MOBILE PHONE REGISTRATION?

[THE_DRUID 21]

Can anyone enlighten me about the proposed Registration process of Mobile phones in Thailand.I hear through various grapevines that due to the troubles in the south(due to bombs being detonated by mobile phones) that the Goverment are going to get everyone to Register their Sim cards.A few questions about this.1.Will this apply to both foreign and Thai Sim cards?2.If so where do you have to register and what documentation do you need?3.How long has someone got to register their Sim(my Sim is 6 months old and i'm only in Siam every 3 or 4 months).4.I'm arriving next week will my sim work as soon as i load it in bkk or will i have to register it first?If anyone over in Thailand can answer the above questions i'd be extremely grateful.THE DRUID.

[clubman 0]

Can anyone enlighten me about the proposed Registration process of Mobile phones in Thailand.I hear through various grapevines that due to the troubles in the south(due to bombs being detonated by mobile phones) that the Goverment are going to get everyone to Register their Sim cards.A few questions about this.1.Will this apply to both foreign and Thai Sim cards?2.If so where do you have to register and what documentation do you need?3.How long has someone got to register their Sim(my Sim is 6 months old and i'm only in Siam every 3 or 4 months).4.I'm arriving next week will my sim work as soon as i load it in bkk or will i have to register it first?If anyone over in Thailand can answer the above questions i'd be extremely grateful.THE DRUID.

Don't bother. It will take a long time for them to organise. Just a face thing.

Same as seach at RGM

[rf7777 0]

Bought a new sim last week in Big C mall, not asked for any details.

[SunnyValentine 173]

Well, right now there's the expected confusion all over town about this.

When you buy a new (Thai provider) Sim Card, you are supposed to be asked for ID card. For foreigners, a Passport should do it. Well, that's theory. In practise you might find shops that sell you a SIM when you promise them to come back to them to register once they got the forms. Others ask you to write down your Passport data on a piece of papers. Others tell you to come back next week .....

In case you already have a Thai Sim Card you are supposed to register until the end of this year as long as you promise not to use the card in conjunction with terroristic activities before that time. So far noone knows how you are supposed to register, guess they will send you a SMS in Thai on December 29 with the info.

If you have a registered foreign Sim card you intend to use in roaming here, you might not be asked to register, as you have reistered back home, right? Yes, but it is not sure that this logic is valid here, so watch out.

In case you have an (anonymous) pre-paid card from abroad (Yes, these cardss exist, and some can even be used for roaming, the same way you can use youe 1-2call card for pre-paid roaming in some countries (at least in theory, they told me what to do to use it in Malaysia last Year, and confirmed that my card is activated, nevertheless it did not work .....)) you're supposedly a good man and no terrorist so you don't have to register.

 

Sounds stupid? No, sounds Thai government. Same same, but different!

 

 

Sunny

[cybers1b 8]

I can give a short update on that one from my perspective. I am switching to Hutch from AIS and I bought a Hutch Prepay Package 2 weeks ago. Nobody ever asked me for any information. They just asked for the Baht

 

Asking about the registereing, the girl just smiled and said that I should forget about it.

 

Having said this, I have heard that some shops do record names and passport numbers, but as could be expected - it is not a thing that is followed closely throughout the country, at least not in Bangkok and surroundings.

 

Just my personal experience

 

cheers

cyber

[Eneukman 1]

I had heard that all SIM cards had to be registered by 1st July - though from some of the above comments that seems to be incorrect. I'm on the lookout for a Thai mobile phone so I'll try to post an update in a day or two.

 

Alan

[ashboy 22]

I bought sim card and got the phone switched at the IT centre in South Rd two weeks ago. No problem.

[exwannabe 1]

Bought a new sim last week in Big C mall, not asked for any details.

Tried to buy a new SIM at the beach end of Mike's Mall (the one at Soy 12) and they asked me for a passport. This sounded so odd to me that I walked out. Later got a SIM at big 'C' no hastle. Never did know what the hell was going on.

[c5vette 0]

To me it seems like it's only farang who knows and worries about this registration.

All Thai's I know including my wife say they only heard some rumors about it and they don't care.

 

Same-Same as usual in Thailand, don't worry to much. We will see in the end of the year.

[Eneukman 1]

I bought a new mobile in the Big C yesterday and when I enquired about registering it, all I got was blank stares

 

Alan

[jimmac 66]

I bought one on Beach Road last week and the guy asked for ID. I gave him a photocopy of my passport which I was carrying and I think he photocopied it for his registration. I didn't do anything more than that.

[c5vette 0]

Have some news regarding registration on Thai Visa Forum on below link.

 

Mobile phone registration

 

More or less same same as said before.

[Greg_B 306]

I was in 3 or 4 different areas on the last trip and we were never asked for ID to buy phone cards or a sim card. It was the same-same at the MBK in BKK, as we bought another phone {groan}

 

This was about 2 weeks ago

Edited June 24, 2005 by Greg_B

[Guest Toto]

I bought a sim 3 weeks ago and was asked for my passport, which I diden't bring. But as I were out shopping together with my TG they offered to register the sim on her, so no problem, but would have been if she wasen't there with me.

 

But now I wonder, does this mean I have to re-register it or is it okay as it is? Is it still going to work after December 31st 2005. Any thoughts?

[SunnyValentine 173]

I bought a sim 3 weeks ago and was asked for my passport, which I diden't bring. But as I were out shopping together with my TG they offered to register the sim on her, so no problem, but would have been if she wasen't there with me.

 

But now I wonder, does this mean I have to re-register it or is it okay as it is? Is it still going to work after December 31st 2005. Any thoughts?

You should be ok with that, no need to reregister; unless of course the TG cancels the registration. (Don't know if this is possible; I guess she can declare the SIM stolen or lost, though.)

 

Sunny

[c5vette 0]

More info on registration on below link.

 

Thaivisa.com

[cybers1b 8]

Another thing about Phones which really confused me.

 

Today I went to a Hutch Shop to change my preoaid SIM for a postpaid (well, that was the thought, I wanted to keep the number, only they don't offer that service so I got a new one but still have the prepaid one until I can communicate the new number, the new SIM isn't active until wednesday anyway).

 

Usually, for a postpaid contract you need to have at least an NON IMM Visa and a Work Permit as a farang. Hutch never asked for any of that, they asked for (now it comes) my last 3 electricity bills and my last 3 bills form my landphone along with my passport and certificate of residence. Now explain that to me please?

 

I found that requirements on their website even. They never asked for a Bank statement or work permit. They where happy like shit with my paid bills (of course I had to return home to get them, who brings his old paid bills when registereing a new phone number?).

 

The girl said they use this to confirm the address and that I am paying my bills on time. I can't see the logic in that but I didn't aske twice

Anyway, as of last week, at MBK many if not most shops did not ask for ID when buying a prepaid SIM

 

cheers

cyber

[Gabor 296]

From Thai Visa:

 

ICT warns against mobile phone registration hoax

 

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) told the public that mobile phone SIM card registration is free of charge and can be done only as authorised shops of known mobile phone service providers.

 

TNA has received a series of complaints from shops selling mobile phone in the areas of Bangkok's Min Buri and Saraburi claimed they can do the registration service at a fee of 20 baht. They have also collected copies of ID card.

 

As security measures following a series of mobile-phone triggered bomb attacks in the south, the government asked all users of pre-paid cards to register their user identity between 1 July and end of December. Previously buying a pre-paid phone card did not require any proof of identity.

 

Vice Minister for the ICT Minister for the Information and Communication Technology Kanawat Wasinsangworn said these people are fraudsters and the Ministry is asking help from the police to crack down on such abuse.

 

There is no fee involved and registration requires no paper except writing down the 13 digits of the ID card onto a form. Mobile phone service providers such as AIS, DTAC and Orange confirmed they have never appointed any handset traders or agents to handle registration.

 

--TNA 2005-07-06

[jacko 8,813]

Lot of contradiction here....I have a Thai 1-2- Call prepaid SIM which I bought nearly a year ago. Late June I got an SMS (in Thai... :frustrated , but not from the daily 9998 bother..so I had it translated) telling me I had to register between 1st and 31st July. Otherwise service would be cancelled.

 

Piece of piss, went to Telewiz (in Carrefour , also at IT Centre), gave girl passport, and told her my tel number, she filled the registration in for me. Free

 

Probably be cut off next month....

Edited July 11, 2005 by jacko

[Eneukman 1]

Lot of contradiction here....I have a Thai 1-2- Call prepaid SIM which I bought nearly a year ago. Late June I got an SMS (in Thai... :frustrated , but not from the daily 9998 bother..so I had it translated) telling me I had to register between 1st and 31st July. Otherwise service would be cancelled.

 

Piece of piss, went to Telewiz (in Carrefour , also at IT Centre), gave girl passport, and told her my tel number, she filled the registration in for me. Free

 

Probably be cut off next month....

I went to the Nokia shop in Big C yesterday to try and register my new phone but when I said register all that happend was the girl repeated the word "register" with a blank stare. If they're selling mobiles, you would think they were aware of the need for the sim card to be registered, but appaerntly not!

 

So today it was on to Telewiz at Carrefour and as Jacko said it took less than a minute. At least if I get cut off, I won't be alone as there were people queuing up to fill in the registraton sheet.

 

Alan

[Soi7 1]

Alan,

 

I did this a couple days ago also fast and easy !!