Tourist SIM lets government track every move

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Big Boy
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Tourist SIM lets government track every move

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A new kind of SIM card for foreign tourists will be proposed that makes them more traceable while they are visiting Thailand.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will propose the adoption of these SIMs to the telecommunication committee for a matter of national security.

NBTC secretary-general Thakorn Tanthasit said that while foreign tourists are required to provide immigration officials with their address while staying in Thailand, the SIM card will mean they can easily be found if they commit a crime, reported Thai PBS.

After all, foreigner tourists can write whatever they like on those immigration cards, no one checks to see if they are actually staying at those addresses.

It may seem like an invasion of privacy, but Thakorn called it an issue of national security.

Though the government only mentioned the benefit of being able to find foreigners who commit crimes via their SIM cards, this would also have the added benefit of locating foreigners that become lost, such as the girl recently lost during a walk in the Chiang Mai woods, the missing Polish couple lost in Khao Yai, and Hannah Davies, the young British tourist that disappeared after leaving disturbing messages for her family.

Thai people aren’t required to use these traceable SIM cards but are required to show ID cards when buying SIM cards.

Source: Coconuts
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by PeteC »

Yes, that old chestnut "national security". They continuously abuse the definition! If someone commits a crime, ya think they'll keep and carry around a tethered cell phone and sim card? Madness! Embedded tracking chips like my Golden Retrievers have are surely next! Girl with injection gun at every immigration booth.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by crazy88 »

Bought an internet air card with sim on a monthly charge up package yesterday. Thai driving licence or passport. Social security card, work permit, other ID not cutting it. Had to go back to the car and get my licence. Much cheaper and faster than 3bb or TOT so far though.

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Post by hhinner »

So what's the purpose of this story? Is it to make people think that normal SIMs are not traceable?

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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by Bluesky »

Big Boy wrote:A new kind of SIM card for foreign tourists will be proposed that makes them more traceable while they are visiting Thailand.
Seems like this may have the potential for a good video clip! Tech savvy crook arrives in Thailand.
Completes his business, promptly chucks his phone complete with its standard government tourist issue subscriber identification module (SIM) onto a truck or bus bound for Myanmar and quietly exits through a port in the opposite direction. Unfortunately the outcome for the truck or bus drivers when he hits the BIBs meet and greet committee at the border may not be so good.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

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Thai govt announces plans to track foreigners’ movements with SIM cards
THE junta-led Thai government has unveiled its plan to monitor the movements of foreigners in the country via a special SIM card to be installed in their mobile phones, local media reports.

According to Khaosod English, the Secretary General of the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Takorn Tantasith, said the plans to implement the requirements on all foreigners is currently being reviewed after the national telecom regulator announced the proposal last week.

The policy is expected to be implemented in the next six months.

Takorn said the plan would not only involve tourists but everyone who does not have a Thai passport. The installation of the SIM card allows authorities to track the owner’s location at any time.

He said resident “aliens” on long-term visas such as those for employment, marriage or retirement would not be given any exceptions.

“We will separate SIM cards for foreigners and Thais,” Takorn was quoted as saying on Monday. “The location will always be turned on in this SIM card for foreigners. And it cannot be turned off.”

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/08/ ... movements/
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by europtimiste »

Buy the SIM on name of your wife or GF.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by PeteC »

It's just another one of those insulting things that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The bottom line is accept it, find a way around it, or if you had enough of it all, leave. I still think the underlying motive for all of this is to reduce the quantity of foreign residents. Pete
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Post by falanglongtime »

hhinner wrote:So what's the purpose of this story? Is it to make people think that normal SIMs are not traceable?

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Absolutely agree. Also, I'm pretty certain my iPhone wouldn't except another sim without it being an apple one. Can't see this taking off.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by Bristolian »

Police and security forces have been able to locate mobile phones for a very long time by using the telecommunication companies. The telecom companies are able to locate any mobile phone by triangulating the radio signals between (several) cell towers of the network.

So the concern might be, is there an ulterior motive? Will the new sims be transmit directly other personal data, call records, contacts, messages etc?
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by lomuamart »

As said above, my phone is registered in my wife's name.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by hhinner »

Bristolian wrote:Police and security forces have been able to locate mobile phones for a very long time by using the telecommunication companies. The telecom companies are able to locate any mobile phone by triangulating the radio signals between (several) cell towers of the network.

So the concern might be, is there an ulterior motive? Will the new sims be transmit directly other personal data, call records, contacts, messages etc?
I might be wrong, but as far as I'm aware SIMs don't transmit anything, the phone does the transmitting. So, unless the phone software is modified, hacked, had a rogue app installed or otherwise messed about with there's nothing a "special" SIM will do that a "normal" SIM won't. A special SIM might cause the phone to connect to a parallel network instead of the regular network, but I don't see the telcos wanting to do that for very few subscribers. The "special" SIM might have a "this is a foreigner" identification, but that also seems a bit unlikely given that all SIMs are supposedly registered anyway and phone numbers tied to id or passport numbers.

This is the typical stuff you see from bureaucrats who don't really understand the technology they're put in charge of. Especially in Thailand where people are in positions not because of what they know, but for other reasons, and are the laughing stock of the techies who work for them (been there, seen it). Blimey! Many of these people still believe in ghosts and magic. They also tend to be xenophobic nationalists. Only my opinions, not necessarily facts.

Like I said, I might be wrong and am willing to be educated. I might be wrong about ghosts and magic too :banghead:
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by Nereus »

Bristolian wrote:Police and security forces have been able to locate mobile phones for a very long time by using the telecommunication companies. The telecom companies are able to locate any mobile phone by triangulating the radio signals between (several) cell towers of the network.
Technically that is absolutely correct. What the laws are concerning it are something else altogether!

Up until several years ago if you were running a monthly billing account, the bill listed where every call was made from and the duration of the call. Not sure when it stopped, but it was useful at the time. :twisted:
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by Nereus »

The following just posted:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/securit ... -sim-cards

Foreigners to be required to use tracking SIM cards

Telecoms regulators on Tuesday approved in principle a requirement that foreign visitors to Thailand use special SIM cards in their phones that can be tracked by the authorities.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said 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.
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Re: Tourist SIM lets government track every move

Post by PeteC »

......and who is going to pay for this sim card change out if they can't convert existing cards to comply? I'll tell you it won't be the phone companies or government, leaving the consumer!

More than likely foreigners will pay to be tracked. I feel the need to vomit!
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