Stolen Cellpphone

[NanLaew]

My wife had her cellphone lifted while out shopping yesterday. When we try and call the number, it's already going to her voicemail so they have removed her SIM already.

Two questions here.

Do the Thai GSM carriers subscribe to any IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number blocking program like some other countries do? This would render the handset unusable regardless of the SIM change.

It was an AIS one-2-call "pay-as-you-go" SIM so can she have her old number reprogrammed into a new SIM by an AIS agent?

Thanks for your help.

[monty]

My wife had her cellphone lifted while out shopping yesterday. When we try and call the number, it's already going to her voicemail so they have removed her SIM already.

Two questions here.

Do the Thai GSM carriers subscribe to any IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number blocking program like some other countries do? This would render the handset unusable regardless of the SIM change.

It was an AIS one-2-call "pay-as-you-go" SIM so can she have her old number reprogrammed into a new SIM by an AIS agent?

Thanks for your help.

Technically they can block the phone, but not sure what the procedure is. I assume police report etc. would be needed. Then I guess you'd need to contact all operators as I assume each operator will have to block that IMEI from using their network.

But for the thief this would be easy to circumvent by asking one of the phoneshops to put new firmware in along with a new IMEI, costs maybe a few hundred Baht. Depends on the value of the phone if they'll go that way.

On2Call sim cards can be replaced, they will ask her some questions, for example when and how much she last put credit on, and probably the last few numbers she dialed.

[Pitbullman1]

I recently had my mobile telephone stolen. I use DTACT so we called them and gave them my number, and informed them of the theft of my phone. They were able to stop all further calls made by the thief and told me to report the theft to the local Police, obtain a report and take it to their DTACT shop, and that they would issue me with another sim card, this would have my old number and all monies left on it for me to use, however all of the telephone numbers on the sim card that I had saved would have been automatically deleted.

The thieves usually buy a new sim card, and either keep it or sell it on as a second hand phone.

[Beardog]

As long as the phone has the original board Imie numbers it can be traced via GPS. we were robbed last year & the police were able to get the location through Nokia of the phone & all contacts made on the sim card through ais. If the sim card is changed the cops can still request an incoming & outgoing record of calls. Ours was an armed robbery & the police had been tracking these fools for a while - so they had a vested interest since we were able to identify the perpetrators. 4 of 5 are now in jail & it led to 37 more arrests in sattahib, chonburi, Pattaya & a chop shop & yaabaa source in Bangkok. I am not sure if the heat would follow through on a simple theft without a gun involved.

[NanLaew]

^ That's a very reassuring post Beardog. Since yours was an armed robbery, I am pretty sure they used whatever it took to get these guys, including getting Nokia to provide the GPS info.

I think that even in the US, the cost of the phone alone isn't enough to trigger automatic tracing unless there's a more serious felony associated with the theft.

Anyway, we will see if the MIB will provide a theft report although the AIS one-2-call website implies a replacement procedure for 'lost' SIM cards and nothing specific regards theft. Since she left her phone unattended in the bank whereupon it was lifted, it's more a case of opportunistic theft. It was a mall branch of a bank so we aint interested in looking at any CCTV stuff they may have. New phone, new SIM (old number), end of.

Thanks all for the info. Much appreciated.

[H2oDunc]

How many people have their IMEI number ? If you want it al you need do is dial *#06# and that is the number of your phone. In the UK they can block the phone from the neworks making it useless so effectively making stealing a mobile pointless unless you are an idiot. Here in Thailand I don't think they have the same agreement across the networks. I-Phone have a nifty little applcation that lets you dial a number and it shows the GPS co ordinates of the phone so you can trace it if stolen. It works even if they have switched sim cards

[SongtaiJ]

I don't think IMEI tracking is available here in Thailand and even they have, it's very cheap to unlock everything at MBK.

The best way is to hide small GPS device in your handset, when you lost the cell, you can track it by yoursefe. One of my friend did that to spy if her husband has a secret wife or not. LOL.

What the provider can do is only to terminate the sim card since they provide only the network and sim service and it's hard to find by tracking sim becoz one who found your cell might kick your sim card out asap. As they make it more convenient for the customer to change their provider as they wish by using prepaid sim, seem to me that there are very few contract phone service available here in Thailand now.

I know that AIS have one free service called Sim bank. You can leave your contact list on their data based. In case you change a new sim card or lost it, you can still get the phone book back to the new device. However, have to visit the shop and apply the service before you lose the handset.

Hope this reply would help you get some idea. take care.

Edited September 5, 2009 by SongtaiJ

[DocHolliday]

Even with EMEI tracking I think the chance to get your phone back is rather slim

[NanLaew]

Thanks for the info. We aren't even considering getting the phone back but it would have been nice to render the handset a 'brick' so the perp hasn't all the joy.

But since the Thai GSM operators and law enforcement don't see the need to crush the 'gray market' in recycling cellphones, I hope that the opportunist thief had a really, really bad motorcycle accident as he/she rushed home with their new phone.

The longer you live here, the better this karma crap gets.

[Beardog]

The GPS tracking device is an embedded chip on the board. No way to block in Thailand except for removal of hardware & putting in a new board leaving a 200 baht case. hardly worth stealing. But if you leave you phone & it is snapped up Nil chances to recover .....maybe a hefty donation to the cop that took the report to get the inspector to run a GPS trace Doubtful though. Even in the U.S. They can do a trace & locate down to the nearest bedroom the phone is in providing the battery is in it. Need not be on. Same as a lojack auto GPS tracking device.