Bank Teller's 5,000 Baht mistake reported to Pattaya Police

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Bank Teller's 5,000 Baht mistake reported to Pattaya Police



PATTAYA: -- A 26 year old Bank Teller working for the South Pattaya Branch of Kasikornbank reported a 5,000 Baht over-payment to a shop assistant who refused to accept the mistake despite video evidence confirming the error.

Khun Orathai reported the case to Pattaya Police Station in the early hours of Tuesday Morning and described how a shop worker from the Watsons Health & Beauty Store inside the Tukcom IT Center in South Pattaya, had come to exchange bank notes for small change. Khun Orathai mistakenly gave the shop assistant Khun Niramon, an extra 5,000 Baht in 50 Baht notes, which she realized was given in-error at the end of her shift when she was cashing-up.

Khun Orathai went to the shop and spoke with Khun Niramon who denied receiving the extra 5,000 Baht despite CCTV evidence showing the error and the money being handed over. Khun Orathai threatened to involve the Police if she did not give back the extra money.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/100423/bank-tellers-5000-baht-mistake-reported-pattaya-police/


-- Pattaya One 2013-08-27

[TonyBeding]

Everyone make a mistake, we are not perfect but we should be honest. As what they say "Honesty is the best policy"

[blackman]

they will have to sue to get it back

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

[Redhawk]

For these cases I am an absolut promoter of cameras at work, so she has chance to proof her words right and as a customer I have the chance to proof the cashier wrong in case too, should be for all places were money is handed over!

Edited August 27, 2013 by Redhawk

[Lancelot]

I have over paid before, new bank notes stuck together and had the Thai cashier return the over payment. I have also had shop assistants try to short my change.

95% of the Thais are decent people. However, if the population is 70 million, then 3.5 million are of questionable character- and they are over represented im the major tourist centers...

[EvilDrSomkid]

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Not really. Why?

I have had it happen that cashiers don't pay attention to wat they are doing.

Bought an espresso at Black Canyon one time. Paid with a 100 baht note. The girl gave me change for a 1000.

I asked: what are you doing? She was embarrassed, but grateful I said something. It would have come out of her own pocket.

[Kerryd]

And if this bank works like some of the others I've heard of, they won't simply write off the loss, they'll deduct it from the clerks salary until it's all paid back. I recall exchanging some US $ at a bank next to TukCom (Pattaya) and the cashier was examining each bill with a magnifying glass. One bill was giving her trouble though and she had to go check with a manager.

I asked why they don't have those counterfeit detectors like almost every gas station and convenience store in North America seems to have these days (even the American Px in Kandahar has special "counterfeit detecting" pens). I was told that the bank didn't care if someone tried to exchange fake bills. If the clerk mistakenly accepts the phony money, they take it out of her salary.

[Suradit69]

they will have to sue to get it back

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Once again with the inter-cultural expert solution to all problems in Thailand: the mythical face-loss phenomenon.

If they were to sue, that would certainly be even a greater, more public embarrassment to the person who took the extra Baht 5000, the Watson's store, Kasikorn Bank and the bank clerk. Hardly the path to follow if one is concerned about face saving or economic logic. But don't let gritty reality get in the way of some pointless, ill-informed comment about Thai people.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Suradit69

[LennyW]

I have a pet hate with bank cashiers.... they never seem to concentrate on serving you, always too busy trying to do three things at once with the other tellers sitting next to them, sometimes just feel like grabbing them by the ears and yelling "look at me, i am in front of you not over there" !!!

[Mario2008]

Seems to me the person who accepted the extra money will have to return it and now might also lose her job. The store chain is not going to be happy with such employee.

[blackman]

they will have to sue to get it back

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Once again with the inter-cultural expert solution to all problems in Thailand: the mythical face-loss phenomenon.

If they were to sue, that would certainly be even a greater, more public embarrassment to the person who took the extra Baht 5000, the Watson's store, Kasikorn Bank and the bank clerk. Hardly the path to follow if one is concerned about face saving or economic logic. But don't let gritty reality get in the way of some pointless, ill-informed comment about Thai people.

don't let the truth get in the way of some politically correct, ill-informed adoration of Thai people.

Edited August 27, 2013 by blackman

[Mario2008]

1 generalisation about Thais removed.

[blackman]

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Not really. Why?

too much time had past between acceptance and discovery

doing so would mean admitting she had not been honest

[somtampet]

I withdrew 8,000gbp last year from Barclays bank,and the manager did the work,she is my mates wife.

Never checked it,and when i arrived back in Thailand there was a fiver in a thousand gbp lot,instead of a twenty,so i lost 15gbp

[LotusBoy]

What?? Did she not use her trusted Thai calculator or count the money back like a million times to the shop assistant. No wait a minute, it was the Farrangs fault, cased CLOSED

[theblether]

My mother handled cash for years on behalf of three companies. In her career there were occasional mistakes like this made. She always made a point of returning the money, just as she'd expect money to be returned to her.

The tellers is the bank told her that they all loved dealing with her as they knew she knew her job inside out, and that there was mutual respect. My mothers primary respect was that these were invariably good young people trying to get on in life, I hope Khun Orothai gets the money back.

[Cuban]

It's her job at Watsons that she's worried about loosing, when they see that the employee is untrustworthy they have no future there.

[Garry]

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Not really. Why?

I have had it happen that cashiers don't pay attention to wat they are doing.

Bought an espresso at Black Canyon one time. Paid with a 100 baht note. The girl gave me change for a 1000.

I asked: what are you doing? She was embarrassed, but grateful I said something. It would have come out of her own pocket.

had similar things happen over the years and I have responded the very same

[atyclb]

I have over paid before, new bank notes stuck together and had the Thai cashier return the over payment. I have also had shop assistants try to short my change.

95% of the Thais are decent people. However, if the population is 70 million, then 3.5 million are of questionable character- and they are over represented im the major tourist centers...

Random university polls (western university standards abac) showed approx 70-80 % agree with corruption. Corruption is cheating and stealing basically. Those stats would seem to conflict with your 95%. Perhaps you could elaborate?

[Robbie Dye]

Elementary dear Watsons, give the money back!

[hawker9000]

too much face loss involved to simply give it back

Not really. Why?

I have had it happen that cashiers don't pay attention to wat they are doing.

Bought an espresso at Black Canyon one time. Paid with a 100 baht note. The girl gave me change for a 1000.

I asked: what are you doing? She was embarrassed, but grateful I said something. It would have come out of her own pocket.

I, too, have simply handed back incorrect change. 'Wouldn't even occur to me to keep it, and I got a big smile (from both people working behind the counter) and respectful wai's out of it. Case closed; no big deal; nobody embarrassed; smiles all around. Sigh. Why can't it just be like that?

[Basil B]

I withdrew 8,000gbp last year from Barclays bank,and the manager did the work,she is my mates wife.

Never checked it,and when i arrived back in Thailand there was a fiver in a thousand gbp lot,instead of a twenty,so i lost 15gbp

Are you sure you was £15.00 down or were you £5.00 up?

I think it would be difficult not to notice the difference even just the corner of the note as it is being counted, but dead easy to lose a fiver in a wad of twenties.

Did you watch the notes being counted and then count yourself before leaving the bank?

[morpho]

I have a pet hate with bank cashiers.... they never seem to concentrate on serving you, always too busy trying to do three things at once with the other tellers sitting next to them, sometimes just feel like grabbing them by the ears and yelling "look at me, i am in front of you not over there" !!!

I mostly agree with you about tellers...they really don't seem to pay enough attention to the task at hand. I also attribute part of the problem to communication problems...their marginal English proficiency and my marginal Thai proficiency. I had a teller totally misunderstand a withdrawal/transfer I wanted to make last week...a supervisor had to come over and get things back on track....and you could tell that the supervisor was not happy about it.

However, I've always received excellent service from BKK Bank staff working at the service desks helping with ATM/credit card problems, currency exchange, etc. They have always been very helpful and professional...and that's been my experience at a number of branches here in Chiang Mai. Part of it I attribute to their better English proficiency (than most tellers) and ability to fully understand what I need.

[Commander Tamson]

It's her job at Watsons that she's worried about loosing, when they see that the employee is untrustworthy they have no future there.

Cuban has nailed it. And that is exactly what Watsons should now do!

[Rimmer]

Profane post removed

[lee b]

Video evidence ! Enough said

[ableguy]

I withdrew 8,000gbp last year from Barclays bank,and the manager did the work,she is my mates wife.

Never checked it,and when i arrived back in Thailand there was a fiver in a thousand gbp lot,instead of a twenty,so i lost 15gbp

and your point is ????

[Rimmer]

Personal Attack on another member removed

[Lancelot]

I have over paid before, new bank notes stuck together and had the Thai cashier return the over payment. I have also had shop assistants try to short my change.

95% of the Thais are decent people. However, if the population is 70 million, then 3.5 million are of questionable character- and they are over represented im the major tourist centers...

Random university polls (western university standards abac) showed approx 70-80 % agree with corruption. Corruption is cheating and stealing basically. Those stats would seem to conflict with your 95%. Perhaps you could elaborate?

When I am upcountry, nine out of ten Thais I meet are great people. I have had a juice vendor chase me down the street to give me correct change (mistakenly paid with a 100 baht note for a 20 baht OJ) A hardware store owner in Sukhothai would not accept money for a bike tax sticker (only five baht but it is the principle.)

I do not encounter the same level of honesty in Pattaya and tourist areas of Bangkok.

From Wiki:

In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. Corruption may include many activities including bribery and embezzlement. Government, or 'political', corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for his or her own personal gain.

Personally I see the person receiving the overpayment as dishonest and a thief more than being corrupt.

Corruption polls are a tricky measurement. A parent is being ignored by the doctor and the only way the family can assure care is by paying a bribe. Then that family is cheating and stealing? And, lets be honest, how many Westerners would forego slipping a $10 bill to the cop when pulled over after running a red light?

If you feel that 70-80% of the Thais are dishonest, that is your problem.

[stoli]

And if this bank works like some of the others I've heard of, they won't simply write off the loss, they'll deduct it from the clerks salary until it's all paid back. I recall exchanging some US $ at a bank next to TukCom (Pattaya) and the cashier was examining each bill with a magnifying glass. One bill was giving her trouble though and she had to go check with a manager.

I asked why they don't have those counterfeit detectors like almost every gas station and convenience store in North America seems to have these days (even the American Px in Kandahar has special "counterfeit detecting" pens). I was told that the bank didn't care if someone tried to exchange fake bills. If the clerk mistakenly accepts the phony money, they take it out of her salary.

After owning a restaurant for years in America, everyone knows that the "counterfeit pen detectors" were turned useless by the counterfeitor's new technology years ago. No one In their right mind would use one in the last 5 years. I also have seen the money exchangers check each bill and they will not tell you what they are looking for. In their place, I also would take all measures to find out if the money I am receiving in genuine. I am sure that you would also, when dealing with money all day long. If you don't give the clerk a bonus for only accepting real bills, don't charge them with some that are readily undetectable as counterfeit. This should be built in to your business model. If it happens too often, fire them.