Post by joko on Feb 28, 2018 22:53:09 GMT 7
I woke this morning at a hotel in Sathorn, walking distance from the Myanmar embassy where the day before I had taken care of some visa paperwork. Not to my satisfaction, but it was done...
The day before that, I celebrated a victory over a bank employee...
I had accidentally “locked” (I entered an incorrect PIN 3 times) my Thai bank account last year, and as I couldn’t locate my bank book, I was told I could only resolve the issue by visiting the branch where I’d opened the account. It took a year, but I finally had enough time, so I went well out of my way to visit the one branch on the east side of town (Seacon Square) where I’d opened the account in 2013.
I explained the situation and my interaction went like this…
Clerk: Where is your book bank (sic)?
Me: Like I said, I don’t know.
Cl: Oh, we can’t do anything for you without your book bank.
Me: I think you can. I lost my bank book once before and you were able to access my account.
Cl: You need your book bank. Every bank is the same. You must have book bank.
Me: Maybe I lost it. What happens to all the funds in my account?
Cl: Then you need to go to police station and file report that you lost your book bank.
Me: No, I don’t. I may not have lost my book bank IN THIS COUNTRY.
Cl: All banks same. You must have book bank!
Me: Okay, I’d like to speak to the bank manager, please.
Cl: You. Must. Have. Book. Bank!!
Me: I. Want. To. Speak. To. The Manager.
Just then, a man in a tie was walking by, the clerk approached him and there was a conversation in Thai. He came up to me and asked, “You opened the account in this branch?” YES! He then went on to give the clerk some instructions, pointing up towards the second level (archives?) and then asked me to have a seat and wait.
Ten minutes later, my account was successfully unlocked. Best of all, there was a lot more money in it than I’d remembered!
At the end, I asked, “Could I get a new book bank?”
The clerk replied, “You need to go to the police station and file a report…”
I guess this is what happens when you pick a bank because their ATM card has your favorite cartoon character on it..
In my various errands in Bangkok this week, I noticed an ad on the BTS (it disappeared from the screens guarding the tracks before I could get a picture) advertising an oddly named product. Could someopne please ask their wife what the heck is "Sea Min drink"?
The day before that, I celebrated a victory over a bank employee...
I had accidentally “locked” (I entered an incorrect PIN 3 times) my Thai bank account last year, and as I couldn’t locate my bank book, I was told I could only resolve the issue by visiting the branch where I’d opened the account. It took a year, but I finally had enough time, so I went well out of my way to visit the one branch on the east side of town (Seacon Square) where I’d opened the account in 2013.
I explained the situation and my interaction went like this…
Clerk: Where is your book bank (sic)?
Me: Like I said, I don’t know.
Cl: Oh, we can’t do anything for you without your book bank.
Me: I think you can. I lost my bank book once before and you were able to access my account.
Cl: You need your book bank. Every bank is the same. You must have book bank.
Me: Maybe I lost it. What happens to all the funds in my account?
Cl: Then you need to go to police station and file report that you lost your book bank.
Me: No, I don’t. I may not have lost my book bank IN THIS COUNTRY.
Cl: All banks same. You must have book bank!
Me: Okay, I’d like to speak to the bank manager, please.
Cl: You. Must. Have. Book. Bank!!
Me: I. Want. To. Speak. To. The Manager.
Just then, a man in a tie was walking by, the clerk approached him and there was a conversation in Thai. He came up to me and asked, “You opened the account in this branch?” YES! He then went on to give the clerk some instructions, pointing up towards the second level (archives?) and then asked me to have a seat and wait.
Ten minutes later, my account was successfully unlocked. Best of all, there was a lot more money in it than I’d remembered!
At the end, I asked, “Could I get a new book bank?”
The clerk replied, “You need to go to the police station and file a report…”
I guess this is what happens when you pick a bank because their ATM card has your favorite cartoon character on it..
In my various errands in Bangkok this week, I noticed an ad on the BTS (it disappeared from the screens guarding the tracks before I could get a picture) advertising an oddly named product. Could someopne please ask their wife what the heck is "Sea Min drink"?
