Cash Deposit Machine Problems w 1,000b notes

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I thought there might have been a prior thread on this, but couldn't find it via several searches:

 

Went out today to use the Cash Deposit Machine (CDM) at my local BKK Bank branch in Bangkok. Ahead of me in line were a farang/tourist couple who were talking to each other kind of angrily and complaining to each other about something, but I wasn't sure what at that point.

 

At any rate, when my turn in queue finally came, I went to deposit 10 1,000 baht notes -- all of them in good condition and all having been dispensed by another bank's ATM machine just a few days back. First try in the BKK Bank CDM machine, it accepted 2 of my 10 notes. So, took the rejects back, and had it try again with the remaining 8. Second time, the machine accepted one more, for a total of 3 out of my 10 bills. Not wanting to hassle with the machine more, I left it with that and pocketed my 7 rejected bills.

 

At that point, since the farang couple were still standing nearby and speaking in English, I stopped to ask them what problem they were having, and sure enough, they too had been trying to deposit Thai bank notes into the CDM machine, and it wasn't accepting some portion of them, and they were muttering about why things don't "work" in Thailand. So since it was Saturday and that regular branch was closed, I advised them to go to one of the mall branches that are still open on the weekends, and either try another CDM there or simply do a deposit at the bank counter.

 

But thereafter, I had other shopping to do so I went on down the line to Central Chidlom, where there also is a BKK Bank branch and upon inspection, their CDM machine appeared to be a newer model one, with a fancy/more secure outward sticking entry slot for accepting the bank card. Took the 7 of 10 1,000 baht notes that had been rejected by the older CDM at the other BKK Bank branch, and gave them a spin in the Central Chidlom branch's CDM. Not surprisingly (this being Thailand), all 7 previously rejected bills were accepted by the CDM there without any problem.

 

So it kind of makes me wonder what's going on with the CDMs?  Maybe the older CDM machine at the first branch was just malfunctioning or mis-aligned or old and tired, or, is there some difference about newer model CDM machines being able to accept a broader range of 1,000 baht bills.  I mention that because, last time I sat down to sort thru a pile of 1,000 baht notes, it seemed to me from close inspection that there were at least 3 noticeably different type/style of 1,000 baht notes in my collection all just recently withdrawn from another Thai ATM.

 

[Pib]

It's happened to me many times like the times over the years.  Like when I use my home country debit card to get 30K from an ATM....I'll use an ATM Krungsri or TMB ATM to do a 30K pull in transaction.  The purposes of that transaction is to get funds to plus up my Bangkok Bank account which I use to pay billl via ibanking and to get smaller amounts of cash when I need it.  

 

OK, I now have 30 brand new looking 1000 baht notes that the Krungsri ATM just gave me....I walk over to a Bangkok Bank Cash Deposit Machine to make the deposit and numerous times it will not take them all...sometimes rejecting up to 4 but usually only 1 or 2.    I always try taking the 1000 baht not out and then putting it back in to try again...most of the time that works but sometimes it don't.  

 

CDMs can just be picky sometimes in verifying/reading notes....not because the note is counterfeit...just because the CDM needs alignment/calibration/cleaning of its notes reading/verification system.   And I would expect the more heavily a particular CDM might be used then it would require more frequent maintenance which is may or may not get.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2016 by Pib

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Pib, have you noticed the number of different variations of 1,000 baht notes that are currently in circulation?

 

My count from looking at my recent draw of bills was at least three different style notes. Makes me wonder if that's not part of the issue with CDM machines.

 

[Pib]

Could be.  What amazes me sometimes is when I get a brand new 1000 baht from an ATM....a new note that looks identical to all the other new notes that came out of ATM....there are no markings on the note, no tears, just a perfect looking note....but there has been once of twice after trying to the the CDM to accept the note numerous times (like three times), I just give up....I just put the note in my pocket to spend later and continue on to finish the deposit via CDM.   And it's not limited to just 1000 baht notes...I've watched people ahead of me trying to get the CDM to accept a 500 or 100 baht note.  

 

Just something a person must deal with...but at least I've never-ever had a CDM count incorrectly or not give a rejected note back.   However, there was one time using a brand new Krungsri CDM at a brand new CDM branch in a mall, it accepted the one each 1000 baht note and gave me the receipt showing the deposit.  On that day I had my Krungsri passbook with me and immediately slid over to the Passbook Update Machine to update the passbook to reflect the new deposit.  When updating the passbook the deposit did not show.  I waited a minute...tried again...once again no update showing the deposit.

 

I walked right into the new branch (had only been open about a week), explained the problem to include showing them the CDM deposit receipt, and for the next 10 minutes two or three reps worked in front of computer screens in trying to figure out what was going on.  In the end they got the passbook updated to reflect the deposit but the coding in the passbook indicated it was a manual/forced update.    Then about a week later the original deposit showed up in my account, but the manual update they did still reflected in the system and was still in my total balance.....there was no deduction.   I expect the system had found the error in its reconciliation/self auditing process.

 

I didn't go back to the branch to ask them to look into it if they wanted the extra 1000 back simply because I figure it would be too hard to explain, maybe thinking they will eventually catch the error (but it's been about two years now and they never took the 1000 baht back), or they would just mess-up my account in trying to take the money back.  I expect they too thought for such a small amount it  and the amount of time it took them to catch the problem it just wouldn't be worth pulling the money back especially if the customer thought he was being ripped off/wanted to make a stink about it.  

 

 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Pib

[jimmyyy]

yeah the CDM's with Bangkok Bank in Khon Kaen won't take the new notes at the CDM machines.  I actually have to walk into the bank to deposit.  Frustrating, the bank says its a software problem.  Girls at the bank are cute, win win for me.

[55Jay]

Had this problem many times, also before the newest 1000 came out.  I used to turn the rejected bills around, try again, then flip them over if rejected again.  I was able to reduce the number of left over, rejected bills that way but often still walked away with one or two that just wouldn't take.

[OJAS]

Thanks to my darling wife's invaluable assistance I have never yet had the need to use a CDM in my 8 years of living in LOS to date!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Thanks to my darling wife's invaluable assistance I have never yet had the need to use a CDM in my 8 years of living in LOS to date!

 

It's not like the CDM machines work any better for Thais than they do for others....