No more expiry dates for prepaid credits

[Crash]

Article from Cellular News

 

Thai Networks Scrap Expiry Dates on PrePay Credits

Published on:

22nd Jan 2013

­Thailand's mobile networks have been ordered to drop the expiry date clause from prepay credits applied to accounts pending a policy decision from the telecoms regulator, the NBTC.

The regulator is considering a standard expiry of phone credits, but had yet to make a decision, so in the meantime it has ordered the networks to make all credits effectively immortal.

The mobile networks are also being required to collect the identity of customers when they buy a fresh SIM card as a possible prelude to mandating ID collection for all prepay accounts.

The regulator has threatened to fine the networks if they do not comply with both requirements after sending compliance warning letters to them last week.

 

I am sure alot of us leave Thailand with credit left on our SIM's and it is not available for use on the next visit.

[999Baht]

This bloody awesome news for guys like myself who holiday only in Thailand but want to keep the same number!

[7-Eleven]

Great news

[dudebrah]

they will probably find a way around it .  IE the credits dont expire but your phone number does !  LOL 

 

one would think they would run out of phone numbers otherwise ?

[devee8]

Has anybody tried checking your balance and expiry to see if it has changed ?

[Hattis]

I just checked and my thai-sim still has expirydate.

[aussiekiwi]

They are thinking of doing the same thing in OZ. About bloody time, what's up with them taking my money if I don't use it, assholes.

[999Baht]

Maybe their way around it is it only applies to new phone numbers given.

If you are using an old number before these rules were brought in then the expiry date system still applies.

[SmellyFarang]

Of course this also means that anyone wanting to cause "big trouble" for you can now simply give your phone# to the police since they'll have easy access to your full identity to tag your passport, etc - or just threaten to do so.

 

One of the things I enjoyed about LOS was the fact that you could still have an anonymous, cash-only phone# that offered some degree of protection from scammers and other low-lifes.

[swissbanker]

They will introduce a monthly admin fee that will use up your credit instead ... wanna bet ?

 

Well anyway even if your credit expired, you could still reactivate your number. A service offered by AIS/1-2-call. And my current credit balance would expire in one year only. Plenty of time to come back.

 

 

... my thai wife was different ...

[geezerrb]

It is a proposal not legislation, yet.

I think this is a move forward not just about being a visitor constantly having my sim disengaged and losing a few baht, there is a wider picture although I like to keep my life reasonably private, there is a threat from communication and device use through no control being accessed for terrorism.

There are many new events in the world that could make LOS a "soft target".

[phuketrichard]

just brought a new sim on sunday for gf, AIS ( 1-2 call) 50 baht for the sim, 200 baht credit, expires in 2 months on the sms they sent.

 

Also got it at the ais office at Tesco an they asked for my passport.  1st time they have done that.

[tunamelt]

Do your part.  Do not give your ID in exchange for a Passport. 

[El Cata]

Well, 4 weeks since the report & I still have an expiry date. This is one of the business practices I hate in LOS, along with paying for an ATM card & ATM charges. I have 1-2-Call who only give 2 weeks service for a 100B top up which I never come close to using. My current balance is over 300B & that's with sending 200B to the GF's phone too.

 

I might switch to D-Tac as they have a long service package.