Trouble with Siam Commercial

[Mobaan]

Does anyone here have a similar experience.??


Here I have a savings account with SCB,which is linked to a trading account that allows to invest in mutual funds and index funds . One can do that via internet .All went well for about 6month .
Now I still can open info for my savings transfer money ,pay bills etc,but the trading account is blocked . There is a notice -in Thai -and since they mention a telephon # I guess it was safe to assume they want me to call.
Now it gets interesting :
-the mentioned number is "temporarily out of service"
-ok ,call the service Center (supposedly 24 hours ) Sure enough out of regular working hours one only gets an answering mashine . When I actually get to a person ,after much thinking(!!!??) and talking ,"oh no ,we can not help ,you have to call SCB Asset Management"
-ok ,do that -repeat the show ,the other way around-- " you have to call service center"
- not giving up easy , I do all that 3-4 times a day over 4 days -but nothing changes -supposedly the website is being worked on and will be back on line in 1 week, one month, two month -take your pick.
-and they are advanced in their customer service ,they do have a Chatline ,lets try that . After signup ,my enqiry is put in in line ,waiting time about 30 minutes -I am a patient guy am I !. So in the meantime I write a very nice long story about my experience . Once it gets posted ,the reply was :This webchat service is not yet available .

Slowly but surely the pressure and the steam is creeping up .After 4 days I am no further than on day one . None of my emails to any of the SCB locations ,incl the office on Thano Phosri in Udon is answered .
Funny thing about all this that my wifes account ( same setup ) is not "being worked on ". Might this be some sort of picking on the falang?

As much as I like Thailand and Udon ,one has to realize that some things are definately Third worldish .The lack of customer service the appearently lack of concern, the inability and /or reluctance by service personel to face and resolve problems (you can hear them talking in the backgound -apperently drawing straws on who will have to talk in English to this falang with an account problem ), the lack of English language and communication skills-put a big damper on the experience.

I made up my mind and will take every last satang I got out of that bank ,but here is the 1 millon Baht question : where do I go next ??
Does anyone have good experience with Kasikorn Bank .?? I was with Bangkok Bank before .Their service and websites were worse than SCB.
What is your experience.

[jackspratt]

My experiences with Kasikorn are all positive.

[JimboPSM]

Sorry, don't have any experience with SCB, but I seem to recall reading some press release (probably on the BKK Post or Nation websites) sometime in the last six months that SCB was (I think) forming a new company or operation on the Asset Management side.

I'm only guessing, but it may be that your trading account has been transferred to that operation and will need some kind of re-activation; additionally as a new operation its infrastructure may leave something to be desired - and as for trying to get sense out of a call centre, even if it is in service, you will need the patience of a saint.

I think that, even with the exchange rate risk, that there is an advantage in keeping assets in a jurisdiction that you are familiar with as long as it has a tight regulatory authority and reasonable legal redress in case of problems.

[Prenders88]

My experiences with Kasikorn are all positive.

Same here very good service from Kasikorn Bank, Baan Houy Branch, Udon Thani. =D> =D>

[mortiboy]

Thet are scared to talk to you because they cant talk English!I went to SCB to use their internet banking.Although I speak some Thai,They just could not understand me.Not one of their staff could speak English!
Dont make sense to me why! With all the unemployment here surely they can find staff that can speak some English.They should be more selective.

[beer monkey]

I have often wondered why more bank staff 'don't' speak Engleesh, they all look at each other with a blank look..and then get the only English speaker in the branch to come to speak with you,They are all H'eaducated people so what happened to the high school/university English lessons...more likely they can they speak it but are they too worried about embarrassing themselves in front of farang.... I am not knocking them by no means, but its something i have thought about.

[Irish Alan]

I posted my experience with SCB before and there was that whole "who will talk to the fahlang" thing. I went to Kasikorn and the guy spoke English and my account was set up in minutes. No work-permit or letter from my mother needed. I transfer money from my Irish bank and view transactions online. Absolutely no complaints about them.

[parrot]

Ask to speak with Khun Noi at the SCB Phosi Rd branch. She speaks excellent English and got me an online account in a snap. Plenty of parking in the back as well.

[BKKSTAN]

I guess every branch could be different depending on the personel,but I have had great luck with Thai Farmers Bank(Kasikorn) in my dealing with many branches!I have no experience with SCB,but I have dealt with 3 different branches of Bangkok Bank and I left each one feeling disappointment,discontent and angry!

[Mobaan]

Well Parrot ,I followed your advise last year-talked to Khun Noi etc etc . Here is what I got .
Khun Noi is good at signing up your new account and friendly enough for day to day stuff /he is really at a loss when something needs attention . And answering email in atimely fashion is not her forte either( TIT).
Update : After 5 days w/o connection ,everything is back to normal ,no explanation ,no nothing TIT

[Laan Yaa Mo]

I have always found the workers at the Siam Commercial Bank in the complex to be helpful. From Canada, I have sent them e-mails in both English and Thai, and received prompt answers and information in English.

[UdonExpat]

I use Bank of Ayudhya and Ayudhya Fund Management. The accounts are linked and I've had no problems with transferring money back and forth, so far.

Finding staff who speak English can be problematic. The office on Posri road across the street from the Niht Soon Supermarket has a former student of mine who speaks good English and she's always trying to sell me time deposits, etc.

I also use Bangkok Bank, but their offices are always so busy that I don't use them for things that require visiting an office.

[UdonExpat]

I use Bank of Ayudhya and Ayudhya Fund Management. The accounts are linked and I've had no problems with transferring money back and forth, so far.

Finding staff who speak English can be problematic. The office on Posri road across the street from the Niht Soon Supermarket has a former student of mine who speaks good English and she's always trying to sell me time deposits, etc.

I also use Bangkok Bank, but their offices are always so busy that I don't use them for things that require visiting an office.

[Pakawala]

I've used the SCB Phosi Road Branch on numerous occasions to transfer money from my US bank to my SCB account via my US Debit Card. I've NEVER had a problem with them talking to me in English but I'm sure if I understood Thai better, it would be even easier. I find it difficult to diss a business or company because many of their staff don't understand a foreign language. My attitude is simple, I'm the one who's out of place here so it's up to me to make it as easy as I con for myself. Why should I get upset if I can't make others understand a language that's foreign to them?

[laphanphon]

I find it difficult to diss a business or company because many of their staff don't understand a foreign language.

agree, this little story unrelated to your reply, but relevant to post. had problem with one bank atm, charged me twice for withdrawal, but no funds receved. went inside, nobody wanted to help, one with broken english said no problem, fix self in time.

ok, off to tourist police, return, and you wouldn't believe how many people all of the sudden could speak good english, , explain things to me and fill out the investigation forms and follow thru with a little customer service.

tho in the end, sadly/funny enough, the original broken english gal was correct, it fixed itself. no problem for me, as live here, but can you imagine a tourist, all of the sudden, his last available cash is put on computer hold. bummer.

[draggindave]

Sorry I'm so late in joining the thread, but I just joined recently. I have heard good things about SCB in terms of treatment of Falangs relative to other banks and found the staff at the Charoensri complex very helpful.
All this begs one question, which is, why in fact open an account here? Even with the sharp decline of the dollar relative to other currencies over the last few months, still and all I'm getting 5% more in ThB than I was 3 months ago. I have my account in the U.S. where I lived for the last 25 years and only pay a $3 fee for using an ATM not from the same company.

Sincerely, Perplexed from Udon

[BKKSTAN]

It would say it has a lot to do with your future plans here!If your on a 30 entry permit,I don't see any advantage,plus it is difficult to accomplish anyway.I did it years ago as I was already planning my retirement here!