After 6 months working at very low salary i finally earned a paid vacation of 2 weeks. My plan was to see my son living in Phuket.
The second day in Bangkok I spent in my bank trying to register my VISA CARD for i-net banking. This was necessary as it wasn't accepted the previous night when i tried to purchase the flight to Phuket on-line..
Sometime that day, the 12th june, my account was emptied by compass direct marketing, leaving me with 1.73 baht... Or about 3 cents US... I discovered the loss when trying to withdraw cash, (unsuccessfully) on the morning of the 13th june. I went straight to a branch of my bank, BANGKOK BANK, to querie the loss. The first day in Bangkok i had put all my money into the visa card linked account with BB so i wouldn't need to carry much cash around and I was lucky there was a bank branch near me as i didn't have the bus fare to go to BB head office.
No explanation was given me by the bank as they did not know who withdrew the hundreds that were in the account. I said I did not have money for a room... They shrugged; I asked what i would eat... They shrugged. I asked how long until their investigation would conclude, they replied "by the 24th june" I was expected back at work in the Maldives by the 19th.
The following 3 weeks were interesting... Sleeping in the doorway of an ATM machine, waiting out the back of a nearby supermarket for the discarded fruit and vegs... I dont speak Thai and most Thais see any white man as a walking ATM with unlimited funds, so for them to believe i had NO money was a bit of a stretch.
I guess you can imagine the rest. I was reluctant to inform my work as i wanted the problem sorted by those who allowed it's creation and i didn't have money to call them. The Thai people, the street people who own little, surprised me many times with their assistance and generosity and my one friend in Bangkok owns an i-net cafe so i could still communicate.
Eventually i was rescued by my work sending me a salary advance.By the time i left bkk the investigation had yielded no results and the bank, no refund. On july 22nd i was notified that the funds were withdrawn by compass direct, with whom i have never had any dealings to my knowledge and never conducted any business with. I told the 'bank' this when i responded to their e-mail. Now it is the 28th and still no up-date or refund...
This case, firstly, highlights a GAPING HOLE in the banks' customer relations and evinces the "GUILTY 'TILL PROVEN INNOCENT" policy of banks.
Secondly, it shows a VISA DEBIT CARD that is unable to be used by it's owner, but is fine for use by fraudsters &/or scammers.
Regardless of if or when my money is/is not returned, i would like to deposit those responsible for the setting of their 'ababdonment policy' into the centre of a foreign city, where they know noone and cannot speak the language for 3 weeks like i was. I would, however, leave with each of them 3 cents US, then walk away with a shrug... J
'
Prisoner810
hulhumale, Hawaii
Maldives
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