File photo for reference only

 

The Bank of Thailand has announced strict new mobile banking transfer limits to combat rising financial fraud, capping daily transfers at 50,000 baht for children under 15 and seniors over 65 opening new accounts.

 

Daranee Saeju, the assistant governor for payment systems policy, stated the measure aims to protect vulnerable customers by introducing a customer profiling system that sets transfer limits based on risk.

 

Users are divided into three groups: suspected fraudsters, general users, and vulnerable customers, with limits categorised into three tiers: under 50,000 baht, under 200,000 baht, and above 200,000 baht.

 

The new policy is already in effect for new mobile banking applicants. Existing users will need to comply by year-end, though banks will individually determine risk classifications.

 

Customers with positive financial histories remain unaffected, and those needing higher limits can request upgrades. Special precautions will still apply to those considered vulnerable to fraud due to their increased susceptibility, reported the Bangkok Post.

 

Currently, Thailand has about 12 million mobile banking users. Existing controls limit mobile banking transfers to 50,000 baht per transaction, with facial recognition, and 200,000 baht per day.

 

However, financial fraud is a serious concern, with June alone documenting 24,500 scam cases linked to money transfers, resulting in losses totalling 2.8 billion baht. On average, each fraudulent case resulted in 114,000 baht lost, with the largest single scam taking 4.9 million baht.

 

Regionally, 22% of fraud cases involve transactions exceeding 50,000 baht sent to mule accounts, yet they account for a staggering 76% of the overall losses.

 

Alarmingly, it takes scammers only three minutes to drain half the stolen funds, whereas victims generally take between 19 and 25 hours to report the crime. In the first half of the year, 78,468 scam cases involved children, while those over 65 were victims in 416,453 cases.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-08-20

 

Reported post breaking forum rules removed. @Mutt Daeng

 

Rule 17.News articles are collected from recognised sources and may be consolidated or rewritten with AI assistance. Respectful discussion of the article content is welcome. Disrespectful comments about the articles, the use of AI, or the news team (e.g. “clickbait,” “slow news day,” mocking grammar, or AI taunts) are not permitted. Posts breaching this rule will be removed, and posting suspension or account closure may result.

Now I will have to pass a senility test??

It really becomes paranoid.

 

So far they presented some over simple test questions in the range of:

"Should you give your password/PIN to your girlfriend?" 

I wrote a letter to Bangkok Post a few weeks ago about this 50K limit nonsense but they didn't publish it - so here it is. The real kicker is that (with KBank at least), a request to increase the limit takes two days to consider and may even be rejected. And this isn't an 'anti-foreigner' thing - applies to all, nationality regardless.

 

 

 

Given the relentless drive by banks to push customers not to visit branches and instead to rely on the ‘convenience’ of a banking app, imagine my surprise to now be encouraged, by Kasikorn Bank, to use cash for large transactions.

 

Just last week I had the pleasure of withdrawing, at my local KBank branch, several hundred thousand baht of my hard earned money. I then carried the weighty envelope across the lobby of my office building to the branch of another local bank, where I deposited said funds.

 

At this point I should point out that it was not originally my intention to eschew a single, traceable, online interbank transfer. In the past I have used my KBank app, such as when, in March, I made a single transfer of several hundred thousand baht to complete a car purchase.

 

However, Kasikorn have now decided that a rather modest daily limit of THB 50,000 for all online transactions is sufficient for my banking needs. When I queried this with KBank Call Centre I was informed that this is a new policy but that it was possible to request an increase, via the Call Centre, although this would require two days’ consideration and any new transfer limit would be valid for just 30 days. 

 

I duly submitted the request but, sadly, it appears Kasikorn feel I am unable to control my spending: the response to my request (two days later) was to inform me “the current daily limit is appropriate for the needs and circumstances of the user”. 

 

This was accompanied by the helpful suggestion “if you wish to make transactions exceeding the daily maximum limit through K Plus, please consider making multiple transactions gradually or visit a convenient Kasikorn Bank branch to complete your transactions”.

 

Deliberations aside as to how any bank feels able to determine the “needs and circumstances” of a customer, a system that prevents transfer of larger sums via a banking app de facto encourages use of cash in payment for goods and services – a stimulus for the informal economy, to be sure, but counter to the government’s efforts to promote electronic payments as this facilitates tax revenue collection.

 

And what happens should an unfortunate customer find him or herself in urgent need to pay a bill above their preset limit? It is not uncommon for local private hospitals to require a deposit prior to admission in cases where the patient is uninsured: if at death’s door, ‘making multiple transactions gradually or visiting a branch’ is unlikely to be practicable.

 

Perhaps Kasikorn might, at the very least, adjust their policy on temporary transfer limit increases to make decisions immediate and automatically approved, even if only for 30 days, much as with requests for a temporary credit card limit increase.

 

 

I'm sure the wealthy families get an exemption from all of this.

Now we've really arrived in La La Land, the bank knows what's best for you and how you should spend your money...

 

In Thailand, I increasingly get the feeling that they are copying all the bad things that the nanny states of the West have been infamous for - just without offering any of the benefits in return! What a package. 

Who else pines for the Prayut administration?

I'd like to suggest another limit of THB 500 for the State Audit Office.

 

 

As usual, the readers of AN imagine that everything that happens in Thailand including every government decision is about the readers of AN ...

 

Actually this is about millions of poor and uneducated or undereducated Thai people who don't know how to look after themselves in the modern high-tech universe.

So, here we have the correct information, instead of the false in a thread opened a while ago. Not so bad then. Now you not have to worry and get hysterical guys!

It’s a bit of a hassle for people like us, but for those who’ve been scammed, it’s a real nightmare. Like you, I often transfer large sums for things like bikes or holidays. The simplest and safest way is to go to the bank and get a banker’s cheque, which only costs 20 baht no matter the amount. Some might find it inconvenient, but it does give you peace of mind knowing your money is secure.

Is it a dirty game or not.
First, it was no longer possible to bank via the internet and the webside.
Everything had to be done through the phone app, was safer they said, yes the banks told us that.
And now, quite by accident it turns out that banking via the app is not so safe and they are going to set restrictions.

All restrictions with your and my money.

A normal thinking person would say, let's go back to the web, but no.

All in the name of protecting you.... Sigh 

 

Here comes Thailand... first the created problem of scammers ... then the control and restrictions... in the noble cause of protecting the majority. But this is done at the expense of the majority who have never been scammed .... so why create controls on majority just because the miniscule minority got scammed? So where is majority rule? 

 

Just see the stats on how many get scammed against all the bank customers...... you will have the answer that all these controls are directly meant to restrict you from getting access to your own money.... eventually making withdrawals difficult ....  

 

 

37 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Now I will have to pass a senility test??

It really becomes paranoid.

 

So far they presented some over simple test questions in the range of:

"Should you give your password/PIN to your girlfriend?" 

I know that one, it's definitely yes!! 

9 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Actually this is about millions of poor and uneducated or undereducated Thai people who don't know how to look after themselves in the modern high-tech universe.

MIL, 62, cannot read nor write, has been running her business for decades, and watches series on her Iphone...

It's all a premeditated game

11 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

As usual, the readers of AN imagine that everything that happens in Thailand including every government decision is about the readers of AN ...

 

Actually this is about millions of poor and uneducated or undereducated Thai people who don't know how to look after themselves in the modern high-tech universe.

Who never have that much money in their bank accounts anyway.

8 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

As usual, the readers of AN imagine that everything that happens in Thailand including every government decision is about the readers of AN ...

 

Actually this is about millions of poor and uneducated or undereducated Thai people who don't know how to look after themselves in the modern high-tech universe.

 

You're having a laugh. None of those people you mention have 50,000 baht in their bank account, so whether the daily limit is 50,000 baht or 500,000 baht doesn't matter one bit to them.

 

Undereducated and uneducated people get a salary of let's say 15,000 baht or less, and most of it will be gone once the rent and the loan shark have been paid. If  you really want to help this demographic, police loan sharks, not banks.

They’re trying to drive all foreigners out of the country aren’t they? So fricking stupid.  Life here keeps getting harder. If someone is stupd enough to get scammed then they deserve what they get.

The irony here is that the fallback solution is online banking -- but unfortunately several banks have closed that option (fortunately, Bangkok Bank isn't one of them). Bangkok Bank's default transfer amount is 500k. 

 

Have never seen the utility of mobile banking. First and formost, my 80 year old eyes can't see the small screen. Secondly, I don't need the option to transfer money from my car or from a restaurant, using a mobile phone. If a transfer situation arises, the comfort of my home office's desktop -- or, if on the road, my laptop in a hotel room, suffice very nicely. And, paying bills realtime is where cash, or my 2% cashback credit card do the trick -- no fumbling around with a phone just to pay a bill.

 

Anyway, I know this makes no sense to the younger crowd. But, assuming most of the younger crowd at least have a laptop, online banking may may come back into vogue -- if they keep making mobile banking an annoying chore. 

Relax.

It applies to mobile banking only and can be circumvented by the advance requesting of an increase. Also those who regularly make higher transfers will be profiled accordingly and unaffected.

How many transactions do the majority of people make that required the instantaneous transfer of amounts in excess of 50,000 baht?

 For those few occasions when you can't plan ahead then if all else fails, there is always the option of visiting a branch and arranging a transfer there and then.

 

 

Just now, Farmerslife said:

Relax.

It applies to mobile banking only and can be circumvented by the advance requesting of an increase. Also those who regularly make higher transfers will be profiled accordingly and unaffected.

How many transactions do the majority of people make that required the instantaneous transfer of amounts in excess of 50,000 baht?

 For those few occasions when you can't plan ahead then if all else fails, there is always the option of visiting a branch and arranging a transfer there and then.

 

 

 

 

Refreshing non-reactionary post.

 

Work with the changes, not against them, there will inevitably be a solution.

9 minutes ago, NemoH said:

All in the name of protecting you.... Sigh 

 

Here comes Thailand... first the created problem of scammers ... then the control and restrictions... in the noble cause of protecting the majority. But this is done at the expense of the majority who have never been scammed .... so why create controls on majority just because the miniscule minority got scammed?

 

Just see the stats on how many get scammed against all the bank customers...... you will have the answer that all these controls are directly meant to restrict you from getting access to your own money.... eventually making withdrawals difficult ....  

 

 

Spot on, all part of the drive towards CDBC, and total control. 

16 minutes ago, PB172111 said:

It’s a bit of a hassle for people like us, but for those who’ve been scammed, it’s a real nightmare. Like you, I often transfer large sums for things like bikes or holidays. The simplest and safest way is to go to the bank and get a banker’s cheque, which only costs 20 baht no matter the amount. Some might find it inconvenient, but it does give you peace of mind knowing your money is secure.

That is what they are trying to make you believe, but who tells me that the numbers presented are true.
As mentioned above, it is beginning to look more and more like they are copying rules from those western states, perhaps all at Klaus' behest.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

However, financial fraud is a serious concern, with June alone documenting 24,500 scam cases linked to money transfers, resulting in losses totalling 2.8 billion baht. On average, each fraudulent case resulted in 114,000 baht lost, with the largest single scam taking 4.9 million baht.

And they want people to use the mobile apps when they know that they are not safe from fraud and hacking.

13 minutes ago, Farmerslife said:

Relax.

It applies to mobile banking only and can be circumvented by the advance requesting of an increase. Also those who regularly make higher transfers will be profiled accordingly and unaffected.

How many transactions do the majority of people make that required the instantaneous transfer of amounts in excess of 50,000 baht?

 For those few occasions when you can't plan ahead then if all else fails, there is always the option of visiting a branch and arranging a transfer there and then.

 

 

If I book a flight ticket, I don't have the option of going to the bank for a while....

13 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Spot on, all part of the drive towards CDBC, and total control. 

100% agree, it is all a preconceived dirty plan, have already cited the WEF above, and especially with the CBDC in the near future.

11 minutes ago, Tubulat said:

That is what they are trying to make you believe, but who tells me that the numbers presented are true.
As mentioned above, it is beginning to look more and more like they are copying rules from those western states, perhaps all at Klaus' behest.

 

Who's Klaus?

Bankers finding new ways of controlling/restricting your access to "your" money? Who would have thought.

42 minutes ago, chang50 said:

Who else pines for the Prayut administration?

Not me...