Bangkok: Mr. Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), announced the results of a meeting of the Technology Crime Suppression Committee. The meeting included representatives from the private sector, including operators, banks, platforms, and the Customs Department, to discuss solutions to the SIM Box problem. This follows the NBTC's announcement banning the sale of disassembled devices, requiring registration of both complete and disassembled units. The Customs Department was also requested to disclose information on SIM Box imports and exports, so that the Royal Thai Police can expand their investigations into any illegal assembly of devices.
According to Thai News Agency, during the conversation with operators, the focus was on identity verification for SIM registration, using face scanning and Liveness, which involves chip and PIN verification. Mr. Chaichanok noted that during the registration adjustment period, some areas were incomplete and therefore closed. Additionally, the data collection system was incomplete, prompting operators to proceed with registration as fully as possible.
Mr. Chaichanok emphasized that as scammers escalate their operations, there is a need to enhance identity verification measures to combat counterfeiting. This includes ensuring vending machines connect to Thai ID systems and verifying the two-way PIN chip. Furthermore, linking SIM sales data to the police will help verify if SIM purchases may be used to register other offenses. Loopholes identified in SIM access include massive pre-registration of corporate customers and incomplete registration of vending machines.
Liveness, a real-time facial scanning identity verification process, is designed to prevent fraud when registering SIM cards. Registrants must present their national ID card or passport and follow specified facial scanning steps such as blinking or turning their head. This process applies to those activating a new SIM card or replacing an existing one.