Serious Breach Of Banking Protocol?

[lampard10]

I paid a bill in the Siam Commercial Bank today, and was absolutely gob-smacked to find that as well as having the amount paid in, it showed the balance of the account I was paying into. This must be a serious lapse in security. or is this commonplace in Thailand? OK the guy phoned me and said could I pay ASAP because they were short on funds and when I read the account balance, I found he was telling Porkies, but I should not be permitted to do that. Thoughts please.

[The_Moog]

Yes they have told you confidential information.

This is not standard practice, but the same thing has happened to me when I paid in a cheque from someone which had previously bounced. I asked for their balance (to make sure it wouldn't bounce again), and the cashier was like...

"Yeah, ere you are"

Then the Manager, realizing what was going on, sprinted over - too late.

[MyNameIsFarang]

Had a similar experience with Bangkok Bank. Made a cash deposit to someone's account and was given their balance when all I asked for was a printed receipt.

[~G~]

Not common practice? I get it almost every time I deposit money into my company's account. Mostly in those branches where you need to fill 2 slips in order to get one back (no copy) - then you get the nice balance figure printed. That's SCB I'm talking about. And no - not where they know me in person, it happens in almost any random SCB branch I walk into.

No questions asked. No names required. Not to mention an ID/passpord or anything of that kind.

Privacy? Unheard of.

[Digger]

Best one I have witnessed, was when a friend was over from Hong Kong and he told me that his mia noi was moaning that the standing order he had set up for her on his visit had not been working. She kept phoning him short of money. So into the bank (SCB) we go and he gets his passbook updated and the amounts have been debited sure enough every month. Over at the customer service desk, he enquires further. Customer services girl checks his account, pulls up the recipients account and then prints him out a copy of her entire statement for the last 6 months. Then proceeds to highlight on all his credits made via direct debit on his account and gives him the entire statement. Of course, we were more interested in what other payments were going into the account. Quite a wealthy girl and way way more money than he was led to believe she was existing on. The best part is the customer service girl saying you can keep that copy as I show you our direct debit work OK. So matey proceeds out of the bank with copy of her entire statement in his hands and says something like. "I am going to enjoy this next conversation with little Nong" - suffice to say he cancelled the direct debit shortly thereafter....

a 100% true story.

[brianbrain]

Not common practice? I get it almost every time I deposit money into my company's account. Mostly in those branches where you need to fill 2 slips in order to get one back (no copy) - then you get the nice balance figure printed. That's SCB I'm talking about. And no - not where they know me in person, it happens in almost any random SCB branch I walk into.

No questions asked. No names required. Not to mention an ID/passpord or anything of that kind.

Privacy? Unheard of.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Talking of which, I withdrew 200,000 baht in cash (not SCB in this instance) just by presenting my passbook and a signed withdrawal slip. No other ID required. Didn't even look me in the eye. I must be one cool customer...

[Nam Kao]

>>> "I am going to enjoy this next conversation with little Nong"

Mia nois are a headache, better to just pay as you go

[britmaveric]

Every bank I have dealt with - if the account wasnt your own. There was no balance or they used a black marker to mark it out.

Edited October 25, 2005 by britmaveric

[The_Moog]

1) Went into SCIB in Korat a couple of years ago to change a hundred dollars and the forex cashier said.

"I'm doing this transaction with you myself. Not through the till"

and pulled her handbag up on to the counter.

...er, I think not. We called the Manager over who said, 'okay mai pen rai, put it through the foreign exchange till then'.

Idiots every single one of them.

2) Bangkok Bank Silom, refused to let me pay in my salary cheque because the cheque had my middle name on it. They refused to believe that farangs could have two christian names.

[Heng]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks. You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.

[~G~]

Every bank I have dealt with - if the account wasnt your own. There was no balance or they used a black marker to mark it out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try SCB branch in Robinson - Ratchadapisek, or the one on the 2nd floor of MBK.

Fill 2 copies of a deposit form. Deposit the money and give the cashier the two copies.

See what happens.

[~G~]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks.   You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Heng, not difficult to check, eh? Do you have an account in SCB? Just give me you bank account number and I'll tell you your balance. Printed on the slip, black on white, no peeking required

Edit - And.. even asking is not required in some places. You pay the money and hand the slips. One comes back with the amount deposited, and the account balance. No words spoken! No request made!

Edited October 26, 2005 by ~G~

[Thaipwriter]

SCB again, I was out having dinner one night last week and bumped into the husband of a lady that I know who works for SCB.

He asked me if i had been approved for the credit card i had applied for, and then turned to his friends to snigger.

The next day in the post i received a letter saying I had been declined.

Fair enough for declining me, i have only had the account for 2 months and have no banking history with them.

What bothers me is the security issue of people knowing your business.

The second thing that i noted is that the husband of the bank worker works for a construction company i deal with, I know the girl that does the payroll as i have to collect commission payments from her. She told me he earns 6,000 baht per month.

The fact that i have people of his low financial status aware of my banking matters bothers me.

I will be moving banks soon.

[lomatopo]

Talking of which, I withdrew 200,000 baht in cash (not SCB in this instance) just by presenting my passbook and a signed withdrawal slip. No other ID required.  Didn't even look me in the eye. I must be one cool customer...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I tried to withdraw 50,000 from my Bangkok Bank account. I was asked for my passport but I only had a color scan of it, with visa and current entry stamp. I was denied and directed to the ATM where I had to make two separate withdrawals. I thought about bringing my passport but hate carrying it with me. I was actually happy that they were strict about this requirement.

[Insight]

SCB - such a professional outfit. Had very similar experiences to all the above before.

Remember how banks in the UK say that they'll never give out or ask for your login credentials to your online banking via email? I asked for a new username and password from SCB. They sent it to me... via email...

I must be mad for using that service. God knows how unsecure it is.

[Prudent_rabbit]

I bank with Bank of Asia and once we changed the password on the Internet Banking Account and forgot to tell the Administrator (oops my bad) next day she does the 3 strikes and youre out and it took me a week and a huge bundle of signed paperwork to get another passord!!!

[LivinLOS]

Thailand banks are a joke security wise..

My buddy moved about 3 mil here to add onto 1 he had buying a house..

When it hadnt arrived about 5 days later he was hassling the bank and proved it had been sent to them, in thier routing system days before.. The next morning the amount was credited.. TWICE !!!

So he just asked for a hold all and the cash.. Withdrew the full 7 mill or so instead of 4, and walked out.. He checked international laws and got some advice and the general concensus was they would be very hard pushed to prosecute, in all probability he could claim he had no idea what exchange rate that had given him and dissapear for a months holiday claiming to have spent it.. Haggle out a deal to give a % back etc.. Lets face it thats what most Thais would do (like the woman who stole the lottery millions then cut a deasl to give half back if no charges)..

Anyway he got an attack of the guilts and gave it back to the bank.

I regularly need 100k withdrawls at Kasikorn.. They have never ever asked for ID or anything other than passbook and withdrawl slip.. I have even made purposefully bad signatures that look nothing like my sig to see.. They simply check the account balance and hand me 100k whatever I sign the slip as just so long as its got money in the account they hand it to any farang requester holding that book as far as I can tell.

When my wife died there was money in her account and no will.. Reclaiming the money was a very very complex process and would have gone to her mother (whom she hated and wouldnt speak to).. So I went and got a change of address form and changed her address to our current home address.. Couple of weeks later I got a please issue new ATM card form.. Soon I had a new ATM and PIN sent to me.. Simply with the help of a local thai friend to write the forms and read the letters (which I wouldnt have needed if I could read write Thai) I was easily able to empty the account without any legal issues.

I would never sleep at night if I kept serious assets in a Thai bank.

Edited October 26, 2005 by LivinLOS

[Heng]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks.   You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.  

Hey Heng, not difficult to check, eh? Do you have an account in SCB? Just give me you bank account number and I'll tell you your balance. Printed on the slip, black on white, no peeking required

Edit - And.. even asking is not required in some places. You pay the money and hand the slips. One comes back with the amount deposited, and the account balance. No words spoken! No request made!

Yes, I have a current account and a couple of plain savings accounts with them. Did I say it was easy to check? Eh? You seem to have your magnifying glass a bit skewed while reading my posts. When I make bank deposits, I use one slip. You're saying this is what will happen if I write two identical deposit slips for the same transaction (that I'll get one back with the account's balance)?

[~G~]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks.   You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Heng, not difficult to check, eh? Do you have an account in SCB? Just give me you bank account number and I'll tell you your balance. Printed on the slip, black on white, no peeking required

Edit - And.. even asking is not required in some places. You pay the money and hand the slips. One comes back with the amount deposited, and the account balance. No words spoken! No request made!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I have a current account and a couple of plain savings accounts with them. Did I say it was easy to check? Eh? You seem to have your magnifying glass a bit skewed while reading my posts. When I make bank deposits, I use one slip. You're saying this is what will happen if I write two identical deposit slips for the same transaction (that I'll get one back with the account's balance)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that is what I'm saying, in fact, I am holding such a slip in front of me in this very moment.

On the top left, I can read the blue printed account number and the account name. Then, on the same line, the date, the code "CD", Deposit, and the amount deposited. Then, on the second line there is the hour, the word "CASH", and.......finally, on the right, The code "BAL.", and the amount in my balance. That's a current account by the way.

This slip was received in Robinson branch, Ratchadapisek. I had the same thing happening in MBK. In other slips from onother branche, a similar printing is visible, BUT, its being cut off (on purpose?) on the right, so one can only see the amount deposited and not the balance. When I look at it now it seems like it depends on the way the cashier is holding the slip while printing the output.

[Heng]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks.   You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.  

Hey Heng, not difficult to check, eh? Do you have an account in SCB? Just give me you bank account number and I'll tell you your balance. Printed on the slip, black on white, no peeking required

Edit - And.. even asking is not required in some places. You pay the money and hand the slips. One comes back with the amount deposited, and the account balance. No words spoken! No request made!

Yes, I have a current account and a couple of plain savings accounts with them. Did I say it was easy to check? Eh? You seem to have your magnifying glass a bit skewed while reading my posts. When I make bank deposits, I use one slip. You're saying this is what will happen if I write two identical deposit slips for the same transaction (that I'll get one back with the account's balance)?

Yes, that is what I'm saying, in fact, I am holding such a slip in front of me in this very moment.

On the top left, I can read the blue printed account number and the account name. Then, on the same line, the date, the code "CD", Deposit, and the amount deposited. Then, on the second line there is the hour, the word "CASH", and.......finally, on the right, The code "BAL.", and the amount in my balance. That's a current account by the way.

This slip was received in Robinson branch, Ratchadapisek. I had the same thing happening in MBK. In other slips from onother branche, a similar printing is visible, BUT, its being cut off (on purpose?) on the right, so one can only see the amount deposited and not the balance. When I look at it now it seems like it depends on the way the cashier is holding the slip while printing the output.

The tellers never make a comment on why you hand them 2 slips for one transaction?

Interesting easter egg nonetheless.

[~G~]

Yeah, I've never seen anyone else's bank balance and that's at all the major local banks.   You're behind the counter,... so unless you're peaking over to look at the teller's screen (or asking), I don't think you're going to see anyone's balance.  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Heng, not difficult to check, eh? Do you have an account in SCB? Just give me you bank account number and I'll tell you your balance. Printed on the slip, black on white, no peeking required

Edit - And.. even asking is not required in some places. You pay the money and hand the slips. One comes back with the amount deposited, and the account balance. No words spoken! No request made!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, I have a current account and a couple of plain savings accounts with them. Did I say it was easy to check? Eh? You seem to have your magnifying glass a bit skewed while reading my posts. When I make bank deposits, I use one slip. You're saying this is what will happen if I write two identical deposit slips for the same transaction (that I'll get one back with the account's balance)?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, that is what I'm saying, in fact, I am holding such a slip in front of me in this very moment.

On the top left, I can read the blue printed account number and the account name. Then, on the same line, the date, the code "CD", Deposit, and the amount deposited. Then, on the second line there is the hour, the word "CASH", and.......finally, on the right, The code "BAL.", and the amount in my balance. That's a current account by the way.

This slip was received in Robinson branch, Ratchadapisek. I had the same thing happening in MBK. In other slips from onother branche, a similar printing is visible, BUT, its being cut off (on purpose?) on the right, so one can only see the amount deposited and not the balance. When I look at it now it seems like it depends on the way the cashier is holding the slip while printing the output.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The tellers never make a comment on why you hand them 2 slips for one transaction?

Interesting easter egg nonetheless.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At my original branch I did not need to fill in 2 slips; each slip had a (pink) copy attached; The form name is "Current Deposit Slip". they used to keep the original, stamp both and hand me back the copy. In those cases nothing was printed on my copy; therefore no balance visible.

But at other branches they use slips with no copy; the form name is simply "Deposit Slip". The first time I filled one of those, they just took it, and the money, no evidence for me! . I asked for some sort of receipt, and they told me that if I want one I need to fill in two slips. And so I do!

Edited October 27, 2005 by ~G~