pic: The Nation Mandatory SIM registration for ALL prepaid phones in Thailand

[DaveBKK]

Interesting:

http://tech.thaivisa.com/mandatory-sim-registration-prepaid-phones-thailand/

I take this quote from the referenced Nation article:

"SIM registration is the first step to FORCE all to have individual numbers, then the next step is the 'Single Sign On' policy," Takorn said.

So basically.... a single required ID to access any internet in Thailand. Hmmmm.....don't have a VPN yet? Better get one

[siam2007]

While in most countries (neighboring Malaysia, f.e.) you have to register a prepaid SIM, those plans here must have been created by paranoids and are for sure over the Top and I doubt they manage to implement this. But in case they really want to proceed, I am sure Obama and his NSA will be more than happy to assist them.....

[KhunBENQ]

Yet again this proposal surfaces.

I read nearly the same proposals months ago.

I remember this has been proposed even during the Thaksin government as a counter terrorist measure.

Years have gone by and nothing happened.

What if they enforce it:

criminals and terrorists will use roaming SIMs or stolen phone/SIMs or will refrain from such communication at all.

For the spotless people it means: guard your phone/SIM better than your eyesight.

One might remember the case of an old man, who was convicted for lese majeste (20 years) and quickly died in prison.

He was supposed to have written an offensive SMS to a secretary of the King.

This man was an analphabet, a "common man".

It was not even "his" SIM, just the IMEI (serial) of his phone.

Unbelievable he could have such a number in his phonebook.

An IMEI can be manipulated easily (afterwards throw the phone away).

For the judge in this "rule of law country" it was still enough for a guilty verdict!

Now just think someone uses your phone and your SIM in your absence for such an act.

Then try to argue and get out the Thai prison any soon.

Registration in Germany e.g.: has become a joke.

You can do it online from any place, enter an arbitrary name and a valid (!) address.

Thats it (just the address is validated).

There were times when a real registration (with document copies) was necessary.

Edited January 6, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[DaveBKK]

The phone number registration is inconsequential. The idea of using that as a required single sign-on for accessing the internet (the plan is, if you want to use the internet at home, at a public wifi, wherever, you sign-on via your phone number).

If the phone registration doesn't work, there's an alternate idea of requiring/issuing smart cards for getting on the net.

[SpaceKadet]

What worries me more is the justification... "in the interest of national security"... This justifying phase for sometimes drakonian laws that restrict and sometimes remove personal rights is cropping up everywhere, and not only in Thailand. And can you even argue against it? You will be branded as traitor, terrorist, and enemy of the state.

1984 is coming... maybe a bit late and slow, but undeniably.

[KhunBENQ]

Thailand is on the way to a totalitarian state.

No problem to convict unwanted persons without reasonable proof.

LM as the tool of choice.

Quite worrying.

[lujanit]

I went to AIS today and registered my pre-paid phone number. I used my Passport as ID and the lass typed something into her terminal (maybe PP #?). I wasn't asked for an address and she didn't photocopy my PP. I never received a receipt or a sms confirming registration. So I have no proof I have registered my pre-paid number. Total time to register about 90 seconds.

[KhunBENQ]

I went to AIS today and registered my pre-paid phone number. I used my Passport as ID and the lass typed something into her terminal (maybe PP #?). I wasn't asked for an address and she didn't photocopy my PP. I never received a receipt or a sms confirming registration. So I have no proof I have registered my pre-paid number. Total time to register about 90 seconds.

Send the following (USSD) code:

*141#

and compare the result msg with these:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/796646-mandatory-sim-card-registration-in-thailand-starts-today/page-2#entry9016605

First pic is "registered".

Second pic is "not registered".

Edited February 22, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[JamieP]

I went to AIS today and registered my pre-paid phone number. I used my Passport as ID and the lass typed something into her terminal (maybe PP #?). I wasn't asked for an address and she didn't photocopy my PP. I never received a receipt or a sms confirming registration. So I have no proof I have registered my pre-paid number. Total time to register about 90 seconds.

Send the following (USSD) code:

*141#

and compare the result msg with these:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/796646-mandatory-sim-card-registration-in-thailand-starts-today/page-2#entry9016605

First pic is "registered".

Second pic is "not registered".

As far as I can tell they both say unregistered but in slightly different ways.

The first one says specifically that it's not yet registered while the second says no user information found

[KhunBENQ]

Yet another approach (has been mentioned in other threads already).

At least good to find out that the card is not registered (yet).

Its from the NBTC (telecom regulator) website:

http://sim.nbtc.go.th/howtocheck.php

There they clearly state, that the way to check is either:send:

*151# <dial>

or call

*151 <dial>

If I do the second one on my AIS prepaid I get an announcement in English (I have setup English sometime/somewhere), which is:

Please contact AIS call center at 1175 for your continuous service

Quite clear I would say (as I am not registered yet).

On my wifes phone a corresponding announcement in Thai.

The response to the USSD code (*151#) for "unregistered" is in Thai:

หมายเลขของท่านเป็นระบบเติมเงิน ยังไม่ลงทะเบียน รหัสลงทะเบียน xxxxxx

followed by some operator specific text (like contact AIS or so).

The first three characters หมา simple mean not in this case.

The xxxxxx is an individual "code" (different for each number).

The code seems to consist of six lower case alpha characters (roman alphabet), like "hjgytk".

Sorry there seems to be no exact text for "is registered"

Edited February 23, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[jocko]

I have had a Thai sim card for years but this visit I forgot to bring it so I went to AIS to get a new one taking my passport with me the staff took copy and registered the new sim a ex pat friend new I was in Thailand tried to call me on my old number not knowing I had a new number got a recorded message to inform him that my old sim was not registered .

[JamieP]

Yet another approach (has been mentioned in other threads already).

At least good to find out that the card is not registered (yet).

Its from the NBTC (telecom regulator) website:

http://sim.nbtc.go.th/howtocheck.php

There they clearly state, that the way to check is either:send:

*151# <dial>

or call

*151 <dial>

If I do the second one on my AIS prepaid I get an announcement in English (I have setup English sometime/somewhere), which is:

Please contact AIS call center at 1175 for your continuous service

Quite clear I would say (as I am not registered yet).

On my wifes phone a corresponding announcement in Thai.

The response to the USSD code (*151#) for "unregistered" is in Thai:

หมายเลขของท่านเป็นระบบเติมเงิน ยังไม่ลงทะเบียน รหัสลงทะเบียน xxxxxx

followed by some operator specific text (like contact AIS or so).

The first three characters หมา simple mean not in this case.

The xxxxxx is an individual "code" (different for each number).

The code seems to consist of six lower case alpha characters (roman alphabet), like "hjgytk".

Sorry there seems to be no exact text for "is registered"

The first three characters หมา are the first three letters of the word หมายเลข meaning "number".

ยังไม่ is the part of the text meaning "not yet" (registered)

[johng]

ยังไม่ลงทะเบียน = not yet registered

[siam2007]

I am sure at MBK you will be able to buy pre-registered SIMs until forever.....

[KhunBENQ]

I am sure at MBK you will be able to buy pre-registered SIMs until forever.....

Another test for the authority/competence of the junta

[Crossy]

I have had a Thai sim card for years but this visit I forgot to bring it so I went to AIS to get a new one taking my passport with me the staff took copy and registered the new sim a ex pat friend new I was in Thailand tried to call me on my old number not knowing I had a new number got a recorded message to inform him that my old sim was not registered .

That 'not registered' message is just poor English, you get it if the phone has not communicated with the network for a while (not sure exactly how long).

[OJAS]

Well, according to this morning's Newsline programme on NBTC (which is how I found out about this bloody nonsense purely by chance), we have to register our pre-paid SIM cards by 31st July, otherwise it's bye-bye mobile calls, internet access, etc!!

Strikes me as yet another pointless exercise so commonplace in LOS which has been dreamed up (by the NBTC in this case) with the sole and avowed aim of causing the maximum inconvenience and hassle possible.

[LuckyLew]

I fail to see what the issue is with registering for a cell phone number

By the way they can implement this with the help of the carriers

I had a small nokia phone with a number with AIS

AIS shut the ability to make calls down - only allowed emergency calls

I had to go show ID and register my name and address to get the number working again

[OJAS]

I fail to see what the issue is with registering for a cell phone number

By the way they can implement this with the help of the carriers

I had a small nokia phone with a number with AIS

AIS shut the ability to make calls down - only allowed emergency calls

I had to go show ID and register my name and address to get the number working again

Did you have an old 1800 MHz SIM card which was shut down last September (see thread at http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/730299-nbtc-warns-sim-cards-of-1800-mhz-mobile-users-will-go-offline-on-september-15/)? I got another AIS SIM card (also for for a small Nokia) in advance of this happening. Would have been nice if I could also have registered the new SIM card (and hence killed 2 birds with 1 stone) at the same time. But this would, of course, have been too much to ask or expect in LOS.

[petedk]

I have a post paid number which, of course is registered.

No big deal, I thought ........ until one day I met a young girl whose mother worked for AIS amd father was a top military guy.

A vfew days later this girl talked to me about my house, exactly what it looked like, how many people and maids lived in the house. She knew exactly where my wife went every day and at what time. She even knew all financial details of my father-in-law's business. All this from my phone number.

Luckily there was no malice from her side. She just wanted to show off her "connections"

But just shows how dangerous it can be.