NBTC takes action by shutting down over 23,000 fraudulent numbers
Acting NBTC chief targets fraudulent calling networks after detecting millions of suspicious calls from border areas and Bangkok.
- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), in collaboration with mobile operators, suspended over 23,000 suspicious phone numbers in December 2025 to combat tech crimes.
- Suspensions targeted numbers with abnormal usage patterns, such as a high volume of outgoing calls made repeatedly from the same locations, which are indicative of fraudulent activity.
- Following an immediate suspension, users are required to re-verify their identity; failure to do so within a specified time leads to the termination of the service contract.
- The crackdown identified concentrated suspicious activity in border provinces and Bangkok, with findings forwarded to the Royal Thai Police to investigate and locate illegal equipment.
Trairat Viriyasirikul, Deputy Secretary-General and Acting Secretary-General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), revealed on Thursday (January 29) that, following the issuance of the NBTC Office announcement regarding measures to prevent technological crimes for telecommunications licensees.
The NBTC Office has collaborated with mobile network operators to screen telephone numbers with abnormal usage patterns and suspend services immediately.
Upon investigating abnormal usage, a high volume of outgoing calls originating repeatedly from the same locations was found, suggesting behaviour indicative of technological crimes.
In December 2025 alone, over 23,057 numbers with such abnormal calling patterns were identified, totalling approximately 2,400,000 outgoing calls.
These numbers were suspended immediately.
Trairat stated that the NBTC Office has previously established measures to prevent and suppress technological crimes by instructing mobile operators to monitor abnormal phone usage and report findings to the NBTC Office weekly.
The criteria for inspection include making dozens of outgoing calls per day and calling from the same repeated areas.
Such behaviour is presumed to be non-standard usage for general individuals and may involve technological crimes.
If usage matches these conditions, operators must suspend the service immediately and verify the registration of the number before requiring the registrant to perform identity re-verification.
If they fail to verify within the specified time, the operator will proceed to terminate the contract for that number.
Results from these measures in December 2025 showed concentrated usage in border provinces, such as Nong Khai, Narathiwat, Sa Kaeo, and Chiang Rai.
Furthermore, it was found that during the week of December 1–7, 2025, there were 8,034 numbers with abnormal calling patterns, totalling more than 849,347 calls.
Mobile operators were subsequently ordered to shut down all these numbers.
In the Bangkok area, 207 numbers were inspected and closed, with a total of 3,197 calls distributed across various areas, including Bang Khen, Bang Khun Thian, Khlong Sam Wa, Bang Khae, and Bang Rak districts.
The NBTC Office has forwarded these findings to the Royal Thai Police to investigate suspicious areas where SIMBOX equipment is suspected to be installed for fraudulent calls.
This will lead to searches and arrests for legal prosecution.
Numerous searches and arrests have already been successfully conducted in several areas.
