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Bangkok Bank - No yellow book, no new account

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6 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

This banking stuff is getting scary. We are all essentially being debanked because the Thai government can't manage to keep the felons out of the country.

 

Unrelated but related...I just read another hurdle when buying sim card. They want biometric data. 

No, they want your photo. No fingerprints etc.

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  • Bangkok Bank, or individual branches of Bangkok Bank, are currently in panic mode and seem to be making up new rules on an almost daily basis.   For the time being, they are probably best av

  • Middle Aged Grouch
    Middle Aged Grouch

    OP should try another branch as this is Thailand and rules are made up or applied on a daily changing basis depending on the mood of "god" behind the counter. 

  • You mistake was choosing BBL. 

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8 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Just a heads up for expats. I have one account with Bangkok Bank and tried to open a new one. They now require a yellow book, a residence cert isn't enough anymore.

 

Tried last month in Rayong.

 

I have five Bangkok Bank accounts.  Provided pinkie and ol' yeller but was told new policy only allows ONE account per person.  They did not specify foreign person, refused additional accounts for Thai wife.

 

Crossed the street to Kasikorn and we opened a total of five new accounts.

11 hours ago, Liquorice said:

Jack is referring to these ridiculous new Bangkok bank requirements for the Immigration letter.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1365279-bkk-bank-4-months-banked-method/

https://aseannow.com/topic/1368850-alert-bangkok-bank-new-rule-money-seasoning/

 

It doesn't affect many BKB customers, but it's still arbitrary.

 

In addition, BKKB have now stopped making their online banking service available to new applicants*, and no doubt they'll also be stopping it for us existing users in due course. Meaning that we'll all have to register for their cumbersome and useless app if we wish to continue banking electronically with them - which, as is clear from the following thread, is proving easier said than done to accomplish in practice, thanks to the nonsensical face scanning procedure which they've made an integral part of the whole process for some ridiculous reason:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1369431-anyone-else-having-problems-doing-the-bangkok-bank-app/

 

I used to regard them as the best of an admittedly pretty poor bunch overall, but they've now gone from hero to zero in my book, with absolutely nothing good which can be said about them any longer.

 

*Click on the following link, except between 11.00 pm and 6.05am!

https://ibanking.bangkokbank.com/Register/SignUp.aspx

 

Please, don't open any account at this bank. They closed my account for no reason, and ask for all kind of stupid documents to get my access to my money restored. Moreover, they requested that I present my documents at my original branch only. So I had to spend 5000 baht and 20 hours of traveling to Pattaya, then a night at hotel and then have to wait for another 7 days for their reply. All this time my money balance is taken hostages at this bank. I am just a regular customer of this bank.  The moment they will open my account - I will transfer my money to another bank. BANGKOK BANK - they despise their customers and their money (especially the foreign ones)!

For those who can, consider other fine countries in Asia instead of continuing getting pushed around in Thailand. 

11 hours ago, KannikaP said:

No, they want your photo. No fingerprints etc.

 

Ok. Same thing. You realize it's not 'just a photo' right? Your face is digitally mapped exactly as a fingerprint. 

No yellow book, then no dice?

 

Too bad if you do not have a yellow book.

 

4 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

For those who can, consider other fine countries in Asia instead of continuing getting pushed around in Thailand. 

 

Sadly, more and more that seems to be the case... 

  • Author
33 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

No yellow book, then no dice?

 

Too bad if you do not have a yellow book.

 

I see you're a proud member of the "Yellow Book" brigade.  Winner winner, chicken dinner.

10 minutes ago, Digitalbanana said:

Doesn't one need a bank account to get a yellow book? 

 

 What come first.

The chicken or the egg.

12 minutes ago, Digitalbanana said:

Doesn't one need a bank account to get a yellow book? 

I didn't in Bang Rakam. I was told that we need to be married to get one, but I argued the toss and found the regulations online. Took two visits, with the GF, and the ID card a week later. No real hassle.

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10 hours ago, Hellfire said:

Please, don't open any account at this bank. They closed my account for no reason, and ask for all kind of stupid documents to get my access to my money restored. Moreover, they requested that I present my documents at my original branch only. So I had to spend 5000 baht and 20 hours of traveling to Pattaya, then a night at hotel and then have to wait for another 7 days for their reply. All this time my money balance is taken hostages at this bank. I am just a regular customer of this bank.  The moment they will open my account - I will transfer my money to another bank. BANGKOK BANK - they despise their customers and their money (especially the foreign ones)!

It may be very helpful to others to know the exact reason/s your acct was closed. Was it because it was opened with an agent's assistance, or becuase it was opened when you were on a tourist visa? Did the bank ever find out you swtiched to a long-stay visa before they closed your acct?

 

I received notices from all my banks (BBL, SCB & UOB) earlier this year to come into the banks to update my information. One of the things they made copies of were my visa stamps, so it makes me think maybe they are closing accts for people who didn't have long-stay visas.

1 hour ago, JohnnyBD said:

I received notices from all my banks (BBL, SCB & UOB) earlier this year to come into the banks to update my information. One of the things they made copies of were my visa stamps, so it makes me think maybe they are closing accts for people who didn't have long-stay visas.

Only every had Bangkok Bank take copies of my Passport data page.

Never taken a photo, never copied or even looked at my permission of stay.

 

Maybe, it's just the 'dodgy looking' foreigners they're checking up on.  🙄

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3 hours ago, Digitalbanana said:

Doesn't one need a bank account to get a yellow book? 

No, bank account irrelevant.

 

24 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Maybe, it's just the 'dodgy looking' foreigners they're checking up on.  🙄

So what do "dodgy looking" foreigners look like from the bank's perspective? Is it the people who don't keep much money in their accts?

 

I happen to be on a LTR-WP visa, so I'm sure that is sufficient for the banks.

On 8/22/2025 at 5:29 AM, EVENKEEL said:

BBL

 

What;s BBL?

On 8/22/2025 at 6:15 AM, KannikaP said:

Adds at least one minute onto my visit.

 

Your wife or Gf must  have ben devastated ?

  • Author
15 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

What;s BBL?

Bangkok bank

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1 hour ago, Liquorice said:

Only every had Bangkok Bank take copies of my Passport data page.

Never taken a photo, never copied or even looked at my permission of stay.

 

Maybe, it's just the 'dodgy looking' foreigners they're checking up on.  🙄

 

I can only speak for their head office branch where I have my account, but unlike Kasikorn Bank, they have ALWAYS been interested in which visa you have, Even when they still allowed tourists to open accounts. When I transitioned from tourist to non-immigrant status many years ago, this was spotted by them during my next visit to the bank, and they amended my record accordingly. 

 

I think what they're actually checking up upon now are accounts opened recently with the help of dodgy bank employees that, according to tightened internal guidelines, shouldn't have been allowed to be opened anymore. The fallout or collateral damage seems to be substantial, as many of the affected account holders have obtained a proper longterm visa/extension in the meantime. It certainly doesn't help that they go about it in the most idiotic way imaginable., basically acting like a panicky headless chicken that got a banking license by accident. 

31 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

Your wife or Gf must  have ben devastated ?

Please read my previous posts. GF, not wife.

And who is Ben?

On 8/22/2025 at 12:00 PM, KhaoHom said:

Unrelated but related...I just read another hurdle when buying sim card. They want biometric data.

Why is that a hurdle to anyone without nefarious intentions?

28 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

What;s BBL?

 

BBL is the ticker symbol for Bangkok Bank Limited on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)

 

Ticker symbols are probably not an ideal way to refer to banks or to companies in general on this forum.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

Needin

On 8/22/2025 at 12:10 PM, Liquorice said:

I changed my plan with dtac a couple of months ago, and they insisted they had to take a photo now for biometric evidence - TIT!

Requiring a photo with SIM purchases has been in force for years, it is no big deal if they apply it to their other facilities.

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why is that a hurdle to anyone without nefarious intentions?

 

Face scan for a sim. Passport no longer good enough. There was some addl hurdle as well but I've forgotten 

 

I think people don't know or forget it's not just a picture - it's as personal as a fingerprint 

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Needin

Requiring a photo with SIM purchases has been in force for years, it is no big deal if they apply it to their other facilities.

 

Is it required in UK? Kinda first world country you'd think security would be greater. No? Yeah, just bc they can't manage the fraud and criminality. 

On 8/22/2025 at 12:29 PM, SamSpade said:

I needed a CoR when I opened my Kasikorn account approx 2 years back but hopefully they won't need a yellow book as I want to open a Mutual Funds account with them. 

I opened an account at my local branch in May and they accepted a copy of my lease.

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

...And who is Ben?

 

In my opinion, in the line "Your wife or Gf must  have ben devastated ?", "ben" is obviously a typing error for "been".

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

13 hours ago, Hellfire said:

I had to spend ... 20 hours of traveling to Pattaya

No, you did not...unless you chose to make the Khon Kaen to Pattaya journey take an unbelievable 20 hours.

Getting to the point where the only way to stay here hassle free is to be super organised and have things like pink ID card and yellow house book etc., a work permit, or be rich. The screw has indeed tightened and will continue to do so. Sounds like BBK has decided to become a complete Richard these days.

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