

 

It's no longer about ip addresses, geolocation or VPN's as far as the Play Store is concerned. It's about where Google 'hosts' your account AND the permissions that the app owner/developer installs.

 

I have just emailed their app developer to ask how they restrict installations.

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

I can't install the Argos (UK) app. I couldn't even do it while I was in the UK with a UK ip address. I tried several times on both my phones while passing through the UK, when Google had my account in Thailand AND when they briefly relocated me to the US. One of those devices was my second smartphone with a UK SIM and connected over 3 mobile data in the UK and also via BT Wi-Fi.

 

Play Store no longer finds the Argos app in a Play Store search. Using the embedded link on the Argos website brings it up in Play Store with the note, "This app is not available for any of your devices".

 

It's no longer about ip addresses, geolocation or VPN's as far as the Play Store is concerned. It's about where Google 'hosts' your account AND the permissions that the app owner/developer installs.

 

I have just emailed their app developer to ask how they restrict installations.

That's what i said. Where is your Google account linked to playstore located? To download apps with a UK restriction, the Google account used needs to be UK registered.

[Lorry]

17 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

I can't install the Argos (UK) app. I couldn't even do it while I was in the UK with a UK ip address. I tried several times on both my phones while passing through the UK, when Google had my account in Thailand AND when they briefly relocated me to the US. One of those devices was my second smartphone with a UK SIM and connected over 3 mobile data in the UK and also via BT Wi-Fi.

 

Play Store no longer finds the Argos app in a Play Store search. Using the embedded link on the Argos website brings it up in Play Store with the note, "This app is not available for any of your devices".

 

It's no longer about ip addresses, geolocation or VPN's as far as the Play Store is concerned. It's about where Google 'hosts' your account AND the permissions that the app owner/developer installs.

 

I have just emailed their app developer to ask how they restrict installations.

Delete cache of Playstore.

Then use a VPN.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Lorry said:

Delete cache of Playstore.

Then use a VPN.

 

Google suggests clearing app data as well as the app cache. This doesn't uninstall the app, but does a deeper purge?

 

That latter option may open a can of worms, like rendering my non-Thai banking apps inoperable?

[ravip]

52 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Google suggests clearing app data as well as the app cache. This doesn't uninstall the app, but does a deeper purge?

 

That latter option may open a can of worms, like rendering my non-Thai banking apps inoperable?

On some apps, when you clear app data, it reverts the app to its first installed state - meaning, if you have configured that app with your personalized info, all that is lost.

You need to start from step 1.

I don't know if this is the case for all apps.

[Lorry]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Google suggests clearing app data as well as the app cache. This doesn't uninstall the app, but does a deeper purge?

 

That latter option may open a can of worms, like rendering my non-Thai banking apps inoperable?

I don't remember,  but  probably clearing all app data of the playstore app,  not just cache.

 

I just downloaded an app from Europe, not avalable in Thailand, last month,  it wasn't very difficult. 

[Lorry]

1 hour ago, ravip said:

On some apps, when you clear app data, it reverts the app to its first installed state - meaning, if you have configured that app with your personalized info, all that is lost.

You need to start from step 1.

I don't know if this is the case for all apps.

It is.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

2 hours ago, ravip said:

On some apps, when you clear app data, it reverts the app to its first installed state - meaning, if you have configured that app with your personalized info, all that is lost.

You need to start from step 1.

I don't know if this is the case for all apps.

It is.

 

Hence, I will forego getting the Argos app as the non-Thai banking apps may have even more restrictive and secure set-up procedures that are beyond just a simple VPN workaround.

 

But, I may give it a go on my other smartphone that doesn't have any banking apps to be messed with.

 

In the meantime, the Argos webdev fobbed me off with using their FAC and failing that, their Livechat bot.