Thailand ramps up border telecom crackdown to curb crimes

A crackdown on crimes facilitated by local telecom signals at Thailand’s borders has been ramped up by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). This move followed an emergency meeting between the regulator and private telecom operators to address potential criminal activities in these areas.

NBTC Deputy Secretary-General Trairat Viriyasirikul revealed that in many border regions, there have been instances of criminal activities utilising mobile signals from Thai operators’ base stations. These crimes, such as call centre scams or online illegal gambling, have caused significant damage to Thailand’s economy, security, and international relations.

To curb this issue, the NBTC instructed Thai telecom operators to modify or eliminate mobile signals to limit the service area to Thailand only. The objective is to prevent these signals from reaching neighbouring countries, as criminals residing near the borders could potentially misuse these signals.

In addition to this, operators are required to monitor unusually high internet traffic in border areas. Initially, these measures are set to cover seven areas, including the border regions of Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai, Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo province, and Mae Sot district in Tak province.

Telecom operators have been directed to provide progress reports on their compliance every seven days. This initiative aligns with the government’s policy of cracking down on cyber criminals, as mentioned by Trairat.

On April 1, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin issued a directive to related organisations to deliver tangible results of an extensive crackdown on widespread online fraud within a month.

Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangthong reported an increase in online fraud complaints in April, rising to 992 from 855 in March. This surge is credited to an increased number of channels available for victims to lodge complaints, reported Bangkok Post.

In related news, Maybank dropped Thailand’s GDP growth forecast amid export and manufacturing slump, The downgraded estimates are due to a combination of factors, including a faltering export outlook, a deepening manufacturing slump, an uneven recovery in tourism, and limited chances of interest rate cuts by the Bank of Thailand this year.