Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has announced that starting today all mobile banking account must match the name associated with the mobile SIM card. The new rule was implemented in an effort to combat criminal scam gangs that use mule accounts in Thailand.
According to the DES, users of mobile banking services will be notified by their banks if their names do not match the name of the SIM card holder on their smartphone, which is registered with the bank.
Account holders must contact their banks by April 30th to have their mobile banking services suspended. This measure went into effect on February 1, 2025, with the goal of reducing the use of “mule” bank accounts by online scammers.
This month, Thai banks will send notifications to mobile banking users through their applications, requiring them to confirm their identity with their mobile service providers by the deadline.
According to Karom Pholpornklang, deputy spokesman for the prime minister’s office, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and mobile phone service providers have information on 120 million SIM cards that may require verification to determine whether the SIM card holders are the actual phone users.
Only 75.8 million phone number owners correspond to actual users, accounting for 63% of all SIM card-associated phone numbers.
There are 30.9 million phone numbers (25.68%) whose owners do not match their users. The remaining 13.5 million phone numbers have no information about their owners.
This new measure, however, will not apply to phone numbers registered by government agencies, private companies, or organisations for use by their employees, phone numbers used by family members, or phone numbers used by the disabled.
Family members, however, will be required to show official documents proving that they are members of the same family.
Meanwhile, China and Thailand have jointly announced their intention to collaborate in the elimination of numerous cyber-fraud organizations that are currently operating in Myanmar, as well as the prevention of associated human trafficking.
Thailand and China Unite
Assistant Minister Liu Zhongyi is the leader of a delegation from China’s Ministry of Public Security that is currently in Thailand to address cross-border issues related to translation scam gangs in Myanmar.
Mr. Liu convened a meeting with Thai authorities at the Immigration Checkpoint in Chiang Saen District, Chiang Rai Province, on Saturday to deliberate on the prevention of transnational crimes, call center scams, and human trafficking, with a particular emphasis on those that affect Chinese citizens.
In order to evaluate the border regions, Mr. Lin conducted inspections of the Thai-Laos and Thai-Myanmar borders in Chiang Rai Province. This excursion followed his most recent visit to the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, which is connected to Myawaddy District in Myanmar, on January 29, 2025.
In the interim, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Royal Thai police have collaborated to disable internet signals on the bridge in order to disrupt illegal activities in neighboring countries.
These operations have assisted in the rescue of numerous Thai and Chinese citizens who were victims of transnational scam gangs.
In Thailand, the past year, fraudulent accounts on Facebook resulted in a total of 718 million THB ( 20.2 million USD) in damage through online banking, according to the Digital Economy and Society.
The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported last year that scams in East and Southeast Asia could result in losses of $18 billion to $37 billion in 2023.
Chinese criminals, whether in China or elsewhere, are the primary operators of the scam networks. They employ foreign nationals from various countries to execute sophisticated romance or investment scams, identifying victims through cold calls or online platforms.
Numerous individuals have been deceived into traveling to Thailand in search of lucrative employment opportunities, only to be trafficked into Myanmar to work as scammers against their will.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
