Thailand’s telecom regulator has ordered all local operators to halt broadband and mobile internet services to Cambodia, in a sweeping move aimed at curbing call centre scams and cybercrime.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is also requiring telecom operators to submit SIM card sales reports every 15 days.
NBTC deputy secretary-general Trairat Viriyasirikul said the crackdown focuses primarily on the border area near the Khlong Luek crossing in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province, opposite Cambodia’s casino town of Poipet.
The area has long been seen as a hotspot for illicit activities linked to transnational scam operations.
Under the new directive, all voice and data communication will be cut off in zones near the border. Services will also be limited or reduced in areas further inland, according to the NBTC.
However, authorities are working to minimise the impact on Thai residents living near the border by dispatching mobile SIM service vehicles to provide connectivity.
Cambodia had earlier blocked Thai internet access on its side, but private Thai operators continued to provide services within the country, Trairat noted. Currently, 14 Thai companies offer broadband services in Cambodia.
That will now come to an end. Following a regulatory meeting on Thursday, the NBTC ordered all operators to terminate internet and mobile signals crossing into Cambodia.
Operators seeking to continue cross-border services must present evidence of the service’s intended purpose, clarify the nature of the business, disclose the bandwidth to be used, and evaluate the risk of misuse by scam networks.
For Thai firms with branches in Cambodia, a separate internal transmission system must be installed within 15 days to prevent service disruptions, Trairat added.
In addition, any SIM card used within Cambodia must be registered with the user’s ID and stated purpose of use. Operators must provide updated SIM sales data to the NBTC every 15 days.
Authorities say the policy is already yielding results. According to Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police, the border closure and telecom restrictions have led to a noticeable drop in cybercrime cases.
Thai police are also preparing legal action against the owners of two high-rise buildings in Poipet, which are believed to be key operating bases for scam networks.
“In the past, we received little cooperation from Cambodian authorities in tackling these issues,” said Pol Maj Thatchai. “Since the recent tensions began, Cambodian police have not contacted us at all.”
He added that future collaboration would depend on how the border situation evolves.
Thai authorities have also been scrutinising Huione Group, a Cambodia-based financial firm suspected of handling illicit funds from online gambling and call centre scams. However, police say there is not yet enough evidence to move forward with a case.
In May, the United States designated Huione Group as a “primary money laundering concern” and barred it from accessing the US financial system.
Thai cyber police believe large sums of scam-generated funds have been funneled into Huione Group, according to local media reports. Investigations are ongoing, with authorities also probing a possible connection to a nephew of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
