NBTC releases smart phone app for pre-paid users to register their sim card

[Lite Beer]

NBTC releases smart phone app for pre-paid users to register their sim card

BANGKOK, 28 June 2014 (NNT) – The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is urging users of pre-paid mobile phone services to register their sim cards through a new smart phone application to prevent their phone numbers from being used to commit a crime.

NBTC Secretary-General Thakon Tanthasit said that there are about 90 million mobile phone numbers of the pre-paid type, but most of the owners haven't registered their numbers. This allows criminals to easily exploit the numbers for use in illicit activities. Therefore, the NBTC has created the "Song Chae" or 'two snaps' application to allow pre-paid users greater convenience in registering both old and new sim cards.

Mr. Thakon said the application won't store the user's information inside the phone; the data will instead be stored by the mobile phone service providers.

Foreigners may also register, by using either their passport or Thai-issued alien I.D. cards.

-- NNT 2014-06-28

[daoyai]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

[terryp]

no thanks

[kalbo123]

Sure all criminals will rush to download that app and register their phone's now.

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Always18]

"..............is urging users of pre-paid mobile phone services to register their SIM cards.....................to prevent their phone numbers from being used to commit crime"

I think this was probably taken straight from the Monty Python Book of Lame Excuses.

[kmj]

I hope all the junta lovers have rushed to download this tracker, sorry, I mean crime prevention app to their phones 5555

Edited June 28, 2014 by kmj

[surangw]

i wonder if its tied to some kind of phone spam messages ?

[JohnThailandJohn]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

I think you, the unregistered user, is who they worry about being a criminal or selling it to a criminal. I am not into this type of big brother thing at all but when you think about it, phones were all registered before when they were all land lines. In many counties you do register your identity with the phone company with a cell phone plan but know it the use you can by "burners" or "throwaway" pre-paid cell phones which can't be traced to a user. They are common among criminals such as drug dealers. Then again they had lots of payphones before for this type of activity.

The concernI have with this is they can track your movement with a cell phone and they can track your exact location within meters if it is a smart phone with GPS or you simply have location setting on (like for posting where you are on Facebook). I know they use this in courts in the US to prove somebody was at the place a crime took place but have yet to hear where they checked everyone who was in or around a place as a way to narrow suspects but would assume it is either happening quietly or is coming soon.

At least in the US they have so much computer memory storage that I would imagine they can keep track of everyone's movements going back a fair amount of time and store this info for future investigations. I think Snowden brought caused some of this to be brought to light.

Edit: actually really doesn't matter if you turn off features like GPS and Location (even in Laptops). The government has been paying manufacturers for a long time to be able to still see this info.

Edited June 28, 2014 by JohnThailandJohn

[JohnThailandJohn]

I had a cheap unregistered cell phone in Thailand that I would put money on and it would be good for a year even if I didn't use the phone. I think I bought it on Sukimvit or somewhere like that. Now I use a registered smart phone and the money on the phone is also good forever (or a long time) unless I don't use the phone a month. Kind of sucks if I am gone for a month. Wish I kept the other phone as a back up but gave it to our nephew ... who now I suspect why he wanted it.

[JohnThailandJohn]

In another article I read, all simms not registered will become deactivated in a month once they formally announce the requirement to to register.

[Thaddeus]

I had a cheap unregistered cell phone in Thailand that I would put money on and it would be good for a year even if I didn't use the phone. I think I bought it on Sukimvit or somewhere like that. Now I use a registered smart phone and the money on the phone is also good forever (or a long time) unless I don't use the phone a month. Kind of sucks if I am gone for a month. Wish I kept the other phone as a back up but gave it to our nephew ... who now I suspect why he wanted it.

The credit is on the SIM not the phone AFAIK.

[JohnThailandJohn]

I had a cheap unregistered cell phone in Thailand that I would put money on and it would be good for a year even if I didn't use the phone. I think I bought it on Sukimvit or somewhere like that. Now I use a registered smart phone and the money on the phone is also good forever (or a long time) unless I don't use the phone a month. Kind of sucks if I am gone for a month. Wish I kept the other phone as a back up but gave it to our nephew ... who now I suspect why he wanted it.

The credit is on the SIM not the phone AFAIK.

It is, but had to get a different simm for the smart phone if I wanted data ... at least if I wanted one of the cheap monthly data options.

[doctorproc156]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

[arjunadawn]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

They must have the physical sim chip, right?

[techboy]

Sure all criminals will rush to download that app and register their phone's now.

Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Another frick-king know it all! How about identity verification?

[doctorproc156]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

They must have the physical sim chip, right?

Not necessarily, you can clone sims and have virtual sim cards as well. The copy protection on the older SIMs have been broken, but there are some newer ones such as the micro and nano sims.

[Maestro]

I can find no Song Chae app for my Android phone Nexus 4. If anybody has the link to it, please post it.

[tx22cb]

Stupid idea.

Say I am naive enough to register with 2 clicks. What happens if my phone is lost/stolen and the thief sells my phone/SIM to a criminal? The cops would go after the easy target - me - without a lot of checking of the circumstances.

The less the Thai Govt know about us, the better. I pay my taxes every year in full and on time, and expect being left to live my peaceful existence without intrusion in return.

The Junta's next initiative - cajole everyone to register (with 2 easy clicks) their internet IP address and any proxy identities, to ensure that the Govt is able to send, electronically, National Happiness to everyone in TH in an efficient manner.

[arjunadawn]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

They must have the physical sim chip, right?

Not necessarily, you can clone sims and have virtual sim cards as well. The copy protection on the older SIMs have been broken, but there are some newer ones such as the micro and nano sims.

So, then the concerns about an unregistered number are valid? "They" can variously try different combos until they hit on a valid existing number, program a chip, attach to game boy or other device, link to IED, and Wham! my number remotely detonates a device? In conclusion, do you find the authorities concerns then justified as a security measure or is it still overblown privacy encroachment? Thanks.

(Question: if not used for such above device, chips can be programmed for organizations as single use throw away phones duplicating valid numbers- thus, forensically, I can be talking to my wife in Bkk and my number used in a crime in KL? Later I'd appear as having been physically present?)

[bronco10250]

Never ever... prefer to enjoy my alien stat :-)

[doctorproc156]

Not necessarily, you can clone sims and have virtual sim cards as well. The copy protection on the older SIMs have been broken, but there are some newer ones such as the micro and nano sims.

So, then the concerns about an unregistered number are valid? "They" can variously try different combos until they hit on a valid existing number, program a chip, attach to game boy or other device, link to IED, and Wham! my number remotely detonates a device? In conclusion, do you find the authorities concerns then justified as a security measure or is it still overblown privacy encroachment? Thanks.

(Question: if not used for such above device, chips can be programmed for organizations as single use throw away phones duplicating valid numbers- thus, forensically, I can be talking to my wife in Bkk and my number used in a crime in KL? Later I'd appear as having been physically present?)

The concerns are valid, yes. Any smuggler or trafficker can be totally anonymous with the current system and it is very difficult to trace phone numbers once a warrant is issued for investigation, a lot of potential evidence and leads are lost this way. I don't see how tying a name to a personal phone number is a privacy encroachment. You cannot use trial and error, you have to have a physical copy of the original sim to clone it and only 1 of the sims can be used on the network at a time. Of course you could use any radio device to remotely detonate an IED, but mobile phones are by far the most reliable and they have essentially unlimited range.

You cannot have a duplicating number as even if you are roaming in KL, your phone will firstly connect all the way back to your provider in Bangkok and register itself on the network to check and see if there is any duplication.

[belg]

as long as they dont deactivate the unregistered number, this is a no no

if it i time to register, will ask the wife to do it, in her name

or will they give us the option of 90 day reporting by sms / GPS ? I GUESS NOT

[Andre0720]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

Depending on how many bombs were detonated in Thailand using unregistered phones,

The investment of registering phones might prove worthwhile....

[tingtongteesood]

Big brother is watching and I am already told to write my phone number on the form every damn time I go to immigration as it is....

[doctorproc156]

I guess I am not up to date on these things but just how can some criminal use my (unregistered) phone number in a crime?

If there is no name attached, drug smugglers could use any number as they are anonymous, cannot be traced etc. Bombs can be detonated remotely with another phone with a sim card attached to the bomb, all you have to do is send a text and the bomb goes off.

Depending on how many bombs were detonated in Thailand using unregistered phones,

The investment of registering phones might prove worthwhile....

Pretty much every bomb in recent times and especially in the south were probably all mobile phone detonated, it is by far the most reliable and has an unlimited range.