Thailand approves plans to track tourists' phones

[Fairynuff]

I'm moving to a country where life is much freer, it's called North Korea

[FinChin67]

1 hour ago, Kinnock said:

I think we're all missing the point of this proposal.  If you are in the mobile phone industry, then a proposal that could force all tourists to buy a particular SIM card plan is a good money spinner.

This, nothing else. You just need to buy it and then put it in your pocket.

[55Jay]

So you get off the plane at Swampy for your holiday.  Will these mandatory SIM chips be issued (or sold?) somewhere between Immigration and the Customs exit point?   Can you imagine the queue!  You would have to do it before Immigration so those who refuse to use it, or buy it, or simply don't have a phone to begin with, would be denied entry into Thailand and flown back home on the next available flight.

 

[webfact]

Tourist Tracker: Officials tight-lipped on plans to make tourists use location-tracking SIMs

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Photo: Chinese Tourists/Flickr

 

BANGKOK: -- A proposal by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to track tourists’ location with a new kind of SIM card is still being mulled over as they seek the counsel of tourism authorities, tour agents and police.

 

The proposal has already gain the approval of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, reported The Nation.

 

Pongsathorn Chansri, an official from the Ministry, highlighted how beneficial the SIM card would be in apprehending tourists who have committed a crime in Thailand.

 

"It will be helpful if any foreigner comes and commits crimes because, in the past, they have been able to flee or it can be difficult to find them," he said.

 

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/08/10/tourist-tracker-officials-tight-lipped-plans-make-tourists-use-location-tracking-sims

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2016-08-10

[hawker9000]

"Attention please.  Attention please.  Would the duty adult supervision staff please report immediately to the children's conference room and play area.   Thank-you."

[JImH2O]

20 minutes ago, bark said:

They can track you through Thai Visa, if they really wanted to. I guess this will be your last post. Good Luck.

They'd have to get the access log from Thaivisa first and i don't think they'd provide that without a court order. The thaivisa servers are not located in Thailand.
Even then, an IP is easily masked by using a VPN service.

 

I guess you are one of those "i have nothing to hide so i don't care about my privacy" people. Very naive.

[TEFLKrabi]

There is a practicality here of stopping every non-Thai when they enter the country and forcing them to give up their phones so that a local SIM can be inserted. It's so unlikely. Consider all those, for example, who have iPhones that are locked to their contractor. Not going to happen. 

Edited August 10, 2016 by TEFLKrabi

[DGS1244]

8 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

 

Actually, location can be much more accurate than that - even more if they have all telco's towers to triangulate.  If your phone can calculate your position fairly accurately using cell towers only, and/or cell phones and wifi... they can calculate your position in the same manner through signal strength at several towers to triangulate.  The GPS in the phone often is used for location services - but only in areas where it has clear view of several (i.e. 3 satellites) and that is not always the case.  People assume that they are relying on GPS when often it is not.

Agree, but you can turn of the GPS locator on most phones anyway.

[wallybee]

Sneaky Sneaky, this has been in the planning for a long time, that is why you needed a passport to buy a Simcard, now we are in phase 2

[Thian]

6 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

So you get off the plane at Swampy for your holiday.  Will these mandatory SIM chips be issued (or sold?) somewhere between Immigration and the Customs exit point?   Can you imagine the queue!  You would have to do it before Immigration so those who refuse to use it, or buy it, or simply don't have a phone to begin with, would be denied entry into Thailand and flown back home on the next available flight.

 

 

No they first deserve a fine for entering Thailand without cellphone and then will be deported.

 

Can't send them back with full pockets...

[KamalaRider]

Just pay a Thai national 1000 THB for a SIM and presto, problem solved.

Edited August 10, 2016 by KamalaRider

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So the BKK Post today is quoting the NBTC chief as saying their plan is only aimed at tourists --  not expats legally living in country.

 

The article also quotes him as saying it's possible for the telco's to alter their SIMs so that location services cannot be turned off -- though that reference didn't specify whether he meant GPS or SIM tower triangulation.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[JImH2O]

Just now, KamalaRider said:

Just pay a Thai national 100THB for a SIM and presto, problem solved.

If the plan goes through then i'm sure that will be criminalized.

[saminoz]

They don't need to do this.  They can simply track any mobile through the IMEI.

What a bunch of simplistic silly little people does the little general command?

 

[DGS1244]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

So the BKK Post today is quoting the NBTC chief as saying their plan is only aimed at tourists --  not expats legally living in country.

 

The article also quotes him as saying it's possible for the telco's to alter their SIMs so that location services cannot be turned off -- though that reference didn't specify whether he meant GPS or SIM tower triangulation.

 

 

SIM card triangulation, GPS can be turned off on most phones.

[cumgranosalum]

2 hours ago, Basil B said:

What is the point of it?

 

Is Thailand going to have areas off limits to tourists and foreign media like China and Russia?  

there is not point...military governments adore collecting information - they usually have no idea why.....it is of course highly suspect in regard to privacy and democracy, but what military regime ever worried about things like that?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

SIM card triangulation, GPS can be turned off on most phones.

 

I know that... But according to the NBTC guy, he thinks the Thai mobile providers can modify their SIMs to prevent that.

 

No idea if that's technically possible. But that's what the guy is being quoted as saying.

[snowgard]

This idea show me only the low IQ of Thai politicans. It's the same with the alcohol selling times.

 

They are completly to stupid to organize their country and to look that everything run by the rules. For this politicans it is more easy to make a new law as to order and proof that shops sale not alcohol to underage people.

 

Why other countries can check the age and give real heavy fines of 500.000 THB and more if a shop break the law?

No way in Thailand!!! This is more work!!! Better make a new law.

 

But what they want to do if foreigners use their homecountry sim?

Or simple not use a phone?

 

Will be an ankle monitor (also known as a tether, or ankle bracelet) with GPS the alternative?

 

Why they not let farang programmers ley edit their immigration software so that it automatic list overstay farangs. It can't be so difficult to find them.

 

If this stupid idea gone real, I am sure the tourist who visit thailand gone down to 20%.

[johng]

26 minutes ago, Chicog said:

Just make sure you don't update your phone from a Thailand telco.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FinFisher

 

how about this ?

 

http://simhacks.github.io/defcon-21/

[swerver]

2 hours ago, JImH2O said:

They could block roaming and penalize anyone caught using a SIM card on a Thai persons name.
But that's not the point. If i have to resort to such tactics then i rather move to another country where they don't treat me like a criminal.

 

 

And which country is that???

[sydneyboy]

14 hours ago, JImH2O said:

Thaivisa is social media in the literal meaning, but it's not privacy invading like facebook, line, whatsapp etc.
I'm ok with forums because there's no requirement to provide any personal information. I always use a dedicated email alias for each forum registration, never to be used for something else and i usually connect through VPN.
I'm sure that statistics and email addresses are shared with the thaivisa affiliates, but since they know nothing about me i'm ok with that.

 

 

<deleted>.  And you probably don't even live in Thailand.  Move on. We don't need your type here.  

[BuckBee]

Sounds a nonsense idea, have a lot of short stay holiday makers who use contract sims while here on holiday in networked locked phones .

Current register sims to passport & recording phone IMEI & phone number is all really needed, Current networks can already be used for tracking if needed.

If they want catch over stayers then that would best be implemented from immigration system & a special team to track those on overstay .

Seems to me likely some hidden agenda behind this if does make it through as current official reasons are just nonsense technically & logically, overstay has reduced massively as has illegal working (for westerners anyway)

 

Whether it passes or not it shows the contempt they have for foreigners & potential future hassle for those who spend a lot of time here .

 

Your best retaliation is stop giving these greedy people your money .

Edited August 10, 2016 by BuckBee

[kamahele]

So, will tourists be required to have a phone while in Thailand on vacation? 

[jonclark]

The bit that cracks me up is the justification for this - 'tourists as a national security threat'. Which therefore begs the point that is Tourist Association of Thailand (TAT)  not a terrorist organisation as it is actively encouraging tourists (a.k.a - the security threat) to come  to Thailand and should be shut down. 30 million security threats and rising - The PM must stop TAT!!

 

 

 

[roiethome]

This has not been thought out.

Firstly, all mobiles phones can be traced when they know the number by triangulation from the cell network towers; no need to amend SIM cards.

Secondly, the SIM is only traceable when the phone is switched on, so when the phone is off, or battery is exhausted, the tracking is void.

 

[snowgard]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I know that... But according to the NBTC guy, he thinks the Thai mobile providers can modify their SIMs to prevent that.

 

No idea if that's technically possible. But that's what the guy is being quoted as saying.

 

Wrong!!! They can't do this. The mobile providers don't track you over GPS. They track you with their Antennas and their Cell-IDs. It work countryside on a radius of around 300m and in cities with more antennas on a radius of 30m.

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, hansnl said:

As soon as I have to use such a big brother card, I will simply stop using any mobile phone.

 

I wonder how the press in foreign countries will react to this.

Foreign press? We are in a state of constant attack against us by our governments. 

[tifino]

 

If this plan ever comes to fruition:

 

Once it is your name/passport attributed to a particular traceable SIM - do your utmost to endure the SIM is never misplaced/stolen; for if that little chip of plastic ever subsequently gets linked to a crime the thief has committed, it will be YOU who wears it - and there will be no way out

 

     as, in LOS; the left hand doesn't know what the Right hand is doing....

So, even if you have reported the phone, containing the SIM, stolen - you can't automatically assume the Report makes it's way to all concerned depts 

 

If you think you have been real smart, and Registered the SIM in your Thai missus's name - still be careful what you do with the SIM, such as your Internet usage...

...for it will be She who wears the brunt of retribution from the system, for what you have typed/said

 

Then - there are the cruelties of it all:

if any non-registered SIM are somehow disabled, then you'll be up for the costs of calling International, on a most likely Premium Roaming rate, anyone at home, to let them know your new number

 

Now there is the compatibility question.

In Australia, the national telco Telstra has introduced SIMs that require a Mobile with 4G capability, but not only that, the SIM will, not work with 2 G mobile, at all..

  It will be good for intending tourists ( read that as victims), to be warned their 2G phones will be dead on arrival, if the Men In Black SIM requires 4G - does anybody know yet what specifications are required for your phone?

 

I, like many  others I expect, would like to return, but with minimum-spec mobiles, that are not GSM, don't have GPS, no wifi etc 

 and having it locked to your home telco would end the problem in toto

 

The reports coming in already show the SIM is going to be such that you cannot disable 'location' services...

okay - but that could be scary, if that also means you are not able to select 'Flight Mode' as part of all this.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by tifino

[Paul Kernell]

Leave your phone at home or post it to Chang Mai, "It can't be me, I wasn't there" Idiots!

 

[Doc46]

This is utterly Bullshit,,,We have registered Mobile phones Now ,,,They can Track us Now,,,This is only an other  rip of  scheme.