TOT, 3 mobile operators ordered to pay Bt50 million fine

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 3 – Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) today ordered state-owned TOT and three major mobile operators to pay a combined fine of more than Bt50 million for breaching the law on mobile services to their customers.

Thakorn Tantasith, NBTC secretary general, said TOT was ordered to sign an interconnection (IC) agreement with Total Access Communication (DTAC) but it failed to do so, subjecting the state corporation to a fine of Bt20,000 per day, retroactive to Oct 8, 2010.

As of today, the fine has accumulated to Bt16.38 million and TOT will have to pay ev en more than that despite the ongoing dispute pending the final verdict of the Supreme Administrative Court, Mr Thakorn said.

The Appeals Administrative Court earlier ruled that TOT enter an IC agreement with DTAC but TOT chose to appeal.

TOT and DTAC are in negotiations which should conclude soon, he said.

He said three mobile operators – Advance Info Service (AIS), DTAC and TrueMove – failed to follow an NBTC order to collect data and register personal details of their prepaid customers.

Each operator is subject to a fine of Bt80,000 per day, retroactive from July 6 last year, Mr Thakorn said, adding that the total fine from the three operators as of today is Bt14.56 million, or Bt3.64 million each.

The daily Bt80,000 fine will be in force until the day they pay, he said.

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning, compelling them to a daily fine of Bt10,000, retroactive from May 30 last year.

Until yesterday, the fine amounted to Bt21.9 million, or Bt7.3 million for each operator.

Mr Thakorn said the orders were meant to protect consumers while mobile operators will be invited for talks and asked to pay the fine.

“The NBTC is not a paper tiger but its order is not final. Mobile operators have the right to seek justice from the Administrative Court,” he explained. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-03

Will that stop true move from offering 'free Sim cards' at Phuket Airports international arrival?

This is the bit I like.............

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning,

I doubt this means tarifs will go down or speed up the implementation of 4G LTE 3G

will the customers get any of the money?

will the customers get any of the money?

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning, compelling them to a daily fine of Bt10,000, retroactive from May 30 last year.

$300 a day is peanuts. I used to get 6 months credit with AIS, now I get 5 or 10 days depending on the amount. They just changed it out of the blue. Mungrels at AIS.

​So I left the mongrel company.

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning, compelling them to a daily fine of Bt10,000, retroactive from May 30 last year.

$300 a day is peanuts. I used to get 6 months credit with AIS, now I get 5 or 10 days depending on the amount. They just changed it out of the blue. Mungrels at AIS.

​So I left the mongrel company.

I use AIS prepaid and regularly normally top up with 300 Baht credits from Telewiz, 7-11 or occasionally an AIS shop at least twice a month. The current expiry on my balance is December 2013.

Are you talking about Mau Mau 'short term' packages, including both voice and non-voice (data) because these normally do have a limited use by date.

The reason I ask is that I've seen comments similar to yours on here before, so I'm a bit confused why others seem to have this problem, and I do not.

$300 a day is peanuts. I used to get 6 months credit with AIS, now I get 5 or 10 days depending on the amount. They just changed it out of the blue.

Sounds more like you changed your old and useful promotion, to one of the newer and more expensive promotions.

Or didn't change, after the old one was ending.

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning, compelling them to a daily fine of Bt10,000, retroactive from May 30 last year.

$300 a day is peanuts. I used to get 6 months credit with AIS, now I get 5 or 10 days depending on the amount. They just changed it out of the blue. Mungrels at AIS.

​So I left the mongrel company.

I use AIS prepaid and regularly normally top up with 300 Baht credits from Telewiz, 7-11 or occasionally an AIS shop at least twice a month. The current expiry on my balance is December 2013.

Are you talking about Mau Mau 'short term' packages, including both voice and non-voice (data) because these normally do have a limited use by date.

The reason I ask is that I've seen comments similar to yours on here before, so I'm a bit confused why others seem to have this problem, and I do not.

Mau Mau is a extra programm, on top of your usual rate.

But I think, the problem is more the knowledge about the tariff (200 baht for 30 days / 100 baht for 30 days).

In case, you are using 600 Baht/month, you can easily accept a 200 baht/30 days tariff (promotion). In case, your minute price isn't getting higher.

And the advantage, of 200 baht for only 30 days time is: you can transfer up2 1 month validity to others, for the cost of 3 baht.

With a 100baht/30 days promo, you can transfer 'only' money to others, up2 100 baht for 3 baht cost.

What is very usable, p.ex. for fathers/mothers: You 6 years old son/daughter is anyway doing 'r'-calls (rings you, you call back), so 50 baht a month is enough, but not enough time. Telephone is for emergency.

Send him, for 3 baht , another 1 month validity, done

Edited January 4, 201313 yr by noob7

NBTC, he added, prohibited mobile operators from setting expiry date on prepaid cards but they ignored the warning, compelling them to a daily fine of Bt10,000, retroactive from May 30 last year.

$300 a day is peanuts. I used to get 6 months credit with AIS, now I get 5 or 10 days depending on the amount. They just changed it out of the blue. Mungrels at AIS.

​So I left the mongrel company.

I use AIS prepaid and regularly normally top up with 300 Baht credits from Telewiz, 7-11 or occasionally an AIS shop at least twice a month. The current expiry on my balance is December 2013.

Are you talking about Mau Mau 'short term' packages, including both voice and non-voice (data) because these normally do have a limited use by date.

The reason I ask is that I've seen comments similar to yours on here before, so I'm a bit confused why others seem to have this problem, and I do not.

Mau Mau is a extra programm, on top of your usual rate.

But I think, the problem is more the knowledge about the tariff (200 baht for 30 days / 100 baht for 30 days).

In case, you are using 600 Baht/month, you can easily accept a 200 baht/30 days tariff (promotion). In case, your minute price isn't getting higher.

And the advantage, of 200 baht for only 30 days time is: you can transfer up2 1 month validity to others, for the cost of 3 baht.

With a 100baht/30 days promo, you can transfer 'only' money to others, up2 100 baht for 3 baht cost.

What is very usable, p.ex. for fathers/mothers: You 6 years old son/daughter is anyway doing 'r'-calls (rings you, you call back), so 50 baht a month is enough, but not enough time. Telephone is for emergency.

Send him, for 3 baht , another 1 month validity, done

Got all that noob 7, and thanks.

But I still don't get the expiry in December 2013. Why 1 year for me, when Chao Lao Beach is saying his expiry validity is a lot shorter? Is it something to do with the amount of credit in the balance, how often you top up or what?

I don't use any 'promotion', just a good old 300 Baht top up. That's it.

Thai monopolists. I asked and got some months ago a "one-years" pre-paid card from 1tocall and all of a sudden last week it expires in Februari 2013 when not topped-up. Cheating is the only thing they can, forget quality.

Edited January 4, 201313 yr by mistitikimikis

I use AIS prepaid and regularly normally top up with 300 Baht credits from Telewiz, 7-11 or occasionally an AIS shop at least twice a month. The current expiry on my balance is December 2013.

Are you talking about Mau Mau 'short term' packages, including both voice and non-voice (data) because these normally do have a limited use by date.

The reason I ask is that I've seen comments similar to yours on here before, so I'm a bit confused why others seem to have this problem, and I do not.

Mau Mau is a extra programm, on top of your usual rate.

But I think, the problem is more the knowledge about the tariff (200 baht for 30 days / 100 baht for 30 days).

In case, you are using 600 Baht/month, you can easily accept a 200 baht/30 days tariff (promotion). In case, your minute price isn't getting higher.

And the advantage, of 200 baht for only 30 days time is: you can transfer up2 1 month validity to others, for the cost of 3 baht.

With a 100baht/30 days promo, you can transfer 'only' money to others, up2 100 baht for 3 baht cost.

What is very usable, p.ex. for fathers/mothers: You 6 years old son/daughter is anyway doing 'r'-calls (rings you, you call back), so 50 baht a month is enough, but not enough time. Telephone is for emergency.

Send him, for 3 baht , another 1 month validity, done

Got all that noob 7, and thanks.

But I still don't get the expiry in December 2013. Why 1 year for me, when Chao Lao Beach is saying his expiry validity is a lot shorter? Is it something to do with the amount of credit in the balance, how often you top up or what?

I don't use any 'promotion', just a good old 300 Baht top up. That's it.

Every top up gets you closer to the maximum of 1 year validity.

With 600/month, you can fill up every month minimum 3 month of time. Unlucky, you are at the max time validity.

So am I. But you can use it for others, like explained (Check it out, 'call' *140)

Maybe Chao lao is topping up only 50 baht wise?

And some cutting down in time/validity happens, sometimes, after you changed your main promotion.

That can be done by yourself, or, in case, you missed the time frame, done by AIS, as soon your last chosen promo decays.

Thai monopolists. I asked and got some months ago a "one-years" pre-paid card from 1tocall and all of a sudden last week it expires in Februari 2013 when not topped-up. Cheating is the only thing they can, forget quality.

That's the thing, they ignoring, and what is the fine for.

Lucky, it is much cheaper, as 10 years ago, now.

Now people complaining about, b/c for some it is not easy, to even use 100 baht a month.

Paying 0.75 baht/minute (my still alive promotion for years, now), it is a lot harder, to use the amount of money.

With 1.5 baht/minute, but using mau mau options, sometimes (I know some people doing that), it's not so difficult.

But in these days, many people using there cells for internet, too.

So it is affecting only people with 'no connections', methinks (sry)

Edited January 4, 201313 yr by noob7

...mobile operators will be invited for talks and asked to pay the fine. 555555!!!

“The NBTC is not a paper tiger but its order is not final. Mobile operators have the right to seek justice from the Administrative Court,” he explained.

So nobody will pay any fines and nobody will change their business practices. Yep TiT.

will the customers get any of the money?

No they will pay the money in uincreased costs.

Aren't we lucky that we have a government who protects us from trivialities at a cost to us.