You get a lot of dumb clerks that don't know what they are doing. Keep trying different banks and/or branches.

 

It's the reason why I never opened an account here. Not the ID, just inconsistency. Also, not wanting to deal with them if I ever had problems withdrawing the money on account closure.

Insane stuff. A passport is THE internationally recognised ID. Nothing trumps it.

14 minutes ago, Aforek said:

1 hour ago, UWEB said:

Some like the German Embassy also renew ID Cards.

France, too

 

The OP hasn't named his 'home country' but many, like the UK, don't issue a national photo ID. Neither does the US, but I did get a Texas state ID from the same office that issues Texas driving licences.

10 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Insane stuff. A passport is THE internationally recognised ID. Nothing trumps it.

 

Yes, but when pedants want a national ID that includes a home address, like the OP's bank jobsworth is insisting, the passport doesn't quite hack it.

 

I had a go-around with my offshore bank trying to fulfil their KYC rules a few years back. They wanted a government-issued photo ID or a utility bill in my name that showed my Thai address... in English. Luckily, the Thai DL renewal had part of my address here in tiny English font on the obverse, but it still took a bit of too-and-fro before they accepted it. Thai DL's didn't always have the address on the back.

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Yes, but when pedants want a national ID that includes a home address, like the OP's bank jobsworth is insisting, the passport doesn't quite hack it.

 

I had a go-around with my offshore bank trying to fulfil their KYC rules a few years back. They wanted a government-issued photo ID or a utility bill in my name that showed my Thai address... in English. Luckily, the Thai DL renewal had part of my address here in tiny English font on the obverse, but it still took a bit of too-and-fro before they accepted it. Thai DL's didn't always have the address on the back.

 

 

Slightly off-topic but on the subject of jobsworths, i had a challenge with solictors (or their back office staff working off a script) when making a 'gifted deposit' for my daughter's first house purchase. In the end I said you can't have what I haven't got and ....eventually they accepted what I had.

5 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, but when pedants want a national ID that includes a home address, like the OP's bank jobsworth is insisting, the passport doesn't quite hack it.

Agree. What happens if there is no home address in the country of origin? 

12 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Agree. What happens if there is no home address in the country of origin? 

It's pretty strange.  US Passport renewal wants a USA contact so I give them my brother's address.  But a current photo ID?  Very strange.

I'll go to the other nearby branch, probably Friday.  I'll let you know what they say.   

Great, not. So those of us who have lived in Thailand for decades and have no address in our previous home country what do we do? One thing for me personally is that before the year is over Bangkok Bank is going to see my account shrink to max 500 baht. Happy new year Bangkok bank.

Felt

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

The OP hasn't named his 'home country' but many, like the UK, don't issue a national photo ID. Neither does the US, but I did get a Texas state ID from the same office that issues Texas driving licences.

We have passports- most now have photos - although it does not have any home address.   This seems to be the main issue.  The problem will not be the banks but the govt. having told silly things to the banks.  They then have to implement them.   And as we all the Thai Govt. is full of Kwai.

2 hours ago, LivingNThailand said:

It's pretty strange.  US Passport renewal wants a USA contact so I give them my brother's address.  But a current photo ID?  Very strange.

I'll go to the other nearby branch, probably Friday.  I'll let you know what they say.   

I recently did a US passport renewal using the US embassy process (not much fun). I don't recall needing any U.S. address in the application. 

5 hours ago, Tarteso said:

The embassy doesn't have the authority to renew your ID? Just a question..

It still wouldn't show an address in the "home country".

1 hour ago, MarkBR said:

The problem will not be the banks but the govt. having told silly things to the banks.  They then have to implement them.   And as we all the Thai Govt. is full of Kwai.

 

Would not be at all surprised, though, if this were all down to the Bank of Thailand and the Immigration Bureau deliberately colluding with each other with the sole and avowed aim of ensuring that the annual retirement or marriage extension holder became an extinct species eventually.

 

5 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

 

I did, opened an account with Kasikorn, and two month later they that I couldn't use more than 50,000 of my money in any given day...

 

Useles IMO.

I did same as you - and just got the same message. SCB still has me at 200k max (per account I think).

Pretty sure a lot of this is reacting to the foreign mule thing..

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Agree. What happens if there is no home address in the country of origin? 

Just a hunch, but whomever came up with this (probably at the BOT), is thinking like a Thai - by that I mean they all have a 'tabien baan' (a family book) from where they are from. Doesn't matter whether they live there or not. Other countries in Asia have similar - like China. But in the west we don't have that.

28 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Pretty sure a lot of this is reacting to the foreign mule thing..

 

Pretty much guaranteed. The BoT is told to get it under control, and they give the banks carte blanche on how to implement it. The result is a shambles.

 

23 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Just a hunch, but whomever came up with this (probably at the BOT), is thinking like a Thai - by that I mean they all have a 'tabien baan' (a family book) from where they are from. Doesn't matter whether they live there or not. Other countries in Asia have similar - like China. But in the west we don't have that.

 

In a similar way as some western authorities assume that Thailand's legal system has Justices of the Peace or Notaries Public who are authorised to witness documents or signatures.

On my US passport there is actually a fill in space for contact address on the first page (not laminated bio page). It may be worth a try to type in (so it looks more official) your home address there and tell them that's part of the legal document (which it is).

 

 

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Would not be at all surprised, though, if this were all down to the Bank of Thailand and the Immigration Bureau deliberately colluding with each other with the sole and avowed aim of ensuring that the annual retirement or marriage extension holder became an extinct species eventually.

 

You can leave the conspiracy theories at the door.  This is just an unfortunate confluence of events all happening at the time, not some big conspiracy against foreigners.  If they wanted to get rid of foreigners, they can do that much easier than this.

I guess I haven't had any problems because I don't touch the money in the two Thai bank accounts that I use for my visa. 

 

When I bring money into the country, I also don't deposit it in the bank or use bank wires. This way I don't have to worry about dealing with a withdrawal limit. I have made "special arrangements."

 

But this request for an address in your home country is ridiculous. I don't live in my home country. I live in Thailand.  LOL

 

I've been with BKK Bank for over a decade, but I don't think I want to play around with this nonsense and take the risk. At the end of this year, if things haven't improved, I will search for a new bank that allows online banking from the PC at home.

1 hour ago, Ricohoc said:

At the end of this year, if things haven't improved, I will search for a new bank that allows online banking from the PC at home.

I do on line banking on my PC at home with BKK bank.  One of the reasons I like them.  My old eyes can't see the tiny type on the phone.

8 hours ago, Mark1969 said:

On my US passport there is actually a fill in space for contact address on the first page (not laminated bio page).

No an option on my shinny new PP from this July.  On the application form I had to put a USA contact name and address, which I used my brother.  LIke he'd know what to do if there was an emergency 🤣  I think it is all electronic now.

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I recently did a US passport renewal using the US embassy process (not much fun). I don't recall needing any U.S. address in the application. 

It was required on the form I filled out electronically.  I just used my brother's address.    It's probably all in the system electronically.

2 hours ago, LivingNThailand said:

I do on line banking on my PC at home with BKK bank.  One of the reasons I like them.  My old eyes can't see the tiny type on the phone.

 

That has been the only reason that I stayed with them.  I closed my account with SCB after over 10 years with them because they stopped banking via PC.  I took that money Kurnsri (yellow bank) because they accommodate me very well with online PC banking.

 

I like to have at least 1 account with 2 banks . . . just in case.

2 hours ago, LivingNThailand said:

No an option on my shinny new PP from this July.  On the application form I had to put a USA contact name and address, which I used my brother.  LIke he'd know what to do if there was an emergency 🤣  I think it is all electronic now.

I wonder how the address and contact could be changed if needed? Maybe electronically? Perhaps online with that ID.Me system. That's pretty robust. I had to do a live video interview when I lost my password a while back. 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

Are the new ones still valid for 10 years?

17 minutes ago, Mark1969 said:

Are the new ones still valid for 10 years?

I just checked. 😅  Yes. But if you need to use it for an annual visa extension you need to renew in 9 years or immigration wont give you a full year extension.  I did mine almost a year in advance so I won’t worry if it gets too close to the extension date.  You never know what will happen 

3 hours ago, LivingNThailand said:

I do on line banking on my PC at home with BKK bank.  One of the reasons I like them.  My old eyes can't see the tiny type on the phone.

You can buy reading glasses for 50 b

Give them a try.

12 hours ago, Mark1969 said:

It may be worth a try to type in (so it looks more official) your home address there and tell them that's part of the legal document (which it is).

Good idea, but he'd need to be really careful. It is really easy to damage your passport by bending it (like winding it through a typewriter). Can't he show his old DL to his Embassy/Consulate and ask them to write somethign thats says, they confirm Mr. whatsit, of 1234 Main Street, Yourtown, your country, was an officially issued DL lately of this country.

 

It's stupid to ask for the address anyway, of course. Does he still have a credit card with his home country's address on the statements? That seems to be the only way for many country's banks to issue their local currency credit cards to those abroad.

19 hours ago, Peter Crow said:

Bangkok Bank used to be be a great bank, friendly to foreigners, but that's the past.

I have been a victim of BBL for more than two decades here and I most emphatically DISagree with your sentiment! 

I have banked (yeah, ha ha) on every continent and even by banking standards BBL is appalling on every score.

54 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Good idea, but he'd need to be really careful. It is really easy to damage your passport by bending it (like winding it through a typewriter). Can't he show his old DL to his Embassy/Consulate and ask them to write somethign thats says, they confirm Mr. whatsit, of 1234 Main Street, Yourtown, your country, was an officially issued DL lately of this country.

 

It's stupid to ask for the address anyway, of course. Does he still have a credit card with his home country's address on the statements? That seems to be the only way for many country's banks to issue their local currency credit cards to those abroad.

I'm a man.

19 hours ago, UWEB said:

Some like the German Embassy also renew ID Cards.

18 hours ago, Aforek said:

France, too

 

Not all Countries use or issue national ID cards, like the UK, for example.