CNI News
23 Mar 2023
As a large number of Myanmar nationals who hold visit visas opened accounts at the Bangkok Bank in Thailand, the bank is likely to suspend such accounts, labour activists for Myanmar workers told the CNI.
The bank has suspended opening such accounts for holders of visit visas since 8th March, the Myanmar embassy in Thailand announced.
The number of Myanmar nationals who open accounts at the Bangkok Bank by faking recommendations from hospitals and clinics and applying documents recommending that they are Myanmar nationals have increased recently, Ko Thar Gyi, who has been helping Myanmar workers in Thailand, told the CNI.
He said, "There are Myanmar patients who come to Thailand to receive medical treatments. Although they hold visit visas, the bank opens accounts for them by requiring them to submit recommendations from the Myanmar embassy and their physicians. Therefore, such accounts have increased recently. Some Myanmar nationals do not understand money laundering laws. They fake recommendations from hospitals and clinics, apply for the embassy recommendations to open bank accounts. The Thai government has been launching an anti-money laundering campaign for four months before the embassy announcement. When the Thai anti-money laundering agencies investigated the accounts, the majority of them were of Myanmar nationals who came to Thailand on visit visas. Thai authorities know whether such visas and accounts are still valid. However, there are transactions in the accounts."
A counter offering services of the Bangkok Bank at the Myanmar embassy in Thailand.
Despite suspension of opening accounts for visit visas at the Bangkok Bank, the bank will continue to open accounts for holders of business visas, students at private and public schools, patients receiving treatments at hospitals, those who submit property rights, investors, staff of NOGs, retirement visa holders and members of religious organizations with the recommendations of the embassy.
However, holders of Thailand Elite/Thailand Privilege Card, foreigner members of Thai household lists and legal migrant workers are not required to apply for the recommendations from the embassy, according to the announcement.
The suspension of opening accounts at the Bangkok Bank for foreigners who hold visit visas will cause delays for Myanmar nationals who really need bank accounts, Labour Activist U Min Oo of the Foundation for Education and Development told the CNI.
He said, "Thai authorities are launching investigations into drug trafficking, money laundering and tax evasion. They have intensified the operations. However, there are about 10 exceptions for business visa holders, students, investors, members of religious orders and legal migrant workers. When migrant workers have officially registered, they can open bank accounts officially."
As Thai authorities are launching a campaign against money laundering, they are worried about opening accounts for those who are involved in illegal businesses, according to labour activists.
