Airin Phanrit, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the government is taking an integrated approach to intensify its crackdown on cybercrime, describing it as a serious threat that has caused widespread damage to both the country and the public.
She noted that the scale of the problem is particularly evident in call centre scams, which have resulted in significant losses and have also involved some Thai nationals in deceiving fellow citizens.
According to Airin, part of the scheme involves individuals being paid to open so-called mule accounts that are later used to facilitate fraudulent activities.
She urged members of the public, especially young people, not to be tempted by small payments offered in exchange for registering SIM cards or providing personal information to fraudsters, who then use such details to obtain telephone numbers that are later employed in online crimes.
Airin explained that under the Emergency Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technological Crime, 2023, as amended by No. 2 in 2025, individuals who are paid to register a SIM card or allow others to use a SIM card registered in their name face a high risk of legal consequences.
If it can be proven that the number was used to commit an offence, those involved may be held liable under the law.
“The law clearly stipulates the penalties. The owner of a mule SIM may face imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to THB300,000 or both.
Meanwhile, anyone who procures, advertises, or induces the buying, selling, renting out, or lending of SIM cards, deposit accounts, electronic cards, or electronic money accounts faces heavier penalties of two to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of THB200,000 to 500,000, or both,” Airin said.
The government, together with relevant agencies, will continue to intensify efforts to suppress the use of mule SIM cards and is urging the public not to allow others to use their personal information or facial scans to register SIM cards on their behalf under any circumstances.
Members of the public who discover that their name has been used to register a SIM card without authorisation, or who have information related to online fraud, are encouraged to report the matter through the Royal Thai Police’s Thai Police Online platform or by calling the 24-hour hotline of the Anti‑Online Scam Operation Centre at 1441.
