Current laws on the sale of SIM cards in Thailand require them to be registered on a central database. Buyers have to provide their ID card or passport numbers to do this. Accommodation proprietors in the country are also supposed to register any foreign guests within 24 hours of them checking in.
Mr Tanthasit noted that dedicated SIM cards for international visitors would make it easier to locate them if they did anything illegal or got lost. He claimed the plan would not infringe on the privacy rights of the card-holder but would play an integral role in national security.
The secretary-general finished off by saying that once the proposal was endorsed, mobile telephone service providers would be asked for their input on how to make it a reality. The main providers are AIS, DTAC and True Move. SIM cards are readily available and can be purchased from outlets at bus and train stations, airports and convenience stores.
Thailand mulls introduction of mobile phone SIM cards for tourists
News in Asia
Thailand’s telecommunications agency is in the process of finalising a scheme that may see the introduction of dedicated mobile telephone SIM cards for tourists. National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission boss Thakorn Tanthasit explained that a similar scheme enacted in Malaysia had worked well.