To pay cash; must show ID??

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

Tried to pay cash at Big-C Mini this morning.  Nothing unusual: a counter service bill for 250 baht.  They required ID !!!

Anyone else experienced this?

Didn't happen to me.  My Thai maid went out to do errands this morning.  Took an unusually long time to return.  She explained that Big-C Mini required ID, but she did not have purse or ID with her.  So she walked a little further to 7-Eleven.  And there, cash, no problem.  She was perplexed, and so am I.  Never seen that before.

ID required to use cash: Is this a new thing in Thailand?

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Richard_in_Bangkok

[Bazle]

What was she buying?

[forcebwithu]

Were you paying a utility bill? I seem to recall showing ID to pay the bill became a requirement at some places several years ago. Ludicrous is the best word I can come up with to describe the requirement.

Fortunatley at about the same time I switched to paying my bills via bank transfer. That saved me a trip to the store, the 10B service charge they tacked on, and avoided the ludicrous ID requirement.

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

27 minutes ago, Bazle said:

What was she buying?

"counter service"

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

14 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

Ludicrous is the best word I can come up with to describe the requirement.

"Ludicrous"; I agree.

But not a utility bill, just counter service for a purchase on Lazada.  And most interesting, NOT required at 7-Eleven.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Richard_in_Bangkok

[Bazle]

36 minutes ago, Richard_in_Bangkok said:

..... not a utility bill, just counter service for a purchase on Lazada.  

So they wanted her to prove she was the purchaser? 

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

51 minutes ago, Bazle said:

So they wanted her to prove she was the purchaser? 

Why?   Never, ever, happened before.  And why now??

And why at Big-C Mini, but NOT at 7-Eleven. (She actually paid the bill at 7, with cash).

Very, strange.  Just a mistake by un-trained staff.  Or ... or ... something more sinister?  That's why I posted here trying to understand if this is a one-time thing, or the early start of a pattern.

Not asking for speculations or wild guesses that we see on other topics on public forums.  Only asking if anyone else has seen similar.  Is this one data point in a trend?

Edited October 8, 2023 by Richard_in_Bangkok

[Derek Dangleberries]

25 minutes ago, Richard_in_Bangkok said:

Not asking for speculations or wild guesses that we see on other topics on public forums. 

When you ask a vague question you are only going to get speculation and wild guesses disregarding whom you ask.

Some 7/11s will break the law  and sell you stuff but I've never known a Mini Big C to do it ... Perhaps it is a Franchise thing..??

But then again I'm speculating... Or are you doing a bit of on the ground research for your next book ???

[fforest]

If more reports came in of this happening I could put forth a juicy conspiracy theory.....But until then this just sounds like some isolated weirdness....

[forcebwithu]

57 minutes ago, Richard_in_Bangkok said:

Why?   Never, ever, happened before.  And why now??

And why at Big-C Mini, but NOT at 7-Eleven. (She actually paid the bill at 7, with cash).

Very, strange.  Just a mistake by un-trained staff.  Or ... or ... something more sinister?  That's why I posted here trying to understand if this is a one-time thing, or the early start of a pattern.

Not asking for speculations or wild guesses that we see on other topics on public forums.  Only asking if anyone else has seen similar.  Is this one data point in a trend?

Not doubting it never happened to you before, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened to others.

As I posted earlier, it was required several years ago when going to pay a utility bill. Can't remember if it was a 7-11 or Family Mart, but at the time one required it so just went to another brand store to pay the bill.

As for why, see this article from 2020. Note the article calls it a guidline which implies no enforcement action if the guideline isn't followed. And that would answer the question of why some stores and not others require ID.

Bank of Thailand Revamps Know-Your-Customer Procedures for E-Money Service Operators

A recent notification from the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has introduced new know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines for e-money businesses, updating the country’s regulatory regime to accommodate the greater variety of e-money services that have come into the market. The new regulations better differentiate between the types of risk relating to each product, and are expected to help e-money service providers overcome difficulties in identifying their customers.

Notification Sor Nor Chor 1/2563 Re: Know Your Customer Regulations for Activating the Use of e-Money Services was issued by the BOT on March 13, 2020, supplementing the KYC requirements for e-money services stipulated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999) (AMLA). The notification came into force on May 6, 2020.

Identification and Verification               

The KYC procedures that e-money service operators must adopt are a two-stage process—first identifying, and then verifying, customers. In doing so, they must ensure that the information received is actually the customer’s information, and that the information is correct, true, and up to date.                

The notification sets out specific KYC requirements for different product offerings so that e-money service providers will be able to adapt their procedures to suit the level of risk for each product. For non-transferable payments for products or services in Thailand, e-money services must follow the customer identification and verification procedural requirements in the AMLA. For transferable payments for products or services (whether in Thailand or not), e-money services must conduct additional face-to-face or non-face-to-face verification of customers. 

For face-to-face verification, e-money services must confirm that the information and evidence received for verification is correct, true, up to date, and from a reliable source (e.g., the National Credit Bureau). Service operators must also prove that the information provided by the customer is the customer’s own information and proof of identity. If a smart ID card is provided as evidence, the card must be validated with a smart card reader and verified through a government electronic inspection system (e.g., National Digital ID).

Edited October 8, 2023 by forcebwithu

[fygjam]

16 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

When you ask a vague question you are only going to get speculation and wild guesses disregarding whom you ask.

Some 7/11s will break the law  and sell you stuff but I've never known a Mini Big C to do it ... Perhaps it is a Franchise thing..??

But then again I'm speculating... Or are you doing a bit of on the ground research for your next book ???

[Horizondave]

Simple answer if you really want to know, go and ask Big C Mini yourself, I am sure you will get the 'non speculated' answer.

If it is policy then that is it, you will know for next time and send your maid to the appropriate place so as not to inconvenience you or her.

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

11 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

A recent notification from the Bank of Thailand (BOT) has introduced new know-your-customer (KYC) guidelines for e-money businesses

Thank you very much, @forcebwithu, for taking your time to provide those details.  Very helpful, and I had no idea.

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Richard_in_Bangkok

[Richard_in_Bangkok]

3 hours ago, fforest said:

If more reports came in of this happening I could put forth a juicy conspiracy theory.....But until then this just sounds like some isolated weirdness....

@fforest, we have more reports, along a "government plan" provided by @forcebwithu.  I hope that's sufficient for you to put forth your juicy conspiracy theory.  

Personally, I find it very worthwhile to look at conspiracy hypotheses.  A well-thought-out conspiracy theory is often the best fit to the facts of much of what we see happening in the world today.  Almost always a much better fit than any "official" explanation. 

If your particular theory is too juicy (or too spicy) for a public forum like this, I hope you'll send a private message to me.

[fforest]

7 minutes ago, Richard_in_Bangkok said:

@fforest, we have more reports, along a "government plan" provided by @forcebwithu.  I hope that's sufficient for you to put forth your juicy conspiracy theory.  

Personally, I find it very worthwhile to look at conspiracy hypotheses.  A well-thought-out conspiracy theory is often the best fit to the facts of much of what we see happening in the world today.  Almost always a much better fit than any "official" explanation. 

If your particular theory is too juicy (or too spicy) for a public forum like this, I hope you'll send a private message to me.

Lol.....The juicy part was just a joke.....But the conspiracy part is very real.....We see things slowly inching in this direction all the time ....The secret society's dream of a one-world digital currency........I am old enough so there is a fairly good chance I will not have to live in this digital world that they want so very bad...

[Jambo]

I can recall a Pub in Dunfermline  refusing to accept my English 20 pound note before a Hearts game but that had more to do with some moody copies apparently doing the rounds.

Bloody cheek really given that Scottish notes are not technically legal tender in the UK. 😉

[Zambo]

5 minutes ago, Jambo said:

I can recall a Pub in Dunfermline  refusing to accept my English 20 pound note before a Hearts game but that had more to do with some moody copies apparently doing the rounds.

Bloody cheek really given that Scottish notes are not technically legal tender in the UK. 😉

Correct Scottish bank notes are not legal tender in Scotland. In fact under Scottish law no banknotes, even those issued by the Bank of England, are defined as legal tender.