A Siam Commercial Bank ATM in southern Ranong province began issuing extra cash to those making withdrawals on June 13th. Police have warned that those who fail to return the money face embezzlement charges as the bank maintains an individual record of each transaction.
A top police spokesman in Bangkok last Sunday urged a number of users of an ATM in Ranong, which on Saturday the 13th of June began dispensing excess cash to users, to return the money or face criminal prosecution.
Thai police have issued a strong warning to a number of ATM users to return money withdrawn from an ATM machine that went on the blink over the weekend from Saturday, June 13th and began to dispense cash withdrawals by a factor of 10.
The ATM was owned and operated by Siam Commercial Bank and based in the Thai province of Ranong on the west coast of southern Thailand.
Serious charges await those who keep the cash
On Sunday, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, General Krisana Pattanacharoen, said that those who failed to return the amounts involved in the discrepant transactions face serious embezzlement charges which could see them imprisoned for up to three years.
ATM malfunctioned on Saturday
He explained what happened on Saturday.
‘A Siam Commercial Bank ATM machine located on Thamuang Road in Ranong’s Muang district had malfunctioned since Saturday and gave out 10 times the amount of money than withdrawers requested, that is, when a person withdrew ฿1,200, it gave out ฿12,000,’
Users still on record as failing to return the bank’s cash while others reported to Ranong police station
The top policeman said that the bank had suspended the operation of the ATM machine but that there are still some users on record who have not returned the excess dispensed amounts.
He said that some bank customers had visited the police station in Ranong to return the amounts in question and had signed statements with police which would absolve them of any culpability in the matter.
Public can phone police hotline on 1599
His advice to the people who have not yet returned the money was to do so either to the Siam Commercial Bank itself or the police.
He urged anyone involved to ring the police hotline on 1599 if they have any questions about this matter.
Bank ready to file charges
He left those who received money but who have not yet refunded it, in no doubt about the situation from his point of view.
‘The bank representatives have already taken back the money, but some of it is still missing,’ he warned. ‘Those who received excessive sums and don’t return them may face a charge of embezzlement that the bank will soon file. The charge has a maximum punishment of three years imprisonment or a ฿60,000 fine, or both.’
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