Group files complaints over 'missing' deposits at banks
A group of people who say their bank accounts have "disappeared" filed a complaint yesterday with the National Legislative Assembly's consumer protection committee, claiming commercial banks had taken all their money.
Kriekkrai Dechtheeranukul, a businessman, led four members of the group in a call for authorities to investigate and force the banks to compensate victims of wrongdoing. Kriekkrai said he had a fixed deposit account at Thai Farmer Bank's Phaholyothin branch since November 23, 1984, in which he deposited Bt220,630. He said he never withdrew anything from the account, which he used as one of his company's guarantee accounts. He said the sum in the account might have reached close to Bt1 million, considering the original capital and interest earnt over two decades. Kriekkrai said that two months ago the bank told him the account had been closed. He then learned that Bt47,325 had been withdrawn in August 1985, and some Bt424,445 taken out in November 1994. Kriekkrai said he asked the bank to check the account's original statements, but bank staff tried to evade his request. Another plaintiff, Kanchana Wisaila, a factory worker, said she opened a savings account with Bt5,000 at the Siam Commercial Bank's Buddhamonthol 4 branch on September 25 this year, then deposited another Bt3,000 on October 6 - for her eight year-old child. Kanchana later filed a police complaint on November 13, when she found her bank account book missing and went to apply for a new one. Although she never withdrew a single baht, the bank informed her she had only Bt1,000 left in the account - because someone had withdrawn Bt7,000 on October 9 at 9.43am. When she asked to see proof, bank officials claimed they had no close-circuit cameras and did not ask the person to show his or her ID card, nor record the ID card number, as the bank clerk assumed the person was the account owner, Kanchana said. The bank manager told her to file a court lawsuit. A third person, Thawatchai Peerawattanasakul, said he had two fixed deposit accounts with about Bt400,000 in total at the First Bangkok City Bank's Samut Prakan branch. The Bank of Thailand then ordered the bank to merge with the Krung Thai Bank in 1998, he said. Over the past two years he has contacted the Krung Thai Bank's Sri Samut Road branch many times about his deposit money but the bank insisted his account had been closed.
|
