What are the reasons behind the recent freezing of bank accounts for foreigners in Thailand?

Tourists who open a bank account with agent but using their account legitimately are getting caught by this mess.

Probably a belated ?? "Customer background check" of some sort?

We in the banking world know the 3 letter acronym very well. KYC - Know Your Customer. Know where their main sources of income/deposits are coming from, and any large regular withdrawals, etc.

Here’s the news link:

/21/thai-bank-manager-and-staff-arrested-in-chinese-scam-network/

Read the news a few days ago. The bank manager and 2-3 bank staff were arrested for allowing 15 Chinese nationals to open mule bank accounts on a tourist’s visa. Let me see if I can find the news article again…

Remember that any bank can one-sidedly terminate your bank account at any time for any reason they see fit. Many people don't understand this. Some countries only have a rule that they cannot cancel your account if it's your last/only one, but good luck fighting that out with them. The accounts are probably getting canceled due to AML (anti money laundering) regulations and the fines that the banks risk for not complying with those rules. Unfortunately, often banks are way too scared of this and will close accounts for no good reason.

Russians are complaining about this, too.

And again we see ‘innocents’ caught up in collatorall damage caused by dumbasses. Innocents having their bank accounts frozen- don’t they know who the bad guys are by now? Leave the innocents alone.

Probably due to people using someone else’s phone number. There was an announcement recently made about this.

Yes. Confirmed. All accounts opened with “agents” are getting closed down.

Dammit, the mainland Chinese always ruin it for everyone. I am Chinese American and I feel I might be associated by these chain smoking, rude, and belly showing mainlanders.

I mention this on another site few days ago, here what i said

Regarding Bangkok Bank. My other half got a phone call from my agent telling her that i must present to the Bank to verify my identity other wise it will be locked until i do. I know their has been a lot of cases of fake identity's opening up accounts in Pattaya and a lot of problems going down and police are involved, anyone else haven to go and do their identification check ?

This is what went down and this is why we got the message as i said, shit is going down at the Bangkok Bank in Pattaya, with workers involved, this is the news article but is in Thai.

Yes mine was frozen had to drive from Hua hin to Bangkok to unfreeze it

Pattaya, Chinese, Visa

Pretty much all you need to know about why they’re trying to cash out asap

I read from the news outlet accounts were frozen because over 50k baht was withdrawn in a day. So the accounts were frozen until customers provided "proof of income". The whole thing on the part of the banks were very vague. No wonder people panicked and took their money out. Can happen with any foreigner, not only chinese.

It will be something to do with recent investigations where Chinese have opened accounts on tourist visas for use under nominee companies.

There’s reports of people who opened bank accounts on tourist visas and not moving up to long term visas such as retirement or marriage having their accounts frozen

I don't live in Pattaya, so can't confirm first hand, but I also heard that's happening. Police is involved.

Yes