Mobile Phone Users Told To Register Sim Cards

[george]

Mobile phone users told to register SIM cards

BANGKOK: -- Mobile phone users are being given six months in which to register their personal data under a government scheme aimed at cracking down on the use of mobile phones to detonate explosives in Thailand's southern border region.

Introducing the 'Joining Hands, Joining Forces' campaign today, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Suwit Khunkitti said that prepaid mobile phone customers would be given from 1 July to 31 December to register their information.

Under the scheme, mobile phone users will be expected to fill out forms in their own handwriting, in which they will state their name, identity (ID) card number and mobile phone numbers.

They will then have to sign the form in the presence of an official, who will then countersign it.

The scheme is being introduced in an effort to prevent southern insurgents from using mobile phones belonging to other people to detonate explosives.

By registering all SIM cards, the government hopes to be able to log the identity of all users.

--TNA 2005-06-22

[A. BOOZER]

Mobile phone users told to register SIM cards 

They will then have to sign the form in the presence of an official, who will then countersign it.

--TNA 2005-06-22

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this an official way to obtain 'Tea money'?

[sonnyJ]

I bought a new AIT prepaid number in Chiang Rai less than a month ago and nothing was asked.

I thought it was on already, to get info of new customers and etc..

Waiting to see how this registration thing goes. So where should i register? I have received no info what so ever?

Will be extended till 2008 propably...

Anyway I don't get the point. What good can this do to anybody? Even lot's of money will be lost in terms of required staff handling the registering.

???

[Keaow]

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

[dan10400]

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well, the idea is a terrorist would be a bit reluctant to use a

stolen phone to hook up a bomb as somebody might decide

to call that number whilst they were in the middle of hooking

it up or placing it.

there is some logic to the registration - not sure why they

couldn't have just phased it in though.

--dan

[AsiaWolfie]

easy for bad people to get SIM cards registered.... you just have to ask some unknown person from the street (a student for example) to register a SIM card under his name ("I give you 500 Baht if you register for me, because I dont want my wife/GF/BF to know about that number"). So, which young Thai person wouldnt agree to earn a quick 500 Baht so easily....

What ? ME ? nooooooo way......of course I would NEVER do such thing, I am so innocent, and will always do everything my GOD THAKSIN asks me to do

[birdbirdbat]

I bought a mobile phone less than a week ago here in the South.

Knowing this was on the horizon, I asked at the shop in Trang if they wanted to check my ID. They said "no"

go figure?

[Ijustwannateach]

This will cause a lot of problems unforeseen by the government:

1. Sim cards used to implicate others falsely in crimes (along with the scam Wolfie mentions above!)

2. No longer will sim numbers be anonymous- so one will have to be as careful in giving someone one's mobile number as in giving him one's name. And once you give your number to someone else, and they give IT to someone else, all the third parties can determine your name.

I'm soooo sure this will prevent terrorist organizations from anonymizing their phone calls. After all, they seem to have been so poor at keeping their identities from the police so far...

[samiotis]

hmmmm....where to register? on a police station? immigration? 7/11? that would be interssting to know.

About security, we 're talking terrorists here. i guess they would not hook a bomb on a phone with the battery in and they will get stolen phones from any pick-pocket anywhere. a new buisness is raising out the ashes, phone-dealing.

I agree also completly with the fact that there are enough poor people walking the street who would do more then that for 500 baht. it's a sad story but it all end up that it is easy now for big brother to give a name to a funny pfone call they grab out of the air, regarding just about anything. folks we live in 2005. technology is everywhere.

only solution here: Back to the good old SMOKE SIGNALS

[noBuzz]

This has got to be one of the most silly registrations i ever heard of.

The ways of getting around this attempt to control SIM's are too many.

Or how about simply using SIM's bought in Malaysia?

My bet is that there is another reason behind it all.

[chiangmaifalcon]

I am sure it is not because someone may want access to a list of all customers of the competitors in the mobile phone business.

[Keaow]

These days there seems to be a lot of world governments using the 'war against terror' to introduce what could be called Big Brother type laws/rules. 10 or 15 years ago some of these rules would have been unthinkable.

[kelake]

It's standard procedure here in Taiwan to have to fill out a form to get a prepay sim card. Passport or ID is required to get one. While not as convenient as in Bangkok where I can get a new phone number everyday at the local 7-11 it doesn't seem oppressive.

[JimsKnight]

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well, the idea is a terrorist would be a bit reluctant to use a

stolen phone to hook up a bomb as somebody might decide

to call that number whilst they were in the middle of hooking

it up or placing it.

there is some logic to the registration - not sure why they

couldn't have just phased it in though.

--dan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All he'd do then is switch the phone off! And turn it one when he needs too!

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well, the idea is a terrorist would be a bit reluctant to use a

stolen phone to hook up a bomb as somebody might decide

to call that number whilst they were in the middle of hooking

it up or placing it.

there is some logic to the registration - not sure why they

couldn't have just phased it in though.

--dan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All he'd do then is switch the phone off! And turn it on when he needs too !

Guys this phone sim registration is just a bunch of Jazz, how the heck are they gonna enforce getting every sim card being registered? All you need to do if they do go all militant is buy two sim cards now; one for registering and one for 'Discrete' Use.

What about all the foreigners who have mobiles, according to good old thai law we falangs technically are forbidden from owning anything or are will we have to declare our passport number? Also what happens when you sell the phone and sim card?? Are we expected to trduge to a government office to complete the sale there? The Thai Government and the toxin man needs to get real.

Edited June 22, 2005 by JimsKnight

[terdsak_12]

Registering 15 odd million people will be a task in itself!!!

[Sunny Valentine]

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well, the idea is a terrorist would be a bit reluctant to use a

stolen phone to hook up a bomb as somebody might decide

to call that number whilst they were in the middle of hooking

it up or placing it.

there is some logic to the registration - not sure why they

couldn't have just phased it in though.

--dan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lots of newer mobile phones have the option to assign caller groups, so all the terrorist has to do is program the number used to trigger the bomb to a group, and set the phone so that all calls outside this group (i.e. all other numbers) are left unanswered or rejected. Easy to do with lots of mobile phones, but I guess the government assumes the terrorists cannot read the manuals ......

This registration is useless for terror prevention, but it might come useful for some government plans to control the people .....

Sunny

[britmaveric]

Waste of bloody time - time to move on to a better topic. This one will disappear like every other silly govt mandate.

[Bangkok Barry]

It's always the same here - no-one ever, EVER thinks things through. They just say the first thing that comes into their head. Anyone with the power of logic can see there are dozens of ways around the rule.

[gondarman]

I bought a new AIT prepaid number in Chiang Rai less than a month ago and nothing was asked.

I thought it was on already, to get info of new customers and etc..

Waiting to see how this registration thing goes. So where should i register? I have received no info what so ever?

Will be extended till 2008 propably...

Anyway I don't get the point. What good can this do to anybody? Even lot's of money will be lost in terms of required staff handling the registering.

???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[siam1946]

These days there seems to be a lot of world governments using the 'war against terror' to introduce what could be called Big Brother type laws/rules. 10 or 15 years ago some of these rules would have been unthinkable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quo

[siam1946]

Amen to that, and the usa ( the country I am from, unfortunatly ) is responcible for that. They are also providing the technology for national I.D. cards. next 666.

[robsamui]

AN UTTERLY IDIOTIC SCHEME.

So what's next? Registering every alarm clock? Every electric clock-radio? Every radio-controlled toy car and model plane? Registering timers for cookers and ovens? I know...let's register boxes of matches and lighters in case someone wants to light a fuse...

One other thought...there is one very senior Thai person who would benefit greatly from having the ID and details of all the people with phones...

R

[capt_canada42]

It's standard procedure here in Taiwan to have to fill out a form to get a prepay sim card. Passport or ID is required to get one. While not as convenient as in Bangkok where I can get a new phone number everyday at the local 7-11 it doesn't seem oppressive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe its not oppresive to you but to many of us here it is, as we havn't been brain washed like you already God there so many sheep out there just plain idiots with no understanding of anything in the world, they just line them up and lead them to the slaughter

[RickFarang]

It was mentioned months ago that they will eventually turn off all the unregistered SIM cards at one point. Maybe people buying new phones will have to wait for activation in the future.

One aspect they aren't talking about, is that they will know where everybody is, or at least what cell their cell phone is in.

With a new set of technologies coming online, broadly identified by the term "antenna diversity", the phone system will be able to locate a cell phone to within a few meters (no, this is different from GPS -the telephone does not have to be especially equipped -its a way to accomodate more phones in the same cell by illuminating small "hot spots" around the particlar cell phone.)

Do you really want someone building up a profile of your whereabouts as a function of time? It could be useful for law enforcement, and it could lend itself to all sorts of abuse.

[Sandstone Art]

A pre-paid top up card of 300 baht will give you an extended line for one month.

So, anybody who wants to do evil with any SIM card can just top up what he wants. It is very cheap.

The terrorist can buy many many SIM cards and start topping them up now. How are they going to ensure no bombs is detonated from 1 July to 31 Dec?

And 100 percent sure after 31 Dec? Let's wait and see

Toxin is always slapping his own face with all the silly laws!

[sunshine146]

And what happens when the phone is stolen and used by a terrorist??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well, the idea is a terrorist would be a bit reluctant to use a

stolen phone to hook up a bomb as somebody might decide

to call that number whilst they were in the middle of hooking

it up or placing it.

--dan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wrong. 70% of mobiles have a auto power on/off function to save battery or with alarm. So there is no risk to the bomber Just set the function before soldering the wires to the ringer. Easy.

It i not nessesary to steal anyway as old sims can be bought for the price of credit in them plus 50 baht.

To someone in the real world(and not in fairy land with the tea fairy) this idea is simply a dupe. I don't want to care about corruption anyway. Likely be a few generations before the corruption thing winds itself out as the poorer folk wake up to there being plenty and the richer folk getting bored by the same old things or something like it. Sad it still exists really for the kids who will have to learn bout it themselves.

[MaiChai]

So what happens if you do not register? I did not see that in the release. Are the phone companies going to turn off the SIM cards, and then loose revenue, or maybe the customer will go and buy a SIM card on the competitions network if they get cut off?

If they turn off SIM card, and keep the credit, is that the same as stealing? I have a couple thousand baht on mine, cause I keep topping it up to keep it active; I would pissed to loose that!

15M phone users are not going to register unless they are forced to.

Someone mentioned locational stuff. This is not easy. On SS7 you can find out which mobile switching centre (MSC or switch)you are on. The actual base station is on the MSC, so unless AIS is going to make available which base station you are on by probing the MSC, and where the base stations are, then locational stuff is pretty difficult.

[marquess]

I agree with the earlier poster, this is an oppressive and unnecessary measure. I for one will wait for the deadline before registering, and even then will get a third party to do it.

[britmaveric]

This will disappear mark my words though fearless leader does have his fingers in telecom industry....

Edited June 22, 2005 by britmaveric

[BlackJack]

this is gonna be a scream as many of the bar girls use their mobile phone as collateral

'I need to borrow 1000 baht, here take my phone until i pay it back"

THEY NEVER DO

i have a dozen phones here

and pray tell

what snazzy computer system is going to manage 15 million users, buying, selling, trading, losing, their phones

OK all sing along

to dream the impossible dream..........................dah dee dooo

oh pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze