Worawut points out that Bangkok Bank’s requirement for a minimum 2,000 baht balance in e-Savings accounts further burdens small account holders and recommends reviewing this contradictory policy in the digital age.
On 10 March 2026, Worawut Toviratt, Deputy Secretary-General of the Thai Sang Thai Party, strongly opposed Bangkok Bank's announcement to adjust the conditions for its online e-Savings accounts. The bank requires customers to keep a minimum balance of 2,000 baht from 9 April 2026 onward. He stated that this measure imposes burdens and further strains the public, especially low-income groups, students, and daily wage workers for whom every baht matters. Forcing customers to keep 2,000 baht locked in the account without being able to withdraw it for urgent expenses blocks their access to liquidity and sets exploitative conditions amid a still fragile economic recovery.
Worawut also highlighted the policy’s contradiction with the original intent of e-Savings accounts, which should emphasize convenience, speed, and fewer financial barriers. Instead, it creates new obstacles, especially since withdrawing the final 2,000 baht requires customers to physically visit a branch to close the account. This causes inconvenience and undermines the very concept of Digital Banking. Such actions not only frustrate existing customers but also reflect that large banks do not genuinely prioritize promoting savings or financial flexibility for small users. Instead, they focus solely on managing their internal costs without regard for broader impacts.
Worawut urged Bangkok Bank to reconsider or revoke this condition in the interest of the public and the bank’s reputation. Simultaneously, he called on the Bank of Thailand, as regulator, to intervene and establish clear standards to prevent commercial banks from arbitrarily imposing exploitative rules on customers. He emphasized that advancing the digital economy must go hand in hand with protecting consumer rights, not by creating financial barriers that pressure the poor.