webfact Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Buyers of pre-paid SIMs must be registered: NBTC The Nation BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has ordered all telecom operators to register customers, who buy new pre-paid mobile phone SIM cards from January 18 onwards in order to regulate the pre-paid SIM cards. NBTC secretary general Takorn Tantasit said Monday that the operators would face punitive measures if they fail to comply with the order. -- The Nation 2013-01-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JUDAS Posted January 15, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2013 Unless my memory is failing I'm sure this measure was introduced a number of years ago after terrorists in the south were using mobile 'phones to detonate explosives. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 And what pray tell are they going to achieve with this avalanche of data? Scanning it first i thought it said $1m prepaid cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It was made law several years ago but enforcement was only extended to Southern Border Region with other regions a will register if you wish situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinchester Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I can remember having to do that a number of years ago when I first visited Kanchanaburi. Wifey ended up doing it in her name as they had 'problem' knowing what to do with a farang. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nowhereman60 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) The three big mobile phone providers laugh at anything the NBTC issues. The prepaid minutes was suppose to have no time limit and the NBTC has issued fines which none have been paid. It's a joke. Edited January 15, 2013 by Nowhereman60 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BangkokGastronaut Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I bought my pre-paid SIM in 2006 from a 7/11 store in Bangkok - I was asked to show my passport details and my passport number was recorded; so as far as I know, I'm registered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Dreamer Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I used to have 6 months with AIS to use my credit, now I get 5 days, just terrible, so I changed companies. This is just like having a tracking chip on you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alstaxi Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 No way those pesky terrorists will ever get their hands on a cell phone that has a sim card not registered to themselves with these new measures, no way at all, impossible now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noitom Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Wow! These Thais! They are something else. They've decided to register SIM cards. How clever. Now we can read in Thai Visa Forum in 6 months how this "scheme" paid off. They will smoke out a petty thief who was "foolish" enough to use a SIM card cell that was register to himself. That will teach them , those petty thieves, that Thais are to be reckoned with. They are something else - those Thais! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblegum Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Just when you thought you heard it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHamon Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It was made law several years ago but enforcement was only extended to Southern Border Region with other regions a will register if you wish situation. yes, prepaid unregister cards in sothern 3 provinces will not work, they will work elsewhere in Thailand, but stop working when they get down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindsayBKK Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) A few years ago when they started it I went to 7/11 thinking I was going to get asked for passport, but no, and never have been. Why, I think because of the lack of English. Just pretend you don't speak Thai and they won't ask you. And if they ask just go to another 7/11 there are 7 just in my small street. But then again I have about 7 sims already so what difference is it going to make plus it doesn't change anything to me getting a 100 baht top up card. Thailand is "The Land of Creative Enertia" BTW Mr T is using NBTC for a bribe hunt again with a voucher scheme for new digital TV subscribers. Around 22 million he is expecting . This is so Mr.T Edited January 15, 2013 by LindsayBKK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhooks Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Nothing new here, this has been the normal case for quite a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 will this include the free sim cards given away at airports etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRavens Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Lol everyone around here is so cynical. This has been the process in Australia for over 10 years for prepaid SIMs. The process is quite streamlined now and you're in the system with no wait. I'm sure it helps to curb a bit of crime, but obviously wouldn't stop everything. I'm sure this is the process in many other countries too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Nothing new here, this has been the normal case for quite a while. They stopped it a long time ago. Any guesses as to how long this will last this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhooks Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Lol everyone around here is so cynical. This has been the process in Australia for over 10 years for prepaid SIMs. The process is quite streamlined now and you're in the system with no wait. I'm sure it helps to curb a bit of crime, but obviously wouldn't stop everything. I'm sure this is the process in many other countries too. Has been the case in Singapore for several years! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 A few years ago when they started it I went to 7/11 thinking I was going to get asked for passport, but no, and never have been. Why, I think because of the lack of English. Just pretend you don't speak Thai and they won't ask you. And if they ask just go to another 7/11 there are 7 just in my small street. But then again I have about 7 sims already so what difference is it going to make plus it doesn't change anything to me getting a 100 baht top up card. Thailand is "The Land of Creative Enertia" BTW Mr T is using NBTC for a bribe hunt again with a voucher scheme for new digital TV subscribers. Around 22 million he is expecting . This is so Mr.T In fairness, in a 7-11, they track the sale and then activation through the invoice. This is how they managed to nab the woman who killed her husband in Khon Kaen recently. They matched the secutiry video with the moment of sale and activation. Of course, now cue the sales person at the till ending up being the owner of 1000's of sim cards potentially. In other parts of the world, you have to go online with some ID to activate, so unless they have a central database that ALL the companies put the information into, all they are going to end up with is a massive amount of paper and little way to search it. Infact, all rather like the TM cards for the tourists. Where do they keep all of those bits of paper? Is it visible from space yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Brontosaurus Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Got my SIM three years ago for free at some airport, had them top it up with 1000 baht and activate for me on the spot, been happily using it ever since. Never had to show or register anything. Judging by the other replies the situation varies depending on where you get the SIM from and when... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docno Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Like others have said, this is done in a number of other countries (including Singapore,which knows what it's doing in terms of security matters ... a huge target in this part of the world, and so far not a problem, knock on wood). So why use this as another excuse to slam Thailand and Thais? If Singapore, Australia, Canada, etc., all see this as a reasonable requirement, can't really hold Thailand to task for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 NBTC tells mobile phone operators to scrap expiration date on prepaid users BANGKOK, 15 January 2013 (NNT) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has designated January 18th as the deadline for mobile phone operators to stop imposing expiration dates on prepaid mobile credits. The NBTC has called five mobile phone operators, namely TOT, CAT Telecom, AIS, DTAC, and True Move to a meeting to hear the new regulations. In order to ensure consumers of their benefits, NBTC Secretary-General Takorn Tantasit announced that expiration dates for prepaid users have to be scrapped starting on the date specified. Failing to do so, the operators will face a fine. The NBTC is looking into an appropriate expiration timeframe, but said it should not be less than 30 days. Pending the NBTC’s consideration, no expiration dates could be set. In addition, mobile phone operators are also urged to have all of their prepaid users register for the service. From January 18th onwards, people who acquire a prepaid mobile number must present their identification cards to register their designated numbers under their names. The NBTC has also set the ceiling price for voice calls at 99 satang per minute. Operators who are still charging over 99 satang per minute in some packages are urged to change the rate. Mobile phone users are advised to call Hotline 1200 to report cases of non-compliance by the private sector. Currently there are 73 million prepaid customers or 90% of all mobile phone users. -- NNT 2013-01-15 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgentSmith Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Never had to register and never will. Why would I even want to give my ID information to some company? How does it benefit me? In Indonesia it's the sales person that activates the sim for you, on his or her own name. My guess is the same would happen here. After I bought a 3G modem, also in Indo, I had to activate that myself. I simply filled in a false name and passport number. The months after I was happily online anonymously. This whole registration nonsense is nothing but a time waister for a lot of people who, again, benefit in no way from it. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laislica Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 NBTC tells mobile phone operators to scrap expiration date on prepaid users BANGKOK, 15 January 2013 (NNT) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has designated January 18th as the deadline for mobile phone operators to stop imposing expiration dates on prepaid mobile credits. The NBTC has called five mobile phone operators, namely TOT, CAT Telecom, AIS, DTAC, and True Move to a meeting to hear the new regulations. In order to ensure consumers of their benefits, NBTC Secretary-General Takorn Tantasit announced that expiration dates for prepaid users have to be scrapped starting on the date specified. Failing to do so, the operators will face a fine. The NBTC is looking into an appropriate expiration timeframe, but said it should not be less than 30 days. Pending the NBTC’s consideration, no expiration dates could be set. In addition, mobile phone operators are also urged to have all of their prepaid users register for the service. From January 18th onwards, people who acquire a prepaid mobile number must present their identification cards to register their designated numbers under their names. The NBTC has also set the ceiling price for voice calls at 99 satang per minute. Operators who are still charging over 99 satang per minute in some packages are urged to change the rate. Mobile phone users are advised to call Hotline 1200 to report cases of non-compliance by the private sector. Currently there are 73 million prepaid customers or 90% of all mobile phone users. -- NNT 2013-01-15 Excellent and about time.I'd been out of Thailand for 4 months and the phone worked abroad. However I lost the number on my return to Bangkok. It made it very difficult for me to be found and picked up by the Thai driver!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamhc Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I bought my pre-paid SIM in 2006 from a 7/11 store in Bangkok - I was asked to show my passport details and my passport number was recorded; so as far as I know, I'm registered. One benefit is if you lose your phone, you can get the same number back. I registered both my SIMs, and the system works - got mine reissued when I lost it or was pick-pocketed (Maybe?). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morch Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Had to register (or rather, had some details taken) when I got the number way back. Was too much hassle for the guy in the shop, so ended up using my wife's id. Doubt it will do the Thai authorities much good fighting terrorists, but it does add more user id's to be sold off to other companies - getting way more sms and calls with commercial offers on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianatlarge Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I detest the growing tendency of governments and police forces to monitor and track citizens. I regard this as essentially worthless as regards protecting people. Just one more excuse to spy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthai Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Unless my memory is failing I'm sure this measure was introduced a number of years ago after terrorists in the south were using mobile 'phones to detonate explosives. That was what came to my mind after reading it. I got a new number less then a year ago, but no reg. of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthai Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 It is going to get SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO busy at the police station , with all the people getting a report made out, because there phone was stolen, well the simcard. Be sure to report stolen simcards, because your simcard has been used in a crime. 100% proof you as a farang did the crime. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asianrider Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Nothing new here, this has been the normal case for quite a while. They stopped it a long time ago. Any guesses as to how long this will last this time? +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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