Blocking / Locking A Phone Based On Its Imei Number

[DickDastardly]

My girlfriend had her almost new phone stolen recently. In the UK a phone can be blocked based on its IMEI number. Does anyone know if this can this be done in Thailand?

[Chaimai]

My girlfriend had her almost new phone stolen recently. In the UK a phone can be blocked based on its IMEI number. Does anyone know if this can this be done in Thailand?

Really ?

I was told that once. Found out later sister was using it.

[ballbreaker]

My girlfriend had her almost new phone stolen recently. In the UK a phone can be blocked based on its IMEI number. Does anyone know if this can this be done in Thailand?

Really ?

I was told that once. Found out later sister was using it.

Funny how it always happens. Don't buy her a new one or if you do buy the cheapest thing you can find.

[lomatopo]

This question has come up a few times here. I think some indicated that while the systems here obviously supports the option to deny service based on the IMEI, operators do not currently offer this service.

You should first complete a police report then contact all the service providers (AIS/DTAC/TrueMove) who support GSM-SIM-based services. Tell them the phone was stolen and ask them to block service. I doubt they will, and it really won't help get your phone back. I do agree that blocking might be a deterrent but criminals always figure a work-around: selling the phone off-shore, re-programming the IMEI, etc.

[onethailand]

This question has come up a few times here. I think some indicated that while the systems here obviously supports the option to deny service based on the IMEI, operators do not currently offer this service.

You should first complete a police report then contact all the service providers (AIS/DTAC/TrueMove) who support GSM-SIM-based services. Tell them the phone was stolen and ask them to block service. I doubt they will, and it really won't help get your phone back. I do agree that blocking might be a deterrent but criminals always figure a work-around: selling the phone off-shore, re-programming the IMEI, etc.

You don't want a block, really. Do as Lomatopo says - file a police report. Then take to your service provider and ask them to TRACE the phone.

[nikster]

I am all for the "now get her a cheap phone" option. Sounds the most sensible to me

Do service providers really trace phones for you? That would be somewhat surprising. In western countries it would clearly require a court order, not just some girl saying a phone was stolen.

[onethailand]

I am all for the "now get her a cheap phone" option. Sounds the most sensible to me

Do service providers really trace phones for you? That would be somewhat surprising. In western countries it would clearly require a court order, not just some girl saying a phone was stolen.

At a bare minimum, you would need the police report. After that, it's basically up to the service provider as to what effort they will make to find the phone, but in theory this is one of the original reasons for IMEI.

I am not sure about western countries, but I don't think a court order would be required as long as you can provide proof of the purchase of the phone as normally they would record all that information at the point of sale.

[astral]

The lock can definitely be done.

It was standard policy for both AIS and DTAC when they first started up to prevent a phone

bought from one company being used on the other's network.

It was abandoned as general policy when Orange came into the market.

You can get the police report and see if the company will block it for you,

but I am not sure there is any agreement to block across all networks.

Better to just it write off as a loss.

[DickDastardly]

Thank you all that have replied. It seems even if we could get the IMEI blocked the phone can be reprogrammed with another. She already has a police report as she lost her ATM card, ID card, keys etc when her bag was snatched.

[Roachiebkk]

Thank you all that have replied. It seems even if we could get the IMEI blocked the phone can be reprogrammed with another. She already has a police report as she lost her ATM card, ID card, keys etc when her bag was snatched.

I had a burglar jump on my balcony, open the doors off the balcony and stole my week old n97. I live in a secure compound and the balcony opens onto the internal garden and pool. Walked in where I was sleeping with my wife and daughter and took the phone off the bedside table not 2 feet from me. Police came, I went to station, then went to AIS in Pinklao where they issued the same number for me. I asked them to track/lock the N97 using the IMEI number (as I still had the original box sitting there) but they were no help and said it doesn't matter as they can unblock instantly at MBK. However, if they could track the phone instead of blocking it that might give a clue. But basically AIS don't want to help. Funny thing was though that the police investigating decided two hours later to call the phone number and got me on the line, as I had just replaced the sim. Sure they must have thought I found my phone.