Thai gov't plan would track foreigners through SIM cards

Thailand's telecommunications regulator has approved in principle a plan to issue special SIM cards to foreign tourists so they can be tracked through their mobile phones.
Officials at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said the plan would apply to tourists only, backtracking on an earlier announcement that it would cover all foreigners, including residents, the Bangkok Post and other media reported today.
The commission said the plan would be studied further after its endorsement yestreday. Foreign and Thai users are already required to register when purchasing SIM cards.
State surveillance of online activity is high under the military government installed after a 2014 coup, and there have been dozens of arrests of people for political material posted on Facebook and other sites.