SPOTLIGHT
Tomorrow sees the implementation of a law requiring all businesses in Thailand to set their computers to precisely the same time - or else. Thanida Tansubhapol and Saritdet Marukatat report
Hydrographic Department chief Vice-Adm Kongwat Neelasri, who controls Thai Standard Time. |
A nationwide requirement to adhere to Thai Standard Time (TST) will come into effect tomorrow, but rumours of the country's time zone being shunted forwards by a half-hour have been scotched.
Officials at the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) under the Information and Communication Technology Ministry and the navy's Hydrographic Department keep the official time, but are at a loss to explain where the rumour of a shifting time zone came from.
"The rumour of a time adjustment of 30 minutes is untrue. TST remains the same, at seven hours ahead of the time in UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time) scale," the institute said in a press release.
But while TST might be unchanged, clocks all around the country may have to be adjusted - if only slightly - tomorrow, as it will become a legal requirement for all businesses to strictly adhere to TST.
Their computer systems will have to match the official national time under a requirement set out in the 2007 Computer Violation Act.
According to the law, any company which provides computer-based commercial and business services must keep records of all internet traffic, including the names of all users, taking in those who sent and received emails, and the times, dates and durations of computer use, for 90 days.
The law is aimed at easing criminal investigations, especially into internet crime and other computer-based offences.
Anybody who downloads, uploads or distributes pornography, writes or posts abusive material, steals personal information, or deliberately spreads computer viruses will be tracked and arrested.
Lt-Cdr Worrakorn Saorieng checks the equipment at the Hydrographic Department in a specially designed room to make sure Thai Standard Time is in sync with international standard. |
Internet cafe operators will be obliged to record the names and ID card numbers of anybody who uses their services, as well as the time, date and duration of their visit and addresses of all websites they access.
Those who do not record this information or who do not adhere to TST will be fined between 100,000 and 500,000 baht.
Personal computers are exempt from the law, although internet service providers already retain information about multimedia transfers, such as videos, audio files and pictures. Mobile phone operators similarly log call details and information on MMS (Multimedia Message Service) transmissions.
"Retaining computer traffic information is vital, as cyber crime can affect the economy, national security and the general public," said Hydrographic chief Vice-Adm Kongwat Neelasri.
"This information can be used as legal evidence to charge criminals, so it is very important computers keep the precise time."
The department's move is the first time a universal time has been mandated since the reign of King Chulalongkorn.
Back then, ships had to listen out for gunshots marking the time. Knowing the exact time is especially important for mariners, as they have to know when the tide is low or high to move their vessels.
TST is based on international standard time, supervised by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures headquartered in Paris, and never deviates by more than 10 milliseconds.
Instructions for installing the official time on computers are posted on the Hydrographic Department's website at http://www.navy.mi.th/hydro/time
TST will also be announced by the Hydrographic Department via FM radio.
The NIM will coordinate with clockmakers to develop watches and clocks for sale to the public which will automatically adjust precisely to TST via department servers every hour.
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