NBTC urged to enforce strict rules against Thailand cell phone operators

BANGKOK, June 2 (TNA) - A consumer protection group has urged the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to enforce strict rules against five major mobile phone operators in Thailand. Boonyuen Siritham, Chairwoman of the Confederation of Consumer Organisation, claimed on Saturday that fines imposed by the NBTC on the five local major mobile phone operators for their violation of a regulation concerning the validity of mobile refill cards are considered “too little”. Presently, Boonyuen pointed out, there are about 64 million prepaid mobile phone users and mobile phone operators could earn several hundreds million baht from subscribers who do not use up all their call values within the periods specified by the operators; so, the fines of only 100,000 baht per day imposed on each operator are considered “too little”, compared to the total leftover call value. Boonyuen proposed that the NBTC enforce more stringent rules against the violators which have 15 days to appeal the ruling or lodge an appeal to the Administrative Court. Starting from June 1, 2012 fines amounting 100,000 baht daily are imposed on the five mobile phone operators in Thailand, including Advanced Info Service Public Co., Ltd., Total Access Communication Public Co., Ltd., True Move Co., Ltd., TOT Public Co., Ltd. and CAT Telecom Public Co., Ltd. The five firms are fined after they have been found to have violated the 2006 Telecom Service Act, which prohibits prepaid refill cards from having expiration dates. (TNA)