Coss Posted August 10, 2016 Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 Thailand is considering requiring tourists to use special Sim cards that would allow authorities to track their mobile phones. The plans have been approved in principle by Thailand's telecommunications regulator, which denies it is an invasion of privacy. The body says it is intended to catch those who overstay their visa. More than 19 million foreigners have visited Thailand this year, says Thailand's Tourism and Sports Ministry. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) said the special Sim cards would come with tracking enabled, which the user could not turn off. As well as visa overstayers, it said it could also be used to find those on the run from police. But it said authorities would need a court order to track a phone. A male tourist reads a book in a hammock on Kata beach in Phuket, Thailand, 31 January 2005. Image copyright AP Tourists will still be able to use their home country Sim cards in Thailand, untracked. While the proposal has been approved by the NBTC, Secretary General Takorn Tantasith said the organisation would consult with police, tourism authorities and tour operators before deciding whether to implement it. He added that foreigners working in Thailand would not be required to use the special Sim cards, although some local reports have quoted him saying they would. The proposal has been backed by other parts of Thailand's military government. "It will be helpful, if any foreigner comes and commit crimes, because in the past they have been able to flee or it can be difficult to find them," said Pongsathorn Chansri, an official in the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37030867 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted August 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2016 So how many million tourists? and how many million tracker personnel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Penis is hungry Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 30 million plus this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 Hi, Why not go the whole hog and do the same for Thais? Oh, of course, Thais don't commit crimes, so no need to track them. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 The way we communicate these days as long as I have wi-fi i don't need to make calls so don't need a local sim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 I have a Thai SIM-card , passport shown at the moment of purchase . Consequently the thai Government could trace all my intra urban operations . What would be the consequences from the government if they receive coordinates saying : Quality tourist BuBi at 00:34 sharp on Wednesday morning moved from Lollipop Blowjob Bar to Check In Ladyboy Bar and 2 hours later later took tuktuk to Barbar Fetish Bar Patpong 2 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 What would be the consequences from the government if they receive coordinates saying : Quality tourist BuBi at 00:34 sharp on Wednesday morning moved from Lollipop Blowjob Bar to Check In Ladyboy Bar and 2 hours later later took tuktuk to Barbar Fetish Bar Patpong 2 ? Approving nods, and moving on to the next Quality Tourist. Thai cops are people with needs, desires and questionable habits, too - only more so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasathai1 Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 good luck with that, get a thai friend to buy a card at the familymart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 For some inexplicable reason, last time through I stopped in at the airport internet kiosk - ah, right, I stopped in because I needed to use internet, and my sim cards weren't working - and I bought some new 2 week tourist card, 199 baht or something. I think they copied my passport and gave me a little guide to my new sim card - which I almost certainly imagine has no added value whatsoever over a standard sim from the 7. Don't know why I did it - but definitely had a completely unfounded sneaking suspicion for the week I was there that I had pretty much stuck a tracking device on my phone worthy of a Uighur coming in from Malaysia on a fake passport... I did it by choice - sounds like we'll soon all be doing it be requirement. Until things change again and it's all new rules - or no rules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yfs Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 It seems that those in charge that have the least amount of knowledge seem to come up with these ideas. With a little effort they could already be doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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