A little Thai story. So, I hear that the Thai government has issued an edict to say that if people are scammed, then the banks will pay. One bank, my bank, promptly panics and tries to tighten up its system. Suddenly, loads of people - foreigners - who have the banking app (whatever that is) are being cut off because their phone details do not match their bank details. Now I, do not have the banking app (whatever that is), but when I was last in my bank, I asked about the problems and requested advice. Make sure your phone is registered to you was the advice. So today I go to the phone people AIS, and say "who is the phone registered to"? "Your wife", say they. OK, can I get it put into my name? "Yes, but not on this package. This is 10GB at 700+baht, and foreigner is only allowed to pay less than 500 baht, so you can only have 5GB package." "OK, says I, I'm more interested in getting my phone put into my name, so I have no problems with the bank. "Ok, says she, that can be done but you can only have 5GB, but we do have another package which gives you 10GB for 499 baht. Do you want that?" "Err, yes, whatever." So somehow, I've ended up with the phone in my name, paying 200 baht less than I was before for the same 10GB. Complete mystery to me, but I do love Thailand.
TLDR : Answer Summary
Recent changes in Thai banking regulations have caused confusion for foreigners living in the country. Due to a new edict aimed at combating scams, banks are tightening security, which has resulted in many expats being locked out of their banking apps if their registered phone details do not match their accounts. One user shared their experience of switching their mobile phone account to their name to avoid banking issues, leading to unexpected savings on their plan. The discussion highlights various mobile service packages used by expats and the challenges they face navigating Thai banking requirements.
