Unregistered Pre-paid Mobiles To Be Disconnected

[Jai Dee]

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

Minister of Information and Communication Technology Sora-at Klinpratoom (สรอรรถ กลิ่นประทุม ) reiterated that all signals from prepaid mobile phones will be discontinued if they are not registered by Novermber the 15th 2005.

Mr Sora-at said that currently 60 percent of the prepaid users have completed registration. He expects that more would show up at the registeration counter before the expiration date.

Officers and staff across the country have been told to check through documents of the owners thoroughly to prevent forgery of documents.

As for people from other provinces who would like to travel to the three southern border provinces and use pre-paid phones, Mr. Sora-at added that they must have their sim-card registered as well or else their services would also be cut.

MR. Sora-at said that the registration dateline for owners of sim-card based mobile phones in other provinces is 31st December.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2548

[george]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut

BANGKOK: -- Up to 130,000 unregistered cellular phone users in the troubled far south of the country could be cut off at midnight Tuesday.

Such devices are often used by insurgents in the mainly-Muslim area of the country to detonate remote-controlled bombs.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom said all transmissions by prepaid calls will end throughout the southernmost provinces from midnight. Calls made by unregistered cellular phones from outside the area into region will also be cut off.

Of a total of about 470,000 cellular phone lines reported to be currently in use throughout the region, only about 340,000 had been registered so far, the minister said.

Many of those who had not registered were expected to do so later today, according to the minister. The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

[jdinasia]

Well, if you aren't on postpay you should be ... and again if you are not you have had MONTHS to take care of this.

[sabaijai]

MR. Sora-at said that the registration dateline for owners of sim-card based mobile phones in other provinces is 31st December.

Aren't all cell phones in Thailand sim-card based?

[jaapfries]

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like the other guy said; people have had many months to get this organized. I, for one, am looking forward to "the day after" because with so many 'users' off the system, perhaps we can actually get through a bit better ?!

Oh yeah; as far as all this gafuffle being an effective deterent against setting off bombs . . . . . . . yeah right: "duuuuhhhh" !

PS: I LOVE this country, because I have a giant sense of humor !

[britmaveric]

I'm quite positive - you will have fake id(s) registered to said sim cards, so the entire thing is pointless. (waste of time in reality, but if you like your number better register)

[Foggy Bottom]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

[capt_canada42]

Well I hope they don't shoot us allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll gulp gulp

[britmaveric]

Passport and short form to one of the totes that sells sim cards. I had my gf do mine for me since I would have missed the target date.

It was reported since July if I recall.

Edited November 15, 2005 by britmaveric

[Roger_JG]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You still have a month and a half to find out... up to you...

~R

[NordicMan]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey brother, if I live in USA or England, can I get messages from the phone company sent to my phone in Norwegian if I choose Norwegian language on my phone?

Get real.

Do you think the hundreds of thousands of non-Thai and non-English speaking immigrants from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos should get messages in their own language too? Or just you?

Cheers

NM

[pschef]

well I am not sure, but I read this subject months ago. I did go to Detac shop and one 2 call Orange too. It was quite easy, just show your passport or ID card sign on the form ( provided) and that was it. I hope Im not wrong but it was well published on Thaivisa??? Kop Jie Der but I must admit never by Sms thats true.

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[kandt]

When did they relocate Chiang Mai to the Southern most Provinces? Another Toxin trick?

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[lomatopo]

Well, if you aren't on postpay you should be ... and again if you are not you have had MONTHS to take care of this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AIS currently have ~ 16 million subscribers, with 14 million being pre-paid and the remaining 2 million are post-paid customers. I am certain AIS wishes this were reversed. Foreigners are required to have a work-permit in order to get a post-paid account.

I would expect all of the operators to start sending out SMSes reminding people to register their SIMs as we get closer to the 31 December cut-off date. Most, but not all, the SMS'es AIS send to me are in Thai.

[mfindlay]

Be intresting to see if they block all the unregistered roaming SIM's. There are not too many countries in the world that require SIM cards to be registered, or if they do its just against a local address.

In the UK they are now recommending that if you go on holiday buy a local SIM to reduce the cost of roaming charges.

This SIM registration was reported on Thaivisa back in late June early July.

[DrBooze]

QUOTE(Jai Dee @ 2005-11-15 09:10:02)

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

As for people from other provinces who would like to travel to the three southern border provinces and use pre-paid phones, Mr. Sora-at added that they must have their sim-card registered as well or else their services would also be cut.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2548

Stupid question... Why are they doing this? Everyone's got to register so what's all this about the South?

I guess your not paying to register your phone, so it's not a money spinner.

How are the Govt justifying this? Security reasons? And what are the aims?

Edited November 15, 2005 by DrBooze

[lomatopo]

Be intresting to see if they block all the unregistered roaming SIM's. There are not too many countries in the world that require SIM cards to be registered, or if they do its just against a local address. 

In the UK they are now recommending that if you go on holiday buy a local SIM to reduce the cost of roaming charges.

This SIM registration was reported on Thaivisa back in late June early July.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Roaming phones will not be blocked. Your SIM identifies your native network and you are allowed access to a network, after the local operator receives a message back from your native provider. Now if someone screws up the change on 31 Dec, and chooses to block all SIMs, then all bets are off! Should be a relatively easy software change, just block all the local providers based on the SIM identifier, for those people who have not registered.

Edited November 15, 2005 by lomatopo

[britmaveric]

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

As for people from other provinces who would like to travel to the three southern border provinces and use pre-paid phones, Mr. Sora-at added that they must have their sim-card registered as well or else their services would also be cut.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2548

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid question... Why are they doing this? Everyone's got to register so what's all this about the South?

I guess your not paying to register your phone, so it's not a money spinner.

How are the Govt justifying this? Security reasons? And what are the aims?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stop bombs being detonated via un registered mobile is the goal!

[Adagio]

Hey brother, if I live in USA or England, can I get messages from the phone company sent to my phone in Norwegian if I choose Norwegian language on my phone?

Get real.

Do you think the hundreds of thousands of non-Thai and non-English speaking immigrants from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos should get messages in their own language too?  Or just you?

Cheers

NM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But us english speakers think the world owes us a favour

[mfindlay]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

These were Georges Posts on 22-June-2005 & 10-October-2005.

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

ICT to cut signal of unregistered SIM card phones in South on Nov 15

BANGKOK: -- The Information and Communications Technology Ministry is set to terminate a signal of pre-paid mobile phones that fail to have SIM cards registered in the three violence-plagued border provinces of the South form November 15 onwards.

ICT Minister Sora-art Klinpratum said the ministry needed to terminate the signal of the phones that fail to have pre-paid SIM cards registered in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat from that date in order to facilitate the government’s measures to cope with the southern unrest.

For other areas, users of mobile phones with refill cards are required to register the SIM cards from December 31. Otherwise, the signal of their phones would be also terminated.

Currently, he said, the ministry found the signal of mobile phones in Malaysia covers certain areas of Thailand. So, it had asked local private mobile phone operators to talk with the Malaysian counterparts to solve the problem.

So far, around 10 million out of 21.5 million mobile phone users with refill cards around the country have registered their SIM cards.

--TNA 2005-10-10

[DrBooze]

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

As for people from other provinces who would like to travel to the three southern border provinces and use pre-paid phones, Mr. Sora-at added that they must have their sim-card registered as well or else their services would also be cut.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2548

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid question... Why are they doing this? Everyone's got to register so what's all this about the South?

I guess your not paying to register your phone, so it's not a money spinner.

How are the Govt justifying this? Security reasons? And what are the aims?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stop bombs being detonated via un registered mobile is the goal!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It really was a stupid question!

Here's another... If you're going to detonate a bomb, does it matter if you're in the south or not? Could someone do it from a neighbouring country?

[RDN]

Thousands of southern mobile phone users face service cut 

  The telephone companies had repeatedly asked their customers via SMS to register over the past few months.

--TNA 2005-11-15

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've had the same number and the same handset for 5 years now

I've never had an SMS telling me to register it - at least not in English, and as I can't read Thai (like the several hundred thousand other farang users of pre-paid in the kingdom) it's no use sending me an SMS in Thai - the phone companies should recognise that from the default language set on my handset - the language setting is part of the ID signal that monitors which cell you're currently in.

I have no idea where I have to do it

I have no idea what documents I have to provide

I had no idea of the deadline until reading this at almost 10pm

They really publicised this well didn't they?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No problems, Gaz. Do nothing. It's OK. They wouldn't dare cut you off. Not if you've had the same SIM for 5 years. Sit back and relax. And they know you haven't bothered to learn Thai, so it'll be fine. Trust me.

[george]

Update:

Rush to register cell phones as Thailand cuts lines to thwart bombers

NARATHIWAT: -- Thousands of people in Thailand's Muslim-majority south rushed Tuesday to register their cell phones before a midnight deadline, when authorities will begin blocking some phone signals in a bid to curb bombings by militants.

Some 5,000 people lined up at the Narathiwat provincial post office to register their prepaid phones before authorities start blocking their calls.

Police believe mobile phones are used to detonate many of the frequent bombs set off in the southern provinces along the Malaysian border.

But many of those waiting at the post office expressed doubt about whether the new system would curb the attacks.

"There are three cell phones in my family and we have registered all of them. But I don't think it will help much because the militants will try to find other means to mount attacks," Munee Mama, a 23-year-old from Chi Ai Rong district of Narathiwat, told AFP.

Some 470,000 prepaid phone lines are affected by the order in the three border provinces but by early Tuesday, only 65 per cent had complied, the minister for information and communications technology Sora-at Klimpratum told reporters.

Phone companies have complained that they do not have enough staff to register all the lines, and that provincial officials have refused to help them clear the backlog.

But Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana told reporters the cutoffs would begin promptly at midnight.

"After midnight tonight, all unregistered prepaid mobile phones will be blocked. All prepaid mobile phones must be registered with the user... or face a blocked signal," Kongsak said.

Users of prepaid phones must register in the three provinces and visitors from the rest of Thailand must register for roaming when they visit the region, as if they are travelling in a foreign country, Kongsak said.

Those with contracts do not have to register because authorities already have access to their personal information.

"Although this will not totally wipe out bomb attacks, it will reduce them because from now we will be able to know who has used the cell phone and we can check their identities," he said.

Thailand's communication authority will also cut unregistered mobile phones with numbers from across the border in Malaysia, Kongsak said. Thai authorities and private mobile phone companies have already informed their Malaysian counterparts of the new system, he added.

"All Malaysian SIM cards which were not registered will have their signals blocked too," he said.

Despite the new measures, Kongsak said security forces realised that the militants could change tactics and use timers to detonate bombs instead of mobile phones.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in violence in the three provinces since January 2004.

Authorities variously blame the daily attacks in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces on Islamic separatist militants, organised criminals or local corruption.

--AFP 2005-11-15

[mfindlay]

Be intresting to see if they block all the unregistered roaming SIM's. There are not too many countries in the world that require SIM cards to be registered, or if they do its just against a local address. 

In the UK they are now recommending that if you go on holiday buy a local SIM to reduce the cost of roaming charges.

This SIM registration was reported on Thaivisa back in late June early July.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Roaming phones will not be blocked. Your SIM identifies your native network and you are allowed access to a network, after the local operator receives a message back from your native provider. Now if someone screws up the change on 31 Dec, and chooses to block all SIMs, then all bets are off! Should be a relatively easy software change, just block all the local providers based on the SIM identifier, for those people who have not registered.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know how it works they will just delete the SIM number off of the CAMEL database for the unregistered SIM's. But it would be just like the operators to screw up the operation and delete the VLR database instead.

[mfindlay]

MINISTRY OF ICT TO DISCONNECT PHONE SIGNALS ON 15th OF NOVEMBER

As for people from other provinces who would like to travel to the three southern border provinces and use pre-paid phones, Mr. Sora-at added that they must have their sim-card registered as well or else their services would also be cut.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน 2548

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid question... Why are they doing this? Everyone's got to register so what's all this about the South?

I guess your not paying to register your phone, so it's not a money spinner.

How are the Govt justifying this? Security reasons? And what are the aims?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stop bombs being detonated via un registered mobile is the goal!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It really was a stupid question!

Here's another... If you're going to detonate a bomb, does it matter if you're in the south or not? Could someone do it from a neighbouring country?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem is not to stop the call from the un-registered phone its to stop the calls to an un-registered phone that then detonates a bomb.

Must point out that you have to have two other things, coverage and capacity. So CP-Orange need not bother and DTAC it would only work if you called during the wee small hours.

[mfindlay]

Be intresting to see if they block all the unregistered roaming SIM's. There are not too many countries in the world that require SIM cards to be registered, or if they do its just against a local address. 

In the UK they are now recommending that if you go on holiday buy a local SIM to reduce the cost of roaming charges.

This SIM registration was reported on Thaivisa back in late June early July.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Roaming phones will not be blocked. Your SIM identifies your native network and you are allowed access to a network, after the local operator receives a message back from your native provider. Now if someone screws up the change on 31 Dec, and chooses to block all SIMs, then all bets are off! Should be a relatively easy software change, just block all the local providers based on the SIM identifier, for those people who have not registered.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thailand's communication authority will also cut unregistered mobile phones with numbers from across the border in Malaysia, Kongsak said. Thai authorities and private mobile phone companies have already informed their Malaysian counterparts of the new system, he added.

"All Malaysian SIM cards which were not registered will have their signals blocked too," he said.

How will they do that then???

[singlelayer]

Hi, can anyone help...

I have a Thai SIM card, but will be in the UK until January. How do I register it and if I can get someone to do it for me, do they need the actual SIM card, (as it's in England with me)?! Are you able to change the registered keep at a later date?

Thanks.

[RickFarang]

I wil not admit that I know someone who registered their SIM card without and identification. Yes, the whole exercise is pas ointless as it is frustratting.

[lomatopo]

Hi, can anyone help...

I have a Thai SIM card, but will be in the UK until January. How do I register it and if I can get someone to do it for me, do they need the actual SIM card, (as it's in England with me)?! Are you able to change the registered keep at a later date?

Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It sounds as though you are returning to Thailand in January? If so, I would think that you could try and register your SIM when you arrive, and they may allow you to keep the number, and reinstate your service.

I'm not saying it would be impossible to have someone here register your SIM for you, but it would be extremely challenging. Someone with a good command of Thai, a copy of your passport and an authorization letter, in Thai, from you with your request and details about your contact information in both the UK and Thailand might be advantageous, possibly enabling that person to register your SIM for you.

If your provider is 1-2-Call (AIS) you could drop them an email as they are, in my experience, extremely responsive and helpful, and ask about your options? Maybe they'll even let you register via email? Their email address is '[email protected]'.

Other providers may have email contact information.

[Maejo Man]

AIS currently have ~ 16 million subscribers, with 14 million being pre-paid and the remaining 2 million are post-paid customers. I am certain AIS wishes this were reversed. Foreigners are required to have a work-permit in order to get a post-paid account.

I would expect all of the operators to start sending out SMSes reminding people to register their SIMs as we get closer to the 31 December cut-off date. Most, but not all, the SMS'es AIS send to me are in Thai.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not quite, I've had a post paid account for years without having to produce a work permit, and I get all my SMSs in English and not Thai, including a birthday SMS every year