Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing, well we have been discussing all kinds of weird issues with regard to Banking here in Thailand. Now apparently Digital Banking, I am getting messages from people talking about all kinds of problems with Digital Banking. 

I got this in an email. Quoting directly: "My bank digital online access plus the phone app, has been suspended as of yesterday when I tried to log on to execute your transfer. It appears that it is all to do with requiring additional documentary information from AIS that my mobile number registered with my bank is actually in my name." Again, all of this stuff, we didn't have any of these problems five years ago. We didn't have any of this stuff prior to COVID, prior to the World Economic Forum, us hearing of their name constantly, prior to any of this talk of the OECD - what is that -The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which in my opinion is just a bunch of supranational, undue foreign influence on Thailand. And now it is seeping into the banks and these banks are just doing stuff that is apropos of what and based on what Laws? Where is the due process to be able to mess with people's money in this fundamental a way? 

And I also the question, hey if this keeps happening isn't it going to have a negative impact? Isn't it going to possibly undermine people's confidence in wanting to bank in Thailand? Because if I'm a person that is a foreigner here especially, and I want to live here, do I want to go to a bank that I think I need to worry about whether or not this bank is going to freeze my assets? Whether or not this bank's digital platform is just going to shut down and make me unilaterally have to come in and provide a bunch of documentation apropos of nothing? I mean none of this was a problem. I don't understand. It is like we have moved forward; we have supposedly progressed, we have moved into the future where things are supposed to be more sophisticated, and now we are having like problems that you would hear about in the Soviet Union. That said, quoting further: "I had already done this previously when I got a new passport and registered it with both AIS and my bank with multiple signed copies, but today I had to do it all over again and it is all gone to Head Office. I should be up and running by Friday at the latest." Again, days? I thought this was supposed to add convenience. Again this sounds like something out of the Soviet system. 

While we are on it, I do get into deeper dives on this stuff and how it impacts expats on our paid new service. For those who are interested - Integrity News Service - you can email us at [email protected] to learn about the paid news. While I am talking about that, it is worth pointing out I have also opened a restaurant with my better half here in downtown Bangkok, Pancake Palace, breakfast anytime; as the name implies, pancakes as well as we have got American Diner style food including chilli bowls. We've got cheeseburgers, hamburgers we've got hot dogs, we've got Polish sausages, we've gone buffalo wings - best in my mind in the city - and we've got pork chops. So for folks that are interested, check out Pancake Palace. The link is in the description below. 

That said, quoting further: "I did ask my bank what would I do if I was running a business and this happened with no warning to me, to come into the branch and preemptively deal with it, to which of course they had no answer. Disgracefully poor customer relations." Yeah, I couldn't agree more. 

I don't know what's going on with banking over here but frankly, Banks, you need to get your act together because this is going to be a real problem. I thought Thailand, this Government especially, wanted Digital Nomads and wanted to bring in investment and wanted to bring in foreigners of high net worth and things. Well they are not going to come if bringing in this OECD nonsense and World Economic Forum thinking is what it comes in now, because that is what people are escaping. Thailand was an oasis from all of this, and now it is becoming what everybody was getting away from. This is bad policy, it's a bad idea. I hope this changes. That being said, will be keeping you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.