Are retirees moving to the new DTV visa - anybody done it?

[britmaveric]

Well always the possibility - we all lose our numbers still even though registered. If you recall a "glitch" occured for those in the southern provinces and well thousands were deleted anyways.

[gisele]

I went to Telewiz this morning.

the longest part was getting myself understood, once it was clear what I wanted to do, it only took a minute

and I got a free pen

[rexall]

I went to Telewiz this morning.

the longest part was getting myself understood, once it was clear what I wanted to do, it only took a minute 

and I got a free pen   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Register" seems to be a really tough word for Thais. I don't know whether it is the concept or the pronunciation or what. It has been very difficult making myself understood. At Take-A-Whiz, when they finally figured out what I wanted, they immediately produced a blank form, and then added my completed form to the dozens of other completed registratin forms laying face up all over the desk!

When I called AIS to find out about registration locations, while you are on hold, there was a brief recording about it where they use the word "identify" your SIM rather than "register." Anyone know how to say it in Thai?

I was just in Vientiane. The staff at the hotel had fairly decent English, but were baffled when I told them I wanted to "check out" and could they arrange transport to the Thai consulate. Strange word for hotel staff not to know, especially when the context is so obvious; there I am with bags packed at the cashier!

Oh, well. If I'm so ###### smart, how come I'm not rich???

Aloha,

Rex

[silk123]

What the F.

This is nuts.

Ah well will just send one of the girlfriends to do it.

Them adverts on ais everytime one picks up the phone are really annoying.

[sriracha john]

Just remember now....

John Smith from Ceylon is already taken... and then you should have no problem...

[otherstuff1957]

I just asked my wife about this. Now, she's normally pretty well informed about these things, but this time she looked at me as though I were speaking greek. She finally said that phone registration was only taking place in the south.

If she's typical, and the Govt. DOES cut off non-registered phones on Jan 1, there will be mass chaos on the streets of Bangkok. Can you imagine the reactions of twenty or thirty million Thai's when their phones suddenly stop working?

One more thing: IF they do the cut-off, THIS may be the thing that actually brings Taksin down!

Edited December 30, 2005 by otherstuff1957

[toptuan]

I read your posts, I gathered my documents, and I dutifully went downtown

(city of 100,000 about 2 hours from Khon Kaen) to register my SIM card. I went to four shops (2 DTAC shops, AIS, and Telewiz).

I made my request in three languages: Isan, Thai, and English. Response? They looked at me like I had just stepped off an alien spaceship. (At least they have the alien part right.) Hmm, must be my language ability. SO, not to be thwarted to easily, I had my back-up system. I brought my native translator! Still, blank stares.

No one knew what we were talking about except for one shop which said this was ONLY for the three southern provinces. Advice from them? Forget it!

Either this whole process is a sick joke (more likely, a mismanaged edict), or there are going to be 21 million pissed-off unregistered hand phone owners come January 1, who can't make a phone call.

Reminds me of Y2K, for some reason...

Edited December 30, 2005 by toptuan

[PeaceBlondie]

I went, passport in hand, to a big appliance store in Hua Hin that sells many mobile phones. The first clerk understood nothing. The other clerk not only understood, but told me to go to Telewiz, and how to get there. Went into Telewiz. Lady took me over to a sheet of paper where I merely wrote down my mobile number, name, passport number, and address. I could have faked everything but the number, and my address wasn't enough to find me. Now I'm trusting that some Telewizard will convert this sheet into a government database. Of course, you don't get a receipt for writing your name on a piece of paper that has no headings. Sounds like a bad joke.

Edited December 30, 2005 by PeaceBlondie

[XAR]

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister CHITCHAI WANNASATHIT (ชิดชัย วรรณสถิตย์), mobile phone registration in the southern provinces has helped alleviate the regional turbulence, as it helps prevent insurgents from detonating bombs by using mobile phones.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 December 2005

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know you are only quoting the Deputy Prime Minister, but could someone with a few more brain cells help to explain how registering sims will prevent someone from remotely detonating a bomb? Unless it's a real smart phone and knows it is connected to a bomb, the call still occur and the bomb will still go boom. Since many people here have registered without showing any identification whatsoever, I fail to see how they can even track anyone down after a bomb blast to arrest them. I guess no terrorists would think of using fake ID either. Anyways, I guess I'll register and hope I don't lose my phone in the unlikely event that it is used to commit any felonies.

[Darky]

The whole process is a big joke. Went to a shop on Rama 4 yesterday and they didn't check my ID. Just gave me a form in Thai and thats it.

Name : Karl Arsch

ID Number: 123456789

Country : Entenhausen

But they have my real phone number so what. I don't think they will call me.

Edited December 31, 2005 by Darky

[jackr]

What a load of &lt;deleted&gt;!

[udon]

The whole process is a big joke.    Went to a shop on Rama 4 yesterday and they didn't check my ID. Just gave me a form in Thai and thats it.

Name : Karl Arsch

ID Number: 123456789

Country : Entenhausen

But they have my real phone number so what.  I don't think they will call me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Typical Th SNAFU

[otherstuff1957]

Well, it's January 1. My unregistered phone still works. Has anyone been cut off yet?

[toptuan]

Still connected. Still unregistered. Like I said: Y2K

[britmaveric]

Holiday time period - just wait til tues/wed!!!

[toptuan]

Holiday time period - just wait til tues/wed!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, I'll just rig up the tin cans and string as back-up!

[pchaweng]

My cell phone is still working the same as it did before Dec. 31st and I haven't registered yet. I talked to several farang friends, all residents here, and NONE of them had heard that they needed to register their phones.

So, I am very confused by this requirement. Is the government really going to turn off all of the literally millions of prepaid SIM Cards? With no grace period? And after only minor efforts at publicizing the need to register?

The way they are going about it is so disorganized and so poorly publicized that the process is going to make the government look foolish. If this is so important, they need to make sure that everybody knows.

[Thaicoon]

I am in the UK, i rang my sister in law in Thailand on friday to register my sim card, i gave her my mobile number and the number which is on the sim, she went to the dtac shop and registered it in my name and address in thailand, but used her id card as a back up, no problem, lets hope it is working when i get to Bangers in Feb.

[marquess]

When I explained the need for registration to my wife, who works for the gov. She laughed it off and said that no one was really that bothered. Personally, I can seem thm cutting off 13 million unregistered users in a couple of days?

[tavarich]

I just talked to my wife in BKK and she went to AIS and they told her there was no problem. I could register when I got back. I am still not convinced that she got the whole story. They checked my number and it shows that I have a couple of baht left and it expires late next year. So I will have her check again next week and see if the story is different.

[gisele]

I went, passport in hand, to a big appliance store in Hua Hin that sells many mobile phones.  The first clerk understood nothing.  The other clerk not only understood, but told me to go to Telewiz, and how to get there.  Went into Telewiz.  Lady took me over to a sheet of paper where I merely wrote down my mobile number, name, passport number, and address.  I could have faked everything but the number, and my address wasn't enough to find me.  Now I'm trusting that some Telewizard will convert this sheet into a government database.  Of course, you don't get a receipt for writing your name on a piece of paper that has no headings. Sounds like a bad joke.

But did you get your free pen?

[Nickname]

You have until the end of December 2005 to register your 'pre-paid' mobile phone SIM-card.

The Thai Government's advice is that after this date an unregistered SIM will be blocked throughout Thailand. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So countless thousands of outlets are going to send all their handwritten cards to some central office where thousands more beavers are going to convert it to computer speak, and if you haven't registered they're going to stop you making phone calls that directly benefit Shincorp's wallet.

Who's kidding who?

These forms will no doubt end up the same sort of dusty cupboard as the compusory three month address forms one has to fill in at immigration for retirement visa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Nickname]

Hi One-2-Call member

Thank you, Mr. Kolehmainen for your e-mail. We are glad to answer your question as follows:

This identification of the pre-paid user policy is issued for a security reason in Thailand and it is applied to all mobile phone operators in Thailand. However, if you would like to proceed this, you need to bring along a passport together with SIM card at AIS branches & Outlets nationwide and Telewiz. This must be proceeded according to government policy and from a rule of Corporation Public Company Limited or (TOT) by December 31, 2005. However, it is a policy from Thai government. Please co-operate to this campaign otherwise you may not have a convenient usage. Moreover, if you are living or travelling to these 3 provinces; Pattani, Yala and Narathivas, you need to register your number immediately.

Once you are currently in overseas and your number has been activated for International Roaming Service then your account will not be suspended. So you can register your number when you come to Thailand again.

To get more information about our products and services, please visit our website www.one-2-call.com

Any questions? Just dial *122# or email us at [email protected] 24 hours' a day.

Freedom Freestyle by one-2-call

[mraitchison]

I went to a telly wizz shop and showed her my driving licence.

She looked confused asked me to write my number name and address on a piece of paper and sign it.

I don't believe that was it - she didn't check anything else.

I can feel Taksin watching me now, I can feel his hot breath on my neck.

You will too if you register your phone.

[tavarich]

I just got a response from the fine folks at AIS here it is off of an email:

Hi One-2-Call member, Wishing you blessings in the New Year.

Thank you for your e-mail. We are glad to answer your question as follows:

We would like to inform you that to identify yourself as the One-2-call user, the customer need to contact by his or herself only.

To identify yourself you have to bring one of these documents along with your sim card. An Identity Card , A passport, Government officer ID card, A driving license Card. As this policy relates to a security reason so Thai government requested a cooperation from all parties including people and distributor. This must be proceeded according to government policy and from a rule of Corporation Public Company Limited or (TOT).

In addition, the government has extended the period and the not mentioned the deadline yet that you can proceed this when you come back to Thailand. However, if there is some change we will let you know through the general public.

Additional Information : For more information of product and service of One-2-Call you can visit website www.one-2-call.com that you can also apply for Freedom club and you will be able to check balance and validity or join in events held by AIS.

Any questions? Just dial *122# or email us at [email protected] 24 hours' a day.

Freedom Freestyle by one-2-call

It's a little cryptic as to the grace period but what ya gonna do

[udon]

tavarich

thanks for the update.

Does anyone have a link to the English version of www.one-2-call.com Freedom club.

It appears to be a State secret........ as usual.

[calibanjr.]

Went to Fortune Town on 12/31 to pick up some stuff at Lotus and register. The only shop to register AIS there is the Telewiz, which was the ONLY shop not open in the ENTIRE Fortune Town Mall. Vacation till the 3rd, doncha know. HILARIOUS!

[george]

ICT Ministry postpones mandatory SIM-card registration

I have called both AIS and DTAC Call Centers, and it's official:

BANGKOK: -- The ICT Ministry has decided to postpone the deadline for registration of pre-paid SIM cards until further notice. No new deadline is given either to network operators or users. Both call centres have no further information for the time being.

DTAC / DPrompt

Khun Yo, supervisor at DTAC Customer Service, says he believe that no registration is necessary at all. The only post-paid users that would need to register is when the number will be used in the three deep southern provinces. Khun Yo added that concerned DTAC customers could call him directly on *1800.

AIS / One-2-Call

The leading provider's Call Centre, AIS, refused to comment the postponed registration requirements.

--Thaivisa.com 2006-01-03

Contact numbers for more info:

AIS/One-2-Call Call Centre: 1175 or 0-2271-9000

DTAC/Happy DPrompt Call centre: *1800

Edited January 3, 2006 by george

[britmaveric]

I have called both AIS and DTAC Call Centers, and it's official:

The ICT Ministry has decided to postpone the deadline for registration of pre-paid SIM cards until further notice. No new deadline is given either to network operators or users. Both call centres have no further information for the time being.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Typical now isnt it?

[tuky]

I have called both AIS and DTAC Call Centers, and it's official:

The ICT Ministry has decided to postpone the deadline for registration of pre-paid SIM cards until further notice. No new deadline is given either to network operators or users. Both call centres have no further information for the time being.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Typical now isnt it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Feeling confident folks?