ANDREW KAUFMAN, MD: Vietnam just deactivated 86 million bank accounts overnight. No warning, no grace period. Individuals who failed to submit biometric data were immediately denied access.

Vietnam just deactivated 86 million bank accounts overnight. No warning, no grace period. Individuals who failed to submit biometric data were immediately denied access. This is not speculation. This is applied state-level biometric enforcement.

Don’t assume this is “too extreme… pic.twitter.com/9kBo3cd7i4

— Andrew Kaufman MD (@AndrewKaufmanMD) September 19, 2025

How do you pay your bill if your bank account was closed, and they won't let you open an account unless you've submitted your biometric identification?  

St33lMouse explains, 

I live in Vietnam. There was a few months warning. You had to go to the bank and get your biometrics taken. Essentially a photo. If you didn't do it, they locked your account.

It was unwelcome and annoying, but not difficult. I imagine those who didn't do it in time simply got their accounts locked until they came in and got it done.

This sort of thing makes me avoid depositing large amounts of money in Vietnamese banks. It's just self preservation.

All banks under all governments are one of the primary policy levers they have over people, and you should always be wary of banks no matter where you live.