Thailand has biggest hike in ‘nuisane calls’ for telemarketers

Thai residents experienced a 36-per-cent increase in the number of telemarketing calls over the past year, the sharpest rise in the markets in Asia and South America where Whoscall is active, the company said. Some users reported that they used to receive one or two telemarketing calls a week, but now it is almost every day.
Thailand experienced the biggest rise in ‘nuisance calls’, followed by Brazil at 21 per cent, and South Korea a distant third at 9 per cent.
Whoscall calculates these numbers through the contributions of its users in Thailand and analyses of its global databases.
The app helps users identify incoming calls so they can decide whether to answer. They may also choose to block the number.
“Increased pressure on sales, tightening margins and tougher competition across all industries this past year may be the reason for businesses employing a more aggressive telesales strategy as they bid to maintain revenues. Whatever the reason, it highlights the need for smartphone users to screen calls to help them manage their time,” said Yuting Liu, country manager of Whoscall Thailand.
“As people’s lives become busier, time wasted on unnecessary calls … and the steady influx of telemarketing calls can become a nuisance. Although we may all need to buy services like insurance, there really is a time and place for everything, and it’s important that we are able to manage these calls instantly to better manage our time.”
Since its launch in Thailand, the company says it has helped identify hundreds of millions of calls. The data has been essential in helping Whoscall scientists better understand user behaviour and telemarketing patterns, which helps provide better services for scam and fraud prevention.
Whoscall currently serves more than 5 million users in Thailand and more than 50 million worldwide.