Spreaders of Conspiracy Theories: Unmasking the Motivations Behind the Lies

[aussiebebe]

Bangkok Bank are advertising, even on this forum, about International funds transfer service. I had a savings account anyway, so I applied for Bualuang iBanking and they posted me my ID and emailed me my password in due course. I was attracted to this because the flyer claimed:

'A great way to transfer money overseas using the internet, the Internatioanl Funds Transfer Service via Bualuang iBanking helps you transfer funds anywhere, anytime.......for a fee of only Bt 300'.

I've found the service deceptive; when I clicked on 'New International Funds Transfer' it just leads to a page saying:

If you have already registered for Bualuang iBanking then you can apply to make an International Funds Transfer via Bualuang iBanking by following these simple steps:

1. Print out the Application for International Funds Transfer Service via Bualuang iBanking.

2. Complete the application form.

3. Submit your application along with the required supporting documents to any

Bangkok Bank branch.

Am I missing something blindingly obvious? Has anyone used this service and can help? I've made plenty of SWIFT transfers before at the Kasikorn branch in Paragon - what are Bangkok Bank offering? is it just a glorified SWIFT transfer? if so, why advertise it as 'via Bauluang iBanking' and to what ends?

[Gigabyte]

Yeah... You have to apply for international funds transfer. The bank will set your yearly limit and you have to renew every year. However once it's done, it's an easy way to transfer funds out of the country. Be careful however, your bank at the other end might charge you also for the service; my bank abroad charged me $10.on top of the 300 baht that BBL charged me.

[aurelius]

Internet banking is the online banking service that means you don't have to go to the branch each time you make an intl transaction - it probably saves time for people sending salary home regularly and thais paying school fees etc. Intl transactions are regulated so there's always some paperwork to set things up tho'.

[Tanaka]

What is it you want to do? Do you want to transfer money from abroad to your savings account in BB or the other way? Or do you want to transfer money to or from a Foreign Currency account?

[torrenova]

.. The bank will set your yearly limit and you have to renew every year...

and just how do they decide how much you can transfer ? presuming of course that there is no set limit.

[silomrama]

.. The bank will set your yearly limit and you have to renew every year...

and just how do they decide how much you can transfer ? presuming of course that there is no set limit.

The Bank will set the yearly limit based on the amount of your annual salary as stated in an employer's letter confirming your salary. (you need to sumbit copy of an employer's letter along with the application.) If you are self-employed, you can state your own annual income.

[IMA_FARANG]

I have had a joint Bangkok Bank account in Thailand for many years. I have used it to transfer funds for my wife's/family use many times. I live and work in Greece. I applied for the Balulang Banking...so that I could get a password and I could then check my account balance on-line from Greece. Answer....no can't do that.

It seems I can only get the Balulang Banking if I live in Thailand and are a Thai resident or have a work permit. Or to be perfectly clear, I can get it, but they won't give me a password if I don't live in Thailand. Of what use is that? I wanted the password so I could access my Bangkok Bank account on-line from Greece to check the balance.

Of course being a sneaky Farang I realised that my Bangkok Bank account was a joint account with a Thai. So my Thai wife now has the Balulang Banking access...and she has a password. I know it, and it works.

But don't tell Bangkok Bank about it.

[flying]

It seems I can only get the Balulang Banking if I live in Thailand and are a Thai resident or have a work permit. Or to be perfectly clear, I can get it, but they won't give me a password if I don't live in Thailand. Of what use is that? I wanted the password so I could access my Bangkok Bank account on-line from Greece to check the balance.

Not true...at least in my case.

I do not live in Thailand & do not have a work permit.

But I do have Baluang Ibanking. I am able to check balances & even do transfers to my other two Thai banks SCB & Krungsri Online

( Bank of Ayudhya)

Both of which I also have online accounts with access from abroad & I do move money between all three. Although when I transfer from US I use the Bangkok Bank as it is easy & cheap. Then I can move money online from BB to the other two if I wish.

PS: BB & SCB are accounts in my name alone & the Krungsri in both my wife & my name since we have a small mortgage there & that is all we use that account for.

So I am not using your method of access

Edited April 7, 2010 by flying

[ianguygil]

3) How do I apply for Bualuang iBanking?

To enjoy the Bualuang iBanking services, you first will need to have an individual savings or current account with Bangkok Bank. If you don't have an account with us, simply open one at your nearest branch, and while you are there you can apply for the Bualuang iBanking service at the same time.

You also need to have a personal e-mail address to which we can send you your USER ID.

Bualuang iBanking application forms are available at any of our branches or you can print out a form here.

If you have printed out an application form, you will need to sign it at the branch in front of the bank employee who will take your application. In order to save time, it's a good idea to take with you a list of the accounts you wish to access using Bualuang iBanking - such as your bank accounts with Bangkok Bank and other accounts into which you pay money on a regular basis. Include this information on your application form. Together with your application form you will need to bring the following documents to the Bank:

• Passbook(s)
  
• Citizen ID card or
  
• 13-digit government photo ID card
  
• Valid Passport (foreigners only*)
  
• Valid Work Permit or Certificate of Residence (foreigners only*)
  

*Only foreign nationals with a resident Baht account holding a non-immigrant visa along with a valid work permit or certificate of residence are eligible to apply for Bualuang iBanking.

We'll notify you within five working days regarding your application approval. At around the same time you will receive a unique User ID number via e-mail. For individuals who apply at a provincial branch, it might take longer than seven days for an application to be approved. Shortly after that, you will receive your PIN(Personal Identification Number) in the mail. Once you've received this, you can log on for the first time.

We advise that you study our security and privacy policy, terms and conditions, and fee information before applying.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/Online%20Bankin...lication.aspx#3#

[hyperdimension]

I have a Tabien Baan ("Yellow book") that is evidence that I am a resident of Thailand.

However, I am staying here on a Tourist Visa.

Would I be allowed to have internet banking with Bangkok Bank?

[lopburi3]

I have had a joint Bangkok Bank account in Thailand for many years. I have used it to transfer funds for my wife's/family use many times. I live and work in Greece. I applied for the Balulang Banking...so that I could get a password and I could then check my account balance on-line from Greece. Answer....no can't do that.

It seems I can only get the Balulang Banking if I live in Thailand and are a Thai resident or have a work permit. Or to be perfectly clear, I can get it, but they won't give me a password if I don't live in Thailand. Of what use is that? I wanted the password so I could access my Bangkok Bank account on-line from Greece to check the balance.

Of course being a sneaky Farang I realised that my Bangkok Bank account was a joint account with a Thai. So my Thai wife now has the Balulang Banking access...and she has a password. I know it, and it works.

But don't tell Bangkok Bank about it.

Actually you can check account balance with your ATM card number/pin and a phone call without internet access - I was doing that 10 years ago.

[monty]

I use iBangking from bkk bank, and the online international transfer is very limited....

For foreigners they only allow you to do it if you hold a work permit. And although the "help" pop up in the iBanking system indicates you only need a letter from your employer, they actually also demand a copy from your WP (which I needed in the first place to get the iBanking).

Same goes for my wife, the only reasons she was allowed to do it was if she had relatives living abroad, and then they would need supporting evidence stating that those relatives were permanent resident in that foreign country... The only other reason was being a student abroad...

Yet we can walk in and do a swift transfer with virtually no questions asked!

[monty]

I have a Tabien Baan ("Yellow book") that is evidence that I am a resident of Thailand.

However, I am staying here on a Tourist Visa.

Would I be allowed to have internet banking with Bangkok Bank?

I needed to show WP (assume the yellow house book would do as well) and they checked thoroughly the visa stamps in my PP to make sure I was on non immi status. Might differ between branches though...

[hyperdimension]

Thank you, monty, for the helpful details.

So from the screen capture that you provided, it looks like international transfers via internet banking can only be for any of three specified purposes, with each requiring supporting documentation:

1. Educational expenses

2. Repatriation of income from foreigners working in Thailand

3. Assistance to relatives who are permanent residents of a foreign country

However are the restrictions the same for transferring from a foreign currency account?

Yet we can walk in and do a swift transfer with virtually no questions asked!

Does this mean that there are no such restrictions if you do the transfer at a branch? Do they ask for purpose of transfer at the branch?

[monty]

Does this mean that there are no such restrictions if you do the transfer at a branch? Do they ask for purpose of transfer at the branch?

Yes, there are still restrictions, they basically need to know why you are sending money, but they accept virtual any reason (support family, paying for goods etc).

There is also a limit as to how much you can transfer, and you need to sign paperwork of the national bank of Thailand.

Pretty much the same procedure as sending money with Western Union...

[aussiebebe]

Hi, I started this thread, thanks for all the replies about the Int. Fund transfer service. Very helpful.

Basically, I'd misunderstood the service and not realised that the paperwork was only required to register and you can transfer online thereafter - thanks Gigabyte for pointing that out.

I followed the BKwebsite instructions, and printed and completed the form. Initially the BKBank employee was unaware that foreigners could repatriate income and insisted they couldn't, she'd obviously never set this up before, but she cleared it up with her supervisor.

The form I'd printed and took in with me wasn't used, I was presented with another lengthier form to complete. As I'd used my work permit to open ibanking, I only needed to give my employers letter stating my salary and a signed copy of my passport. Straight forward.

I see the benefit now, I can transfer conveniently online without going into a bank, up to my agreed annual limit, which is a percentage of my salary. Particularly at the moment with the protests, this has been better for me than going to a main branch in Paragon to do SWIFTs.

Cheer guys.

[JusMe]

Remember that the Bangkok Bank online system is for Windows users ONLY!

There is absolutely no access by other systems. And as they specifically say IE or FireFox, any other browser is likely to fail, too.

[ianguygil]

MAC users can use FireFox

Each browser and OS combination requires a separate iteration of function testing for each release. So this is largely a commercial and time to market decision. While automated test tools are used, there is still always some manual intervention. So supporting IE as the dominant browser, and FireFox provides pretty universal coverage. To support all browsers (Safari, Opera, Chrome etc.) would cost more without providing the consumer any particular advantage.

Mobile iBanking supports many other types of browsers. But that is a subset of the full BuaLuang iBanking functionality. It does, however, require a huge testing effort for each release.

Some other banks in Thailand (no names) allow any browsers. But they do not test all. So in some cases transactions do not work as planned. Or they display strangely.

One final point, please do not forget that as a Thai bank, Bangkok Bank has to support bilingual functionality - Thai and English. So each testing cycle is for each OS and Browser combination supported (IE 6 on XP, IE7 on XP, VISTA and WIN/7 etc.) and for each language.

Sounds easy but it is not

Good luck

Ian

Edited May 4, 2010 by ianguygil

[ianguygil]

The transfer functionality complies with the law and central bank regulations. I assume all will understand that a bank needs to do this.

If you are having a particular problem please PM me and I will see what I can do to help.

Good luck.