Thailand scraps plans to track foreign tourists with SIM cards

[webfact]

Thailand scraps plans to track foreign tourists with SIM cards

BY STAFF WRITER 

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commision has scrapped a controversial plan that would require foreign tourists to use a special SIM card that would enable the authorities to easily monitor their whereabouts.

 

The plans, which were first announced last August, would have required all mobile operators to add location tracking software to SIM cards, which would enable the authorities to access all user call data, private messages and location information.

 

Mobile operators would then be forced to sell the special SIM cards to any foreigner who wanted to access local mobile services.

 

The authorities originally touted the move as being in the interest of national security and said a person would only be tracked should he or she overstay their visa or become a criminal suspect.

 

Full story: http://tech.thaivisa.com/thailand-scraps-plans-to-track-foreign-tourists-with-sim-cards/19977/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Tech 2017-02-22

[fruitman]

So the improved plan is to inject a chip into every tourist which is traceable. Ones who don't like that can opt for an eartag like a cow.

[paulinbkk111]

wow maybe common sense prevailed. Or the Telcos told them to shove it. Me thinks the latter.

[darksidedog]

" There were also concerns from the Tourism and Sports Ministry that the scheme could severely damage the tourism industry. "

 

Common sense finally prevailing. It was a pointless exercise anyway. Any person intending to do something dodgy would simply get a Thai to buy a SIM for them, so easily circumvented.

Very little gain for much expense and inconvenience.

I was a little surprised such a dumb idea got off the ground in the first place.

[ezflip]

It was bound to be scraped from the start anyways.

[colinneil]

National security  bloody clowns just wanted to control/listen to what foreigners were saying/doing.

It was always going to be a non-starter.

[thetruth revealer]

most laughable ....

[waldroj]

"...The 'authorities' originally touted the move in the interest of national security and said a person would only be tracked should he or she overstay their visa or become a criminal suspect..." !!!

 

 

[Morakot]

34 minutes ago, paulinbkk111 said:

wow maybe common sense prevailed. Or the Telcos told them to shove it. Me thinks the latter.

Neither. It was probably just too expensive and impractical to do such an absurdity...

 

[Bluespunk]

37 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

" There were also concerns from the Tourism and Sports Ministry that the scheme could severely damage the tourism industry. "

 

Common sense finally prevailing. It was a pointless exercise anyway. Any person intending to do something dodgy would simply get a Thai to buy a SIM for them, so easily circumvented.

Very little gain for much expense and inconvenience.

I was a little surprised such a dumb idea got off the ground in the first place.

I wasn't surprised at all...

[johng]

I have a suspicion that they just found a way of  doing it without having to issue new SIM cards

like an over the air update ( except silently and no chance to decline )

so probably everyones SIM now has "the tracker applet" installed

it could easily record the signal strength and locations of  the latest cell towers nearby

or be "pinged' on demand for latest info.

coupled together with the mandatory SIM card registration which they finally enforced I think they have everything they need.

https://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-21/dc-21-presentations/Koscher-Butler/DEFCON-21-Koscher-Butler-The-Secret-Life-of-SIM-Cards-Updated.pdf

[daveAustin]

Thailand scraps plans to track foreign tourists with SIM cards

 

But would like them to wear an electronic ankle bracelet instead and report their address every 2hrs. 

[worgeordie]

Took them quite a while to realize that it would not work,

what will the next great idea be.

regards worgeordie

[smedly]

1 hour ago, paulinbkk111 said:

wow maybe common sense prevailed. Or the Telcos told them to shove it. Me thinks the latter.

common sense as you describe it is not dreaming up these stupid non-workable ideas in the first place - whoever thought this one up is not fit to be employed - I'd be investigating their credentials and education level

[Chip Allen]

Wise decision. One of the STUPIDEST ideas to float out of the Junta cesspool.

[darksidedog]

7 minutes ago, smedly said:

common sense as you describe it is not dreaming up these stupid non-workable ideas in the first place - whoever thought this one up is not fit to be employed - I'd be investigating their credentials and education level

That would be Mr. Sum Ah Sol.

What education?

[trogers]

Hackers would be disappointed. Imagine the amount data that can be reaped from the government...

[anotheruser]

29 minutes ago, johng said:

I have a suspicion that they just found a way of  doing it without having to issue new SIM cards

like an over the air update ( except silently and no chance to decline )

so probably everyones SIM now has "the tracker applet" installed

it could easily record the signal strength and locations of  the latest cell towers nearby

or be "pinged' on demand for latest info.

coupled together with the mandatory SIM card registration which they finally enforced I think they have everything they need.

https://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-21/dc-21-presentations/Koscher-Butler/DEFCON-21-Koscher-Butler-The-Secret-Life-of-SIM-Cards-Updated.pdf

 

I don't think they ever had a special SIM. The SIM was the same as any other but they would be registered specifically as being bought by a foreigner. They already make you register a SIM but here they would have put the foreign SIM registrations into a short list making it easier to manage them. They can already track cell phones by triangulating them and that is nothing new. 

 

Maybe somebody can correct me if I am wrong but I think they were normal SIM and this "tracking" capability was vaporware. 

 

 

[Morakot]

18 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

I don't think they ever had a special SIM. The SIM was the same as any other but they would be registered specifically as being bought by a foreigner. They already make you register a SIM but here they would have put the foreign SIM registrations into a short list making it easier to manage them. They can already track cell phones by triangulating them and that is nothing new. 

 

Maybe somebody can correct me if I am wrong but I think they were normal SIM and this "tracking" capability was vaporware. 

 

 

 

I'm sure what they were looking into was running a massive database built on existing triangulation technology that records and stores location coordinates and meta data over time.

 

Once they got a quotation from contractors they understood what mega endeavour such a project would be: in terms of financial, logistical, legal, and reputation challenges...

[anotheruser]

Just now, Morakot said:

 

I'm sure what they were looking into was a massive database built on existing triangulation technology that records and stores location coordinates and meta data over time.

 

Once they got a quotation from contractors they understood what mega endeavour such a project would be: in terms of financial, logical, legal, and reputation challenges...

 

Yeah I pretty much figured that. There were never any special SIM with unique tracking abilities. If they had those and it was easy they would have done it in a heartbeat. They found out it would actually take a bit of discipline and basic organizational skills to pull this off. 

[anotheruser]

They should just make you give them your iCloud password and use findmyiphone to track people. 

[Morakot]

 

6 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

special SIM

Special only in the sense of that this SIM would be recorded...

 

which aggravates any existing financial, logistical, legal, and reputation challenges.

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, Morakot said:

 

Special only in the sense of that this SIM would be recorded...

Yes, that is what I was saying. :) 

[jerojero]

Took them bloody long enough to realize how utterly stupid this idea was!

[Chicog]

They probably have a clandestine plan to drop consumable tracking devices into every dish of pad thai.

 

Or some other lame-brained idea they got off the interwebs.

[thetruth revealer]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Thailand scraps plans to track foreign tourists with SIM cards

 

But would like them to wear an electronic ankle bracelet instead and report their address every 2hrs. 

Can i still report per registered letter ???555

[johng]

14 minutes ago, thetruth revealer said:

Can i still report per registered letter

Send them a telegram its the latest in technology don't you know.

[dcnx]

3 hours ago, paulinbkk111 said:

wow maybe common sense prevailed. Or the Telcos told them to shove it. Me thinks the latter.

They have cooked up something even better. 

[fruitman]

Why not let tourists use the atm's for free like in Malaysia? That way they carry less cash, are easy to track by atm-usage and it will give Thailand a much better reputation instead of greedy leeches.

 

 

[chainarong]

Possibly a good idea, damage done by this silly experiment would have been irreversible....................................