Answereda year ago
How can I resolve my Bangkok Bank app access issue while I'm abroad?
I hope this falls I to the everything else category.
I have been in the UK since April and have had no issues with my Bangkok Banking app for the three years I have had the account. Today I tried to open the app and was presented with the message below. I am somewhat surprised because I bought the sim card I use in 2019 and opened my bank account in 2022. I certainly did not use anyone elses name to get either. I have rung the number and spoken to someone about the issue and they say I have to go to my local branch to sort it out. As that is over 6000 miles away I explained it wasnt possible! I also explained that now I am unable to pay my rent or for utilities and other things. He told me he would look into it and would contact me within 5 days by email. I dont hold out much hope. I also need to transfer money back to UK as the cost of living here is horrendous and I cant return to Thailand until October.
Has anyone else had this situation and found a way to get around it from abroad? I am aware that it has happened to others but I thought I was safe as I had both sim and account in my name?
I have been in the UK since April and have had no issues with my Bangkok Banking app for the three years I have had the account. Today I tried to open the app and was presented with the message below. I am somewhat surprised because I bought the sim card I use in 2019 and opened my bank account in 2022. I certainly did not use anyone elses name to get either. I have rung the number and spoken to someone about the issue and they say I have to go to my local branch to sort it out. As that is over 6000 miles away I explained it wasnt possible! I also explained that now I am unable to pay my rent or for utilities and other things. He told me he would look into it and would contact me within 5 days by email. I dont hold out much hope. I also need to transfer money back to UK as the cost of living here is horrendous and I cant return to Thailand until October.
Has anyone else had this situation and found a way to get around it from abroad? I am aware that it has happened to others but I thought I was safe as I had both sim and account in my name?
Answer summary
An expat in the UK is facing issues with the Bangkok Bank mobile app, which claims that their SIM card and bank account information do not match. Despite having the account in their name since 2022, they cannot access necessary banking services to pay rent and utilities. Other users suggest checking the matching names on both the SIM and bank account, contacting mobile support, and exploring options like obtaining a certificate from the mobile provider to resolve identity verification issues. They recommend patience while waiting for a response from the bank, as well as investigating local support options available from the bank's UK branch.
53 repliesnewest first
Click comment and we will ask for your email, then OTP, then name.
Ally ************
Wondering if you have renewed your passport in the last few years and whether the cross-check with your Telcom account is verifying passport numbers that no longer match.. eg. updated with bank but not the telcom.. or whether your telcom simply mis-spelt your name when setting up the account.. I'd suggest you contact the telcom to check these things out and seek a letter from them (via email) confirming your name, thai billing address and the registered passport assigned to your mobile number.. then email this to your bank to prove they have made a mistake.. if your telcom is a major retailer and you have family living in Thailand maybe they can go into a local store and present your facts.. and obtain a direct phone number and an email contact to pass on to you to help expedite your enquiry.. but i think resolving it fastest will entail proving your telcom status to your bank.. just my observations my friend.. hope you get it fixed soon 👍
James ******
They had wrong information about you why wouldn't they stop your account. If your account had wrong information and somebody stole all your money you would blame the bank
Matt *******
I had the same issue. The lady in the bank used the AIS App to call up my last bill and used that. Said it would take a week before mobile banking works again. Fingers crossed
Mark ********
@Matt ******
Should be within 24 hours
Steven ******
Just out of interest, which mobile phone provider are you with? The AIS app will let you see what the name attached to your phone number is and if its different from yours, which mine was, it will let you update the name. Im unsure if the other network providers offer the same service on their apps.
David *********
I don't understand what everything is about. I had the same situation. I just went to BB and got paperwork and went to AIS and they took my picture and give me a paper to take to the bank and everything is alright
Jeffrey *********
@David ********
The OP is not currently in Thailand, so he can't do what you did.
Hartmut ********
Ich schätze mal, das wird 1 bis 2 mal im Jahr passieren das man sich legementieren muss
Paul ********
It's happening to thousands of farangs.
You just have to go into the bank branch and confirm your phone ownership. No big deal . . . except of course, you're out of the country.
ALWAYS have a plan B.
You just have to go into the bank branch and confirm your phone ownership. No big deal . . . except of course, you're out of the country.
ALWAYS have a plan B.
Mitchell *******
Was it the exact same ID used to open both? (eg, not 2 different passports, even if the name is exactly the same?) That COULD be the issue. Otherwise, after the 5 days are finished, and if you haven't has a result, chase up with your specific branch again. This is just the banks performing KYC. This has, and will keep happening with different banks globally. And definitely more scrutiny if you are not a citizen.
As for paying rent, you should be able to send a wire from your UK bank to your landlord's account. Not sure bout anything else. I would expect there to be a way, until you sort this out.
As for paying rent, you should be able to send a wire from your UK bank to your landlord's account. Not sure bout anything else. I would expect there to be a way, until you sort this out.
Porky ******
You should’ve received several messages or notifications in the app last year telling you to reconfirm your phone number at a local branch.
I’m sure the 5 days is just for the staff to review the account activity because they’re clamping down due to money laundering.
I reckon you’ll be alright, it’s natural to panic a bit when you have a chunk of money invested elsewhere & can’t get to it.
If you have a regular monthly rental payment you can set your app to make those payments for you on a specific date each month.
I’m sure the 5 days is just for the staff to review the account activity because they’re clamping down due to money laundering.
I reckon you’ll be alright, it’s natural to panic a bit when you have a chunk of money invested elsewhere & can’t get to it.
If you have a regular monthly rental payment you can set your app to make those payments for you on a specific date each month.
Emmanuel **********************
Is there a way to check the name registered in our Sim by ourselves?
Steven ******
@Emmanuel *********************
with AIS you can check it and change it if needed by using the app.
Robin **********
Same happened to me. I updated everything at the bank in April. My wife went to enquire about this at the bank. They told her she couldn't help me as I would have to return myself...what nonsense as they sent a confirmation to my back in April. Really dumb Bb.
ครู *******
Go to your SIM card shop and ask them about the “for the bank” certificate—they’ll know what you mean. They will give you a certificate (there’s no fee at DTAC, but I’m not sure about other SIM card shops). This certificate is a requirement for your SCB account (usually SCB is the one affected by this) or possibly other banks. Then, go to your bank and submit the certificate from the SIM shop along with your passport and passbook.
James *******
@ครู ******
nothing free for sure. In best case they require you top-up 50 baht to your phone account and they give your top-up receipt as evidence of your name and passport numberครู *******
@James ******
hmmm I don’t have any balance in my simcarครู *******
I saw some comments saying they paid at DTAC just for a piece of paper. But at Fashion Island Mall, I didn’t pay anything.
Andrew ********
Yes this is due to their changes in rules and regulations. This is due to notices that been going out to verify things on your account.
James *******
@Andrew *******
I and thousands of others had bank apps locked without a single notice. My sim card name and bank account name are same but still had a locked bank app. There are thousands of foreigners in my situation.
Rory *********
We are traveling having the same issue but the account itself is fine . It’s the mobile having the issues . So we plan have the money in the account for the transfer but the back up plan is to use wise to transfer
Richard ***********
Find somewhere easier to live
James *******
When things have to be done legally according to the book all stuff fail miserably in Thailand. There was no issues at all when agents were opening bogus bank accounts for anyone who paid
Nurah *********************
Yesterday I was like that, I went to the dteck counter because my card was dteck, there they checked it, and asked what happened, then I showed it, after that the dteck staff gave me a piece of paper that cost 20 baht Then I went to Bangkok Bank in Silom, and the bank staff processed the m-banking update, now it's ok, don't forget if you have a passport renewal, bring your old passport What you used to make register the Phone number , and also bring a bank book
Wannikea *********
The phone provider possibly entered only your first and middle name, and your last or full name isn't showing.
Stephen *********
I just got the same message!!!!!!!!!!!
Richard **********
Basically you need to go to your mobile provider and get them to give you a receipt showing your name and passport number, costs 50thb. Take this to the branch where you hold the Bangkok bank account. They will confirm that the details provided by the mobile provider match what they have for you on record. I did this today, The whole process took about an hour. This is new and intended to curb cross border scamming... It's not targeted at you specifically just Bangkok Bank ...
Ian ********
@Richard *********
how’s it’s unacceptable it there country your there as a guest abide by there rules
Nick ************
OP@Richard *********
not possible while I am in the UK. To do this with no warning is quite unacceptable and I will in no uncertain terms tell them so when I get back.
Jacqueline *****************
Same happened to me 2 weeks ago. I had to go to AIS, have a receipt issued in my name with my passport number and then take it to Bangkok Bank so they could “verify” my phone number (again) and check passport (again) and bank book (again). 😣
Luebbener ********
You will have to go to a shop from the SIM card provider, get a letter of certification that this is your number, cost 100 baht and bring that to your bank with passport. I did that just before I left end of April, because I heard in the news about it.Also Bangkok Bank.
Jean-Bernard ********
@Luebbener *******
Don't forget to come to the shop with your available passport, available 6 monthes after coming back to your country
Simon *********
Mobile app locked, not account. Try the online banking.
Do you still have the sim card, active in your name? Maybe the number has been given out to someone else...
Do you still have the sim card, active in your name? Maybe the number has been given out to someone else...
Stephen *********
@Simon ********
That's what thought at first. But how can they give the number out to someone else after another person has been using it?
Lye **********
@Stephen ********
they would "recycle" the number after it has been inactive for awhile. It's best to keep it active by topping up before the due date if its prepaid.Simon *********
@Stephen ********
why wouldn't they? There's not infinite numbers...
เดแคลน ***********
@Stephen ********
when a number becomes inactive they disable it for X amount of time and then its reintroduce into the pool of available numbers after that X amount of time of it being out of service.
Jay ****
@Stephen ********
they so it all the time if you don't keep your service active. I've got a yearly plan for data, sms for 2,000 baht AIS. Add talk time if and when you want. They are actually doing a new promotion this month also.
Alex ***********
This has happened to many people including me. In my case, the sim was registered to my previous passport and my bank had the new passport number which I believe caused the discrepancy.
I needed to call AIS, send them some photos (sim card, passport, selfie) and then update my details in their app
Then they sent a confirmation SMS, which I showed at my local BB branch and they unlocked the app a few hours later.
I would recommend you call your mobile phone provider and do the steps with them, and then see if you can phone directly to your local BB branch and if not then send someone there to talk on your behalf or literally put the phone to them so you can speak to them! Maybe some sort of solution can be found that way...
Personally my experience of overseas support from BB has been bad - long phone queues with high international fees, and then opening tickets that don't end up getting resolved or followed up on.
I needed to call AIS, send them some photos (sim card, passport, selfie) and then update my details in their app
Then they sent a confirmation SMS, which I showed at my local BB branch and they unlocked the app a few hours later.
I would recommend you call your mobile phone provider and do the steps with them, and then see if you can phone directly to your local BB branch and if not then send someone there to talk on your behalf or literally put the phone to them so you can speak to them! Maybe some sort of solution can be found that way...
Personally my experience of overseas support from BB has been bad - long phone queues with high international fees, and then opening tickets that don't end up getting resolved or followed up on.
Chris *****
Same situation as me. Settled it already. Here’s my post in the group.
*********************************************
Henry *********
I had the same issue with BB, after being assured my SIM and account matched. Turns out it was because my phone company still had my old passport number while the bank had my "new" one, issued in 2018. Easy to sort out after that.
George *******
If not ring back that number and they should be able to sort
Tyler *******
There has been lots of warnings and info in the news about stricter banking regulations for 6 months or more now. The deadline to update has passed and anyone who has not done so has been locked out or had their transactions limits reduced.
You say that both your Sim Card and your Bankk have matching names (using the same passport) but the Bank thinks otherwise. Maybe verify which account you are using?
You say that both your Sim Card and your Bankk have matching names (using the same passport) but the Bank thinks otherwise. Maybe verify which account you are using?
Max *************
@Tyler ******
This has nothing to do with any stricter banking regulations in combination with phone numbers.
Greg ***********
@Max ************
I copied the Bangkok Post article from January this year when they warned foreigners of impeding accounts closings and impeding disabling of online banking. It's been in the Thai media from December thru March. A deadline was announced and this was April 30th you were given time to clear everything inside your local bank branchMark ********
@Tyler ******
Deadline for what? You don't know what you're talking about. This is a different issue to verifying accounts or simcards. BKK bank are suspending accounts regardless of whether the SIM is registered correctly or not. Nothing to do with immigration visa status either. You are required to go to your SIM provider and get a printout with your confirmed name and then take back to BKK bank to unblock the account. I did it last week and everyone I saw doing the same thing all had their SIM correctly registered so it's a BS move. I don't see how it's possible to unblock from outside Thailand though. Best you contact BKK bank directly and see if they can offer any solution
Nongnuch ********
@Mark *******
there were indeed a few media reports from December 2024 through March 2025, that April 30th would be the deadline for bank account holders to verify their names and phone numbers in their local bank branches. I did so with my SCB account in mid-February before I flew back to Germany by end of March. My banking app is working. I know of other fellows who were not so luckyMark ********
I should mention that I am on a somewhat different position anyway from most expats in that I have a direct debit from BKK bank to AIS so I've already formally verified my SIM in order for the DD to be processed
Mark ********
@Nongnuch *******
Media reports...but nothing from BKK bank 🤔 What people were asked to do was to verify their biometrics, which I did last year. The message I got was that my name on my SIM registered account doesn't match my account name which was false. I know of others with the same issue.Max *************
@Mark *******
Bangkok Bank are not suspending accounts on a whim. From where did you get that nonsens info?Mark ********
@Max ************
BKK bank...🤤George *******
I would wait the 5 days and see what happens.....
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