Expats could be exempt from SIM card tracking

[farang62]

They simply don't have the funds or technology to pull this off, they can't even keep their 90 day reporting system running and working.

 

I have had a post paid DTAC number for over 20 years, if some one really wants to know where I am, so be it. but track multiple number , with hundreds of additions and deletions a day.

 

No one has that capability. tourists are in and out faster than the information could be updated.

Now they need to change the phone numbering system again, why to many SIM cards?

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

23 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Could be true.

 

IMHO it could also relate to terrorism, and therefore trying to get a better grip on the whereabouts of all foreigners. But the obvious downside is that serious trained terrorists would make sure they do something like:

 

- Turn the phone off at a nondescript location that doesn't have any meaning as to their terrorism related activities.

 

- Destroy the phone into very small pieces, wrap each piece any put in numerous rubbish bins at markets etc.

 

- Ditch the phone in a place not connected to their activities and where there is zero chance it will ever be found.

 

... 

The reason why everyone had to register their cellphone numbers was to prevent terrorist using cellphones to detonate bombs (like in Huahin). But as can be seen its not working. What the terrorist do is to smuggle in cellphones from Malaysia and use stolen sim cards. This way they can't be traced.

[Harpov]

The network/system tracks your phone already. As you move about from one cell-site coverage to another it's been tracked. And when you make calls etc more info is being  provided.

[cyberfarang]

This can never work.

 

Over stayers will simply avoid having the sim card phones or if they do go on over stay later will just discard the sim cards. Also those with the tracker sims can just leave the phones at home or anywhere when they go out, so the police will not ever know of their true movements. Even if persons are not carrying a tracker sim with them and are pulled up by the police for any reasons, how would the police know they are not carrying the tracker sims without detection devices. And what if those with the sim cards leave the country? It means that each time foreigners with a tracker sim leaves the country the details would have to be logged in a database and registered in the system again each time they return. And if foreign criminals were committing crimes, they would not be foolish enough to carry the phones with them while doing so. 

 

Forget it, it will never happen.

[laislica]

8 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Embassies do employ local staff for obvious communication reasons but there has to be personnel from the   '  home  '   country as you put it.

Do you think locally employed staff are allowed to handle classified material such as diplomatic cables etc.  ?

Making representations about issues like the SIM  cards should be part of their duties but that doesn't mean it will be.    If the SIM requirements for tourists is actually put in place i would expect various Foreign ministries would include this in their travel advisories.

 

Agreed.

It looks like we are on the same page:

<Snip>Making representations about issues like the SIM  cards should be part of their duties but that doesn't mean it will be.>Snip>

 

I'm a Brit so I Googled for: british embassy thailand mission statement and got this:

British Embassy Bangkok

We help sustain and develop the important relationship between the UK and Thailand.

We develop and maintain relations between the UK and Thailand.

Our work covers a range of issues including political, trade & investment, security and economic questions of interest to the UK and Thailand; visa applications for those who wish to enter the UK to visit, study, live or work; and consular assistance to British nationals visiting or living in Thailand. We work closely with our partners, the British Council and the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand

 

Services for British nationals (Here is a list of topics that I extracted)
Urgent assistance
Get or renew a passport
Get an emergency travel document
Get a visa
Marriage
Register a birth or death
Bereavement support
Support if you’ve been arrested
Notarial and documentary services
Legalisation services
The British Embassy Bangkok does not provide legalisation services. Read our notarial and documentary services page for more information on legalisation.
Ask the UK government to get a UK document legalised (certified as genuine).
Local service providers

 

What the embassy cannot do for you

Although we try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations, we cannot:

    help you enter a country, for example, if you don’t have a visa or your passport is not valid
    give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers.
    get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people
    pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you’ll have to pay back)
    make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation
    make business arrangements on your behalf.

 

I conclude that the British Embassy is there to basically take care of British business and trade interests.

Taking care of the human rights of it's citizens don't get a mention.

I expect that this scenario will be similar for any country.....

 

Definitely not holding my breath!

 

[VBF]

18 hours ago, robblok said:

The whole thing is already being played down in the last article of 19:05 (today) in the BKK post. It now only includes tourists not expats and is not set in stone. It just says now that tourist can only buy traceable sims. 

But seeing as how you already need to produce ID (a passport in the case of of a tourist) to buy a SIM and said SIM is then registered to the passport number, how is this going to change anything?

[louse1953]

On 8/11/2016 at 8:45 AM, robblok said:

 

Yes its exactly that nothing new actually. They just want tourist sims to be registered just like the Thai sims so they can track them once they need it. Its not like there will be a system up and running with all the tourists and their names real time where they are. Just does not work like that.

Tourists have to show ID same as everybody else.Once they got that number they have you,like it or not.

[robblok]

Just now, louse1953 said:

Tourists have to show ID same as everybody else.Once they got that number they have you,like it or not.

Correct, I don't really see the problem if its like that. 

[Johnniey]

On 8/11/2016 at 5:35 AM, Gecko123 said:

 

 

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. 

 

 

They'd be better taking their  hired gf  nurse/partner with them.

[louse1953]

On 8/11/2016 at 9:44 AM, tuanku said:

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.

 

"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."

55,I thought you were talking about some TV members for a minute.

[tuanku]

17 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

"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."

55,I thought you were talking about some TV members for a minute.

Fortunately for us all they don't run the country

[gk10002000]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Correct, I don't really see the problem if its like that. 

But many people come with their own phones and do not need or want to purchase Thai phones and SIMs.  I bring my own from the USA.  I rarely use it because the overseas plan and dialing is not a good deal. In the past I always had a cheap little Thai phone, just voice and text that comes in handy for the few times I call back to the States to check on somethings.  But frankly, given the hassle of continuing getting SIMS, registering, etc. on my next trip I don't plan to bother.  I will use my USA phone.  The few extra dollars in fees it costs me are worth it.   Or are the Thai authorities going to try and cut some sort of deal where ONLY phones with Thai issued special SIMS will work on their networks?  Certainly possible but boy, that will be a big problem for millions of people that have phones that have SIMS with all sorts of data they need, or in many cases that you can't switch out of your device

[VBF]

4 hours ago, tuanku said:

Fortunately for us all they don't run the country

They just think they ought to!!  Listen to the attached.......

Yes Minister - Who reads the papers.mp3

[VBF]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

Correct, I don't really see the problem if its like that. 

And........ what about those people who visit Thailand for 3-6 months annually on Tourist Visas and have a Thai Phone, legally registered?

Some of us them may have had the same number for years, and legally registered it (again) this year but are not expats, rather tourists with lots of friends / acquaintances in Thailand.

[Lokie]

Going off the unfortunate recent bombings and the statements from the authorities it seems it is not the tourists or expats who the state could do with the need to track...?

[cfhebertjr]

On 8/11/2016 at 7:55 AM, koolkarl said:

What about tracking all the muslims in Thailand?  

Far more of a threat than a 70 year old foreigner drinking  a beer in a bar.

Muslims are the least of your worries in Thailand. Thaksin supporters, Red Shirts and Russians are your worst enemy!

[dominique355]

On 11/08/2016 at 8:10 AM, Gydur said:

Why don`t they chip us?

 

... and neuter us. Like Soi-dogs.

 

 

[2unique]

http://bangkokjack.com/2016/09/04/reading-lines-thailands-sim-tracking-debacle/

 

Seems to be a Thai opinion piece

 

Article ends with:

Someone needs to remind the people running Thailand that Nineteen Eighty-Four was meant to be a warning, not a to-do list.

[Rc2702]

On 11/08/2016 at 1:34 AM, 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

You can track thousands if the server is big enough but the time spent reviewing the data would be very labour intensive.

[Howitzer]

on this issue of sim tracking. If let's assume it was implemented you would need to buy new sim cards that can track you?

 

I have a few thai sim cards and i understand they can already track you using those current sim cards cos that's how your phone gets internet/call access and of course all smart phones of today should have GPS in them.

[MissAndry]

7 minutes ago, Howitzer said:

on this issue of sim tracking. If let's assume it was implemented you would need to buy new sim cards that can track you?

 

I have a few thai sim cards and i understand they can already track you using those current sim cards cos that's how your phone gets internet/call access and of course all smart phones of today should have GPS in them.

 

Two problems with SIM cars tracking.

1 They need to know the owner of the SIM card.

2 They need to prove the person with the phone they are tracking is the same person as the registered owner.

 

My SIM card is registered to the checkout girl in the 7-11 I bought it from, cos she couldn't work out what to do for someone without a Thai ID card. I suspect this is fairly common.

[Howitzer]

12 minutes ago, MissAndry said:

 

Two problems with SIM cars tracking.

1 They need to know the owner of the SIM card.

2 They need to prove the person with the phone they are tracking is the same person as the registered owner.

 

My SIM card is registered to the checkout girl in the 7-11 I bought it from, cos she couldn't work out what to do for someone without a Thai ID card. I suspect this is fairly common.

 

 

I'm more interested in why they would implement special sim cards to track someone cos the present sim cards should be able to track someone already. If let's assume they actually have the go ahead to track foreigners does that mean you need to get the new tracking ones to replace your present cards and you cannot use roaming services cos that means your cards are from another country

[SaintLouisBlues]

On 8/13/2016 at 0:04 PM, louse1953 said:

Tourists have to show ID same as everybody else.Once they got that number they have you,like it or not.

I shall be heading down to Khaosan Road and buying one off a backpacker

[MissAndry]

2 minutes ago, Howitzer said:

 

 

I'm more interested in why they would implement special sim cards to track someone cos the present sim cards should be able to track someone already. 

 

It's probably something simple like selling SIM cards (ministers wife owns SIM card factory, etc.).

Edited September 5, 2016 by MissAndry

[Howitzer]

5 minutes ago, MissAndry said:

 

It's probably something simple like selling SIM cards (ministers wife owns SIM card factory, etc.).

 

 

So what you mean to say is those "special" sim tracking cards are just ordinary sim cards just to make an extra buck off the tourists.