Once a month, I visit
the bank our firm uses. The purpose is to pay myself my monthly salary. This
obviously cannot be done via Internet Banking—that would be too easy. You have
to show up in person in the bank. And, not just any bank branch; it
has to be the one where you opened the account.
I’ve been coming to
this little branch every month for about four years now. Yet, every single time
there are problems, mostly with my signature. It goes like this:
1. I fill out the
withdrawal form and sign it.
2. The teller disappears
into the back room and spends five minutes looking for the folder with my
original signature on paper.
3. The teller comes
back with the manager.
4. Together, they
study my signature carefully (another five minutes). Then, they smile apologetically
and ask me to fill out a new form (five minutes…), but this time to try to sign
like my original signature.
I know that the
employees in that branch know me well, for the simple reason that I hear a collective
sigh every time I come through the door. Yet, they keep pretending I'm a
criminal who is trying to forge a signature. When I ask why, the answer is that
"Management at headquarters is checking very carefully."
The banking industry in
Thailand held a large share of the blame for the financial crisis of 1997-98. Local
bank managers had too much power and lent large sums of money with little security.
After the crisis, the Thais passed a set of laws so draconian that still, after
15 years, it is virtually impossible to get a loan here, and, as my example
shows, it’s also almost impossible to get your hands on your own money, at
least if you’re unfortunate enough to have to use a company account.
(From Thailands
Tidende Nett 2012)
No comments:
Post a Comment