Thread: ALL Foreign Passport Holders In Thailand Could Be Tracked Via SIM Cards

Originally Posted by Passing Through

Thai governments are usually expert at cooking up press releases for ludicrously bad policies but somewhat less skilled at actually implementing those policies; there's a pretty high chance that this will come to nothing more than a couple of stories in today's papers.

Keen observation, PT.
As we all tend to understand that their recent histories of [numerous] such policies, mandates, and laws are usually not enforced or carried out by the letter in an universal manner - yet, they trumpet the promotion of policies with surface fanfare through the official mouthpieces.

Nothing comes of it, except when there might be a small extorted profit to be made here and there.

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Silly silly man.
All long termers will simply get the wife or a friend to obtain another local sim, and only use the tracking one at home to keep it alive, and when they do a visa run. That is, if they object to being tracked. They will only be tracked on court order.

That's if they can be bothered! There's actually no point in worrying about it. Track me as much as you want. What are you going to prove?

I think it has more to do with being treated in such a stupid and unjust manner. It's the principle, hatefulness, pointlessness and stupidity of the whole thing.

Nobody is arguing about the pointlessness or stupidity of it.
As for the principle.....why bother? The whole idea, IF implemented, is easily circumvented. Now, if it was in a western country, then indeed the principle is important, but here....shoving shit uphill, better to open another cold one and enjoy. Let them have their self-important brainless ideas and let them be adored by sycophants.

Exactly. Hands up who tells the Thai government what you earn on the Immigration card?

Quite aside from tracking foreigners this technology would also allow its controllers to simply tag a location, say, a club after hours, and gather details of every SIM in there. Then you're at airport immigration with plane leaving in a couple of hours when officer says heyo you broke the law, 10k fine please or go sweat it out with the boss.

And foreigners will be expected to pay all exes, so expect high SIM and call charges with a couple % of the lot trickling up.

Best bet is it won't work, since nothing else they've tried does.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Silly silly man.
All long termers will simply get the wife or a friend to obtain another local sim, and only use the tracking one at home to keep it alive, and when they do a visa run. That is, if they object to being tracked. They will only be tracked on court order.

That's if they can be bothered! There's actually no point in worrying about it. Track me as much as you want. What are you going to prove?

I think it has more to do with being treated in such a stupid and unjust manner. It's the principle, hatefulness, pointlessness and stupidity of the whole thing.

Nobody is arguing about the pointlessness or stupidity of it.
As for the principle.....why bother? The whole idea, IF implemented, is easily circumvented. Now, if it was in a western country, then indeed the principle is important, but here....shoving shit uphill, better to open another cold one and enjoy. Let them have their self-important brainless ideas and let them be adored by sycophants.

Historically, the rule of law [sort to speak] here takes on flights of fancy, where nothing is solidified except for the moment, therefore can be interpreted veritably or not at all - changing like the wind.

Like most everywhere, mandates are written to serve the establishment, less the good of the general public.

I can see the sticker now....."Xenophobe Inside."

Thailand is a third world hole

And what would they wish to do with the information, assuming of course one actually held one's sim card and didn't swap it with another for whatever reason.

They surely are the most irrational, incoherent weird little fuckers on the planet, and creepy with it too.

They traffic hundreds of illegal immigrants, Rohingya and otherwise, and kill them with impunity and no one gives a flying fuck but suggest for one moment the farang might get one over them and the little fuckers are up in arms.

Stupid tossers still can't organise a functioning pedestrian crossing system in an urban environment but hope to implement an electronic tracking system for millions of folk????

Truly bizarre, even for a chickenhead.

And this includes short term tourists who buy a SIM to communicate w/ family and friends on their short stay?

What happen`s if you don`t have a phone?
Do they make you buy one?

Originally Posted by ch1ldofthemoon

What happen`s if you don`t have a phone?
Do they make you buy one?

No they will give you a free one. Just refuse to accept the SIM card until they give you a brand new S7 or iphone 6+.

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

And this includes short term tourists who buy a SIM to communicate w/ family and friends on their short stay?

Read the article, or at least the very first sentence of it.

They can outsource. There is a company hired by several of the royals that has tiny, nondescript offices all over the sandpit, that just crunch phone calls and SMS's into network maps all day.

Who's calling who, etc.

Although the security value of "Yes Nan, Doris has got the squirts again and little Derek got stung by a jellyfish" seems somewhat insignificant.

^ Good post.

Hopefully this is all another storm in a bowl of tom yam.

My only problem is my phone number is a post-paid number that I have had for 15 or so years. Really, really do not want them to f*ck about with that.

Just another 'look at me' pronouncement from some idiot from the grandly-titled National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission after his little jaunt in Phuket with other silly little men from the paper tiger known as ASEAN.
Big on style, always short on substance.

Originally Posted by thailazer

I can see the sticker now....."Xenophobe Inside."

Bingo, have a star, best and shortest comment yet.

You velly bad falang. He velly good man. He attend many tlaining course.

Other Notable Roles - Current
Member, National Safe and Creative Media Commission
Member, National ICT Security Master Plan Drafting Committee
Member, Emergency Medicine and Disaster Communications Strategy Committee
Member, National Intellectual Property Policy Commission
Board Member and Secretary, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for the Public Interest
Member, National Cybersecurity Committee
Member, Committee to Prevent and Curb Defamatory Websites, Royal Thai Police

Other Notable Roles - Past

Public Relations Vice-Chairman, Committee to Organize the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Her Majesty Queen Srisavarindira, the Queen Grandmother of Thailand
Member, Committee to set up the Institute of Technology to Drive ICT Policy for Education Reform
Vice-Chairman, Technology for Education Development Fund, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education
Advisor to the Senate Committee on Communications
Member, Senate Subcommittee on Land Transport
Member, Subcommittee to compile and document the works of the Senate Committee on Communications
Secretary, Senate Committee on Communications, 2000-2001
Expert, Senate Committee on Communications, 2002-2003
Board Member, Zoological Park Organization under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the King
Board Member, Forest Industry Organization
Member and Secretary, Broadcasting Subcommittee
Advisory Member, University Council, Kalasin Rajabhat University

Notable Executive Training Participation

E-Government Executive Education, 1st Class, 2013
Broadcasting Executive Forum, 1st Class, 2013
Energy Innovation Executive Education, 1st Class, Thailand Energy Academy, 2012
The Country's Pillars: Executives in King Rama IX's Vision, 1st Class, 2012
National Defence College of Thailand, 23rd Class, 2010
Judicial Process Executive Education, 14th Class, Judicial Training Institute, Courts of Justice, 2009
Capital Market Academy Executive Education, 8th Class, 2008
Civil Service Development Program, 50th Class, Office of the Civil Service Commission, 2006
Advanced Public Administration and Public Law Executive Education, 4th Class, King Prajadhipok's Institute, 2005
New Wave of Leaders in the Thai Civil Service, 1st Class, 2000

Royal Decorations

Takorn has received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand:

2013 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
2010 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
2003 Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
1999 Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand




I say we nominate him for Knight Commander (First Class) of the Most Noble Exalted Order of Prize Dipsticks of Thailand.

Dig deeper....

ONE OF the 45 state officials suspended for alleged corrupt practices proclaimed his innocence yesterday.
Prasert Apipunya, formerly a member of the committee inspecting and evaluating the performance of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Com-mission (NBTC), held a press conference at the NBTC headquarters to attack the commission.

He was removed from his post last week under the interim charter's Article 44.

<snip>


He said he does not blame the government for ordering his removal, but was concerned that the NBTC provided wrong information about him.

Prasert also attacked Takorn for increasing the scholarship fund, which Takorn awarded to his own daughter. This was in 2009, when Takorn was acting secretary-general of the NBTC.

The Nation Newspaper: Thailand News,Thai Coup,Thai News Online,Thai Newspaper,Nation News,News in Thailand,aec ,asean

Takorn: Tracking SIMs not for expatriate foreigners

Racing trailer trucks blamed for fatal tour bus crash | Bangkok Post: news ... foreigners

The requirement that foreign tourists must use special SIM cards that enable tracking of their movements will not apply to expatriates living in Thailand, NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said.

Telecom regulators on Tuesday approval in principle of the requirement that foreigners use the special card in their phones after a meeting on Tuesday.
The announcement drew immediate criticism from foreigners working or living legally in Thailand.
Mr Takorn's later comments clarified the issue, as reported by Post Today.

The "tourist SIM" cards were intended to improve visitors' safety and help track down overstayers, he said.
"We are not limiting any rights. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has no authority to check on the location of users," he said.

"But if tourists commit wrong, or there is a court warrant, we will then forward the warrant to a mobile phone operator and seek cooperation.
"All countries do this," he said.

The use of "tourist SIM" cards would not be applied to expatriates legally residing here, Mr Takorn said.

Mr Takorn said after the meeting on Tuesday the resolution was in the interests of national security. The NBTC would discuss the measure with mobile phone operators, the Customs Department and other related state agencies.

Mobile operators can preset some technical features in SIM cards to ensure that they can always locate users, who will be unable to turn off the function, he said.

From January to July this year, 19.06 million foreigners visited the country, up 12% year-on-year, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Dig deeper....

ONE OF the 45 state officials suspended for alleged corrupt practices proclaimed his innocence yesterday.
Prasert Apipunya, formerly a member of the committee inspecting and evaluating the performance of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Com-mission (NBTC), held a press conference at the NBTC headquarters to attack the commission.

He was removed from his post last week under the interim charter's Article 44.

<snip>


He said he does not blame the government for ordering his removal, but was concerned that the NBTC provided wrong information about him.

Prasert also attacked Takorn for increasing the scholarship fund, which Takorn awarded to his own daughter. This was in 2009, when Takorn was acting secretary-general of the NBTC.

The Nation Newspaper: Thailand News,Thai Coup,Thai News Online,Thai Newspaper,Nation News,News in Thailand,aec ,asean

Interesting. Khun Takorn obviously needs closely tracking himself.

Originally Posted by charleyboy

Takorn: Tracking SIMs not for expatriate foreigners

That's seriously a relief.

Originally Posted by charleyboy

Mobile operators can preset some technical features in SIM cards to ensure that they can always locate users, who will be unable to turn off the function, he said.

Really? Hard to believe, but then Im not very technical and hate mobile phones anyway. Perhaps some of you more technically astute people could comment on this..

Originally Posted by charleyboy

The "tourist SIM" cards were intended to improve visitors' safety and help track down overstayers

How will that work?