According the the BKK Post today, fingerprint scanning for new sim cards will be mandatory next year. But then the article goes on say the regulator will not force all mobile users to register with the new system. Rather baffling.
I haven’t seen this in other newspapers yet, unless I’ve missed it before?
It seems a good idea to me given that the system has been abused recently by scammers, so tightening up on requests for replacement sims would be good.

I think I’m allowed to post a link to the Nation? However, this is going back to August:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30293566  It said the idea should be implimented by the end of this year, while the BKK Post says a tentative deadline of February next year.

 

here is another source:

 

http://tech.thaivisa.com/soon-you-will-have-to-submit-a-scan-of-your-fingerprint-if-you-want-to-buy-a-thai-sim-card/18792/

 

It is really incredible....

 

Edited November 29, 20169 yr by andre47

I'm not really worried about having my fingerprints scanned when buying/replacing a sim card,  as I had to provide scans for my pink Thai ID card anyway, so in theory the two could be checked if necessary (in practice it might be another can of worms though). Thais have to provide fingerprints too for their ID cards.

The weak link in the chain at the moment, is pinning an illicit sim card purchase on a ferang without an ID on file. Unless of course immigration plan to fingerprint everyone coming into the country and keep track of them. That might put some people off?

 

When I was young I read 1984 by George Orwell. I thought that it was a science-fiction-roman. How could I know that the reality will be soon more scary than the roman.

 

I can see it now...

 

... enraged incoming tourist at Airport:

throttles Official dude, thinking the Red Cap is gonna lay fingerprints all over the tourist's SIM chip,

thinking static electricity is gonna destroy his SIM

 

... well that's how silly all this is, unless they fingerprint EVERYONE

57 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Unless of course immigration plan to fingerprint everyone coming into the country and keep track of them. That might put some people off?

What they talk/promise since long...

And still the two passport thing seems to work

No big deal having finger prints taken. Wouldn't bother me in fact it might be a good idea to have it in passports wich can then be verified  when entering the country would stop the blacklisted getting a new passport and coming back in Would also flag up any wanted people.

Edited November 29, 20169 yr by Deepinthailand