BOT Revises “Mule Account” System to Reduce Impact on Innocent Users, Unlock Within 4 Hours, Hotline 1441 Available

(SAP NEWS – Ratcha Piyathammadhaj) The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has revised its system for classifying suspicious bank accounts, known as “mule accounts,” to reduce unintended harm to innocent account holders. The new system introduces fice eisk levels, color-coded to help banks and investigators track financial crime more effectively.

Photo: Facebook Thai PBS NEWS

Black Mule: Highest risk, confirmed involvement in money laundering, subject to account freeze and legal action.

Dark Gray Mule: Reported by victims, under investigation and account freeze procedures.

Light Gray Mule: Accounts with preliminary evidence but no formal complaint, still under behavioral surveillance.

Dark Brown Mule: Accounts flagged by banks for unusual activity, such as frequent transactions or links to known mule accounts.

Light Brown Mule: Accounts with early signs of irregular activity under initial monitoring.

Photo: Thairath Money

While the existing “transaction tracing” measures have helped disrupt criminal networks, they have also affected many innocent users. To address this, the BoT and related agencies are enhancing system accuracy, aiming for completion by the end of September. The goal is to restrict only necessary accounts while easing the burden on legitimate users.

Steps for Affected Users

Photo: ธนาคารแห่งประเทศไทย | Bank of Thailand

Individuals whose accounts are unexpectedly frozen can:

1. Prepare key information - full name, bank account number, and 13-digit national ID.

2. Contact the AOC Hotline 1441, press 2.

3. Submit details and evidence to investigators.

Urgent cases can be resolved within 4 hours, and standard cases within 1 business day, with account reviews scheduled three times daily (11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.).

However, accounts classified as Black or Dark Gray, with clear evidence or freeze orders, cannot be unlocked. Lower-risk accounts such as Light Gray or Brown Mules may be released more quickly if no freeze order exists or transaction values are low.

The BOT acknowledged potential side effects but stressed the necessity of strict measures to tackle mule accounts. Authorities pledged to listen to public feedback to ensure fairness and balance.

Latest Complaint Data

Wisit Wisitsora-at, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE), revealed on September 14 that the AOC Hotline received over 1,300 complaints about account freezes. Only 300 cases provided complete information for investigation, with 1,000 incomplete calls suspected of being attempts by mule account holders to pressure officials.

Among the 300 complete cases, only 30 (10%) were confirmed as innocent users, who subsequently had their accounts unlocked. The other 270 accounts were verified mule accounts. BOT data showed about 100 account freeze requests, of which only 11 were eligible for unlocking, aligning with DE findings.

Wisit emphasized that freezes apply only to the funds under suspicion, not the entire account, and cover Both individuals and companies. He urged those affected to prepare full information and promptly contact Hotline 1441, press 2, for faster resolution.

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Source of material: official media /online news