Thailand Declares War on Online Fraud with New Bank and SIM Card Limits
Digital Economy Minister Chaiyanok Chidchob orders proactive measures, including limits on personal SIM cards and stricter bank account rules to target mule activity
- Thailand is limiting individuals to holding a maximum of five SIM cards across all mobile operators to prevent scammers from acquiring numerous untraceable numbers.
- The Bank of Thailand is tasked with creating new rules to suppress "mule accounts," including setting limits on the number of bank accounts an individual can hold.
- As a strict penalty, any person who repeatedly commits offenses related to mule account activity will face the immediate cancellation of all their bank accounts.
- The crackdown on online scams, call center gangs, and online gambling has been elevated to a "National Agenda" by the Thai government.
Digital Economy Minister Chaiyanok Chidchob orders proactive measures, including limits on personal SIM cards and stricter bank account rules to target mule activity.
The Thai government is dramatically escalating its fight against online crime, with the Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DES), Chaichanok Chidchob, ordering a 'strong medicine' approach that includes proactive measures and new restrictions on personal accounts.
Chairing the latest meeting of the Committee for the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crime on Friday, Minister Chaichanok affirmed that the Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has elevated the crackdown on online scams, call centre gangs, and online gambling to a "National Agenda."
The meeting resulted in two major assignments directed at regulatory bodies—the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT)—to disrupt the criminals' infrastructure:
SIM Card Limit: The NBTC has been assigned to establish a rule limiting the general public to holding no more than five SIM card numbers per person across all network operators. This measure aims to prevent scammers from easily acquiring numerous untraceable SIM cards for fraud.
Mule Account Crackdown: The BOT is tasked with establishing new proactive measures to suppress mule accounts by targeting repeat offenders. This includes setting limits on the number of accounts an individual can hold and potentially allowing only a single account for livelihood purposes for those previously linked to mule activity. Critically, any person who commits a repeat offence faces the immediate cancellation of all their bank accounts.
Minister Chaichanok is also pushing for a more integrated, real-time approach to enforcement.
He has requested the NBTC and the BOT to assign operational staff directly to the "War Room" of the International Call Centre and Human Trafficking Incident Management Centre (IAC) to facilitate immediate, cross-agency collaboration and suppression.
Furthermore, the committee discussed revisions to the second edition of the Royal Decree on the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crime (2025).
The update aims to strengthen the "prevention, suppression, and response" framework, focusing on regulatory oversight and prescribing more severe penalties for offences.
The Minister emphasised the government’s seriousness: "I have assigned every agency... to urgently define proactive measures and seriously move forward with solving the problems affecting the public."
He also issued a stern warning that officials found to be involved with scammers will face the "most severe legal penalties."
