Thai Consumer Protection Board (CPB) cannot control ATM transfer fees

[webfact]

CONSUMER PROTECTION

CPB cannot control ATM transfer fees

By The Nation

The Consumer Protection Board (CPB) has no authority to regulate the fees charged for the fifth withdrawal or transfer via a cash machine each month, because commercial banks are either regulated by Bank of Thailand or Finance Ministry, PM's Office Minister Ongart Klampaiboon said yesterday.

The rate for inter-bank withdrawals in Bangkok is now Bt5, recently raised from Bt3 without notice, and the inter-province withdrawal costs Bt10.

"The CPB does not have jurisdiction over withdrawal, transfer fees, which are regulated by the BOT and the Finance Ministry," he said.

He added that the CPB should instead focus on seeking pre-trial settlements between consumers and business providers rather than going to court. "The trials are time-consuming, taking five to six years on average and sometimes even 10 years. In the end, consumers do not get compensated sufficiently, or the businesses are shut down," he added.

To facilitate pre-trial settlements, arbitrary panels under the CPB will be established and operated by retired CPB officials.

CPB will soon launch initiatives, including speeding up 2,000 cases for compensation demands worth Bt3 billion; a campaign to raise the service mentality and responsibility of business operators; as well as setting up a 24-hour 1166 hotline and Facebook as well as Twitter accounts to receive complaints.

Its initiatives also include roadshows to raise consumer awareness as well as an internal policy to serve consumers with greater care and quicker service.

The CPB is also campaigning to encourage coordination between consumer protection police and relevant government agencies; with business operators and service providers to ensure a worry-free standard; and with the private sector and NGOs to create proper consumer protection measures.

-- The Nation 2010-09-28

[animatic]

New department head trying to make himself look possibly effective.

But any trial he starts now, will be finished by others 2 or 3 CPB leaders from now.

The regulators LOUDLY lowered interbank fees for one section,

so the banks just raised them quietly in another section.

Profits remain the same, consumers remain reamed.

Edited September 28, 2010 by animatic

[Thai at Heart]

Of course not. Why would you expect the "Consumer Protection Board" to regulate things such as consumers interacting with banks. That is reserved for far more important people such as the bank of Thailand, who of course always have the interests of the consumer at the top of their list.

I do love the way that businesses here give the impression of working under a competitive market by having committees or government organisations apparently checking their behaviour, when it is obvious to all, their mates are regulating them.

The banks are an oligopoly here, they are gouging the middle and lower class with their lending spreads to small business and homeowners. Would a rational government see this as advantageous to the market? Of course not, but then of course, you don't mess with the owners of these banks, pure and simple

[chantorn]

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

[hoaker]

Does anyone believe this CROCK?

as well as setting up a 24-hour 1166 hotline and Facebook as well as Twitter accounts to receive complaints.

Sure!! and we'll just wait for 5-10 years for you to process a complaint. Man!! this face thing is getting out of control. setting up all these accounts just to make CPB look good but not follow through. Speaks like complaints are just coming in, NEWS FLASH...millions of complaints have been filed but nothing done. I have filed 83 complaints in my 30 years of life, 20 being here in thailand and have never received a call or followup. What BS!!

[mistitikimikis]

"a campaign to raise the service mentality": this counts for businesses all-over Thailand.

I'm with the "Bank of Ayudhya" and where Bangkok is flooded with ATM-'s "Ayudya" is conspicious by it's absence or oft hidden in a dirty corner. Pointing at that at my local branch-office the answer was "we are protecting our clients", which I heard some time ago concerning, for them, another tricky question. For me clever cost-saving but for the employee it was clear: "our salary has to be paid!".

[Thai at Heart]

I wonder when the day will come that there is anti-monopoly watchdog in this country?

But then who would be the watchdog of the watchdog of the watchdog of the watchdog? Presumably the current ultimate watchdog making sure everyone plays by the rules of business as usual in Thailand is the army.

[wpcoe]

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

True, but with a variation on dual-pricing: Fees of between B5-B10 for intra-Thailand banking, versus B150 for using an international credit/debit card.

Granted, it is not as racially/nationally motivated as most dual-pricing, but to foreign visitors it could seem like yet another scam against the golden goose.

[kuffki]

Thai Consumer Protection Board can not and does not control anything let alone ATM fees.

Have contacted them a number of times-all useless with no results at all

One of my complains was about Powerbuy refusing to owner the existing warranty(product broke 8 times in 8 months) so they refused to fix it anymore, or to replace it or do anything.

The good CPB did absolutely nothing

Next time i had a problem, i decided to be smarter and paid my lawyer to contact them and lodge a complaint-funny enough though the result was the same-nothing.

Just another attempt of being civil, but in reality a waste of gov money and if anything another way to extort people.

[asiawatcher]

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

That may be too, but look at this in the light in which it has been reported - it is not a rise of 2 Baht it is a rise of 67% in bank fees. If the figures reported yesterday by the finance minister saying he was negotiating for banks to drop fees, then look at this in his report - this means by his assumption of the charges presently - banks will now earn around another 6.7Bn Baht by this rise! Only in Thailand.... And they offer you 1.5% on your savings!!! I would buy a safe and remove all cash - see how they fare then!

[Foggy Bottom]

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

Yes dear, of course you do

- but tell me, how many times a week do you get hit for an extra B150.00 in Thai ATM fees, for withdrawing your income from your overseas bank account (which it is paid into) and have to pay that on top of the 2% fee that your overseas bank already charges, in order for them to pay the inter-bank fees that Thai banks charge to overseas banks when foreigners use their foreign card in Thai ATMs?

And ... if the inter-province fee has been dropped to 5 Baht, why was I charged 20 Baht just 20 minutes ago?

[Tokay]

I think it's safe to say that no group here and control much of anything.

[Bakeman]

Agree

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

[tomyummer]

You know, in a way we should all feel honored being privy to the BUILDING OF A THAI EMPIRE.

Witnessing the departments and ministries tell each other they have no jurisdiction over certain issues and quarreling about each others' powers. It's like we, the public, are sitting right smack in the center of the legislative halls during the blessed construction of the constitution of Thailand.

So we have the 3G issue with the communication departments going at it, then we have the Bank of Thailand with this ATM fee, and in the past I witnessed the Tourism and Sports boxing with Public Health on promoting health care to the foreigners. And there's a lot more I'm sure.

It's just so funny how nobody knows their own job descriptions in this country.

[chantorn]

Not only Farang get hit with ATM fee. We Thais do too.

Yes dear, of course you do

- but tell me, how many times a week do you get hit for an extra B150.00 in Thai ATM fees, for withdrawing your income from your overseas bank account (which it is paid into) and have to pay that on top of the 2% fee that your overseas bank already charges, in order for them to pay the inter-bank fees that Thai banks charge to overseas banks when foreigners use their foreign card in Thai ATMs?

And ... if the inter-province fee has been dropped to 5 Baht, why was I charged 20 Baht just 20 minutes ago?

I think it starts NEXT year.