Deadline looms for prepaid mobile users in Thailand to register

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Deadline looms for prepaid mobile users in Thailand to register

All users of prepaid mobile phones in Thailand will have to register the phone numbers before July 31st this year or face having their service suspended. That’s according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC).

Mobile users must register SIM cards

The secretary general of the NBTC, Thakorn Tanthasit, has said that February 1st is the first day when registration will begin and that strict enforcement is required for registering phones, either with the operators themselves, or alternatively at Krungthai Bank, superstores like Tesco Lotus and Big C, and 7-11 stores. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the expected deluge of people flooding in to register.

The Nation reports that there are 110 million active mobile phone numbers in Thailand, 90% of which are prepaid. However, only 10% of users are registered.

pparently, mobile users in Thailand “will be given six months to register” or the mobile operators have been instructed to suspend the service for anyone that does not comply. Why? Well it’s all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.

Existing SIM registration law ignored

NBTC commissioner Prawit Leesathapornwongsa statted that the requirement for prepaid users to register had in fact been law for quite a long time but has not been strictly implemented. The current law says that users must register before a new number can be activated, however that has until now been ignored by the mobile phone companies. However, he did say that the new rules are rather unfair to customers, so to “soften the blow”, the NBTC may relax the requirements, for example by preventing anyone not registered from topping up.

We’re not quite sure how registering is supposed to prevent incidents of national security, as anyone could simply steal a phone if they’re intending to commit a crime, or perhaps even buy a prepaid phone in another country and activate international roaming.

We’re not also sure why the “strict deadline” of February the first seems to contradict the other statement that “users will be given six months to register”. Your guess is as good as ours.

If you have not registered and you use a prepaid/top-up mobile phone, then pop down to Big C or 7-11 tomorrow and ask to provide your details. We suspect you’ll be greeted with blank stares.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/deadline-looms-prepaid-mobiles-thailand/3064/

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Update

NBTC tightens registration regulation for unregistered phone SIM-card use

The users of around 90 million unregistered prepaid phone SIM cards will not be able to make calls or use data service on mobile phone devices, if they fail to register their SIM cards with their mobile phone network operators by July 31, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced yesterday.

The announcement will take effect on February 1, when people with unregistered SIM cards

can start registration. This is part of the NBTC's move to serve the government's national security policy.

There are 110 million mobile phone SIM cards in use, of which around 100 million are prepaid SIM cards. Of this total, only around 1.6 million SIM cards were registered by users. The remaining 90 million are unregistered.

Users have to register the cards by showing their ID cards [passport or migration licence if they are foreigners] to their mobile-phone operators within the deadline. If they fail to do so, they will not be able to make calls from their mobile phones or use data services - but they can still receive calls. They will be able to make calls and use data once they register with their mobile phone operators.

The NBTC has enforced its existing regulations requiring mobile phone operators to ask all subscribers of prepaid phone SIM cards to register the cards. However, few consumers cooperated as they were reluctant to provide copies of their ID cards. Some telecom firms faced daily fines for failing to register prepaid users.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said all users could start to register with the many channels, including 1,200 branches of KrungThai bank, 8,000 branches of 7-Eleven convenience stores, and branches of Big C, Tesco Lotus super stores plus nationwide branches of all mobile-phone operators.

The NBTC had already made available its "two-shots" application in the middle of last year to facilitate the registration process; mobile phone operators' staff who sell SIM cards will download this application to their mobile phones. They will use the app to take a picture of the SIM card code and the buyer's ID card. The app will then immediately send the data to the NBTC's computer server, connected with the servers of the five telecom operators.

The NBTC server will verify the identity-card information and, if correct, send the verified data back to the telecom operator's server, to activate the SIM card.

The NBTC has paid particular attention to mobile phone SIM registration as a matter of national security over the years. Unregistered SIMs have been used reportedly by terrorists to plant bombs, as well as for fraudulent and illegal businesses.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/NBTC-tightens-registration-regulation-for-unregist-30252420.html

[Jonathan Fairfield]

NBTC now mandates all owners of prepaid SIM cards to register for security reason

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) now orders all mobile phone operators to require mandatory registration of all owners of prepaid SIM cards by end of July, otherwise their phone use will be cut off.

The mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards by the NBTC was decided for security reason as many unregistered SIM cards had been used by southern insurgents in igniting bomb explosions, and some were used to deceive the people.

The NBTC held a meeting with five state and private mobile phone operators today and reached an agreement that the service providers will notify their prepaid customers to produce identification documents for registration of their SIM cards from February 1 to July 31.

Failure to register their prepaid SIM cards, service providers will cut off their phone signals, thus disrupting their outgoing calls and Internet connections.

However they still can use the phones to receive call for a certain period. At present there are 90 million prepaid users but only 1.7 million have registered.

Meanwhile the NBTC said it will hold a public forum to sound out opinions from the people on the per second call charge to be introduced before mandating all operators to replace their per minute call charge to per second call charge.

It also said that by February 14, all phone operators will roll out per-second call charge promotion packages to their customers as part of the “Returning Happiness to the People” scheme of the military junta.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nbtc-now-mandates-owners-prepaid-sim-cards-register-security-reason

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

"Well it’s all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.""

Welcome to North Korea's and China's best friend. The country once called Land of the Free.

[halloween]

"Well it’s all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.""

Welcome to North Korea's and China's best friend. The country once called Land of the Free.

In the Peoples Democratic Republic of Australia, SIM cards have to be registered, yet we somehow remain free and somewhat more democratic than the original Land of the Free. I can only assume the same would apply to many other countries.

[WhamBam]

This stinks IMHO

[Robby nz]

If the companies have ignored the law in the past then why is it not up to them to right the wrong that they have created, why should it now be left to the customer to put things right ?

110 million mobile phones for a population of 65 million people, how many do you have ?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

"Well it’s all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.""

Welcome to North Korea's and China's best friend. The country once called Land of the Free.

In the Peoples Democratic Republic of Australia, SIM cards have to be registered, yet we somehow remain free and somewhat more democratic than the original Land of the Free. I can only assume the same would apply to many other countries.

Should be: Peoples Democratic Nanny Republic of Australia

[BigBadGeordie]

This legislation was introduced several years ago, by a diferent government, mmmm, seem to recal the Prime Minister was a chap called Thaksin.

Not many comments about it then on this forum?

[greenchair]

"Well its all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.""

Welcome to North Korea's and China's best friend. The country once called Land of the Free.

In the Peoples Democratic Republic of Australia, SIM cards have to be registered, yet we somehow remain free and somewhat more democratic than the original Land of the Free. I can only assume the same would apply to many other countries.

I think Australia goal might be to keep a check of bomb threats, terror threats, things like that would be considered a national security risk. I don't think they care that Joe blog said the prime minister of Australia was a ---- ----.

Threat to national security has many meanings in Thailand. Most of them related to verbal perceived threats, not physical perceived threats.

[zaphod reborn]

Self-registration could easily be handled online. Enter your personal data, scan your passport or ID, done! But no, in Thailand, they always make everything as difficult as possible. Do you expect clerks at 7/11, Tesco and Big C to understand how to register someone online? Most of them can't even figure out how to enter a utility bill payment. This is going to be one big FAIL!

[Bkungbank]

In Asean Singapore and Malaysia have to produce ID or passport to buy as sim, that is for you own protection when you get scam as least police can trace who and where did it.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Bkungbank

[chooka]

"Well its all to do with preventing use of mobile prepaid phones in situations related to national security.""

Welcome to North Korea's and China's best friend. The country once called Land of the Free.

In the Peoples Democratic Republic of Australia, SIM cards have to be registered, yet we somehow remain free and somewhat more democratic than the original Land of the Free. I can only assume the same would apply to many other countries.

I have a pre paid in Australia and it's not registered, bought it over the counter at Coles Supermarket.

[evadgib]

I've lost count of the amount of times I have had to register mine over the years. Why are we having to do so again?

Edited January 22, 2015 by evadgib

[SoFarAndNear]

Self-registration could easily be handled online. Enter your personal data, scan your passport or ID, done! But no, in Thailand, they always make everything as difficult as possible. Do you expect clerks at 7/11, Tesco and Big C to understand how to register someone online? Most of them can't even figure out how to enter a utility bill payment. This is going to be one big FAIL!

I am here for nearly 5 years. I never had any problems with paying utility bills or even online payment invoices at 7/11. Ok there were a very few rare cases when rookies don't know what to do but there always someone else at the store who could do it... But I am talking about 2-3 cases in the last 5 years..

Registering SIM numbers will maybe catch a few dumb criminals.... but it will not stop the serious crimes or terrorism... but I guarantee it will sooner or later used against the own citizen. And in a country like Thailand with such an unstable political situation for decades this will be just another tool of controling the people...

[Langsuan Man]

Every time they come up with something really stupid you say this has got to be the stupidest one, and then they surprise you with something even more stupid

[chainarong]

The same applies in OZ no SIM is issued without your pedigree , blood type and your contact info, as pointed out this doesn't stop anyone from stealing or bringing in a prepaid unregistered mobile from outside on word roaming, is there anywhere where you don't register these days , except Somalia and Nth Korea.

[ultimate weapon]

All right i don't live in thailand but i have thai sim cards so do i need to fly over there just to register my sims? <deleted>

[mrtoad]

All right i don't live in thailand but i have thai sim cards so do i need to fly over there just to register my sims? <deleted>

Bit like Singapore then?

[ultimate weapon]

All right i don't live in thailand but i have thai sim cards so do i need to fly over there just to register my sims? <deleted>

Bit like Singapore then?

Yup but then again that rule was implemented years ago i believe and right now you cannot buy a new sim card without registering so it isn't a problem. It's different for thailand since they are implementing this on short notice and as you can see from the reports 90% of users aren't registered. The ones that are registered would be thais who are using a monthly charged sim.

[Anthony5]

I recall this is a law which came into force about 10 years ago, but as with every law in Thailand was only enforced for the first 2 months or so.

[parryhandy]

Does being signed up to the AIS e service (which would not accept my passport number so used my daughter's id No) count as registering ?

[Fiddlesticks]

Every time they come up with something really stupid you say this has got to be the stupidest one, and then they surprise you with something even more stupid

Not really, it no longer is a surprise. You just roll your eyes and say over and over, This is Thailand. We come to expect stupid because it is the essence of Thainess.

[trogers]

Does being signed up to the AIS e service (which would not accept my passport number so used my daughter's id No) count as registering ?

And here is the problem. Foreigners without work permits can register a mobile SIM card?

[DM07]

Just so I get that right: friends come over to Thailand, want to buy a SIM at 7eleven and will have to register for the time of a -let's say- 10 day holiday!?

[webfact]

NBTC: All prepaid number users must register their SIM cards before August

BANGKOK, 22 Jan 2015, (NNT) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday announced that all prepaid Subscriber Identity Module or SIM cards must be registered by July 31st. Failure to do so will result in the termination of services.

The announcement was made after a meeting held yesterday between the NBTC and the country's 5 mobile phone service providers: Advanced Info Service, DTAC, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom.

According to the NBTC, a public hearing will be organized to gauge the people’s reaction; however, the agency expects the regulation to take effect within 6 months.

According to NBTC Secretary-General, Thakorn Tantasit, the objective is to protect the public from various scams given swindlers using unregistered SIM cards are virtually impossible to be tracked down. Another major reason is national security, referring to the cases of perpetrators of violence using unregistered SIM cards for illegal purposes.

To register their SIM cards, the owners must bring their identification cards to their respective service providers, the Secretary-General said, adding that the NBTC would later add Krung Thai Bank and the outlets of giant convenient store chain 7-Eleven to the list of registration venues.

Unregistered SIM cards will no longer function after July 31st.

Currently, there are 90 million active SIM cards in use, with only a fraction of them-- 1.6 million-- registered.


-- NNT 2015-01-22

[Langsuan Man]

To register their SIM cards, the owners must bring their identification cards to their respective service providers, the Secretary-General said, adding that the NBTC would later add Krung Thai Bank and the outlets of giant convenient store chain 7-Eleven to the list of registration venues.

I guess that means that us foreigners will not have to register our SIM cards since we don't have identification cards

[ultimate weapon]

Just so I get that right: friends come over to Thailand, want to buy a SIM at 7eleven and will have to register for the time of a -let's say- 10 day holiday!?

Hey that's what you have to do when you visit malaysia/singapore and maybe even australia too.

[pookiki]

I've lost count of the amount of times I have had to register mine over the years. Why are we having to do so again?

I registered both of my SIM cards with True in 2006. Surely, if we have already done this, there should be no need to do it again, right?

[stat088]

Just so I get that right: friends come over to Thailand, want to buy a SIM at 7eleven and will have to register for the time of a -let's say- 10 day holiday!?

Hey that's what you have to do when you visit malaysia/singapore and maybe even australia too.

Yes, Australia also.