PM urges Thais to subscribe to Prompt-pay system

[rooster59]

PM urges Thais to subscribe to Prompt-pay system

BANGKOK:-- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha urged all Thais to subscribe to Prompt-pay system, assuring that their personal information will not be leaked out to unauthorized people.

In his weekly “Returning Happiness to the People” address, the prime minister noted that Prompt-pay system is like ATM system when it was first introduced in this country which was viewed with suspicion by a lot of people who were afraid that some unscrupulous people might be able to steal their money with their ATM cards.

But look at today, an individual may have several ATM cards and the system has become common, said the prime minister, adding however that Prompt-pay system is something new and several people are not sure that their personal information may be vulnerable to hacking.

He claimed that, so far, more than 9.7 million people have already registered to use Prompt-pay system which make it much easier, more convenient and less expensive for them to transfer money online.

On top of that, he said that the government would use the Prompt-pay system as a channel through which tax refund or social welfare fees will be returned to taxpayers and pensioners respectively.

Prompt-pay system, the new order on Sor Por Kor land occupation and registration of low income-earners who earn not more than 100,000 baht a year each are parts of the government’s plan to set the foundation for sustainable development of the country, said the prime minister.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-urges-thais-subscribe-prompt-pay-system/

-- Thai PBS 2016-07-23

[shirtless]

He can not guarantee anything is safe, i bet the government will know everything you do

[Rorri]

I wonder if he, or his family and friends, have shares in Prompt Pay. In most cou tries governments do not openly support private busness' as it seen as being biased.

[dcnx]

This message is brought to you by the banking association of Thailand.

[ezzra]

Since when a PM or any head of government promote a service or and item of a commercial nature

to the public? even if it's a good idea, and I'm sure that there are dozens of good items and services

that the PM could promote but he shouldn't, not his scope of work....

[canuckamuck]

I am trying hard to guess, who's got shares in Prompt Pay?

[tx22cb]

This is getting too unseemly - the PM really should control his urges.

[wow64]

Only in Thailand could the Government bring out a payment system which they are guarenteed to have a unfair advantage over companies like Line Pay. They set the price to transfer between the banks own the infrustructure and now release Promptpay which can do it for free..

Sent from my c64

[NongKhaiKid]

Prompt-pay seems an oxymoron in LoS as anyone who has loaned money will know,

[gk10002000]

Prompt pay = single source to monitor transactions, and if abused or misused either accidentally or on purpose can lead to many issues.

[taichiplanet]

"assuring that their personal information will not be leaked out to unauthorized people."

Good luck with that.

[sharecropper]

Did't someone in authority recently say that if your money is stolen under this system then in certain (muddled) circumstances they will not refund it?

Given the privacy and incompetence issues here, who'd feel confident putting their personal details and finances at risk under Promptpay?

Also, I had thought it was a Government scheme. If it's private enterprise there are some worrying conflicts of interest going on here.

[klauskunkel]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha urged all Thais to subscribe to Prompt-pay system, assuring that their personal information will not be leaked out to unauthorized people.

The actual problem is that the personal information is handed over to "authorized people".

[BlindMagician]

Kim pimps commercial enterprise...a much better headline.

Followed one day later by...Kim's neice new CEO of PP.

Followed next week by...PP users blocked from gov unsupported purchases.

...see where this is heading... conspiracy...bbbrrrrhhh...but it's not beyond them, is it.

Same same.

[jamesbrock]

the prime minister noted that Prompt-pay system is like ATM system when it was first introduced in this country which was viewed with suspicion by a lot of people who were afraid that some unscrupulous people might be able to steal their money with their ATM cards

Moldovan busted for ATM skimming in Phuket - http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Moldovan-busted-ATM-skimming-Phuket/63482?desktopversion#ad-image-0

Two arrested for skimming ATM cards - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/two-arrested-for-skimmering-atm-cards

Malaysian skimming gang arrested at Thai border - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/malaysian-skimming-gang-arrested-at-border

Five Frenchmen arrested for Phuket ATM skimming fraud 'in the millions' - http://www.thephuketnews.com/five-frenchmen-arrested-for-phuket-atm-skimming-fraud-in-the-millions-51238.php

Three Russians arrested in Phuket for card skimming - http://www.thephuketnews.com/three-russians-arrested-in-phuket-for-card-skimming-51291.php

Spanish Man Arrested For 'ATM Skimming' in Pattaya - http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1406526482

Turkish National Teke Onur Mustafa Busted in Krabi for ATM Skimming - http://www.chiangraitimes.com/turkish-national-teke-onur-mustafa-busted-in-krabi-for-atm-skimming.html

S African caught in Phuket with 72 skimmed ATM cards - http://www.thephuketnews.com/s-african-caught-in-phuket-with-72-skimmed-atm-cards-46982.php

I'm sorry, PM, but if you're going to use ATM card security as a reason to sign up for this service, then I'll be urging everyone I know to stay far away from it!

[thedivezone]

I'm glad the junta leader issued this statement, previously i wasn't sure whether or not to subscribe to prompt pay. Now i know that i won't.

[Hawk]

Prompt Pay is not safe, it has security flaws, if your account gets hacked then its your responsibility not the banks(as stated by the bank last week in a major newspaper). Prompt Pay is a mechanism that allows the government to spy on all your financial affairs, its simply part of the government's Big Brother total control plan.

This military mob have no intention of leaving, now they are after complete and total control of the population.

[Colabamumbai]

Prompt Pay is not safe, it has security flaws, if your account gets hacked then its your responsibility not the banks(as stated by the bank last week in a major newspaper). Prompt Pay is a mechanism that allows the government to spy on all your financial affairs, its simply part of the government's Big Brother total control plan.

This military mob have no intention of leaving, now they are after complete and total control of the population.

Ankle bracelets with next years extensions.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

One thing I'm not seeing in the various articles on PromptPay is just who/what is behind this payment system?

Is it a government created and operated system? Is it a system managed by some private technology company on behalf of the govt.? Etc etc.

But more ominously, what none of the articles seem to talk about is just to what extent all the personal account banking info people use to enter into PromptPay is going to be available to the government at large?

So, someone's under investigation by the DSI, for example? Without the need for court warrants, will they just be able to go to a computer terminal and check on the bank accounts, balances, etc. that that person might have linked to PromptPay? Can the government seize/impound funds thru the PromptPay system if they accuse someone of some offtense

All of those seem to be unanswered questions (let me correct that, not even ASKED questions), at least in the various news reports that I've been reading.

Edited July 23, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[lkv]

I'm glad the junta leader issued this statement, previously i wasn't sure whether or not to subscribe to prompt pay. Now i know that i won't.

Yeah I could not agree more. In the context where Thailand is turning into North Korea, expats are being asked for their Facebook to extend a visa, here comes an e-payment system that is government supported.

I prefer to assume there are backdoors built in it and avoid it like a plague.

Anybody remember that interactive Immigration data leaked a few months ago?

As for the pitch: "remember you were reluctant about ATMs and it worked out just fine...so will this..I promiss you...Trust me....we are Thai...etc rubbish,it's another reason why this should be avoided imo.

Edited July 23, 2016 by lkv

[brucec64]

I'm glad the junta leader issued this statement, previously i wasn't sure whether or not to subscribe to prompt pay. Now i know that i won't.

Yeah I could not agree more. In the context where Thailand is turning into North Korea, expats are being asked for their Facebook to extend a visa, here comes an e-payment system that is government supported.

I prefer to assume there are backdoors built in it and avoid it like a plague.

Anybody remember that interactive Immigration data leaked a few months ago?

As for the pitch: "remember you were reluctant about ATMs and it worked out just fine...so will this..I promiss you...Trust me....we are Thai...etc rubbish,it's another reason why this should be avoided imo.

Don't have to worry about backdoors when the entire system is a front door for the government. According to an article in the BP:

"Under the system, transaction information is sent to the revenue department, so the government "can see all trade flows, making tax avoidance more difficult," said Krisada Chinavicharana, head of the ministry's fiscal policy office."

Don't think any court orders will be required to access the data, and I would be very concerned about security since most government computers seem to be running on pirated copies of Windows XP.

[Cheops]

Prompt pay = single source to monitor transactions, and if abused or misused either accidentally or on purpose can lead to many issues.

And you think the government can't track your transactions on your current bank account? 5555

[Hawk]

" Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha urged all Thais to subscribe to Prompt-pay system, assuring that their personal information will not be leaked out to unauthorized people."

He is also urging people to vote yes for a military constitution, and no your details will not be leaked but made freely available to anyone and everyone that works for the government, military, police, etc.

[Shroud]

The goal is to bring in the cashless society.

[CanInBKK]

I am trying hard to guess, who's got shares in Prompt Pay?

PromptPay is a cash transfer system designed to become an eventual substitute for the current ORFT. It's like SWIFT and BAHTNET in that nobody "owns" it but is a participatory system where banks have agree together on changes and system design.

It's meant to shed light on tax evasion practices and for this reason I fully support it and commend the PM for having the guts to push this forward for the sake of the country's overall welfare.

[CanInBKK]

Did't someone in authority recently say that if your money is stolen under this system then in certain (muddled) circumstances they will not refund it?

Given the privacy and incompetence issues here, who'd feel confident putting their personal details and finances at risk under Promptpay?

Also, I had thought it was a Government scheme. If it's private enterprise there are some worrying conflicts of interest going on here.

Actually I believe what they said was they would not cover losses for devices that were jailbroken (iOS) or rooted (Android), which is fully understandable and a reasonable disclaimer to make. As for the "confidential" details there's nothing really confidential about your mobile phone number or your ID Card number (and eventually your e-mail address - in later phases of National e-payment).

I think most people don't understand what PromptPay is and assume it's a whole separate banking system when it's really just a way to transfer money using a phone number or ID Card number.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I would assume, in order to accomplish the transfer transaction, the PP system is going to have to KNOW the bank account details of both the sending and the receiving parties. So the question then becomes, if the PP system knows that, then presumably the government running and administering the system does also. In effect, it's giving your bank account details to the Thai government, at least for those who register for PP.

And by registering for the PP system, for Thai citizens, it's linking their Thai ID card to particular bank account(s). Thus the banking details becomes yet another piece of information who knows who in the Thai government can associate with registered individuals. And how will they use that info, and who will have access to it? I'd really like to know.

Edited July 23, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[gk10002000]

Prompt pay = single source to monitor transactions, and if abused or misused either accidentally or on purpose can lead to many issues.

And you think the government can't track your transactions on your current bank account? 5555

I never said they can't track it. Stop leaping to hasty and improper generalizations. But, different banks and institutions is a lot different than one single system.

[nakhonandy]

Did't someone in authority recently say that if your money is stolen under this system then in certain (muddled) circumstances they will not refund it?

Given the privacy and incompetence issues here, who'd feel confident putting their personal details and finances at risk under Promptpay?

Also, I had thought it was a Government scheme. If it's private enterprise there are some worrying conflicts of interest going on here.

Actually I believe what they said was they would not cover losses for devices that were jailbroken (iOS) or rooted (Android), which is fully understandable and a reasonable disclaimer to make. As for the "confidential" details there's nothing really confidential about your mobile phone number or your ID Card number (and eventually your e-mail address - in later phases of National e-payment).

I think most people don't understand what PromptPay is and assume it's a whole separate banking system when it's really just a way to transfer money using a phone number or ID Card number.

They certainly said that about the jailbroken devices which as you say makes sense.

I thought they also referred to other forms of hacking also. Sounds like covering themselves and not their customers to me.

If their system gets hacked surely that is their problem!

[CanInBKK]

I would assume, in order to accomplish the transfer transaction, the PP system is going to have to KNOW the bank account details of both the sending and the receiving parties. So the question then becomes, if the PP system knows that, then presumably the government running and administering the system does also. In effect, it's giving your bank account details to the Thai government, at least for those who register for PP.

And by registering for the PP system, for Thai citizens, it's linking their Thai ID card to particular bank account(s). Thus the banking details becomes yet another piece of information who knows who in the Thai government can associate with registered individuals. And how will they use that info, and who will have access to it? I'd really like to know.

No need to presume, it's actually guaranteed that the government will know your transactions - the schematic released for National e-Payment explicitly states the data flow will be sent to the government.

I'm totally on board with this as it will increase tax revenue for the nation and make it harder for grey market businesses to exist.