Thread: Bank left me stranded for 2 weeks in country on verge of national emergency, mobile phone company withdrew emergencycall

Bank didn't send pin for credit card or debit card, therefore had to leave country without them!


Arrange emergency transfer of funds to high street ATM account
3 weeks using credit card as sign for everything in Thailand and they dont use chip and pin ( couldnt anyway as they hadn't sent me one )
Had to delay flight by week as in Hospital in Thailand
Penultimate day of holiday Bank locked my card so that no pin overide was possible ( therefore had to use chip and pin or ATM ) no pin therefore no money.


HAD TO SELL CONTENTS OF SUITCASE TO PAY FOR SKYPE CALL TO BANK TO UNLOCK BLOCK, PROMISED AN EMERGENCY OVERIDE WOULD BE SET AT MIDNIGHT UK TIME 7am BANGKOK. HAD TO SLEEP ON STREET AND SELL CLOTHES AND JEWELLERY TO GET TO OLD HOSTEL!!

Taxi waiting outside hostel for airport at 4.30pm for 8.05pm flight, tried to settle bill at hostel and credit card still locked out! Missed flight as couldn't pay bill. Rang airline, no answer on anyline ( therefore couldn't avoid missed flight fine £100 and £100 reschedule fine )

Bank couldn't fund as didnt have credit card so had to arrange for £1000 of my own savings account in an emergency transfer to ATM account ( 24 -48 hours ) therefore I was now funding my escape lending one of the biggest banks in the world with my savings!

Bank Manager ringing me to sort at circa £3 per minute TO RECIEVE ran up a £350 bill and had to extend credit by explaining it was an emergency and my bank had to be able to ring me.

Withdrew max £200 per day, to settle hotel, taxi, visa extension, airline fines etc etc.


Arrived at airport bags checked in, had to pay fine and they insisted by credit card Missed flight 2.

Attended immigration next day was marched into Cheif inspectors office for Immigration and Consul of British Embassy had to negotiate my release which included the guarantee I was out of the country on my next arranged flight and original copies of letters ( not e-mail, not fax, ORIGINAL ) were received from the CEO's of the three companies involved to avoid detainment. (NB.Originally wanted this from the Cheif Consul) mobile phone provider decided to end this 45 minute call with the embassy Cheif Consul and left without emergency contact in either direction!

These failed to arrive and after 3 days of trying I finally got a stamp and no extension and hence had to catch next flight.

De ja vu after credit card working once, it failed again and I was left stranded in almost an identicle situation as 1st time around.

Rang Foreign Office and they advised me to dump suitcases, don't pay hotel bill and make sure I caught the flight or else you are likely to be arrested and detained in Thai detention centre. Did this however demonstrations in Bangkok meant that taxi had to divert around troubled areas and unable to make it after informing bank, embassy and foreign office after finding skype ( now a huge bill too ).

Missed flight 3 and had to save up for £600 fines of airline ( of which only £300 were valid as airline wouldn't answer phone to rearrange flight and hence had to pay missed flight fines)

Flead to Lao as fugitive of Thai Immigration police and left plea and evidence on my facebook page. Stould next to the rear carriage door which I had opened to jump out of if police checked.

Managed to get through immigration and into Lao after telling my family Malaysia to avoid arrrest!

Contacted bank and they ensured me that the most important thing was my safe timely return, however they would not fund a budget airline flight to Kuala Lumpar £60 and Kuala Lumpar to Stanstead £240, i.e the safest cheapest way home. Hence had no option but to return to Volatile Bangkok, with Police after my arrest and try and catch a 5 * airline flight back home from Bangkok.

Mobile phone provider barred all services of my phone completely before I have even received or even due to receive a bill!! This seems unable to be unlocked for 9 months whilst Otello investigate my complaint! This is the number given to all job agencies and on my CV hence effecting employment.

Suffering from stress and cost me around £7500 of my own cash which bank now refuse to re-emburse despite having an e-mail to the contrary. Also have evidence that executive management at Bank made a number of untruthful statements and gave it to somebody that wouldn't be able to deal with for 4 days whilst stranded

You had travel insurance.... yes?

This is a banking and mobile consumer issue, and nothing to do with my travel insurance! I was left stranded by two companies playing games with my life and liberty. Embassy and Foreign Office wouldn't help as it was a civil commercial issue and I was adviced to get the CEO's of bank, telecoms and airline to write to the Cheif Inspector of Immigration to stop the pursuit of my detention due to these games but none of them did and hence in addition to the unrest in Bangkok I was being pursued by Thai immigration.

I am wondering how I can get back £7500 it cost me to fund my escape from Thailand inc. £800 airline fines, £1000 mobile bill of which £500+ is trying to get customer service to switch my phone back on so the consul of the british embassy could ring me! £1000 skype. Visa extensions, taxi's subsistance, hotels etc. etc.

All caused by a banking error locking my credit card to chip and pin, in a country that doesn't use chip and pin! Followed by my mobile phone company making matters worse by barring my phone in this emergency and both fobbing me off for 2 weeks with the country on the verge of a national emergency and civilians being killed on the streets by machine gun fire from the Thai army!

How do I begin to get my money back if the executive offices just say no?

I am now suffering from stress as a result. Can I get compensation for any of this too?

Due to a banking error locking chip and pin overide in a country that doesnt use chip and pin, escalated into Thai immigration pursuing my detainment as missed flights and contact phone barred due to the calls received from my bank manager at circa £3 per minute NB. £2000 bill! 2 weeks to fund escape from Bangkok,on the verge of a national emergency!

Can I persue compensation under the consumer protection act? or health and safety. Executive offices of bank an mobile refuse to give any contribution which I believe is grossly unfair as it cost me approx. £7500 to fund myself out.

Did you ask the bank for a telephone number to call them from abroad?

It was a possible option as what you ar seeling is a 'consequential loss' claim and this is incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to prove liability is attached. Therefore, an insurance policy MAY have provided a useful safety net that could be used in the exterem circumstances you found yourself in - I don;t know where the 'civil unrest' part became an issue, but missing flights not related to the users incompetence but vaused by the actions of others, IS.

If you had it, claim anyway before you become time barred. What is there to lose?

wrong thread please delete