I've been using a Tourist SIM card for several years in Thailand. I got this message yesterday saying I would have to go to a True office and "re--identify" myself, which I think means the face scan, which I didn't have to do when I first got it.

Surveillance state stuff is spreading everywhere.

Old news, BTW there is a risk your bank account is frozen if you haven't shown them proof that number is you

44 minutes ago, davb said:

I've been using a Tourist SIM card for several years in Thailand. I got this message yesterday saying I would have to go to a True office and "re--identify" myself, which I think means the face scan, which I didn't have to do when I first got it.

Surveillance state stuff is spreading everywhere.

 

So how does one extend SIM validity? Port the number over to AIS. 

 

 Send an SMS request to 4444151
    ➡ Thai customers: Type your National ID number and press Send
    ➡ Foreign customers: Type your Passport number (type both numbers and uppercase and lowercase letters correctly) and press Send

 

When the code is received, take it along to an AIS Service Centre or a Telewiz to get your new prepaid SIM.

Take phone and passport to a True service center.

They will take a picture of your passport and yourself.

That's it.

Whenever you get a new passport you have to re-do.

Sumilar with banks.

 

Same requirements at AIS.

1 hour ago, davb said:

which I didn't have to do when I first got it.

That's the "problem" if you like.

Telecoms are bound to stricter rules after thousands of numbers used for scams.

On my street they recently installed new streetlights that flood every nook and cranny. AI tells me the brightness level and daylight setting is what is optimal for facial recognition cameras, though unpleasant for the humans squinting in the glare.

I have a feeling scamming will continue despite all of this. 

8 minutes ago, davb said:

On my street they recently installed new streetlights that flood every nook and cranny. AI tells me the brightness level and daylight setting is what is optimal for facial recognition cameras, though unpleasant for the humans squinting in the glare.

I have a feeling scamming will continue despite all of this. 

if they have used led lights the suitability for facial recognition won't be lasting very long as they appear to lose their brightness quite quickly. This has nothing to do with online or call centre scammers 

8 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

if they have used led lights the suitability for facial recognition won't be lasting very long as they appear to lose their brightness quite quickly. This has nothing to do with online or call centre scammers 

That first part does match my observation - the LED lights are already less harsh.

1 hour ago, davb said:

I've been using a Tourist SIM card for several years in Thailand. I got this message yesterday saying I would have to go to a True office and "re--identify" myself, which I think means the face scan, which I didn't have to do when I first got it.

Surveillance state stuff is spreading everywhere.

 

This is specifically to do with Tourist SIM. Save yourself the annoyance and port the number to a normal prepaid SIM, wherein you can extend validity to 365 days.

 

1. SIM Validity Rules
   • All Tourist SIMs must follow the package validity shown on the SIM packaging, and the validity must not exceed 60 days.
   • SIM validity cannot be extended via top-up after expiry.
   • To continue using the service after expiry, customers must re-identify with a passport at any True dtac Shop or contact the Call Center: 1242 (True) / 1678 (dtac).

Just now, davb said:

That first part does match my observation - the LED lights are already less harsh.

another few weeks and you won't even be able to tell if they are on or not

My mate did this a few weeks ago to the AIS tourist SIM he bought on arrival at BKK last month. Kept the same number but no longer on "tourist" status. He also got a more economical data package enabled.

I got a very similar message from DTAC but the date is 14 Jan 26 for me. After receiving the message I did a series of 10 baht topups to extend my validity out to the maximum 1 year.

 

 

I'm assuming that I'm good for another year from now but any top ups made after 14 Jan 26 will no longer extend the validity any longer?

 

What happens if I want to extend it further in the future? I guess I can do that by re-identifying myself at a True dtac shop or calling 1678? Will they make me buy a package to extend the validity? Or what exactly do I need to do to extend the validity other than identifying myself?

 

I've had this number for almost 4 years and I use it as a permanent number to receive SMS codes for banking, etc and incoming calls. I don't have any package and just do 10 baht top ups to keep extending the validity. I use another SIM for data and outdoing calls which gets changed every year (Annual SIM card packages from Lazada).

 

I called 1678 to ask for clarification because this message is confusing. I was put on hold for 15 minutes and then told there are no agents available. I was still charged 3 baht for the call even though I wasn't connected with an agent.

I just got the same message from dtac as the previous poster. 
 

Except now I can no longer even see Net packages in the dtac app — I get an error that I am not eligible for that package category. 
 

When I call 1678, it’s in Chinese. 
 

There are no dtac shops anywhere near where I am. 
 

This is one of the rare times when I have no idea what I am supposed to do now. All my banking etc. in Thailand is tied to this number. I suspect this will shortly turn into a nightmare. 

21 minutes ago, tai4de2 said:

When I call 1678, it’s in Chinese. 

Try again.  "For English, press 9"

32 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Try again.  "For English, press 9"

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately it didn’t work. Neither did pressing 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 8. I gave up.

After futzing around in the dtac app I was able to select a new “featured package” that includes data. But the prices are higher than the packages I used to be able to select. 
 

There’s also My Choice which I just noticed for the first time after years of using the app! It allows creating a custom package with a mix of voice and data. But I’m not going to waste money on trying it for the time being since I already now have a (crappy) data package. 

1 hour ago, spicysalad said:

I got a very similar message from DTAC but the date is 14 Jan 26 for me. After receiving the message I did a series of 10 baht topups to extend my validity out to the maximum 1 year.

 

 

I'm assuming that I'm good for another year from now but any top ups made after 14 Jan 26 will no longer extend the validity any longer?

 

What happens if I want to extend it further in the future? I guess I can do that by re-identifying myself at a True dtac shop or calling 1678? Will they make me buy a package to extend the validity? Or what exactly do I need to do to extend the validity other than identifying myself?

 

I've had this number for almost 4 years and I use it as a permanent number to receive SMS codes for banking, etc and incoming calls. I don't have any package and just do 10 baht top ups to keep extending the validity. I use another SIM for data and outdoing calls which gets changed every year (Annual SIM card packages from Lazada).

 

I called 1678 to ask for clarification because this message is confusing. I was put on hold for 15 minutes and then told there are no agents available. I was still charged 3 baht for the call even though I wasn't connected with an agent.

 

 

If you don't want to port out, then do what @NanLaew's friend did and convert the base package to a normal SIM. 

1 hour ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

 

 

If you don't want to port out, then do what @NanLaew's friend did and convert the base package to a normal SIM. 

 

You are right. I just called 1678 again and got an agent this time. She changed my 'package' from tourist to regular prepaid SIM and said I can continue using it as normal now with no monthly fee and can continue extending the validity by topping up.

2 hours ago, spicysalad said:

I just called 1678 again and got an agent this time. She changed my 'package' from tourist to regular prepaid SIM and said I can continue using it as normal now with no monthly fee and can continue extending the validity by topping up.

 

This reply inspired me to try again. When I called this time, instead of Chinese I got English — perhaps my experience earlier today was because the system knew I needed “not Thai” but the English lines were all tied up, so it shunted me to Chinese? Who knows.

 

I then had exactly the same experience as @spicysalad described. The agent asked me for my name and passport number, and said because the number was properly registered with my passport she could just change my service from tourist to regular. I immediately got a text message about the new service, and in the DTAC app I can now again see all the packages that were suddenly unavailable to me this morning.

 

Previously, my main package was “Tourist SIM 49B_1.05B/min_Net2.14B/MB”. Now it’s “Call 0.75B/min Net2B/min SMS 3B MMS 5B”. This is visible in the DTAC app.

 

This is an eSIM I got at the airport about 3 years ago.

I’ll also say though that this experience was annoying enough that I might try to convert to postpaid. I am on an LTR visa; I’m not sure if that would be good enough for them to allow postpaid.

 

Another option would simply be for postpaid service to move over to my (Thai) wife. I might also consider porting out to AIS because maybe I can get some kind of deal included with my AIS fiber service at my condo.

Just got the same from True....

 

"Due to new Thailand telco regulations, Tourist SIM usage terms have changed. SIM validity can no longer be extended via top-up, and calls/SMS are charged at 5 THB per minute/message (VAT excl.), effective 16/1/26. To continue using the SIM, please re-identify at any True Shop or call 1242."

Stopped using thai bank and sim cards and just use ESIM for data package, cheaper and faster too. Can anyway call using whatsapp and line or still use the ESIM for emergency calls otherwise. Tired of these communist moves.

18 hours ago, tai4de2 said:

then had exactly the same experience as @spicysalad described. The agent asked me for my name and passport number, and said because the number was properly registered with my passport she could just change my service from tourist to regular. I immediately got a text message about the new service, and in the DTAC app I can now again see all the packages that were suddenly unavailable to me this morning.

 

Previously, my main package was “Tourist SIM 49B_1.05B/min_Net2.14B/MB”. Now it’s “Call 0.75B/min Net2B/min SMS 3B MMS 5B”. This is visible in the DTAC app.

Exactly the same experience for me. I went today in a True shop in Central world and they changed my main package from a tourist prepaid to a regular prepaid. It tooks only 2 min. Passport was needed.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

5 minutes ago, bravo19 said:

Exactly the same experience for me. I went today in a True shop in Central world and they changed my main package from a tourist prepaid to a regular prepaid. It tooks only 2 min. Passport was needed.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I called 1242, as suggested by the received SMS. There I was told to go to "Prepaid Change Ownership" on the app. This I did, and changed ownership from myself to myself. The only thing needed was a passport scan and a facial scan which all worked fine. Everything is exactly as it was before this action but I have a feeling I'm still going to have to go in to a shop and get the package changed over at some point. I'll wait and see what happens to the current validity (365 days) when I top up again at the end of next month.

3 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Stopped using thai bank and sim cards and just use ESIM for data package, cheaper and faster too. Can anyway call using whatsapp and line or still use the ESIM for emergency calls otherwise. Tired of these communist moves.

Cheaper and faster, how? 50 baht less than a SIM? But faster?

Not everyone's phone supports eSIM.

On 12/31/2025 at 10:24 AM, ChaiyaTH said:

Stopped using thai bank and sim cards and just use ESIM for data package, cheaper and faster too. Can anyway call using whatsapp and line or still use the ESIM for emergency calls otherwise. Tired of these communist moves.

There’s basically zero chance it’s “faster”. The data traffic has to be routed through a gateway somewhere… if that somewhere is Thailand, then you’ll get at most the same speeds as a local SIM — but probably less because the Thai providers are going to prioritize their own customers. If that somewhere isn’t Thailand (typically Hong Kong or Singapore) then it adds extra hops, which makes things slower. (I also doubt it’s cheaper, or at least, cheaper for the same level of service.)

I think you’re also confused about what an eSIM is; for example my Thailand SIM is an eSIM. You probably meant “virtual network provider” — which is not synonymous with eSIM.

On 12/31/2025 at 5:29 AM, Upnotover said:

I called 1242, as suggested by the received SMS. There I was told to go to "Prepaid Change Ownership" on the app. This I did, and changed ownership from myself to myself. The only thing needed was a passport scan and a facial scan which all worked fine. Everything is exactly as it was before this action but I have a feeling I'm still going to have to go in to a shop and get the package changed over at some point. I'll wait and see what happens to the current validity (365 days) when I top up again at the end of next month.

You don't need to top-up to extend validity:

Application instructions(For TRUE)

• Direct number (USSD) press *934* desired extension days (30/90/180 days)# then press Call

• Automated reply system (IVR) dial *1013

• mydtac eService

e.g. *934*180# then to press the Call key.

DTAC is *113*desired extension days (30/90/180 days)# then to press Call.

Service rates

• 3 THB service fee for 30 day extension

• 9 THB service fee for 90 day extension

• 15 THB service fee for 180 day extension

• Service rates above are VAT included.

Service terms and conditions

• Customers must have accumulated service usage of at least 200 THB and remain active status with at least 1 day of usage credit balance on service activation date.

• Customers can accumulate usage days up to 365 days after service usage.

https://www.true.th/en/services/true-jaidee

https://www.true.th/en/betterliv/support/prepaid-ussd-ivr

52 minutes ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

You don't need to top-up to extend validity:

Yes I know. But as I add 300 to my balance each month I would hope that would in itself maintain/extend the validity period without additional actions.

55 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Yes I know. But as I add 300 to my balance each month I would hope that would in itself maintain/extend the validity period without additional actions.

300 baht in one go, adds just one month, if it were the case that your advance validity disappeared. Best to apply it in increments.

Though the post wasn't just for you, as some people don't maintain packages and therefore need to remember to extend validity.

What do you get for your 300 baht?