More Wi-Fi hotspots for Phuket as plan to tag tourists mulled

[wvavin]

These people just do not know how others look at them. They are just getting more stupid as they could. 

[sambum]

The day's a coming!

[CGW]

29 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

There’s a big difference between naivety and stupidity. In a normal country electronic tagging is done to people who have committed crimes not to tourists. 

Were all tracked, criminal or not, have you failed to notice we now live in a technological prison!

[jonstarjon]

Yet another get rich quick scheme for Hunts Cronies

[johnny49r]

23 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The province may also develop an electronic wristband system for foreign tourists so their identity and location would be known in case of untoward incidents, said Digital Economy and Society Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj.

Wow, are there that many 'untoward incidents' in Phuket? Did you think of this all by yourself Pichet? How about using ankle bracelets - more of a penal colony feeling! 

[Shaunduhpostman]

You can't make people wear wrist bands and if you try and enforce it on tourists they won't go to Phuket. I'm sure there are myriad other ways to tag and track tourists that they would happily go along with, a free phone or something like that.

 

In any case, it's not a serious proposal but just some nonsense said as part of a poorly performed charade that is supposed to suggest to us they are serious about doing their jobs when in fact they are preoccupied with games to garner brown envelopes and other shennanigans. 

[FunkyDunky58]

Great idea. Why not courier one to the Red Bull fugitive so that interpol can track him.

[jacko45k]

Two weeks early I think!

[forrwhat]

The paranoia and audacious presumption that everyone who comes to Thailand on holiday is up to no good, that has been permeating since the coup is ludicrous. 

 

[RickBradford]

Quote

The province may also develop an electronic wristband system for foreign tourists so their identity and location would be known

 

That's going to be reeeal popular with Westerners.

 

How about striped suits and ID numbers tattooed inside the lower lip? 

 

But this is how Thai bureaucracy works: Think of the dumbest thing you can. Double it. Then announce it.

[mikosan]

The whole idea is clearly ludicrous and will never happen.  The usual case of some dimwit opening mouth without engaging brain.  Can you imagine what it would do for the tourist industry in Phuket?  It would close down overnight.

[Chongalulu]

For this and many other ideas I’m putting it down to IQ.

[Sumarianson]

More Wi-Fi hotspots for Phuket as plan to tag tourists mulled
 

 
Phuket will increase the number of hotspots for free Wi-Fi Internet connection to 1,000 around the island as part of its ambition to turn the island into a “smart city”, the digital economy minister said.
 
The province may also develop an electronic wristband system for foreign tourists so their identity and location would be known in case of untoward incidents, said Digital Economy and Society Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj. Pichet was speaking to a group of reporters and local officials during his trip to the Phuket Command Centre at the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre for Zone 18 on Friday. 
 
Pichet made the visit to be briefed briefed by deputy Phuket governor Thawornwat Kongkaew on progress in the implementation of the smart-city plan for the tourist-destination province.
 
During the briefing, Thawornwat said the implementation had progressed greatly to achieve the measures of a smart economy, including tourism, health, education, safety and the environment in accordance with the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy. 
 
After the briefing, Pichet said smart-city developments included the installation of 1,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots, up from the current 200 hotspots. 
 
He said the province also has planned to develop the uses of wristbands to track tourists and to use Big Data to analyse information about tourists’ habits. He said the Phuket command centre would also link to all CCTVs on the island to work with face-recognition software to guard against crimes as well as to collect the data of tourists who use public boat services. 
 
This would be done for the sake of their safety. Pichet said the government would provide financial support to the Phuket Smart City project but the province must ensure that each project would be worth the investment. He said some work could be carried out with cooperation from private firms instead of sole investment by the government.
 
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30341155
 
  -- [emoji767] Copyright The Nation 2018-03-17

Benjamin Franklin once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." That quote often comes up in the context of new technology and concerns about government surveillance. This is such a case. JFK said the same thing but was not listened to, it resulted in the mass surveillance that the US carried out on everyone in the country. Remember the Government represents you. Is this what you would want? It is not exactly the same as getting a Police tag when you are a criminal, no, it is worse. All your personal information will be online for any hacker burgular or company to use it. They will know your habits and comings and goings. Who you meet even if casually in a bar you aquaint yourself with a known mobster or criminal then you will be on the watch list too. There are too many peramaters to go into here but you get my drift. Make sure your voice is heard on this our most precious democratic right.
If it is accepted by the tourists then it is only a matter of time for everyone else.
You have been warned.......

Sent from my SM-G935F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[soalbundy]

Are they admitting that Thailand is a dangerous place for tourists ?

[apophyss]

{Not for troll, but...}

 

 

You mean farangs come with their smartphone for hollidays ?

(sam nam na !)

 

 

This farangs dont care to be spied on in their country (by smartphone)

so why they have to be scare to be spied on in LOS ?

 

 

(sorry for people still believe Google because 15 years ago they say "don't be evil"...)

[Xaos]

What was the movie where they were wearing neck collars, and if they run away it blew up, was some sci-fi movie, cant remember :)

 

Make them wear that.

[jippytum]

Don't worry they can't keep track of their own high profile people who manage to evade scrutiny with ease. Maybe April fool's day has come early.

[geisha]

making it the laughing  stock of the world !!

 

[lometogo]

I’ll volunteer. I love the King, the present government, and whatever steps they take to keep me safe. 

[Kimber]

23 hours ago, Luckysilk said:

And let's track Thais in our home country's and see how they feel.

 

 

Start with visiting Thai government officials. 

 

[Kimber]

22 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Develop all you want, I won’t wear one. 

Yeah, and if it goes Thailand wide, then it will be Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar for me. 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Can this magical wristband save me from all the corrupt and thieving locals? 

[ScotBkk]

23 hours ago, BEngBKK said:

Why not just require RFID implants  for all people ........ 

To include numbered tattoos and ankle tags ....................

[Kimber]

20 hours ago, YetAnother said:

it is now 100 percent  sure that the intelligence of the average tourist is greater than that of the nitwits that thought this up and really 'think' it can work;

tourists that come to a place like phuket will NOT like this idea and will see thru it easily and will aggressively resist it;

i can see Lots of arguments and 'incidents' at the point the thais try and force this on the far smarter tourists; imagine if you traveled somewhere and that place, unannounced, tried to make you wear something you very much did Not want to....

 

If they introduce it, boycott Phuket and anywhere else they implement it; they'll soon get the message.  

[dave moir]

On 3/17/2018 at 3:51 PM, Moti24 said:

"The province may also develop an electronic wristband system for foreign tourists so their identity and location would be known in case of untoward incidents....."

 

That'll be the nail for the coffin!  Why the hell would tourists come to Thailand to be treated like a criminal!

 

I'm not lost for words, but I'd be banned from TVF if I printed them!

Treat your tourists like parolees very smart idea!!!??? I can see tourists flocking to get their very own electronic wrist band not!

[Davedub]

Not the smartest of proposals; for one, people are increasingly using 3G / 4G on their phones for internet access, so why invest in a soon-to-be-obsolete technology like wifi? Secondly, foreign tourists are, in my opinion, very likely to be highly adverse to the idea of being tracked like livestock. 

[Xaos]

Neck collars wuld be better 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Joe Bangles]

Hahaha, April 1st come early !!!!

[patrick1968]

that is a joke .

[helloagain]

I have a serious question for Digital Economy and Society Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj and deputy Phuket governor Thawornwat Kongkaew if you can actually read this.........do you actually want tourists to come to Thailand for a holiday  and will this tagging also include children. I would think Thailand would be better off tagging your own people, cos the amount of accidents, robberies etc are cause by Thai & the amount of accidents where the Thai driver runs away is amazing, how about that ? How many Thai's are in jail compared to foriengers. Amazing Thailand......IT SURE IS.