SIM Card registration deadline extended indefinitely

The government-imposed deadline for registration of SIM cards in pre-paid cellular phones has been indefinitely postponed due to technical reasons.

The deadline, earlier set for Dec 31, 2005, has been extended at the request of local telephone service providers.

For this reason, those consumers who have not yet had their SIM cards registered may continue to use their pre-paid phones, ICT Permanent Secretary Kraisorn Pornsuthee said Thursday.

Though their phone lines remain active, the customers are bound to comply with the SIM card rules shortly.

ICT Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom earlier demanded that all pre-paid phone users nationwide, especially those in the far South region, have their SIM cards registered for security reasons.

About 90 per cent of pre-paid phone users living in the three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani have already had their SIM cards registered.