My Bangkok Bank Experience.

[NoshowJones]

55 minutes ago, Goingmad said:

Sorry, but you are in Thailand; and Thai is the official language. Not English.

And English accents of people from different countries can be hard to understand.

So stop calling Thai's stupid, please.

Sorry, but the behaviour in that bank by one member of staff on one point was stupid, nothing to do with the language, I have already explained why.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

I had a problem with a bank here some time ago.I had a couple of bars and i used to deposit a healthy amount of money every week.I happened to lose my atm card.I knew where i lost it so it was no problem.I went to the bank in question,and called the banks help line service whilst there.the guy on the phone told me that i was wise to cancel the card and that a new card would cost me 100 baht.I was called to the counter and the girl told me i would have to pay 400 baht for a new atm card.I called the info line while i was there and they confirmed it at 100 baht.

I returned to the desk and

 

 

once again the girl told me i had to pay 400 baht.i told her that i had called the atm help line.Suddenly the manager appeared and said she had made a mistake and the cost was,in fact 100 baht. Now,my way of thinking is that in the UK this girl would have been sacked straight away and accused of fraud.

My answer is where is your money safe?.

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, atyclb said:

i went to esplanade bb branch with a new to thailand friend that had a retirement visa. he wanted to open an account. the employee asked him for a work permit as it was need to open an account. we told him retirment visas cannot get wp's. hopeless. a trip to bb silom road main branch and help from a lady that studied overseas resolved that easily. she laughed when told the esplanade story. another time the bb atm at esplanade mall crashed during my transaction. machine died and my atm card not returned.  immmediately went upstairs to bb branch to tell them. the <deleted> lady had the nerve to ask for the replacement atm card fee. i told her easy just get my card out of your machine and i dont need a replacement. i had to tell her bb atm kept my card and they need to replace it at no cost to customer.

 

a society with pockets of competency.

Funny that, due to my own error the BB ATM kept my card. I went into the bank itself, managed to get my predicament explained in English, this is a small  sub branch mind. She got some keys that appeared to be  sitting on someone's desk, came to the machine with me unlocked it and gave me the card I said was mine. No ID check or anything. Lacking in security perhaps but efficient for me as I had fears of no card for a few day and having to go into the City main branch.

 

Unhappy to hear some branches are forcing these rather expensive cards with obligatory fines given to the hospitals!

[jacko45k]

8 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Sorry, but the behaviour in that bank by one member of staff on one point was stupid, nothing to do with the language, I have already explained why.

Communication problems and language barriers can often give an impression of stupidity, but it could be both ways. I appreciate that they try to communicate in my language. I felt the BB branches around Pattaya have staff who have pretty good English.

[bandito]

17 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

I have no problem using Bangkok Bank Unionpay debit card in SCB.  The card you have is Visa marked?  And a 4 digit PIN?  I would check with Bangkok Bank as to why it can not be used as almost all ATM's have been upgraded to accept the chip cards this year.  

 

The new chip cards uses a 6 digit pin.

[lopburi3]

Believe it depends on the card you get - my UnionPay is 6 digit but they said others were 4 when I got it (free replacement for mag strip card).

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Communication problems and language barriers can often give an impression of stupidity, but it could be both ways. I appreciate that they try to communicate in my language. I felt the BB branches around Pattaya have staff who have pretty good English.

Yes, your'e last sentence is dead right, I have found the same, also in Bangkok. But I was referring to whenever I was on the phone in my local branch of BB, I never get anywhere with them, yet whenever I am on the phone in my local Kasikorn bank, there was never a problem.

About Thai stupidity, I have always praised the majority of Thai people for their honesty and decency, and being so non confrontational, but just look at the Thai road statistics, and their behaviour on the roads, Thai people are full of stupidity where that's concerned, and I can be accused of Thai bashing if anyone wants to go ahead, but when I say that the majority of Thai drivers and motorbike riders are stupid, I would say that is fact, and the vast majority of Thai adults drive or ride, that is people from all walks of life, bank workers, school teachers, etc, etc.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, al007 said:

I know a lady in Bangkok Bank high up who always helps me

 

 

She values customer service highly 

 

 

I will cut and paste and send her the link

That would be great thanks.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, boonchu said:

I have a Be 1st Debit card with chip expires in 2019. To date I have no problems using this for purchases but can only get cash at a Bangkok Bank ATM.

i had no problems either with it, but I understand they are doing away with it in exchange for somethng else. I am desperately wanting the Rabbit debit card, but only the basic one.

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Caca4u said:

I had this same problem when I opened my account at kasikorn. they like to push the more expensive cards. did u try the head office of bkk bank in silom?

It is impossible they dont have it there.

I went to the head office in Silom originally and they told me you can only get the Rabbit debit card in a Bangkok branch outside of Bangkok, I know it sounds daft, bit it's true.

[LammyTS1]

No.  Thailand has an ATM Pool system (almost all banks) that allows free card usage in other banks ATM 3 or 4 times per month and normal fee would not be 200 baht (that is for foreign ATM cards) even when charge made.

Ok great. My Thai friend told me I could only use my card in Bangkok bank ATMs free of charge. Thanks for the info.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Pib said:

I expect you haven't tried other Thai bank's ATM for a while.  What you say indeed "use" to be true but not now.

 

Now I expect all Thai bank ATMs have not been updated to EMV-capability yet (i.e, chip reading capability) across the country, but I expect many/most have.

 

I got a Be1st Visa Rabbit Debit chipped card yesterday and did some tests.  Of course it worked in a Bangkok Bank ATM and it also worked in a K-bank and SCB ATM....older looking ATMs.  See partial quote below from my earlier post.  

 

 

Your first sentence is spot on, that is the case, all I want to know is where can I get the Rabbit debit card, I mean the basic one?

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, eeyang wah said:

Please let us know when you find a bank that can behave in a professional manner. I've tried many different banks in Thailand and they have all let me down in one way or another.

 

A short-list of my favourites: aggressively trying to sell me insurance (I had to refuse no less than 5 times in the same visit), Hello Kitty bank books (<deleted> is a bank book in the 21st century anyway?), photocopying a visa sticker in the middle of my passport instead of the actual photo page, putting additional copies of my passport (the correct page this time) back into the copier feeder to re-use my personal details for the next customer, being so impressed that I had just 200,000 baht in my account that they felt the need to shout my balance across the room to all 3 of their colleagues followed up by "ooh handsome man velly rich" (<deleted>? Is this is a bank or a girlie bar?) , so-called "business" bank account which is utterly useless for conducting business (literally impossible to either receive money from customers or pay bills/suppliers: no merchant account, no credit card facility either on- or off-line, no credit card, no debit card, not even a frigging ATM card and can not do transfers without physically visiting the bank, yes with passport and bank book sigh...) many, many branches being totally convinced that they don't have the capability to do an international transfer, many branches refusing to accept my signature but drive 10 minutes to the next branch no problem hmmm what else.. I could go on. 

 

Ok that was actually quite a long list. Anyway, on a serious note PLEASE do let us know then you find a bank in Thailand that isn't completely hopeless and staffed by inept children!  

I think a lot of the reasons for what you say is some of the tellers, and also some of those in other jobs, did not graduate properly from high school, but did officially, I think you know what I mean. The education system in Thailand???? I should not say too much or risk getting accused of Thai bashing.

[NoshowJones]

13 hours ago, Goingmad said:

Sorry, but you are in Thailand; and Thai is the official language. Not English.

And English accents of people from different countries can be hard to understand.

So stop calling Thai's stupid, please.

I have already answered this, and I'm not answering it again.

[Pib]

3 hours ago, bandito said:

 

The new chip cards uses a 6 digit pin.

UnionPay cards use 6...Visa uses 4.  The wife and I both updated our old style Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa magnetic stripe cards to the Be1st Visa Rabbit chipped card just a few days ago which uses a 4 digit PIN.

[Pib]

36 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I went to the head office in Silom originally and they told me you can only get the Rabbit debit card in a Bangkok branch outside of Bangkok, I know it sounds daft, bit it's true.

 

Assuming you are talking the branch on the ground floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom versus some other branch on Silom, the wife and I got our Be1st Visa Rabbit cards there two days ago (on Friday).   When I asked them a variety of questions they said the Visa Rabbit series card is the only Be1st Visa kind of card available now and you can't get the original Be1st Visa chipped card anymore. Maybe we had a miscommunication....maybe the rep meant they were just out of stock at that branch...or maybe he meant all branches in Thailand once they used up any remaining stock.  

 

But since the Be1st Visa Rabbit series is the same card as the original Be1st Visa at the same annual fee (Bt200 for the no issuance included card, Bt599 if insurance is included...we got the Bt200 basic Visa Rabbit card), but with ability to pay for rapid transit rides in Bangkok added and it don't cost anything extra, then I can understand why Bangkok Bank seems to be "out of stock" of the original Be1st Visa chipped card.  

 

Get rid of current remaining original Be1st Visa chipped stock and then just carry the Visa Rabbit and TPN-UnionPay cards.  And 2 of the 3 TPN-UnionPay cards are also in the Rabbit series.  

 

I fully expect Bangkok Bank branches to push the TPN-UnionPay cards over its Visa cards since the TPN-UnionPay card is a co-branded card (Thai Payment Network & UnionPay) with Bangkok Bank owning 50% of the TPN which was created earlier this year between Bangkok Bank and UnionPay....each own 50% of the new TPN to be used for processing of "in-Thailand/domestic" payment transactions such as when you use your debit card to purchase something in Thailand.   More people they can get on the TPN-UnionPay card surely means more profit for Bangkok Bank as they don't have to share profit with Visa...and UnionPay probably gave Bangkok Bank a better deal for use of the UnionPay brand name/network.   The main problem with UnionPay cards right now is they are still not accepted (in Thailand and worldwide) as widely as Visa/Mastercard....not to imply UnionPay don't have wide acceptance, it just not as wide as Visa/Mastercard.

 

 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

15 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Assuming you are talking the branch on the ground floor of the HQ Bangkok Bank building on Silom versus some other branch on Silom, the wife and I got our Be1st Visa Rabbit cards there two days ago (on Friday).   When I asked them a variety of questions they said the Visa Rabbit series card is the only Be1st Visa kind of card available now and you can't get the original Be1st Visa chipped card anymore. Maybe we had a miscommunication....maybe the rep meant they were just out of stock at that branch...or maybe he meant all branches in Thailand once they used up any remaining stock.  

 

But since the Be1st Visa Rabbit series is the same card as the original Be1st Visa at the same annual fee (Bt200 for the no issuance included card, Bt599 if insurance is included...we got the Bt200 basic Visa Rabbit card), but with ability to pay for rapid transit rides in Bangkok added and it don't cost anything extra, then I can understand why Bangkok Bank seems to be "out of stock" of the original Be1st Visa chipped card.  

 

Get rid of current remaining original Be1st Visa chipped stock and then just carry the Visa Rabbit and TPN-UnionPay cards.  And 2 of the 3 TPN-UnionPay cards are also in the Rabbit series.  

 

I fully expect Bangkok Bank branches to push the TPN-UnionPay cards over its Visa cards since the TPN-UnionPay card is a co-branded card (Thai Payment Network & UnionPay) with Bangkok Bank owning 50% of the TPN which was created earlier this year between Bangkok Bank and UnionPay....each own 50% of the new TPN to be used for processing of "in-Thailand/domestic" payment transactions such as when you use your debit card to purchase something in Thailand.   More people they can get on the TPN-UnionPay card surely means more profit for Bangkok Bank as they don't have to share profit with Visa...and UnionPay probably gave Bangkok Bank a better deal for use of the UnionPay brand name/network.   The main problem with UnionPay cards right now is they are still not accepted (in Thailand and worldwide) as widely as Visa/Mastercard....not to imply UnionPay don't have wide acceptance, it just not as wide as Visa/Mastercard.

 

 

 

 

Your first sentence, yes, I went there about three months ago, I was told I cannot get the Rabbit Be1st debit card anywhere in Bangkok, and that I should go to my home branch, or any BB in Thailand. I have done both with no success, only one thing to say here This is Thailand. They are that busy trying to make up there own rules and all they are doing is messing people up.

[atyclb]

another thing i did not appreciate at the mall bb branch. when my bankbook was full i went for a new one. lady looking at my passport for proof who i am was not enough she had to see my visa. i asked her if my money is not my money regardeless of visa. dont know if they require staff to act like immigration spies but i did not like that at all. people at the silom main branch that have helped me are leagues above and not because they have a high english ability (language is not my problem) but they are competent    at silom main branch i have done many things and they just confirmed photo info from passport.

Edited December 25, 2016 by atyclb

[Pib]

Maybe give that Silom branch another try.  Maybe they really meant they were just out of stock at the time of your visit (although that a little hard to believe with them being such a huge branch...surely the largest Bangkok  Bank branch in Thailand) or things have now changed especially if HQ Bangkok Bank management has recently decided to discontinue issue of the original Be1st Visa Smart chipped card and just issue the Be1st Visa Smart Rabbit series cards all over the country for their Visa line of cards.  

 

 Or, maybe and assuming your account(s) is not at that branch, they just wanted you to go to your home branch to get the card although any Bangkok Bank branch is suppose to issue the card whether you have an account with them or no....But I'm not sure that how it always works in real life.   You'll be given one excuse of why "no-can-do" when actually it's another reason.  Preaching to the choir I know.     For me, that Silom branch is the branch we have our accounts at so maybe that made a difference.

[Pib]

3 minutes ago, atyclb said:

another thing i did not appreciate at the mall bb branch. when my bankbook was full i went for a new one. lady looking at my passport for proof who i am was not enough she had to see my visa. i asked her if my money is not my money regardeless of visa. dont know if they require staff to act like immigration spies but i did not like that at all. people at the silom main branch that have helped me are leagues above and not because they have a high english ability (language is not my problem) but they are competent    at silom main branch i have done many things and they just confirmed photo info from passport.

Keep in mind that mall branches, which are rarely full service branches, have less capability than a full service branch....mall branches simply will not or can not accomplish certain things that a full service branch can.  And for some issues, you "must" go to the branch you have the account at to handle certain things with your account.

[NoshowJones]

9 hours ago, Pib said:

Maybe give that Silom branch another try.  Maybe they really meant they were just out of stock at the time of your visit (although that a little hard to believe with them being such a huge branch...surely the largest Bangkok  Bank branch in Thailand) or things have now changed especially if HQ Bangkok Bank management has recently decided to discontinue issue of the original Be1st Visa Smart chipped card and just issue the Be1st Visa Smart Rabbit series cards all over the country for their Visa line of cards.  

 

 Or, maybe and assuming your account(s) is not at that branch, they just wanted you to go to your home branch to get the card although any Bangkok Bank branch is suppose to issue the card whether you have an account with them or no....But I'm not sure that how it always works in real life.   You'll be given one excuse of why "no-can-do" when actually it's another reason.  Preaching to the choir I know.     For me, that Silom branch is the branch we have our accounts at so maybe that made a difference.

I think maybe that was the case.

[bandito]

18 hours ago, Pib said:

UnionPay cards use 6...Visa uses 4.  The wife and I both updated our old style Bangkok Bank Be1st Visa magnetic stripe cards to the Be1st Visa Rabbit chipped card just a few days ago which uses a 4 digit PIN.

 

ATM card Government Savings Bank 6 digits - my wife

ATM card Siam Commercial Bank 6 digits      - me

ATM card Bangkok Bank 6 digits                      - my wife

These are the new ATM cards.

So I don't know what to think about all this, probably i do something wrong?

[Pib]

5 hours ago, bandito said:

 

ATM card Government Savings Bank 6 digits - my wife

ATM card Siam Commercial Bank 6 digits      - me

ATM card Bangkok Bank 6 digits                      - my wife

These are the new ATM cards.

So I don't know what to think about all this, probably i do something wrong?

 

Just to confirm, what card network logo is on your cards....you didn't mention the logo in above or your previous post.  Are the cards, UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, or ?????

 

And just to confirm/to be sure, there is a difference between a ATM card that can only be used for ATM withdrawals compared to a debit card that can be used for ATM withdrawals, purchases, and other things.   Some people use the word ATM card and Debit Card interchangeability, but they can be completely different animals although an ATM card (can get cash only) have declined in availability over recent years....instead many banks only issue debit cards.    Just want to make sure you are not really talking a ATM card which can be used to get cash only.

 

And above mentioned banks may have decided to issue their cards using a 6 digit PIN versus a 4 digit PIN regardless of the logo on the card.   Actually newer ATMs/POSs machines if complying with ISO 9564 can handle up to 12 digit PIN cards.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9564

Quote

The standard specifies that PINs shall be from four to twelve digits long, noting that longer PINs are more secure but harder to use. It also suggests that the issuer should not assign PINs longer than six digits.

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Pib

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

While it is true you get different rules in different branches (which happens with various institutions in Thailand) I do not believe The Bangkok Bank is a franchise.

I have a 'Be 1st smart debit card' (with a chip) which cost ฿200 when I got a replacement for a lost card last year. It works as an ATM, but nobody will take it for payment. I was told I have to go to my own branch if I want to change to one you can pay for goods and services with.

[Pib]

11 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

While it is true you get different rules in different branches (which happens with various institutions in Thailand) I do not believe The Bangkok Bank is a franchise.

I have a 'Be 1st smart debit card' (with a chip) which cost ฿200 when I got a replacement for a lost card last year. It works as an ATM, but nobody will take it for payment. I was told I have to go to my own branch if I want to change to one you can pay for goods and services with.

 

Maybe you got their  TPN-UnionPay debit card...a lot of merchants in Thailand still do not accept UnionPay.  But whether you have the Be1st UnionPay or Visa, it can be used for purchases unless you have the purchase limit set to $0....you can set it various higher valves.   

 

Or maybe the branch issued you an ATM card; not a debit card.  I didn't think Bangkok Bank issued ATM only cards anymore; only debit cards which you can use for ATM withdrawals or purchases.

 

So, what card network logo is on your card?  UnionPay or Visa?

 

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Pib

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

4 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

Maybe you got their  TPN-UnionPay debit card...a lot of merchants in Thailand still do not accept UnionPay.  But whether you have the Be1st UnionPay or Visa, it can be used for purchases unless you have the purchase limit set to $0....you can set it various higher valves.   

 

Or maybe the branch issued you an ATM card; not a debit card.  I didn't think Bangkok Bank issued ATM only cards anymore; only debit cards which you can use for ATM withdrawals or purchases.

 

So, what card network logo is on your card?  UnionPay or Visa?

 

 

I should have said on the post, it's a Visa card.

Most likely I just need to set a credit limit. I have a Mastercard I use for that anyway. Thanks for the info.

[LammyTS1]

I opened a savings a/c 2 months ago & received a be1st rabbit debit card with the visa logo on it. Cost me 599.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Can someone define what a "rabbit" card is?

I am guessing it is an American thing.

Chip & PIN?

[wayned]

I read all of these threads with Farangs having problems with banks and businesses which I have had myself over the past 19 years that I have lived here.  When I do have a problem I take a minute and reflect on what would happen if the shoe was on the  other foot and can imagine if it were a Thai with little English capabilities dealing with a bank or business in the US in a small town like Lafite Louisiana just south of New Orleans.  You might just end up as gator food!

[lopburi3]

5 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Can someone define what a "rabbit" card is?

I am guessing it is an American thing.

Chip & PIN?

It is a Thai points award payment system for most fast food places and also act as rapid transit card.