Thailand approves plans to track tourists' phones

[Felt 35]

Hmm.....what is it called again when a Government in which politicians regulate nearly every aspect of the public and private behavior of citizens

[phaykk]

Make it easy just put the ankle bracelets on like the law does.

[JayBird]

13 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

Hmm.....what is it called again when a Government in which politicians regulate nearly every aspect of the public and private behavior of citizens

 

Probably shows just how widespread the issue of bad foreigners overstaying in Thailand is... I think they are more desperate than totalitarian.  Not that it justifies their actions, but there could be some sympathy for them to try to solve a problem.

 

That being said, would there be an objection to two phones:

1x with the tracking sim in.  Used for nothing else, just to let them track you.

2x without the tracking sim in.  Used for normal phone operations (that way less risk your phone and the data on it is compromised due to the tracking sim).

 

If caught with a phone without tracker in it you could show them the other phone with the tracker in it.  This should please them (as you are being tracked).  And in order to ensure you don't forget the tracker phone at home you could always keep it in a convenient place (say, wrapped around the ankle).

 

 

[MobileContent]

6 hours 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.

 

You are spot on and since AIS and DTAC are very much linked to foreigners you can bet that CP True Mobile will get the chunk of the business.

 

399 Baht per 7 days for 1GB Sim card and GPS tracking will be setup at the airport already whe the mobie is handed over the friendly staffs of True Mobile.

 

BTW TRacking is already used in China of anyone not only foreignes.

[MobileContent]

22 minutes ago, phaykk said:

Make it easy just put the ankle bracelets on like the law does.

 

They tried the arm wrist 1 year ago but it was discounted as no money casn be made out of it.

[Time Traveller]

Does that mean they'll also give tourists a free phone?

[MobileContent]

I talked this afternoon to our CEO and he said it s all rubbish.

1 hour ago, JayBird said:

Due to how cell phone networks work, this is already do-able:

 

SIM cards are now required to be registered with passport (rule change a year or so ago).

Cell Networks know where the SIM card/phone they are communicating with is (it tends to connect to the nearest tower for communication, so logs will show which one is being connected to).

 

Its not clear to me at least what they plan to do from a technical perspective:

1) Do they want to track a phone that is not using the mobile network (which does not connect to Cell towers) ?

2) Do they want to force the GPS tracking for more 'accurate' location?

 

The issue is less the government tracking your whearabouts.  The real issue is the new software they introduce to your phone to track your wearabouts.  This adds another vector of attack for people to hack into your phone.  It also of course allows unauthorized people to track your location for other non-desirable purposes.

 

 

 

You are spot on. If a government agency wants to track you down in Germany they need a court order for that but in Thailand they decide hey lets just track down 20 million over tourists and after Phase I is cmpleted lets track the <snap> locals that do not agree with our policies or if they do agree with our policies lets send them some ads to not forget to vote next time.

 

Thanks BUDDHA I just sold my condo and car in this country and now only a BOI company is left and Singapore just told me that my Thai bird and our child is welcome to move to Singapore and I can sponsor them through my PR. 

I am not worried about tomorrow or next month but what will happen in the next 2-3 years.

Edited August 10, 2016 by MobileContent

[pbeieio]

This just confirms the paranoid and xenophobic nature of this regime.

Perhaps it would be cheaper to make us wear a yellow star??? 

[MobileContent]

2 hours ago, NE1 said:

As somebody else pointed out , are they going to search every visitor coming in to Swampybum , and if they find a phone make them buy a SIM.

How will they implement this absurd idea ?

 

 

Free Sim cards will be distributed directly on the plane 

[mzep]

Regardless of whether or not it can be implemented effectively, this is a sure recipe for crippling the tourists industry!  Tourists from democratic countries will not acquiesce to using trackable phones, and are likely to find alternative destinations. 

[MobileContent]

4 hours ago, johng said:

 

I think they can write a small app that resides in the SIM card  that could constantly turn on GPS and or  keep a record of recent cell tower connections and send the information back to a database via 2/3/4G or WIFI.

 

Yes possible but it is a Malware and normally not more then 12k in size but if you are offline and have no data connection it is unable to connect to the server. As soon wifi or ata is anabled it will send ack data to the server. Every good virus program will block the apps and IOS will block it completly.

 

What they really have to do is installing a Troyan on your phone and once it is installed they can even track you after you left Thailand.

[MadMac]

It's just complete rubbish, firstly it can't technically be done, secondly there are other ways to avoid expensive roaming costs, such as FB, Line or Skype and Wifi is everywhere, thirdly damage has been done again and tourists go elsewhere. 

[MobileContent]

3 hours ago, zyphodb said:

Sounds like some of the General's family or friends are in the telecom business, nice little earner for them, & they wouldn't care wheather it actually works or not.....

 It's not going to go down well with tourists though, mind you the rate they're going there won't be any soon.....

 

Lets just think that 10% of all tourists sign up and CP would got on the spot 3 million more clients.

 

3 million x 199 Baht for a sim card is 597 million Baht by just selling the Sim cards plus give them unlimited internet for their 1 week stay at 299 Baht for 1 or 2GB and it comes to over a billion Baht. Then you find advertisers and for each 1000PV you get  60 Baht 6.5 billion Baht a year in advertising revenue by LBS.

 

Let me guess, after Prayuth leaves office he will be joining CP Group in the board of directors same as his balf General Suchinda did.

Edited August 10, 2016 by MobileContent

[Lingba]

ok so is there now going to be an extra step at immigration when arriving in country?...after passport stamp, one has to go to another counter now to fill out forms , show all phones and receive new sim cards...&lt;deleted&gt;?...I mean ..how exactly are these cards supposed to be distributed?

[retarius]

Wake me up when they try to implement this. It hasn't been thought through. My prediction is that it will die a quiet death.

[MarkyM3]

3 hours ago, aegdawson said:

How about under skin tracker chips embedded on your arrival at the airport probably easier and way more reliable LOL

Reminds me of Snake Plissken in Escape from New York.....overstay and pay the ultimate price...!  

[MarkyM3]

2 hours ago, dcsw53 said:

Interesting idea.

If you are from the UK ( maybe other countries as well ) and you have bought your mobile on a contract it is physically impossible for you to use another SIM card than the one supplied with the phone.

That will be another incentive for Brits to look at other attractive holiday destinations like Cambodia, Vietnam or Malaysia. What have TAT to say about it ? We know the answer.

Erm, if you have an unlocked handset then you can use any SIM card with it. I just bought an HTC10 on contract in the UK from Carphone Warehouse, all their phones are unlocked afaik. Certainly mine is.

 

If you buy direct from certain telecoms providers they may be locked but I previously had an HTC One M7 purchased direct from Vodafone and that was unlocked.

[JASON THAI]

So this is to catch the over stayers, no problem give me the sim and then I will not be going to do my 90 day reporting as there is no point as you already know that I am not over stayed and were I am living 

 

I should save a lot of petrol money, which will cover the cost of the sim 

[joeboy123]

Wow...Who ever sits there thinking of these ideas must really believe that the foreigners are a big problem/threat to Thailand

[pbeieio]

I can sum this up in one "catchy" statement.

 

FARANGAPHOBES WANT FARANGAPHONES!!!!

[MadMac]

Phones are cheap here. You don't need a China made iPhone to play Pokemon

[DrTuner]

Skype and the other providers with a call-in number just went 'Oh Yeah'. VOIP don't need a sim.

[tifino]

 

what I don't get, is why didn't the System, back ages ago when the concept was thought of - simply keep on Issuing SIM cards (albeit the new ones that look no different to the old ones)

 - and keep this Tracking Idea all a Secret?? 

 

All the LOS telcos would be sworn to secrecy, under threat of whatever...

 

The method, could have been, to by stealth,  send a software flash down the networks, to effectively simulate the frying of all non-registered SIMs.

We dudes go get another one, and Bob's your Aunty.

 

 

Anyhow, just think about it.... how many multitudes of incoming tourists have always, and will still do - go to a Telco counter, and get a local SIM while still in the Airport etc - lots'n'lots

 

Those 2 means could have eventually covered most incoming foreign faces.

 

 

Too late now Buddy Men In Black, the 'secret' has been let out of the bag

 

Dumb Baldricks, and their Cunning Plan... 555

Edited August 10, 2016 by tifino

[MadMac]

Tracking is part of the GSM standard, 25 y/o. It was just not implemented by the operators as it is too costly. That's why you never get a lost phone back. Now NBTC changes all that

[The Deerhunter]

No sympathy from wife.  I told her about it and she says it is a good plan to help protect me and stop criminal foreigners overstaying and doing bad things.   I like my privacy and that is why my ONLY form of social media is Thai Visa Forums.  I do not do Facebook, Twitter etc etc etc.  I asked her what percentage of foreigners were doing criminal things next to the percentage of Thai criminals.  Her answer?  "More than you think. It will help catch them.  It will have no effect on you as you never do anything wrong.  Only affects bad people." 

So much for my valued privacy concerns.  Damn!

Edited August 10, 2016 by The Deerhunter
add one word.

[FitnessHealthTravel]

It never ceases to amaze me. With all the many 'other' issues this Country has, road safety etc and this is at the top of their agenda to catch a few overstayers/  Rubbish!!! This is nothing more than some small groups illusion that they can 'control'.  What about Sat phones, mobile International roaming, internet phones?  Seriously, who thinks this s..t up?

[navara]

It's all bull shit, anyone who doesn't want to cooperate, get a new sim card at the first phone shop they see. NOBODY is willing to be tracked, it's against privacy laws. If anyone, 'tourists' I say, have bad intensions, they easily find a way to avoid such thing. No, Thailand is again making a fool of themselves.

 

You better give every tourist an ankle brace!!

Edited August 10, 2016 by navara

[MadMac]

We have something to talk about, now look back at the real big deals, the big firewall, the China train, the submarines.....and don't kill the messenger....that nuclear power plant....all bogus. They bought some bomb detectors. Let the kids play

[Broeno]

It looks like the xenophobia in Thailand is growing and growing. They even seem to be in panic according all the new unexpected and temporary rules they are making. It feels like deep in the  hearts of many Thai, there is a feeling 'Lets kick them out of here'. Oh but....., the money. We want their money. We need it. We have no own industrie. We grow food.

Such double morality always leads to conflict. Let's just wait and see where it leads. in Europe it has for long been customary that, for example, Spain gets too expensive, millions go to Turkey or Greece and back. There are more cute and beautiful countries other than Thailand. I hope I will experience it that the Thai government gives me a bonus to spend my money in Thailand

[tifino]

2 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

No sympathy from wife.  I told her about it and she says it is a good plan to help protect me and stop criminal foreigners overstaying and doing bad things.   I like my privacy and that is why my ONLY form of social media is Thai Visa Forums.  I do not do Facebook, Twitter etc etc etc.  I asked her what percentage of foreigners were doing criminal things next to the percentage of Thai criminals.  Her answer?  "More than you think. It will help catch them.  It will have no effect on you as you never do anything wrong.  Only affects bad people." 

So much for my valued privacy concerns.  Damn!

 

you are not really that safe - as missus herslf will be talking about whatever you do and say, on Sanook, Kapook, M-Thai, Facebook, Twitter, Line

 

you will be talked about, because as you said, she thinks you have done no wrong, and she will be so so proud of you, that she will want to to share that to everyone