Expats could be exempt from SIM card tracking

[ameadi]

It looks like talking and chatting about nothing. TV like sensationalism 

[manhood]

What about tracking all peopel who are in Thailand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sure the junta is doing that already!!!!!!

[Caveat Emptor]

1 hour ago, cfhebertjr said:

I am incapable of many things but quite capable with my command of the English language. All your words...not mine. This is a public forum...smh 

 

Maybe you should stop making a fool of yourself.

 

Are you a spokes person for TV as it looks as if you're issuing a warning about posting for reasons other than breaching forum rules  ?

[Baanguru]

What is the reason behind exemptions? Probably this is not workable that is why. Is this applicable to all foreigners in Thailand or only limited to some nationalities?

[eggers]

Ridiculous to require more information from Expat residents, with now being asked to complete the Foreign National Information form for 90 day reports. 

Bank details, where do you go, where do you work, use of Social media, etc....

 

Next they'll be wanting to strap a CCTV on us!!

[Time Traveller]

Awesome, free phones for all tourists without them ! Sounds like a sweet deal. 

[Brer Fox]

I am flattered and humbled that the Thai government is sufficiently interested in me that they want to track me all over the place while I am in the country. It shows they either care for my welfare or have little trust in me. I think I know which it is.

 

 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, Brer Fox said:

I am flattered and humbled that the Thai government is sufficiently interested in me that they want to track me all over the place while I am in the country. It shows they either care for my welfare or have little trust in me. I think I know which it is.

 

 

 

You advertising yourself as a fox I got a pretty good idea what they think too 

[Jiggo]

3 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I am definitely not in favor of this being done on a mandatory basis for either expats or tourists. It's just way too intrusive into personal privacy.

 

However, on a voluntary basis, I can envision some scenarios where a tracking device on a cell phone could be beneficial, i.e., someone who was at risk for dementia or other health problems which might incapacitate them, someone concerned that their life safety, or someone who lived or traveled in remote areas. 

 

 

And some one at risk of dementia is going to remember to take there phone with them....now where did I put mine?

[axelah]

53 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

how in the world would this work?  Somebody, tourist or expat have their own Iphone or other device some of which have SIMs and data plans, etc. that you can't just swap out.  Anybody have any experience with what they keep allegedly saying Malaysia has done?

Hobbles and then lock them up in concentration (Tourist sanktuaries) Camps.

 

[Old Croc]

The purpose of this is to track the "Bad Guys" through their phones.

I believe this is something which has been possible for some time,  although not generally well known.

This latest plan, and the publicity generated, has probably had the effect of making the baddies more aware  of the dangers of phone ownership, as they go about their unlawful business.

[offset]

They seem to be asking for your mobile number more now when you go to the immigration for your extension or change of address so they have most expats phone number any way

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, NongKhaiKid said:

So you want me to stop trying to emulate you and leave you in pole position  ?

Why not just say,  "OOPS!  Thanks. You are right.!"

[Caveat Emptor]

I'm thinking,   perhaps more hoping,   that this will be allowed to wither on the vine to prevent the embarrassment of yet another scheme that hasn't been thought through and rushed into a premature public announcement.

Let's see when the spin starts to get out of it.

[ezflip]

As I posted elsewhere, I still don't get how they are going to implement this.

 

By implementation I do not mean how they can track a SIM, that has been done for ages already. My SIM card has already been registered for a few years now. I am referring to how are they going to force everybody to use their "tourist SIM" cards.

 

Are they going to create a triage station at the airport to see if a tourist has an unblocked phone and then see if they have a "tourist SIM" card already or not? Then what? Refuse them entry if the tourist does not purchase or use the "tourist SIM" card? I am sure the airline industry will have some harsh words soon if this is the case. Land border crossing? Just refuse entry if the tourist refuses to purchase or use the "tourist SIM" card?

 

This is what I meant by implementation and until they reveal how they are going to pull this off, I really don't see the use of us all going crazy about this proposal. Other then venting...

[recycler]

3 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I am definitely not in favor of this being done on a mandatory basis for either expats or tourists. It's just way too intrusive into personal privacy.

 

However, on a voluntary basis, I can envision some scenarios where a tracking device on a cell phone could be beneficial, i.e., someone who was at risk for dementia or other health problems which might incapacitate them, someone concerned that their life safety, or someone who lived or traveled in remote areas. 

 

 

It's a non-issue, any cell phone is a tracking device even without GPS it can be tracked trough cell towers and it's registered with your ID.

[DrTuner]

What they really want is to check the internet traffic going through your smartphone, resulting in "Hey that John at Nana Plaza posted an anti-government post in TVF again, go get him for some AA would ya, he's sitting at the Katoy bar right now".

[sahibji]

1 hour ago, yankee99 said:

I am sure its possible to track a phone in Thailand but the technology to track 1000s is most likely not here yet

 yankee99

 the numbers will be in hundreds of thousand. it is mind boggling to think how tracking individuals will be made a practical exercise

[Dexlowe]

This is an old ploy*. Announce a controversial plan, let the moral indignation fester while furiously denying it is going ahead (just an idea). Then let it quietly die down. Sometime later, when a major incident occurs (dangerous crim or terrorist caught, or lost tourist found), and the authorities will trumpet - "see, we did this with tracking tech". And the plan is revived, usually with less protest.

 

*No, not her - she hasn't posted for a while.)

[sahibji]

looks like there is complete cycle. an idea is conceived and then it is concluded that public opinion will be necessary to move it forward. now where do you go.

[jonclark]

So basically there need to be 30 million plus extra sims made per year, packaged, distributed, installed in phones, registered on the network and then after an assumed two week vacation the numbers have to be de-listed from the network and then reassigned to a new sim (otherwise the numbers are in 10 years going to be 10+ digits long).  

 

All sounds simple enough....??

[sabaii69]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

As before, it's a fanciful nonstarter. But if they're worried about a relatively few foreign bad eggs, then let the bleedin police do their job and fish them out... ie, stop inconveniencing and badgering the good, innocent folk.

 

Good guys in, good guys out...

[sabaii69]

Is it too late to put a SIM on my gold chain, wallet, girl friend (I certainly would like to know where she goes!) etc?

[hawker9000]

It would seem they're starting to climb down already.  How this make-foolish-announcement, then-endure-withering-global-ridicule, then-start-backpeddling, manner of debacle preserves any face is beyond me.  I guess you have to be Thai to understand it.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, cfhebertjr said:

 

 

You choose freely to live here knowing all the upside and downside then you expect your embassy to hold your hand.

No further comment needed.  

[tuanku]

Its not practical, it won't happen, and its what you get if you let a load of ignorant, poorly educated, out of touch, old men run your country. These Generals and their friends have never before found the need to engage brain before speaking as their untouchable position in the military exempts them from the scrutiny and the reaction that daft ideas receive in normal society.

 

[A Skeptic]

How to dismantle 15% of your GDP. 

[dcsw53]

Once again an ill thought idea is paraded in front of the world by the powers that be before it has been thought through.

 

Once again the powers that be justly invite ridicule.  

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

 

as I have said a few times recently on TVF, these people seem to just announce this stuff no matter how stupid it is, I believe the real reason behind this is (as another poster previously mentioned) to try and introduce a different tariff  for foreigners and again something that is totally unworkable

If you look who gave the 1 Billion needed for the whistleblowers that led to the coup, you might be correct about the higher tariff for foreigners, its maybe pay back time. But then again they can do this without a special sim. When you buy and or register a sim in a foreigners name they can activate it with a higher tariff. I think the crux of the matter was as said yestersay in Bkk Post, it was a matter of national security.  The ultra nationalist thats in control mistrust foreigners and see potential threats in their own shadows.

[Usernames]

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

You choose freely to live here knowing all the upside and downside then you expect your embassy to hold your hand.

No further comment needed.  

 

Snarky but true. Whatever the Thai government decides, you can choose to conform, leave, or find yourself in potential trouble. No use complaining.  Those are your options.  Choose one.