Deadline looms for prepaid mobile users in Thailand to register

[BigBadGeordie]

Nothing to do with national security, they just don't want freedom of speech

This is old legislation, I registered my sim over 9 years ago.

It was introduced by Thaksin, who linked it to the security situation in the deep south.

[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.

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

Think you're getting mixed up with the US there.

What issue do you have with registering who you are in order to have a phone service? Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

So when did US become North Korea's best friend?

I am from a country who promised to the population that they will never save different registers into one, took about one year and they started to parallel run all computer registers and now they known everything about you. Yes I do have an issue with this as I think its against your personal freedom. Do you think its OK that the government can spy on your personal calls and emails, your company's confidential business secrets etc and monitor where you are as you can do with a mobile phone?

[halloween]

"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.

So you will have to supply your details to activate it, or haven't you done that yet.

[smedly]

So when did US become North Korea's best friend?

I am from a country who promised to the population that they will never save different registers into one, took about one year and they started to parallel run all computer registers and now they known everything about you. Yes I do have an issue with this as I think its against your personal freedom. Do you think its OK that the government can spy on your personal calls and emails, your company's confidential business secrets etc and monitor where you are as you can do with a mobile phone?

what on earth did you do to attract so much attention

[laolover88]

With wi-fi everywhere cannot see why you need a phone/SIM. Where there is no wi-fi, phones have no signal anyway.. I have no problem with registering my prepaid SIM in LOS; anyway I have a monthly account. My SIMs are not needed to be registered in the UK. I just wonder: why now, can they cope with the mass registration and what will 'they' do with the data?

[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.

Should be: Peoples Democratic Nanny Republic of Australia

The nanny state of Australia doesn't have the same problem as here - SIMs used to trigger bombs.

[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!?

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

Been to KL and Singapore 4 times in the last 3 years.

I never had to do that!

[halloween]

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.

Been to KL and Singapore 4 times in the last 3 years.

I never had to do that!

So you bought a new SIM every trip?

[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.

So you will have to supply your details to activate it, or haven't you done that yet.

activated it about 8 yrs ago and didn't have to give personal details. Still use it every month when I got back.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

So when did US become North Korea's best friend?

I am from a country who promised to the population that they will never save different registers into one, took about one year and they started to parallel run all computer registers and now they known everything about you. Yes I do have an issue with this as I think its against your personal freedom. Do you think its OK that the government can spy on your personal calls and emails, your company's confidential business secrets etc and monitor where you are as you can do with a mobile phone?

what on earth did you do to attract so much attention

Nothing, but with this kind of surveillance system your company's business secret's can be spied on an copied, and in a a country like Thailand run by a dictator, with a Mickey Mouse justice system and a super corrupt police force who are involved in kidnapping and all kinds of dirty things your rights could very easily be at stake.

[FredNL]

I just returned from DTAC Phra Ram 9. They refused to register my SIM card on my name because I don't have a Work Permit (retired). For all transactions, also for prepaid, they require a Work Permit. The branch manager my wife's niece. They had received instructions late last year about registering foreigners. Only foreigners with a Working Permit are accepted. Solution!!! Put it in your wife's / girlfriend's name when using DTAC !!!

[BuckBee]

Malaysia has had this for years, they wouldn't sell you a SIM unless you registered, and they were serious about it, would register you online right when you bought it. No money business.

The cell phone is a favorite detonation device with the bomb-throwers in the south, so this may be good.

Lol then just use neighbouring non register foreign sim & roam on thai network.

Singapore system works well because they actually got the network & intelligence to make it work simple.

I bought a singtel sim in singapore & took only minute or 2 for registration when purchase sim & no input from me besides handing over passport, helpful staff able answer any questions & flat fees same as singtel promote online with no scams/BS.

In Thailand it won't be quite the same i'm sure :-) not that I will be here to find out :-D

[brewsterbudgen]

I just returned from DTAC Phra Ram 9. They refused to register my SIM card on my name because I don't have a Work Permit (retired). For all transactions, also for prepaid, they require a Work Permit. The branch manager my wife's niece. They had received instructions late last year about registering foreigners. Only foreigners with a Working Permit are accepted. Solution!!! Put it in your wife's / girlfriend's name when using DTAC !!!

And if you're retired or on an Ed visa? I think you've been misadvised!

[bendejo]

Most civilized SIM purchase was when I bought an Air Asia ticket to KL online. By checking a box and paying RM10 I bought a SIM card with RM10 credit loaded that would be waiting for me when I landed. Went to the kiosk, the lad set the phone up, AA already had all the personal data, and that was it.

I would think that some places will be more lax than others regarding what they accept as valid id.

[smedly]

it is a requirement in Cambodia, although any time I've been there I get a local to get me a sim card for a couple of $

[Jonathan Fairfield]

UPDATE - All you need to know

Mandatory registration of SIM cards in Thailand

Further to the recent news that mobile phone users in Thailand must register their SIM cards, according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the methods and rules for registration are *slowly* becoming clearer, but thousands of people are still confused about what it means in practice.

Here is all you need to know: http://tech.thaivisa.com/sim-card-registration-thailand-update/3112/

[exona]

This was meant to happen in 03.

[siam2007]

I just returned from DTAC Phra Ram 9. They refused to register my SIM card on my name because I don't have a Work Permit (retired). For all transactions, also for prepaid, they require a Work Permit. The branch manager my wife's niece. They had received instructions late last year about registering foreigners. Only foreigners with a Working Permit are accepted. Solution!!! Put it in your wife's / girlfriend's name when using DTAC !!!

I am on DTAC POSTPAID since many years even I never had a Work permit - just a non-immi-B Visa.

probably every branch applies its own rules, same as with most Banks

[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!?

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

Been to KL and Singapore 4 times in the last 3 years.

I never had to do that!

So you bought a new SIM every trip?

...am I in some kind of trouble, if the answer is "yes"?!

[dragonfly94]

I don't know anyone who has bothered to register a sim I will not and nor will the mrs

[elektrified]

Good news

[elektrified]

Why are you a criminal?

[BigBadGeordie]

I don't know anyone who has bothered to register a sim I will not and nor will the mrs

I registered mine in 2003.

But I respect your choice, and given the previous system and the fact that the same "you will not be able to use after....." was stated then, I doubt anything will happen.

Edited January 22, 2015 by BigBadGeordie

[HooHaa]

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 dont think that is the issue.

[laolover88]

PM and other 'Top Brass' should get a prepaid SIM and be photoed registering it at their local 7..that will encourage the sans-culottes to fall in line.surely?

[nisakiman]

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

Every bargirl knows that you must have several phones to keep the 'sponsors' away from each other if you get my drift.

Ah, so that's who buys all those dual-sim phones!

I use a dual SIM phone, and I could actually do with a triple SIM, as I have a Greek SIM, a UK SIM and a Thai SIM, and at the mo I need two phones. A triple SIM phone would be really handy, but I haven't come across one yet (although I haven't looked that hard, I have to admit). And I need three active cards because I have bank accounts in all three countries with internet banking, for which I need an active mobile phone number. Nothing sinister or unusual, I wouldn't have thought. Must be loads of people in my position.

Back on topic, though, I got a SIM from True only a month ago (in fact we got three - one for me, one for the wife and one for the dongle), and there was no mention of registering. You would have thought that with this legislation imminent, they would have started registering new cards straight away. Now we've got the hassle of registration as a seperate issue.

As an aside, about six (?) years ago, everyone in Greece got an SMS from their provider saying that they had to take their phone in to one of the the provider's offices with ID, tax number and (I think) a utility bill for registration. As far as I know, there has never been any registration for SIM cards in UK.

[monkey dog]

This stinks IMHO

i agree if the powers that be both here and internationally werent such a**holes they would need so much emphasis on "security". what's more all this "security" has prevented zip all, as weve seen in france recently for example. if there is a will to commit atrocity, there WILL be a way AND ALL THIS OPPRESSIVE " security" isnt going to stop it.

Edited January 22, 2015 by monkey dog

[Wilsonandson]

So in March sales of top up cards will dramatically fall, queues at 7/11, dtac, ais, true and tot will be long and time consuming. The use of emails, twitter, facebook, line and skype will increase. And the hobby of pidgeon keeping will flourish.

[Langsuan Man]

Well this thread encouraged me to log into my DTAC account and according to it my SIM is already " registered ' . The question that I have is this DTAC registration enough for the government, since the only information that DTAC has is my phone number and email address. No other personal information is contained in my " profile "

I queried the DTAC call center regarding this registration question and here is the email answer I received back:

Dear Mr. XXXXX XXXXXX

Don’t worry, this number already registered under your name. For checking,

please dial*102*9#.

For further inquiry, please feel free to contact us at; click here.

Best regards,

Ms. Pimpun Jummun

Customer Service

I post it only so that other DTAC customers can use the number to check their registration

[Diplomatico]

Well this thread encouraged me to log into my DTAC account and according to it my SIM is already " registered ' . The question that I have is this DTAC registration enough for the government, since the only information that DTAC has is my phone number and email address. No other personal information is contained in my " profile "

I queried the DTAC call center regarding this registration question and here is the email answer I received back:

Dear Mr. XXXXX XXXXXX

Don’t worry, this number already registered under your name. For checking,

please dial*102*9#.

For further inquiry, please feel free to contact us at; click here.

Best regards,

Ms. Pimpun Jummun

Customer Service

I post it only so that other DTAC customers can use the number to check their registration

You told them your name was XXXXX XXXXXX and they bought it?