CDRM bans wiretapping

BANGKOK: -- The Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy Saturday imposed a ban on wiretapping and threatened to revoke the concessions of telecoms operators caught eavesdropping, its spokesman said.

"It's the military coup leaders' order that wiretapping is banned and anyone -- wiretappers, masterminds, operators -- would face the harshest punishment of fines and jail terms," said Lieutenant General Palangoon Klaharn.

"The operator will face the most serious punishment, including the revocation of the concession."

A telecom company founded and later sold by ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Advanced Info Service, is Thailand's largest mobile phone operator and controls more than 51 percent of the 33-million-user market.

Palangoon said the ban, effective immediately, did not target any particular operator and was in line with international standards.

Previously wiretapping was legal only for police who obtained a court order or for the nation's intelligence agencies.

--AFP 2006-09-23

CDRM issues announcement to ban wiretapping

BANGKOK: -- The Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy Sunday issued its 21st announcement to ban wiretapping.

The announcement imposes five years jail term and or Bt100,000 fine on anyone who eavesdrop on conversations through telephones or other ways of communications. Persons who abuse information or disclose information from such eavesdropping will also be liable to the same penalties.

The announcement also subjects anyone who is informed of information from wiretapping to the same penalties if he or she relay the information or makes use of it.

The announcement says the masterminds behind the wiretapping will be subjected to two-fold penalties.

It says if the wrongdoers are concessionaires of any type of telecom services, the concession will terminated.

-- The Nation 2006-09-24

Phone service operators summoned to meeting

The permanent secretary for Information and Communications Ministry Tuesday summoned the baseline and mobile phone service operators to a meeting to be briefed about a coup decree against wiretapping.

Kraisorn Pornsuthi, the permanent secretary, said the meeting would be held at 4 pm.

Source: The Nation - 26 September 2006