Plan to track all foreigners - NOT JUST TOURISTS - by SIM cards moves forward

[animalmagic]

The capacity to track any phone number already exists as the phone sends regular signals the nearest repeater stations to let them know they are in that area of coverage; that's why a tourist with an overseas phone often sees the server changing.  Criminals have been aware of this capacity for many years which is why kidnappers and terrorists do not use them.  Phone companies are usually very cooperative when police are dealing with a serious and active crime, but generally ask for warrants for other requests.  Not sure that would apply here.  Unless the phone company is owned by the Govt or Police there may be some push back from the companies who will fully examine the legalities of assisting in this manner.

It's a daft idea thought up by someone who watches too many movies.

[Lupatria]

Proposal for a new TAT slogan: "Welcome to North Korea light".

[bendejo]

It's a win for the BiB, easier to find a farang to shake down.

 

All this 'concern for security of foreigners' that they need to go through such extremes makes the country come off as a scary place.  Pretty much counter to Thailand's vanity, no?

 

 

[gdgbb]

13 minutes ago, Thian said:

Will we still be allowed to use our own simcards and phone# while in Thailand?

 

I feel less welcome every month again....Why they don't trust me at all? Should i still start a company in Thailand?

 

Reading the link will tell you.

[waldroj]

A word of caution!

 

Before we all get too excited about this post, I can't seem to find any other sources (other than Khaosod English) running this story.

Whilst I'm not suggesting they're telling porkies, I'd believe it more if there was supporting evidence from other "reputable" sources!

[KhunBENQ]

Even if you assume that they will fail like with much of their IT systems:

(the whole concept is utter nonsense)

to me it is absolutely frightening that they develop such paranoid fantasies at all.

 

Only states like North Korea or Turkmenistan can surpass that where every foreigner has it's agent accompanying.

 

[elgordo38]

38 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

So what happens if you DON"T have a SIM card and don't use a cellphone?

Good question. They might brand the number 666 on your forehead. Expect the junta to go full bore ahead now that the referendum is in the rear view mirror. All major crime must be cleaned up if they are setting their sights on this petty BS

[RobQuicky]

Wow!  They could give us an ankle bracelet ...

[Renzo]

Sickening, anti-foreigner prejudice. I have a far simpler solution: why not just implant chips in everybody's neckupon arrival? This government is rapidly becoming an international laughing stock. Even Hitler would blush at some of this stuff! 

[KhunBENQ]

Just now, RobQuicky said:

Wow!  They could give us an ankle bracelet ...

An implant with a 10 year life time battery.

[denkiblue555]

2 minutes ago, RobQuicky said:

Wow!  They could give us an ankle bracelet ...

 

Would the said bracelet be available in both red and yellow? - that is the question.

[KhunBENQ]

3 minutes ago, waldroj said:

A word of caution!

 

Before we all get too excited about this post, I can't seem to find any other sources (other than Khaosod English) running this story.

Whilst I'm not suggesting they're telling porkies, I'd believe it more if there was supporting evidence from other "reputable" sources!

 

My reaction to the first reports about the "foreign national information form" was: April fools day?

Since then I tend to believe almost all such crap ideas are really developed.

Incompetence that is hard to beat.

[Hawk]

In case of emergency use an email sent from a tablet.

 

 

[cumgranosalum]

military governments - to a man obsessed with gathering information - whether relevant or not.

 

If it's in triplicate it must be right?

[mtls2005]

"Before we all get too excited about this post, I can't seem to find any other sources"

 

Various/sundry 'authorities' (NBTC members, Junta) have been quoted in the press on this for the past few weeks, often they mention a similar, successful program in Malaysia that "they heard about". 

[Jingthing]

Yet another reason not to move to Thailand, and if here, to leave.

[RichinThailand]

Well, guess we must be led by Hitler or Trump...not sure which???

 

[Dukeleto]

Can you imagine the paperwork the tracking agency would generate! There goes another forest!

[BlindMagician]

20 minutes ago, gchurch259 said:

I  do not care, if they want to know I am in the toilet at The Emporium, so be it!!

 

However, they should also do the Thai's. there are more criminal Thai's in country than Farang .

 

Maybe we all should leave for 60 days, they might miss the money !!

Good idea. How about 250,000 leave in protest, all giving the same reason to a long list of media outlets. Go big.

[whatproblem]

Why all the negative,if you loose your phone they can go get it for us

[kotsak]

22 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Mobile phone "no have". Will I get arrested for that ?

 

Probably will provide you with a G.I one

 

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Dead Idea.... many people (tourist) use roaming, and there's always the option of wifi without a sim.  UNLESS, they want to shut down all free wifi.  BESIDES... what's the point of this?  

[Kwasaki]

43 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

So what happens if you DON"T have a SIM card and don't use a cellphone?

 

Eventually as they progress with this operation you will be a victim of a covert abduction cut open somewhere and the sim will be inserted in your body. 

[RBOP]

I dont have a phone. What do I stick this sim card into? 

[PattayaAJF]

5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

"Before we all get too excited about this post, I can't seem to find any other sources"

 

Various/sundry 'authorities' (NBTC members, Junta) have been quoted in the press on this for the past few weeks, often they mention a similar, successful program in Malaysia that "they heard about". 

 

having purchased a SIM in Malaysia i can confirm that they do have such a program .. however i have no idea how "successful" it has been as i have no idea of what its "objectives" are .. but i can confirm it is in existence and it is only a registration process not a special SIM .. 

[Stradavarius37]

Meh - I don't care. Im not hard to find, and if anyone needs me they will know where to look.  And I dont' care about privacy much either - if i did, i wouldn't be using google, facebook, instagram, snapchat, etc.. The rest of you enjoy hiding under the covers in the closet with your tin foil hats and baseball bats.  Or on your barstool....

[bark]

Great idea. The Thai Police are so smart.

[hansnl]

I guess all leaving the country for a single month will do just fine.

But.....

Can anyone imagine how this idea will be vented in the press in the western world?

Guess it might have a "heavy duty" impact on tourism.

 

What would the reaction be from the Chinese tourists?

Edited August 9, 2016 by hansnl

[JImH2O]

This is never going to happen, they can't even code and design a government website properly, let alone a sophisticated tracking mechanism. Even then, there are ways to cloak your device.
They are (currently) too incompetent to pull this off, but the junta's aspiration to complete crowd control is getting scary. It's trying hard to become a nanny state, believing that control and submission will lead to "peace".

[Gweiloman]

7 minutes ago, PattayaAJF said:

 

having purchased a SIM in Malaysia i can confirm that they do have such a program .. however i have no idea how "successful" it has been as i have no idea of what its "objectives" are .. but i can confirm it is in existence and it is only a registration process not a special SIM .. 

 

I think you have confused the two issues. 

 

In Malaysia, every SIM card has to be registered ie one has to show some form of identity, regardless of whether one is a Malaysian or foreigner. Reason is so that they can identify the "owner" if necessary.

 

The program (plan) listed here is to have special SIM's for foreigners only, in order to keep track of them. Malaysia does not (as yet) have such a plan in place nor have I heard of one