A few day ago at the local KBank branch, a trio of promo girls were handing out free “ATM SIM” cards to all KBank customers who would take them. They’re regular Happy SIM cards from DTAC, with one added feature. In the phone’s menu, an additional icon labeled “ATM SIM” appears. When you click this, and enter your PIN code, you get a text menu that’s very similar to what a KBank ATM machine would present you. You can check your account balance, transfer money, top up your Happy account, and pay bills right via your mobile phone, anywhere in Thailand. The only thing your mobile won’t do is dispense cash.

The system works great. I find it far more comfortable than phone banking systems that use a voice to read the menus and confirmations. It’s a bit slow, though. After every step it says “wait 15 sec”, though the actual wait is usually more than 15 seconds. But it’s still way faster than driving to a real ATM. All in all I find the system very comfortable to use. I definitely recommend it.

As a result, after having proudly not owned a mobile phone for some 7 years, I’m connected again. No, I’m not giving you my number!

There are no extra charges for the ATM SIM transactions, other than what a transaction on a regular ATM would cost. Nothing is deducted from your mobile’s calling balance. If you already have a DTAC or Happy account, you can exchange your SIM card for an ATM SIM card free of charge at KBank.