National —
On February 1st, 2025, Deputy Government Spokesperson Karom Polpornklang announced that the government is stepping up security by “Cleaning Mobile Banking” for mobile banking to curb mule accounts used in financial crimes.
Under the new rules, the name on a mobile banking account must match the registered SIM card owner. Banks will notify users if discrepancies are found, and affected customers must verify their identity at mobile service centers by April 30th, 2025. Failure to do so will result in being locked out of your mobile banking and possibly entire account, warn banks.
A previous cleanup effort in late 2024 reviewed over 120 million phone numbers, categorizing them into three groups:
- M (Matching): 75.8 million numbers (63.02%) where names align.
- N (Non-Matching): 30.9 million numbers (25.68%) requiring updates for mostly foreign users or those with mismatched details.
- P (Pending Verification): 13.5 million numbers (11.29%) with incomplete SIM ownership records.
Users in groups N and P will receive in-app notifications from their banks between February 1st and 28th. Those failing to update their details within 90 days risk having their mobile banking services temporarily suspended.
Certain exceptions apply, including government agencies, corporate accounts, and individuals with legal constraints. The government urges users to check their status through banking apps and comply with the verification process. If no notification is received, mobile banking services remain unaffected.