bangkok bank checking passport numbers

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, I had my 10-year U.S. passport heading for expiration earlier this year, and that led to me getting a new one with a new number.

After doing that, I went to all the Thai bank branches where I have accounts and notified the actual branch holding the account of the change. In each case, that required filling out forms and them taking a copy of my new passport document.

However, in none of those case, did any of the branches suggest or require that I needed to get a new, updated bank passbook. I've continued using the same bank passbooks I had issued under my old passport number.

And at least thus far, I haven't run into any issues relating to having and using the same bank passbooks that were issued under my prior passport number. But as I said, I have updated my account records with each branch to reflect the new passport number. So far, so good.

[Briggsy]

I had the same problem with my TOPS SPOT card. It almost cost me a 20 Baht "ngern sot" coupon.

SCB automatically update my passport number when they come across a new passport of mine. I have certainly never informed them but the new number appears when they encounter a new passport.

[lucjoker]

same but different:

if you have a house on a company,there are thai people in it ,know that after max. 5 years (or earlier) their id card nr is also changed!

You have to find them and ask a copy of their new id-card !

If not ,you will have problems if you want to sell your house/land (in company).

Also ,be sure the thais did not marry and migrated to europe ,not easy to find them back and not easy to replace them (since you will need a recent copy of

their id-card)

[Pib]

same but different:

if you have a house on a company,there are thai people in it ,know that after max. 5 years (or earlier) their id card nr is also changed!

You have to find them and ask a copy of their new id-card !

If not ,you will have problems if you want to sell your house/land (in company).

Also ,be sure the thais did not marry and migrated to europe ,not easy to find them back and not easy to replace them (since you will need a recent copy of

their id-card)

Their Thai ID "number" don't change, but the card does have an expiration date which requires periodic renewal...but the same number is on the renewed card with a new/current photo, issue date, expiration date, etc...but same ID number as before.

[airconsult]

For a foreigner your passport (and its specific number) is an all important document in Thailand. When your passport number changes, like when you get your passport renewed, you are suppose to notify the bank and also get a new passbook (no charge) because Bangkok Bank puts your passport number and your signature on the very last page of the passbook which can only be seen under their black light. Not sure if other banks do the same but I expect many of them do. When doing certain financial transactions they will verify that last page in your passbook under their black light (which then shows the passport number and signature) with your current passport signature and number...if the numbers and signatures don't match expect problems in completing the transaction. In my experience over the years in doing transactions at Bangkok Bank this passport number/signature comparison has been common.

SCB do the same - caused me issues when I opened a particular extra account at a different branch with a different passport as somehow my main branch then froze my internet banking until I sorted it out with them.

Similar thing happened to me...that is, I had an internet banking problem due to a passport renewal/number change. I have several Bangkok Bank savings accounts at different branches and had to go to each branch to update my passport number with them and get a new passbook....couldn't do this at just one Bangkok Bank branch as I had to visit the branch that issued the passbook/account. One branch made a passport number typo in their database system during the update which prevented me from doing certain ibanking transactions. And then I had to work the problem with the Bangkok Bank Call Center ibanking support. Took around 10 days for the problem to be resolved because of a branch representative making a typo in the ibanking system/database.

That's odd... last time I changed my passport I had a totally different branch update the account and print a new passbook - I remember checking and they didn't change the home branch either.

Same old story - every branch seems to have it's own rules....

[Suradit69]

You supposed to notify them of ANY changes!

Passport, address, tel number, email address etc.

Just go into any branch and update your details, it takes 5 minutes.

Yes. Just got a new passport myself. Took the new & old passport and my passbook into Bangkok Bank so they could make the change and to get a new passbook. Five minutes and done.

Since they use the passport number to check identity, it does seem that the need to update that information should be pretty obvious ... but one never wants to assume that the obvious is obvious to everyone.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Suradit69

[HerbalEd]

Since you speak some Thai, did you every think about having BB update your passport number? Seems the obvious thing to do, no?

[shaurene]

It is a major part of your bank account identification. I had it with SCB I needed to do something on the ATM and had to punch in my passport numbers and the ATM kept my card as wrong numbers because I had a new passport. Good security.

[BudRight]

If someone had used your passbook with another passport to empty your account, then you would have something to complain about.....

If someone else's passport has my name, DOB and picture in it then I'd also have something to marvel at.

[Peterphuket]

Related to this topic; if you should move a significant distance away from the branch where you opened your account, I believe you can request they move all your account documents to a branch closer to your new location and change that to your "Home" branch. Doing this will make your life a lot easier should you encounter a banking problem.

It's not so easy as you say, I have for many years an account at the SCB in Phuket, the account is coppled with a credit card including a bail on a seperate account.

I live now for a few years in the province Petchaburi and have try to move the whole stuff to Petchaburi but unfortenatly they are not willing to do. Also when I like to withdraw money from that account here in Petchaburi bt ATM I have to pay a fee.

It is ridiculus, you have to pay at the same bank a fee when you withdraw money en even when you like to transfer from your SCB account in Petchaburi to your account in Phuket.

[ravip]

The 'confusion' is likely due to the fact that for Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

Kind of like a US social security number... You get one and it's with you for your entire life...

Of course what others have said about updating this info when getting a new passport is true...

This is likely the answer to your question in the OP as to why the bank teller seemed confused, she probably had never seen this before and could not understand why the passport number was not the same

Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

But the Thai passport expires after 10 years - do they get the same number for the new PP?

[Pib]

The 'confusion' is likely due to the fact that for Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

Kind of like a US social security number... You get one and it's with you for your entire life...

Of course what others have said about updating this info when getting a new passport is true...

This is likely the answer to your question in the OP as to why the bank teller seemed confused, she probably had never seen this before and could not understand why the passport number was not the same

Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

But the Thai passport expires after 10 years - do they get the same number for the new PP?

The Thai passport expires every 5 years...they get a new PP number with each renewal.

[stoli]

One of my accounts is a special foreign currency account that you must have to have funds directly deposited by the US Social Security Administration. No ATM or internet allowed, only withdrawals in person, so no choice but to change the info.

What bank are you with? I am with Bangkok Bank. I also have a Foreign Currency Account and a regular savings account. They are both on the Bangkok Bank online, and I can easily go online at anytime and transfer money from the FCD to my savings account.

[aussiep]

Learn something everyday, new Brit passport due soon, courtesy of Trendy. Have 3 accounts with BKB. There again you can continue to draw money via an ATM with a BE1st card?.

To make this all easy.

Take your old and new passport along.

Heard this was best dealing with Kasakorn Bank.

[thairastawoman]

Poor us to have to deal with such intelligence...

[montereyjp]

It is simple... the only document they have to identify you is your passport... the only way to access your account inside the branch in person is by producing a valid passport so it is important to keep your Thai bank updated with new passport numbers.. For the owner of the account your old passport along with your ATM card or any other valid identification will allow you to update their records with your new passport... If you became incapacitated for any reason it would be very hard for a relative to gain access to your account using your old passport.. I would suggest to be prudent that all foreigners with Thai bank accounts to update your passport information whenever you change passports..

[atyclb]

much depends of the level of ineptitude and motivation of staff. bangkok bank main branch silom has many competent staff. typically speak english well and man studied abroad.

case in point 1; went to esplanade brabch with friend tat has a retirement visa. staff informed him that he needs a work permit to open an account. we tried briefly to stimulate his brain cells by informing him a ret visa is not eligible for wp. i had to stop my friend from arguing in english since talking to the wall would have been more productive. btw the staff was spoken to in thai. they simply didn't get it nor had the aptitude to investigate and learn. lady at bkk bank silom main branch acknowledged the above and agreed with us.

Case #2; the bkk bank atm at esplanade mall system crash and ate my atm card. went to branch sam mall immediately to inform them. they tell me about fee for replacement card. i tell them no need, just get the tech to retrieve my card from their malfunctioning atm. i argued and hey gave in.

[khrab]

The 'confusion' is likely due to the fact that for Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

Kind of like a US social security number... You get one and it's with you for your entire life...

Of course what others have said about updating this info when getting a new passport is true...

This is likely the answer to your question in the OP as to why the bank teller seemed confused, she probably had never seen this before and could not understand why the passport number was not the same

When you get a yellow book, you get a Thai-ID-nbr. Seems nobody including Thais is aware of this.

[garyinhuahin]

Right now, everybody's trying to dot their t's and cross their i's. The 'new broom' is a stickler for the letter of lots of long-standing (and long-ignored regulations) and it's got minor beauracrats up and down the line quite nervous.

Just play along. Speak in calm, reassuring voice and don't make any sudden moves. It'll all be all right

[CWMcMurray]

The 'confusion' is likely due to the fact that for Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

Kind of like a US social security number... You get one and it's with you for your entire life...

Of course what others have said about updating this info when getting a new passport is true...

This is likely the answer to your question in the OP as to why the bank teller seemed confused, she probably had never seen this before and could not understand why the passport number was not the same

Thai people the number on their passport and ID card never changes.

But the Thai passport expires after 10 years - do they get the same number for the new PP?

Have seen other say the PP number changes ... Will have to check my wife's pp, as she just renewed it ...

I had though I remembered her saying when she got the first one that it had same number as her ID card... But that was about 9 years ago, so may be remembering wrongly... Based on feedback from others on this thread

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Related to this topic; if you should move a significant distance away from the branch where you opened your account, I believe you can request they move all your account documents to a branch closer to your new location and change that to your "Home" branch. Doing this will make your life a lot easier should you encounter a banking problem.

I've had two different occasions with two different Thai banks where I wanted to move an existing account with them to a new branch location.

In both instances, they wouldn't do any kind of move. Instead, they required me to close out the existing account at the old branch, and then go to the new branch and basically open a new account there from scratch.

In both cases, it required also getting a new passbook because the individual branch number in part of the account number information in the passbook. It's not just a random or generic account number that can be moved from branch to branch.

[lucifer666]

As Uptheos says, and BTW with BKK banking you can do it online, takes less than a minute

[Pib]

Related to this topic; if you should move a significant distance away from the branch where you opened your account, I believe you can request they move all your account documents to a branch closer to your new location and change that to your "Home" branch. Doing this will make your life a lot easier should you encounter a banking problem.

I've had two different occasions with two different Thai banks where I wanted to move an existing account with them to a new branch location.

In both instances, they wouldn't do any kind of move. Instead, they required me to close out the existing account at the old branch, and then go to the new branch and basically open a new account there from scratch.

In both cases, it required also getting a new passbook because the individual branch number in part of the account number information in the passbook. It's not just a random or generic account number that can be moved from branch to branch.

For Bangkok Bank accounts the first 3 digits of the account number represent the specific branch. For example, 101 is the branch code for the branch on the first floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Rd in central Bangkok where I have a couple of accounts and I expect a lot other farangs have accounts there also since that branch deals with lots of farangs living and passing through Bangkok. They gladly updated my new passport number and issued me new passbooks for the accounts I had with them, but would not for my other Bangkok Bank account at another branch in a nearby province. Now maybe they could have if they really wanted to, if I had given them them big puppy dog eyes, etc., but on that day they would not...they said I must go to the branch that issued the account which I did.

And I had to get a Bangkok Bank debit card replaced once because of physical damage...went to a close by Bangkok Bank branch to get it replaced but which was not the branch which issued the account...once again they wouldn't replace my debit card...they also said I must go to the branch that issued the debit card which I did.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Pib

[isawasnake]

That is the exact problem I am currently having. But I guess I am just nattering.

When the Bangkok Bank branch on the first floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Rd updated two of my accounts which I had with them and issued me new passbooks for both accounts due to the passport update, a few days earlier I had done the passport update thing on another Bangkok Bank account I had at another branch in a nearby province...that branch did not issue me a new passbook but just typed the new passport number in the back of the passbook, stamped it, and initialled it a few times here and there...and updated it their system. When I asked the Silom branch should the other branch had issued me a new passbook the rep kinda smiled and said yes...that smile kinda indicated to me the other branch had not what they should have done but used a non-preferred method...definitely saved the bank the cost of issuing a new passbook. Then about a week later when trying to add a new fixed account to my ibanking portfolio which had my new passport number it wouldn't add....then the calls to the Bangkok Bank ibanking support began.

When all the dust settled a couple weeks later in getting the problem resolved the core problem had been the one branch not issuing a new passbook with the new passport number properly encoded on the passbook...once that branch issued me the new passbook my ibanking problem was fixed. In fact the ibanking support staff said I must go back to that branch for them to issue a new passbook for the ibanking problem to be resolved. I guess the actual issue of a new passbook with the new passport number makes some type of update in the banking system database (above and beyond what their manual entry does) that is critical for certain ibanking transactions to occur. I figure the branch didn't understand the ibanking impact with the passport number change, since this particular branch was out in the sticks and surely have very few farang customers....use to Thai customers which use their Thai ID card number which never changes.

Don't know if your circumstances may have been similar....and I expect improper passport number update might affect people differently depending on whether they have ibanking, what transaction they are trying to do in ibanking, maybe some transactions at a bank counter, etc. Oh well, I got over 8 years before I need to renew my passport again (assuming I don't lose it before then) so my passport number update problems should be behind me for at least 8 years.

Yes, it sounds like this is exactly what is happening to me. I am too lazy yet to go fix it I suppose. I informed the lady, at another branch from where my account was opened, that I wanted international transfers on my ibanking. I filled out some forms. She said my passport number would have to be changed in their system, and that it would take 2 weeks for the intl transfers to be approved. No new passbook. And no intl transfers approved on my ibanking yet.

I am sure it will be easy enough, I just have to go in.... to that same branch..... which is out of the way.......and who knows maybe I must go to my original branch too...... all the ridiculousness never ends. Don't computers have the ability to connect to one another?

[lucjoker]

same but different:

if you have a house on a company,there are thai people in it ,know that after max. 5 years (or earlier) their id card nr is also changed!

You have to find them and ask a copy of their new id-card !

If not ,you will have problems if you want to sell your house/land (in company).

Also ,be sure the thais did not marry and migrated to europe ,not easy to find them back and not easy to replace them (since you will need a recent copy of

their id-card)

Their Thai ID "number" don't change, but the card does have an expiration date which requires periodic renewal...but the same number is on the renewed card with a new/current photo, issue date, expiration date, etc...but same ID number as before.

You are right,the nr does not change ,but the card is invalid

So i wanted to sell some land (in company) and couldn't because one of the thai company member had an expired id card and she was out of the country .

To take her out of the company you need a valid ID card .

So my advise : cheque on them regularly and write down their expiry date .

.

[Pib]

That is the exact problem I am currently having. But I guess I am just nattering.

When the Bangkok Bank branch on the first floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom Rd updated two of my accounts which I had with them and issued me new passbooks for both accounts due to the passport update, a few days earlier I had done the passport update thing on another Bangkok Bank account I had at another branch in a nearby province...that branch did not issue me a new passbook but just typed the new passport number in the back of the passbook, stamped it, and initialled it a few times here and there...and updated it their system. When I asked the Silom branch should the other branch had issued me a new passbook the rep kinda smiled and said yes...that smile kinda indicated to me the other branch had not what they should have done but used a non-preferred method...definitely saved the bank the cost of issuing a new passbook. Then about a week later when trying to add a new fixed account to my ibanking portfolio which had my new passport number it wouldn't add....then the calls to the Bangkok Bank ibanking support began.

When all the dust settled a couple weeks later in getting the problem resolved the core problem had been the one branch not issuing a new passbook with the new passport number properly encoded on the passbook...once that branch issued me the new passbook my ibanking problem was fixed. In fact the ibanking support staff said I must go back to that branch for them to issue a new passbook for the ibanking problem to be resolved. I guess the actual issue of a new passbook with the new passport number makes some type of update in the banking system database (above and beyond what their manual entry does) that is critical for certain ibanking transactions to occur. I figure the branch didn't understand the ibanking impact with the passport number change, since this particular branch was out in the sticks and surely have very few farang customers....use to Thai customers which use their Thai ID card number which never changes.

Don't know if your circumstances may have been similar....and I expect improper passport number update might affect people differently depending on whether they have ibanking, what transaction they are trying to do in ibanking, maybe some transactions at a bank counter, etc. Oh well, I got over 8 years before I need to renew my passport again (assuming I don't lose it before then) so my passport number update problems should be behind me for at least 8 years.

Yes, it sounds like this is exactly what is happening to me. I am too lazy yet to go fix it I suppose. I informed the lady, at another branch from where my account was opened, that I wanted international transfers on my ibanking. I filled out some forms. She said my passport number would have to be changed in their system, and that it would take 2 weeks for the intl transfers to be approved. No new passbook. And no intl transfers approved on my ibanking yet.

I am sure it will be easy enough, I just have to go in.... to that same branch..... which is out of the way.......and who knows maybe I must go to my original branch too...... all the ridiculousness never ends. Don't computers have the ability to connect to one another?

Well, in your case, maybe they just didn't approve the setup of ibanking international transfers. Just because some forms were signed and submitted asking for approval of international transfers doesn't mean the request was approved. And Thais in general don't like to inform the customer something was "not" approved....they prefer to see if you ever follow-up as to what happened to the request for XYZ. But maybe it is a passport mismatch problem.

[Keesters]

When I got a new passport a couple years ago I went through the process of trying to inform offices here where I thought it mattered. Kasikorn bank took notice of it reluctantly. All the staff seemed more interested in playing Angry Birds on their mobiles. True Internet got completely confused and had to close my online account and reopen a new one blaming the failure for the old one to work on my new passport number. Only DTAC handled it smoothly after first requesting I fax (who has fax these days), but then changed to email a scan or photo of the new passport to them. They even emailed back thanking me for informing them of the change.