Big News Flashes From Thailand: Your Mobile Banking Days Could Be Numbered If You're a Foreigner Here!
Investigation initiated for mobile phone numbers of 700,000 foreigners in Thailand
Get ready, foreigners in Thailand! The Thai government is on a roll, and this time it's aiming at your mobile numbers! The ministry of digital economy and society (DES) has announced that it'll be scrutinizing the identities of around 700,000 mobile-banking loving foreigners registered here since January 1, 2022.
That's not all! Over 1.8 million other numbers without any ownership will also be under the axe. The DES Minister, Prasert Jantararuangtong, broke the news, stating that this step is crucial to thwart tech crime and ensure safety in mobile transactions.
It started back in February, with the government mandating identity verification for mobile banking service users and subscribers of mobile phone numbers linked to these services. By April 30, all users were expected to comply. But if you've missed the deadline (today, folks!), brace yourself for June, when these unverified numbers could find themselves kicked out of the digital financial game!
Worried you might have missed the memo? Don't sweat it! The banks will send you a friendly reminder. If you haven't heard from them yet, fear not! You can keep enjoying those mobile banking services without a hitch.
Let's not forget, Thailand is stepping up its digital governance game. Besides beefing up mobile banking security, they're also cranking up their cybersecurity resilience—Yes, you guessed it!—through systems like DE-fence and public safety alert systems. So, keep those phones ringing, foreigners, but make sure they're ringing with legal transactions!
- Foreigners in Thailand who are active in mobile banking may need to take action to verify their identities, as the Thai government plans to scrutinize the identities of around 700,000 foreigners registered for mobile banking since January 1, 2022, and also plans to terminate the service for numbers without any ownership.
- The Thai government's efforts to enhance the security of mobile transactions and thwart tech crime in the finance sector have led to the implementation of identity verification for mobile banking users and subscribers of mobile phone numbers linked to these services, with a deadline for compliance set for April 30, 2022.
- Foreigners in Thailand who have yet to comply with the identity verification requirement for mobile banking services risk being kicked out of the digital financial game by June, if their numbers are unverified. The government encourages foreigners to stay vigilant and respond to any requests for identity verification from their banks to ensure continued access to mobile banking services in Thailand.
