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

[Chicog]

I don't normally pay any attention to the monkeys throwing poo, but this could inconvenience some:

 

Quote

 

While the system would raise concerns Thailand was moving closer to a Big Brother state, Takorn said foreigners shouldn’t worry, as police would need to seek a court order to track someone by their SIM card. He said any abuse of the system would be punished.

“If a service provider tracks the SIM’s location without a court order, they would be charged with a criminal offense.”

Takorn said it would also help maximize the use of pre-paid phone numbers in the country. Currently numbers must go unused 90 days before they are “recycled,” but he proposed that anyone leaving the country could have their number revoked after 15 days, instead.

 

 

[dieseldave1951]

Thailand says it wants tourists and then makes us feel like we are the scurge of their society. 

A second North Korea very soon, i think i will sell up so i can just go when they make it impossible to stay any longer, and it's fast  approaching that limit

[SymS]

Good luck with that, considering I seldom take my phone with me when I go out... They really need to mandate implants, then we are talking...

I guess once again the article is probably not quite accurate with words: "not just tourists but everyone who doesn’t hold a Thai passport". I know many Thai nationals without passport, will they be tracked too?

[kingstonkid]

I wonder who is paying the big bucks to get the concession for these cards.  The problem is not going to be tracking the cards for people it will be finding a location that sells them.  I have an old phone guess what is going to go into it. LOL

[NextStationBangkok]

Next step will be, they will implant microchip and sell condoms, so they that they can track down how many in use, how long in use, where in use etc.....

[Brer Fox]

1 hour 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?

Answer: NO!

[dieseldave1951]

17 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Well, at least they are not planning to microchip us like they do with dogs in the wesr.

now you given them another idea to ponder 

[PattayaAJF]

3 minutes ago, Pimay1 said:

Unless there is a new procedure that I don't know about triangulation is quite easy when the cell sites are sixty or one hundred twenty degree sector sites. With omni sites, which most are nowadays triangulation is much more difficult unless the phone's signal channel is seen by two or more cell cites which is not the norm unless the phone is on the move or in the fringe coverage of one cell site. I think the best they could do is locate a phone somewhere within a ten mile radius but unable to pinpoint the phone.

 

correct for omni in rural areas however even in rural areas "neighbour sites" are always visible (except in the most remote areas) even when the mobile is stationary.  Accuracy is always an issue but i suspect it is it is in meters in urban and perhaps 100s of meters in rural areas except for the most remote areas.  Never precise but still a good indication and probably sufficient for most applications.  

 

However at the end of the day while the technology (either basic triangulation or GPS or a mix) is available and IT issues can be overcome (the VAT system tracks a high porportion of commercial transactions to some degree of location accuracy) it is still a significant undertaking for the Thai Government to embark on.  

 

The Chinese and Vietnamese Governments have extensive experience in mobile tracking (with either local or roaming SIMs) and perhaps the Thai Government will engage them for "knowledge transfer" - who knows

[sahibji]

if i am a genuine tourist i would not mind being tracked.

 

i wonder under what circumstances would tracking be activated.

[hobobo]

I don't have a smart phone. Will the Government buy me one so that they can track me? Can I have a Galaxy S7 Edge please, I really liked the one my friend has...

[SymS]

4 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

 SIM registration was at the urging of the US government  

Please tell me that's a joke. Not them again. I say enough with the bullying.

I'm already annoyed as that country forces me to fill an extra form when opening an account in Thailand, despite having no ties to the US  (I'm European).

[balo]

This will never happen  , just another crazy idea from a Thai official .  If it does happen I will make sure to register a Thai sim card in a Thai name from one of my Thai relatives. 

 

 

 

 

 

[ThailandLOS]

Got no problem carrying it, will never put it in my phone though...

[balo]

The next they will suggest is that all the new sim cards will be charged at farang prices , so you have to pay triple rates. 

 

[taony]

5 minutes ago, Chicog said:

I don't normally pay any attention to the monkeys throwing poo, but this could inconvenience some:

 

" Takorn said it would also help maximize the use of pre-paid phone numbers in the country. Currently numbers must go unused 90 days before they are “recycled,” but he proposed that anyone leaving the country could have their number revoked after 15 days, instead. "

 

So then they actually will be tracking us, as how else would they know if we've left the country for 15 days?  Or do they plan on getting court orders for everyone every 15 days to see if they are still in the country?

 

What a load of <deleted>.  So every time I go on holiday for more than two weeks I have to come back and get a new sim?

[Psychic]

Sigh!

I see the "idea guy" has had all weekend to think of a new one.

Maybe he gets paid on quantity not quality.

My SIM is already registered, as I suppose, most long term residents are since the "idea guy" had that idea a while ago.

And the workaround to this are too numerous to mention but I will throw a few out there.

Bad guys could:

Bring a sim into the country and roam.

Pay somebody else to get a sim for them.

Use any of the numerous IP services from a wireless network.

So once of becomes blatantly obvious this is not a good idea I expect Mr. idea Guy to rethink and have all the foreigners wear ankle bracelets. Or have a micro chip placed in a non-conspicious area of their bodies.

Mr. Idea Guy can experiment on himself but my suggestion is somewhere the police can check while they are enforcing the "must wear underwear" law,

[ThailandLOS]

3 minutes ago, SymS said:

Please tell me that's a joke. Not them again. I say enough with the bullying.

I'm already annoyed as that country forces me to fill an extra form when opening an account in Thailand, despite having no ties to the US  (I'm European).

 

This is world domination and imperialism at work. There's no end to it.

Edited August 9, 2016 by ThailandLOS

[dieseldave1951]

5 minutes ago, Chicog said:

I don't normally pay any attention to the monkeys throwing poo, but this could inconvenience some:

 

 

but we talking Thailand here, tracking no sir we would never do that with out permission ???? ah there is that dastardly falang have breakfast in the bar in kolat go get i'm boys

[Confuscious]

I don't understand all this commotion about this.

As a foreigner/tourist you are already required to fill in a form giving out a lot of information about yourself.
And a lot more is already being tracked by your activity on your phone or your activity on your PC/Notebook/Tablet.

 

But you are NOT required to give them more information that you want.
It all depends WHAT INFORMATION you want them to be able to trace.

Your bank account number and more of that stuff, they know already.
They like to do double work?
Up to them.

As someone said already, if you don't trust them, disable your SIM card(s) and use a WIFI hotspot.
There are plenty of them all over Thailand.

 

If you are really paranoia, you can type your messages; convert them in a password secured ZIP/RAR file and send this file with a secured email address.

 

But I would not lose my sleep on this.
By the time they have figured out how they are going to story this additional information about all the tourist/expats, many water will flow into the sea.



 

[SOTIRIOS]

...they should get their own house in order first.....

[silent]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

Never gonna happen. Just put the sim into a bin

 

Not recommended if planning to stay. With recent technological enlightenment, it' wouldn't be inconsistent if failure to comply results in genital subcutaneous microchipping.

[Brer Fox]

I suspect this moved is designed to look innocent enough to the locals with the military government simply being seen to be checking up on those pesky foreign tourists and expats. 

 

Perhaps there is something more insidious behind this move where it could be quickly expanded to keep surveillance on the movements of the local population and even eavesdrop on their conversations .

 

The military could justify this in their own minds as a reason to maintain civil law and order so as to keep everyone happy.

 

 

[Chicog]

3 minutes ago, ThailandLOS said:

 

This is domination and imperialism at work. There's no end to it.

 

It's not, it's some twit who went on a jolly to an international conference and was completely out of his depth.

 

 

[jspill]

This will go the way of the 'electronic tags for foreigners' suggestion of years past - 

 

[nullx8]

Someone watched too many trump-speeches on Youtube !!

[Songlaw]

1 hour 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 wonder if there is a 'bright idea' bin somewhere? If there is, it had better be huge.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Songlaw
Edited for grammar

[clockman]

What they want, and what they get? T.I.T.

[off road pat]

1 hour 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?

 

 

 

 

This is going to be fun.... I use a old mobile without any GPS function.....and if I had I would switch it off...

[nullx8]

20 minutes ago, balo said:

The next they will suggest is that all the new sim cards will be charged at farang prices , so you have to pay triple rates. 

 

 

I was about to write the same, 

somehow i think that will come anyway 

 

someone has to pay for the show and make someone else profit in the process.

[soalbundy]

get a sim from your wife or girl friend,easy. I never carry my mobile with me, it's a waste like whoever thought this crap up