Jump to content

My Kbank Experience


Recommended Posts

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Encountered this problem yesterday.

BKB VISA card stopped working, got a new BKB Mastercard, no problems at all. Didn't work when I tried to book a room with AirBnB.

 

TMB VISA still works, so I thought I'd get get the TMB phone app and forget BKB. Passport numbers don't match.

Call into TMB, can only change passport number at original branch, drive to original branch, about 10 photocopies to sign.

These have to be posted to the main office and the change authorised, please call back next week to get you phone app working.

Only in Thailand eh?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Only in Thailand eh?

Noticed on my BKB phone app the new Mastercard daily spending limit was set at 0bht (why?).

Went along to the local Branch, and asked them why they had issued me a Debit card with a ZERO baht spending limit.

After 30 minutes of typing and phone calls to head office, my daily spending limit on the phone app reads 20,000bht.

I'm hoping it'll work now.

 

My negotiating skills weren't as good as CharlieH, I had to pay 400bht for the new Mastercard. 

Edited by BritManToo
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

banks love paper and signatures. there is, without doubt, a lot of paperwork involved when you want to do anything other than take money out or put money in, though even this can involve signing odd bits of paper. it has occurred to me many times the amount of paper being stored somewhere... though to give my local bank staff credit they needed to dig out the receipt for an international money transfer that had taken place months earlier and they produced the piece of paper extremely quickly. though it could probably have been done even quicker, and in a more environmentally friendly way, using technology.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never use my K bank card in ATM's, I do all transactions on line.

A couple of days ago I purchased a product from Microsoft and had trouble getting payment through. I blamed that company, but later noticed about three unexplained deductions of 30 baht. Too small to cause concern, but puzzling.    

Perhaps it has something to do with this change.  I never received a letter from the bank, although I changed my address about 8 years ago and perhaps the bank doesn't have my updated one.  I, probably naively, thought the bank would communicate with me electronically.

I wonder about my chances of getting an updated card from the branch in Chalong Tesco where I have obtained my Immigration letters for years, or if I have to venture into the wilds of Patong where my original bank festers in the mire? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny, i just got a new ATM card with a single signatures at KBANK but then i wanted bank statements to proof my address to an offshore entity.

And they print it out and and the street is missing and they just don't want to freaking understand that a proof of address needs to have the STREETNAME ON THERE.

 

After 1 hour of fiddling in their computer system and me not going away and insisting on it being done i was finally allowed to fix it myself in their goddamn computer, they simply couldn't comprehend that writing the street name after the house number was an easy fix that got me what i wanted.

 

What a giant waste of my time. Thanks for nothing kbank.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

The problem is that all Thais have an ID card for life, the number of which never changes, and all systems are set up for this.

 

When a foreigner's passport number is used in an ID field there will always be problems down the line about no longer having the same passport number.

 

I went through exactly what you described just to use my bonus points at a Tops supermarket. Three times to date.

 

Best solution is to get a Thai ID card (pink, for foreigners) as that will give you your own 13 digit ID number for life.

 

But of course changing over to that for your accounts will involve some hoop jumping (and you will have to have the old passport with you).

 

Not true that the only way to do it is to close the account and open a new one, by the way, though this is what staff who don't know how to do it will try to tell you. At that point call the Bangkok customer service line and let them walk the staff through it.

 

Worth it in the long run.

 

They don't know how to change an ID number i the computer because the situation never arises with a Thai.

Sheryl has had better luck than I have had in Bangkok with regard to changing bank account from Passport Number to Pink ID card number. BBL, KBank an LH Bank all tell me "can not." I did report change of passport as they occurred. I will try again some day.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Sheryl has had better luck than I have had in Bangkok with regard to changing bank account from Passport Number to Pink ID card number. BBL, KBank an LH Bank all tell me "can not." I did report change of passport as they occurred. I will try again some day.

Yes, take it from me, it's so much fun!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has to be that you never informed them when you got a new passport. Just got a new ATM card at my Kbank branch in Bangkok and  just signed a couple of forms picked out my card and was out of there. Been using Kbank since Jan 2011. I also use Bangkok bank and in my opinion Kbank has better customer service.

Edited by pmarlin
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, pmarlin said:

It has to be that you never informed them when you got a new passport. Just got a new ATM card at my Kbank branch in Bangkok and  just signed a couple of forms picked out my card and was out of there. Been using Kbank since Jan 2011. I also use Bangkok band and in my opinion Kbank has better customer service.

Informing banks when I get a new passport has never been on my list of stuff to do, but you are, of course, right Sir!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, geronimo said:

Crowd giggle

I bet they didn’t... :coffee1:

 

They just would have seen a foreigner making a nuisance of himself !!

 

I get the Ops frustration, but he’s not going to change systematic bureaucracy by giving an innocent bank teller some hassle. 

 

If your passport is not the same one has the passport you opened your account with, you have to change that first - it can be done quite readily (in my experience and I know mileage varies) 

 

Life is simpler, less frustrating and we generally make less of an as$ of ourselves when coloring in within the lines. 

 

 

Edited by richard_smith237
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Giggled at you or with ???

 

The Banking system as many bureaucratic systems can be incredibly frustrating, in any country. 

 

I’ve encountered: Delays getting the Yellow House Book, after getting all the documentation I had to wait a month for an appointment and then watch the girl at the Amphur take 2 hours to fill out a ridiculous pile of paperwork. 

I’ve yet to apply for my driving license renewal but have learned that the Yellow House book may or may not be viable as proof of address (inconsistent information), I’ve also learned that I may not get a 5 year license as I’m now not on a Non-Immigrant Visa). 

In the UAE recently I couldn’t get my IDP (based on my UAE driving license) until the afternoon shift started at 2pm, so I had to wait 3 hours and go back to the Road Transport Office. 

I can’t get an IDP from the UK (based on my UK driving license) as I’m not there. 

I may not be able to get an IDP (based on my renewed Thai license, when I get it renewed) as I may only be able to renew to a 2 year temp license (and don’t think they issue IDP’s for temp licenses). 

In the UK I needed extra documentation for the renewal of my passport (as I hold two passports). 

 

Life is full of these stupid, nonsensical issues, they come at you from every angle.... we can’t protest everyone, we just have to roll with it and take it in our stride and move on with a smile.

 

By closing your bank account in protest you’re just moving your frustration onto the next bank and probably creating extra work for yourself. 

The girl at the bank doesn’t care, she’s probably happy you closed your account and may not have to deal with your rants about visa etc.... 

 

That said, I bet the beer tasted good !!!

 

 

It was gin actually ...... and I have accounts all over the place.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Life is full of these stupid, nonsensical issues, they come at you from every angle.... we can’t protest everyone, we just have to roll with it and take it in our stride and move on with a smile.

 

By closing your bank account in protest you’re just moving your frustration onto the next bank and probably creating extra work for yourself. 

The girl at the bank doesn’t care, she’s probably happy you closed your account and may not have to deal with your rants about visa etc.... 

 

Agreed. I've had horrendous problems with various Thai banks over the past 35 years, but I don't close an account unless the overall service is terrible. Most recently CIMB Thai locked me out of their online banking and changed their app to Thai-language only, but with patient insistence both problems were sorted out. The less said about Krung Thai's smaller branches the better! My K-bank branch is a small one and they often aren't on the ball. Last year in January I spent an hour with them (and calls to head office) registering my Tax-ID so they wouldn't withhold tax on my savings account interest, but I see in December they still withheld it (sigh). When I got a new passport I informed them of the number and they assured me the change applied to all services and accounts, but I found out later it didn't. But K-bank's android app is the best out there so I definitely won't being closing the account.

 

 The gf loses her bank book and debit card roughly once every 6 months. With SCB she has to file a report with the police to get a new book, with K-bank she doesn't. So that's a big plus for us. We'll probably close the SCB account soon.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, orientalist said:

 

Agreed. I've had horrendous problems with various Thai banks over the past 35 years, but I don't close an account unless the overall service is terrible. Most recently CIMB Thai locked me out of their online banking and changed their app to Thai-language only, but with patient insistence both problems were sorted out. The less said about Krung Thai's smaller branches the better! My K-bank branch is a small one and they often aren't on the ball. Last year in January I spent an hour with them (and calls to head office) registering my Tax-ID so they wouldn't withhold tax on my savings account interest, but I see in December they still withheld it (sigh). When I got a new passport I informed them of the number and they assured me the change applied to all services and accounts, but I found out later it didn't. But K-bank's android app is the best out there so I definitely won't being closing the account.

 

 The gf loses her bank book and debit card roughly once every 6 months. With SCB she has to file a report with the police to get a new book, with K-bank she doesn't. So that's a big plus for us. We'll probably close the SCB account soon.

Never mind, we'll all be using our Bitcoin wallets soon .....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m sure sometimes when I need to ‘ski off-piste’ and I have to sit down at the Bank, the Phoneshop or some other place involving a little bureaucratic legwork their is an almost tangible look of trepidation on the face of the person dealing with me.

 

Part of this may be language related due to my imperfect Thai, another part of this is that they (the other person dealing with me) may recently have been subject to a ‘Geronimo-esque’ tirade and the thought of another foreigner attempting to force logic out of an illogical system is too much for them to comfortably handle.

 

The only thing I find that works is explaining in small steps what you want, and being as calm as possible. 

I also find that if you come across someone with a ’cannot’ attitude, i.e. the type of idiot who’s first response is ‘cannot’ before they even truly know what you need, then we need to be dealing with someone else. 

 

------

 

Story time: 

I was once trying to withdraw 200k (or some larger figure) from my account. My UK Passport was at the Embassy (I can’t remember why), I had a receipt from the Embassy that they were holding my passport. 

I also had my second (UK) passport with me. The Manager wanted to see the passport I had registered with my account. He wouldn’t let me withdraw my money. I had him call up the head office, I spoke with them, they were fine with showing a second passport, they spoke with the branch manager, he still wouldn’t let me withdraw some money. 

I could have gone to the ATM machine in the branch and made 10 consecutive withdrawals but that would have been too time consuming. 

I went to another branch down the road and had no issues withdrawing my money. 

Lesson: that branch manager was an idiot. I avoid that branch now. 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pmarlin said:

It has to be that you never informed them when you got a new passport. Just got a new ATM card at my Kbank branch in Bangkok and  just signed a couple of forms picked out my card and was out of there. Been using Kbank since Jan 2011. I also use Bangkok bank and in my opinion Kbank has better customer service.

Yes, I had a surprising experience with K bank, on

transferring money from UK account, I had a phone

call from K bank in the afternoon suggesting the transferred amount had reached the peak rate

would I like it converted now.

Haven't used ATM since 1990 when it was B20

a go.

After reading all the scary posts, and other things

considered, I'm thinking of a nice holiday in UK.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...