Cross-border scam alert: NBTC finds 6,444 Thai IPs in Poipet
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission detected 6,444 Thai IP addresses used in Poipet scams. New rules curb grey money transfers.
- Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) discovered 6,444 Thai IP addresses being used from Poipet, Cambodia, for cross-border scams.
- Scammers exploit Thai IPs abroad to make fraudulent money transfers appear as domestic transactions, bypassing bank verification systems.
- In response, the NBTC has immediately banned licensed operators from allowing Thai IP addresses to be used internationally, restricting them to use within Thailand only.
As Thailand intensifies its efforts to tackle the scammer problem and reveals connections between political figures and transnational scam and online criminal gangs, these criminal networks have, in turn, developed increasingly sophisticated deception methods. This has prompted responsible agencies to step up measures to intercept and prevent criminal activity.
At the meeting of the board, or "National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) Mobile Board" on October 29, 2025, Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, NBTC legal committee member, explained that there were two interesting agenda items that were directly related to solving the scammer problem
1. Ban on Foreign Use of Thai IP Addresses
The NBTC discovered that Thai IP addresses were being used for money transfers abroad, with a detection of 6,444 IP addresses linked specifically to Poipet, Cambodia.
An IP address is an identifier for a device on a network connected to the internet, allowing data to be sent accurately, similar to a "house number."
When a Thai IP address is used overseas, banks are unable to verify the transfer because they assume the transaction is occurring domestically. Even in a bordering country like Cambodia, verification is difficult as only three Thai banks currently can check for the use of Thai IP addresses abroad (two of which are Kasikornbank and TMBThanachart Bank). This makes surveillance very challenging, as the transactions appear to be domestic transfers.
The NBTC has issued a resolution strictly prohibiting licensed operators from allowing Thai IP addresses to be used internationally, with immediate effect. This mandates that all banks must restrict the use of Thai IP addresses to within Thailand only, to prevent cross-border transfers from mule accounts to the criminal network's destination accounts.
2. Extended Data Retention Period for Service Providers
The NBTC has also resolved to extend the data retention period for service providers—including telephone, internet, and other services—from the original 90 days to 180 days for user traffic data.
The police requested this extension because the previous 90-day period was found to be insufficient. Many victims do not report the crime to the police immediately but wait to gather evidence or be certain of the offence. The subsequent investigation—to identify second- and third-tier criminals or the main perpetrators—can easily exceed 90 days.
Once the culprits were identified, the critical data proving the crime was often no longer available, as service providers deleted it due to the significant cost and storage space required. This hampered the police's ability to develop cases and use the data as forensic evidence for prosecution.
While the NBTC's legal subcommittee initially aimed for a one-year retention period, they understood the operators' cost and resource constraints and thus agreed to the 180-day extension.
Additional Measures and Results
Pol Gen Nathathorn further noted an increase in SMS messages originating from abroad. Stricter screening measures were enforced starting August 30th, mandating that network providers must immediately suspend any SMS messages found to be deceptive or promoting illegal activities.
Since the implementation of this measure, Advanced Wireless Network Co., Ltd. (AWN)—a subsidiary of AIS—alone managed to block 9,963,645 fraudulent or illegal advertisement SMS messages (including those for drugs, firearms, explosives, investment scams, and gambling) in September [2025]. This figure does not include the numbers from True, National Telecom PCL (NT), and other smaller operators.
This surge in fraudulent SMS activity suggests that crimes relying on person-to-person deception are likely decreasing, as many countries are prioritising technology crime prevention. Scammers are moving away from using native-speaking individuals to directly trick victims in their home country, instead increasingly relying on applications to send information en masse.
To combat this, the NBTC is imposing stricter screening on international SMS. Any foreign-originated SMS that is allowed to be delivered to a user must now include an exclamation mark warning symbol to encourage greater recipient caution.
SIM Box Control Measure
Another implemented and successful measure is the "SIM Box Control Measure."
A "SIM Box" can only connect to the network if it has been properly registered.
Unregistered SIM Boxes are illegal to possess, even if not in use. Violation carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding 100,000 baht under the Radio Communications Act.
