An 83-year-old Thai man has appealed for help after claiming that 615,600 baht (about S$24,000) disappeared from his bank account without his knowledge, while more than 2 million baht (about S$78,000) in later deposits allegedly failed to appear in his account balance.
Thanaphon Phutthaphong brought his case to the attention of Thai media, saying he hopes public scrutiny will encourage the bank and police to investigate what happened to his savings. The bank involved has not been publicly identified.
According to Thanaphon, his savings account at a bank branch in Bangkok’s Wat Phraya Krai area previously contained around 1.6 million baht. He later discovered two withdrawals dated October 21, 2024, involving 536,977.41 baht and 78,622.59 baht.
The two transactions amounted to exactly 615,600 baht, which Thanaphon insists he did not knowingly withdraw.
Elderly customer questions disputed withdrawals
Thanaphon also claimed that he deposited more than 2 million baht into the account across 2024 and 2025. However, he said the balance did not increase in accordance with the money he believed he had deposited.
He explained that he had not regularly checked his bank book in detail, partly because of his age. After noticing the discrepancies, he approached the branch manager and requested an explanation.
Thanaphon said the manager told him that the disputed withdrawals had been made by him. However, he reportedly asked to see CCTV recordings that could confirm who carried out the transactions.
According to the elderly man, he was subsequently told that the relevant CCTV footage was unavailable. The lack of footage has left him questioning how the withdrawals could be conclusively attributed to him.
Police complaint produces little progress
Thanaphon filed a complaint with Yan Nawa Police Station on April 23 and asked officers to investigate the disputed transactions.
He claimed that progress has since been limited. The elderly man said he attempted to contact the investigating officer by telephone and through LINE but was unable to get a response.
He was later reportedly told that police had contacted the bank manager to request documents relating to the account. However, Thanaphon claimed the bank said some records could not be handed over because they were documents that the financial institution was required to retain.
Police also reportedly informed him that CCTV footage supplied by the bank showed him inside the branch, but did not show him at the branch on the date associated with the disputed withdrawals.
Man seeks answers over missing savings
Thanaphon said he intends to seek assistance from another police station in an effort to have the matter investigated further.
He stressed that he wants a clear explanation of what happened to his money rather than preferential treatment. The case highlights the concerns that can arise when customers discover unexplained transactions after significant periods of time, particularly when supporting financial records or CCTV footage are unavailable.
The elderly man also expressed fears about his personal safety, saying he was concerned that his efforts to investigate the missing money could potentially put him at risk if powerful individuals were involved.
He asked authorities to consider the disputed bank transactions as one possible line of investigation should anything happen to him.
For now, the allegations remain unresolved. Further information from the bank and police is expected to clarify whether the disputed withdrawals and deposits resulted from an administrative error, a misunderstanding, unauthorised transactions or another issue. No conclusion has been established regarding responsibility for the missing funds.