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

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

Never gonna happen. Just put the sim into a bin

 

Yes, the logistics would be a nightmare. Presumably everyone who already has a sim card would need to get it replaced with the new magic sim card. And half the time when I go out I don't bother to bring the phone with me. Anyway good luck to them. I suppose it's no worse than some countries that have CCTV cameras everywhere keeping an eye on everyone.

[mcfish]

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

Ankle bracelet I'm afraid

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[PETERTHEEATER]

...........not just tourists but everyone who doesn’t hold a Thai passport ,............ 

 

I know many Thais who do not have a Thai Passport since they have never travelled across borders and have no plans to do so. What percentage of Thai Nationals (66 million?) have a passport? Must be a very large number so, they will also be required to have a trackable SIM so foreigners, stop whingeing!

 

[adhd]

can they please change the name to XENOPHOBIA ?

 

thailand = land of free, ah yes, for thais only

 

they can implement this rule, my phone is in flight mode anyway, they can also have your facebook account via your phone number right ?

 

how much you think they have to pay zuckerberg for that, or just threaten to forbid faceblob in thailand (that would be good for productivity)

 

 

[timber]

Those ankle bracelets they wear in the states work pretty good.

[Ulic]

As long as they include foreign diplomats and attaché's

Just want to see how foreign governments respond.   

[eastendanto]

ill thought out concept...wait just ill concept as they never thought about it at all.... police and security forces around the world reading this must be having a good chuckle and wondering at the ingenuity of idle minds with nothing better to do. The Thai government really thinks it can implement a system that no other western world would touch with a barge pole? The logistics just ain't worth the hassle...

 

That aside the easiness with which this can be sidestepped can be drafted by kindergarden attendees...

[TheMacMan]

I am registered, under their "all foreigners must register with ID" that they forced on everyone a couple of years ago....

No problems and no worries for me..... I have a Thai number and a Thai phone package....

The MAIN QUESTION for me is simply this...... If I HAVE to have another new trackable SIM card will I HAVE to have a NEW MOBILE phone number?

That would just be inconvenient for me but I bet it would be a HUGE problem for others foreigners living/working here... with their existing numbers on their business cards, vans and shopfronts or other material....  

If they assign the same number i don't care.... but if it is a different number then not so good!

Edited August 9, 2016 by TheMacMan
spelling correction

[JustNo]

Considering Thailand bases its economy and thus future on us 'troublesome' farang, one would assume that they would stop treating us ALL like subhuman, criminal animals. 

[BOBAKAT]

Useless !

 

you are already tracked  even your phone is off.

For months, with the new simcard registration system, they know exactly where you are all the time.  

Maybe someone have to sell smart simcard, the same as the explosives detectors...?

[Usernames]

1 minute ago, TheMacMan said:

I am registered, under their "all foreigners must register with ID" that they forced on everyone a couple of years ago....

I problems and no worries for me..... I have a Thai number and a Thai package....

The MAIN QUESTION for me is simply this...... If I HAVE to have another new trackable SIM card will I HAVE to have a NEW MOBILE phone number?

That would just be inconvenient for me but I bet it would be a huge problem for others foreigners living/working here... with their existing numbers on their business cards, vans and shopfronts or other material....  

If they assign the same number i don't care.... but if it is a different number then not so good!

 

 

You have come to the erroneous conclusion that somebody cares about any of those issues.

[adhd]

as said before, too bad there is not a POLICE MAN sim

 

so the chief could see they are actually working, or working for a higher purpose, collecting something for "the family" or extended family, or a donation for their next level up in the police, I hear that can be quite expensive

[newcomer71]

It seems the big bosses are looking for new systems to flush the country down the drain every day, in curious and "funny" way...

As long as they're happy with it... 

[malt25]

1 hour ago, RBOP said:

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

Don't bend over !

[worgeordie]

I don't own a mobile phone,I don't want to own a mobile phone,so what happens then.deported,

maybe it's an idea(stupid one),to give jobs to all the Police that are currently doing nothing in

all these inactive posts,no really how are they going to physically track every Farang in Thailand,

maybe if you don't have a mobile phone,they will give you an implant,like the dogs they seem to

think we are.

regards Worgeordie

[pepi2005]

I'm sure that will help Thai tourism!

 

Many tourists are certainly big fans of military government surveillance.

[ironbark]

I suspect this is more about tracking illegal Burmese, Lao and Cambodians than Europeans.

The 15 day loss of number is more concerning. There must be thousands of legitimate foreign residents and business people who travel overseas for legitimate personal or business reasons and it would be a massive disruption to their business.

Yet another example of make the announcement first and then consult with interest groups after.

[yardrunner]

2 hours ago, oilinki said:

I'm quite curious about the technical solution. Why a special SIM card is needed or is it just a way to say, that these numbers will be actively triangulated without a warrant?

 

AFAIK there are no GPS enabled SIM cards yet. 

 

One possibility could be that these SIM are using specific APN for 'free' channel to broadcast phone's GPS information to the government and it would be mandatory for foreigners to have GPS enabled on their phones?

 

 

 

 

i use a basic mobile because it suits me, no GPS and i have no plans to upgrade unless Ais want to give me a free smartphone which i would not use just leave switched on at home

[tcris52]

2 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

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

 

Sub-dermal implant.

[hawker9000]

They can de-activate all existing foreign-registered SIMs I guess, and hand me a new one on arrival whose number I'll be expected to fill-in on their proliferating forms, but how do they plan to make me register & activate this new one in the phone I'll no longer have with me?  They could even issue me a phone, but can they make me "top it up", too?  Will this be something else to be "carried at all times"?  Oh, I know, a new tax included with your airfare.  Dumb and dumber.  The social media is going to love this.

 

The fact that there just HAVE to be people present for these official "reviews and discussions" who do in fact grasp how hair-brained these schemes are but are apparently afraid to voice any opposition speaks volumes about Thai "culture".  "Acceptance" on steroids.  It's jaw-dropping.

 

They've shot themselves in the foot so many times already, I'm surprised there's anything left to shoot at.

[kiwikeith]

2 hours ago, seajae said:

now this is starting to get creepy,  tracking all non thais in Thailand through their phone is a joke, I rarely even turn mine on unless I want to use it. Have to wonder which idiot has suggested this, first they want us to fill in forms to tell them all our personal details and now this, have to think it is a certain thai that simply doesnt like farangs and wants them all gone, really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this sort of crap.

 

I suspect that this is a test case, Thailand being used as the testing ground for future full time tracking of everyone.

If you wanted to avoid being tracked you could easily obtain a Thai card or get the one in the GF's name.

Real crims would not be so stupid to use them, then -- they don't have to.

Nothing to worry about here.

[Merylhighground]

2 minutes ago, JustNo said:

Considering Thailand bases its economy and thus future on us 'troublesome' farang, one would assume that they would stop treating us ALL like subhuman, criminal animals. 

 

Thailand has hedged it's future economic bets already with China pal!  

 

As I said earlier, it's going to get far, far worse...if you aren't rich enough or have the skills to meet future government criteria the best you're going to have in Thailand is a two week/one month annual holiday/'come spend all your money here' visa.

 

Crying that you are wed to a Thai or have 'Thai' children isn't going to help one jot. 

Sadly if you don't have the cash or skills to be a perceived benefit to the nation, time to get wifey a visa/citizenship for your home nation and cut......

 

We are just starting to see the fruit of the what the Thaksin regime's crackdowns in the mid 2000s aimed at....

[atyclb]

2 hours ago, seajae said:

now this is starting to get creepy,  tracking all non thais in Thailand through their phone is a joke, I rarely even turn mine on unless I want to use it. Have to wonder which idiot has suggested this, first they want us to fill in forms to tell them all our personal details and now this, have to think it is a certain thai that simply doesnt like farangs and wants them all gone, really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this sort of crap.

 

" Have to wonder which idiot has suggested this "

 

eenie meenie minee mo,  take your pick

 

 

 

inside experts conceded that even usa nsa cannot make much sense out of all the data collection. to run it competently  theyd need to hire an outside (non thai) compeny.

[off road pat]

2 hours ago, MJCM said:

 

What about this ? (Just guessing though)

 

They know what number the Sim Card has and who owns it. So every time the Phone connects to a Cell Phone Tower, the Computer of the provider transmits this info to whatever agency is tracking the Foreigners. However ONE major FLAW with this is that it's not very accurate.

If you overstayed your visa they'll know were to find you, in what town or village, and that's enough !!!

[yardrunner]

3 minutes ago, Merylhighground said:

 

Thailand has hedged it's future economic bets already with China pal!  

 

As I said earlier, it's going to get far, far worse...if you aren't rich enough or have the skills to meet future government criteria the best you're going to have in Thailand is a two week/one month annual holiday/'come spend all your money here' visa.

 

Crying that you are wed to a Thai or have 'Thai' children isn't going to help one jot. 

Sadly if you don't have the cash or skills to be a perceived benefit to the nation, time to get wifey a visa/citizenship for your home nation and cut......

 

We are just starting to see the fruit of the what the Thaksin regime's crackdowns in the mid 2000s aimed at....

But this is under the overview of the general so what has it to do with Thaskin

[aquario33]

1 hour ago, 12DrinkMore said:

You are all reading way too much into this.

 

It is simply a justification to syphon off public money into private hands.

 

- The guy with a bunch of low spec chinese computers to handle all the data

 

- The guy who will get the contract to supply 30,000,000 SIMS every year

 

- A few other middle men, front runners and back end men with fingers in the public money pie.

 

It will start up with a big fanfare and then just disappear, like every other ridiculous and unenforceable idea.

 

Mobile phone numbers are nowadays tied to so many different apps, companies and contacts. It would be hugely inconvenient to have to change them.

 

They could force people to buy the SIM, they cannot force people to use them.

they could deactivate your old sim ....what other choice would you have then???

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, Rob13 said:

A bit the like the mice hanging the bell on the cat

I don't like that idea at all.

[justaphase]

I'll just get the girl at the 7/11 to register my sim, same as always.

Another idiotic idea.

[off road pat]

2 hours ago, AlphMichaels said:

Ready, fire..., no need to aim.  Why do they always make off the cuff statements like this before ever reasoning them out?  They won't invest in the requisite functionality to manage it..., they can't manage the archaic systems already in place.  No way this will ever happen with any level of efficacy.

I guess it's the old Thai habit again, spending a lot of government money on something useless, and taking a huge bribe on the side !!!

[koolkarl]

And why don't they track Thais too?  Are they all so pure and innocent?

This topic just proves the mind set of Thais. Xenophobic 100%.