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Use the Pink ID card to give foreign residents Thai prices


Sir Bogdiver

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29 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

That's because a foreigner is a foreigner and must identify himself with a passport unless he is a permanent resident... 

 

A permanent resident has the right to open up a bank account based on Thai information, a foreigner with a pink ID card does not

 

Banks accept your pink ID card together with your blue tabien baan

 

 

I am a permanent resident myself. My point was banks should accept the pink card instead of a tabien baan since the information (Thai ID number, name in Thai, permanent address from tabien baan) is the same and comes from the same source - the Interior Ministry's database. Some do, some don't. I can see why a bank needs the passport of a PR holder in addition to the card, since they want the official English spelling of the name, but they really don't need any tabien baan in addition to the pink card, unless of course they simply don't trust the card or are unfamiliar with it. 

 

I had a fight over this when opening an account with Krung Thai recently. Their written regulations (in addition to passport/visa) specified either work permit or yellow tabien baan for foreigner. They refused my pink card, Alien's Book, and even the blue tabien baan... until they called head office to check. Then they used the pink card to put my details into their computer. :annoyed:

 

CIMB Bank never asked me for my tabien baan, neither did a larger Krung Thai branch in a tourist area.

Edited by orientalist
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10 hours ago, orientalist said:

 

I am a permanent resident myself. My point was banks should accept the pink card instead of a tabien baan since the information (Thai ID number, name in Thai, permanent address from tabien baan) is the same and comes from the same source - the Interior Ministry's database. Some do, some don't. I can see why a bank needs the passport of a PR holder in addition to the card, since they want the official English spelling of the name, but they really don't need any tabien baan in addition to the pink card, unless of course they simply don't trust the card or are unfamiliar with it. 

 

I had a fight over this when opening an account with Krung Thai recently. Their written regulations (in addition to passport/visa) specified either work permit or yellow tabien baan for foreigner. They refused my pink card, Alien's Book, and even the blue tabien baan... until they called head office to check. Then they used the pink card to put my details into their computer. :annoyed:

 

CIMB Bank never asked me for my tabien baan, neither did a larger Krung Thai branch in a tourist area.

 

Hmmm, none of our foreigners at work can get bank accounts opened until their work permit book has arrived. It seems that the old rule that foreigners must have either work permit or permanent residency to open bank accounts still is there, if so then pink ID card and yellow tabien baan isn't proof enough

 

Their own written regulations were not accepted...  Ah well, that's not the first time and nothing to get upset over

 

I asked at the Bangkok Bank branch in the office building about what to do to access my bank accounts without my passport a few weeks ago actually, they didn't know and politely asked to call head office and check.

 

Their answer was clear: Sorry but we can't change a bank account that was opened on a passport but we can help you to open a new account using your Pink ID card and blue tabien baan, they were clear on blue and not yellow, and then you can use your pink ID card to access that 

 

They were so nice, even got me coffee while I waited, but they don't know much :smile:

 

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11 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

Hmmm, none of our foreigners at work can get bank accounts opened until their work permit book has arrived. It seems that the old rule that foreigners must have either work permit or permanent residency to open bank accounts still is there, if so then pink ID card and yellow tabien baan isn't proof enough

 

This has never been a "rule", each branch sets its own standards, and often you can be refused in one branch, yet accepted at another.

 

According to your post, not a single retiree would have a Thai bank account !

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3 hours ago, muzmurray said:

 

According to your post, not a single retiree would have a Thai bank account !

 

 

I didn't write that well, need to clarify

 

Foreigners can open a bank account, they just don't get the normal interest rate of the bank unless they have either work permit or permanent residency. That is how PriceWaterhouse explained it to us

 

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9 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

I didn't write that well, need to clarify

 

Foreigners can open a bank account, they just don't get the normal interest rate of the bank unless they have either work permit or permanent residency. That is how PriceWaterhouse explained it to us

 

 

I think they were telling porkies.   :-)

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/7/2016 at 7:46 AM, muzmurray said:

Don't forget that item No.3 on the rear of the "Alien" ID card states that the holder may not leave the area where the card was issued.

 

 

 

Its a lost in translation thing, as the lady who issued my pink ID explained, if you permanently move to another area you need to get an ID issued at the new Ampher. You cant just change the address on your old ID. Read as, the person can relocate , the card cannot. There are no travel restriction for a Pink ID associated with a yellow book.

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On 10/7/2016 at 7:36 AM, MikeyIdea said:

 

Hmmm, none of our foreigners at work can get bank accounts opened until their work permit book has arrived. It seems that the old rule that foreigners must have either work permit or permanent residency to open bank accounts still is there, if so then pink ID card and yellow tabien baan isn't proof enough

 

Their own written regulations were not accepted...  Ah well, that's not the first time and nothing to get upset over

 

I asked at the Bangkok Bank branch in the office building about what to do to access my bank accounts without my passport a few weeks ago actually, they didn't know and politely asked to call head office and check.

 

Their answer was clear: Sorry but we can't change a bank account that was opened on a passport but we can help you to open a new account using your Pink ID card and blue tabien baan, they were clear on blue and not yellow, and then you can use your pink ID card to access that 

 

They were so nice, even got me coffee while I waited, but they don't know much :smile:

 

 

That has never been a rule, otherwise how did all the retirees on extensions of stay open their Thai bank accounts ?

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29 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

 

That has never been a rule, otherwise how did all the retirees on extensions of stay open their Thai bank accounts ?

 

PWC recommends us to advice our expats to wait opening bank accounts until they have their work permit book

 

The correct reason seem to be that they do not get the full interest if raise before they show the work permit book

 

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16 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

PWC recommends us to advice our expats to wait opening bank accounts until they have their work permit book

 

The correct reason seem to be that they do not get the full interest if raise before they show the work permit book

 

 

Not the first time I have read on here about Price Waterhouse saying that, but it most certainly is not a rule.

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11 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

 

Not the first time I have read on here about Price Waterhouse saying that, but it most certainly is not a rule.

 

Not the first time I have heard Price Waterhouse charging USD 800 per day to give incorrect information :smile: 

They should never have merged with Coopers & Lybrand...

 

They have a hundred multinationals in Bangkok on their client list, they must have a reason to advice this

 

 

 

Edited by MikeyIdea
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On 9/30/2016 at 5:21 PM, Grubster said:

Sir bog diver:      I bet you wish you never posted this information to this bunch of sour pusses.

 

Would have been helpful had he posted something to substantiate his claim that the Pink Card works like that.  Some other posters appear to have experiences to the contrary.  Seems like it's wishful thinking on the part of the OP.

 

Posting bad information is worse than posting no information.  

Edited by impulse
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14 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Would have been helpful had he posted something to substantiate his claim that the Pink Card works like that.  Some other posters appear to have experiences to the contrary.  Seems like it's wishful thinking on the part of the OP.

 

Posting bad information is worse than posting no information.  

 

I would back up the OP. I got pink card a couple of months ago and have used it to get Thai price a couple of times.

It gives me another thing to draw out of the hat when you play document bingo at Gov offices.

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On 9/30/2016 at 11:56 PM, teacherpaul said:

The real point is that there should be no double pricing in Thailand. If Thais were charged more when visiting tourist attractions abroad, how welcome would they feel?

Still waiting for members of the "we are guests in this country" brigade to post.

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3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Still waiting for members of the "we are guests in this country" brigade to post.

 

We are guest in this country, the least they could do is break out the good plates and cutlery, some towels on the bed would be nice, and some of those little guest soaps in the bathroom! I think we may end up on the blow up bed in the spare room.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/16/2016 at 6:37 PM, impulse said:

 

Would have been helpful had he posted something to substantiate his claim that the Pink Card works like that.  Some other posters appear to have experiences to the contrary.  Seems like it's wishful thinking on the part of the OP.

 

Posting bad information is worse than posting no information.  

I did not say that we now get Thai prices on showing the pink ID card.

What I stated was that the Thai authorities have always justified the double pricing system at national parks by claiming that it was difficult to identify residents as opposed to tourists.  With this pink card they do not have this excuse anymore and should be pushed to officially state that pink card ID holders should receive local prices.  If private citizen will comply remains to be seen and is very doubtful but at least government officials, including those at national parks, would have to start treating residents as the local tax payers that they are.

Edited by Sir Bogdiver
spelling mistake
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There is dual pricing throughout the world, for example income tax, the rich pay more, I have seen no one bitching about that

 

There is no requirement to enter if you are not happy with the price

 

Incidentally I have generally found the wife producing the drivers licience; gets the lower fee

 

Life must be tough if this is where we have to vent frustration

 

Keep smiling you are in the land of smiles

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  • 3 months later...

Last week I sent the email below to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mrs Kobkarn Suriyasat Wattanavrangkul.

As I received no reply I also submitted it to the Bangkok Post who published it yesterday.  However, The Bangkok Post took out the email address for the minister although it is publicly available on the ministry's web site at http://www.mots.go.th/mots_en57/ewt_news.php?nid=3160.  Her email is [email protected]  The more people send an email the greater the pressure to at least react publicly.

 

Dear Khun Kobkarn,

 You mentioned in your announcement regarding National Park Fees that the 400 Baht charge would apply to foreign tourists.

Could you clarify the position of foreign tax paying residents and permanent residents as they usually get charged these higher fees as well, although they do pay their taxes in the Kingdom.

Personally I have been living and paying taxes in the Kingdom since 1983 and have permanent residency.  However, at National Parks I still get charged the tourist fee. When I protest I am told this is as per instructions from the Ministry.

As foreign residents nowadays can get a Thai pink ID card it would be very simply to identify them separately from tourists.

Although the number of foreign residents is small compared to the number of tourists, they play a vital role in Thai society through their expertise and international contacts.  The fact that they get charges high entry fees while paying their taxes here is a major source of complaint.

As these people contribute a lot to Thai society it would be only fair to treat them right.

As I did not get any response it might help if a large number of resident expats let their voice be heard by also sending an email to the minister.

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