The claim appeared in a video on TikTok posted on August 2, 2024 (archived here), with the following caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):

Digital Wallet registration isn't really safe.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Aug 13 14:52:24 2024 UTC)

In the video, former Member of Parliament Mongkolkit Suksintharanon says the registration to the government-developed digital wallet application "is quite dangerous" as people have to provide personal information such as images of their national identification card, face scans, and passwords. He also claimed more than 20 million people have registered so far.

"If they don't keep your secret well, if they give out our personal information, they can access your bank accounts as well," Mongkolkit continued, as translated by Lead Stories staff, "I don't think it's really safe."

The Thai government's "Digital Wallet" scheme was a campaign promise (archived here) aimed to give 10,000 baht to 50 million citizens to be spent at local businesses, a measure intended to give a boost to the economy, according to its description in an AP article. The online registration for the monetary handout opened on August 1, 2024, through an application called "Tang Rath" ("state" as translated by Lead Stories staff).

According to the program website (archived here), people need national identification numbers, names, birth dates, and an image of their faces to register. They would then be prompted to create a username, password, and PIN to access the account in order to receive the digital wallet stipend.

In response to the security concerns, the Digital Government Development Agency under the Office of Prime Minister said on its website on August 4, 2024 (archived here) that the government needs to be able to verify that the person registering is a real citizen by looking at their face and ID card information to make sure that they match.

The agency said this is a measure called IAL 2.3, a verification technology similar to the one used by banks in Thailand. This measure is also in accordance with the announcement of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (archived here). According to the agency, personal information can only be accessed by state agencies and the owner of the information.

Additionally, the agency ensured that the application doesn't connect with any bank accounts and doesn't store any bank account information.

Rudklao Suwankiri, the deputy government spokesperson, said through the Royal Thai Government website on August 9, 2024 (archived here), that the application is in line with international standards regarding "security, reliability, stability, and continuous serviceability." She also said the government has acknowledged all opinions and taken careful consideration to resolve possible safety concerns.

With former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin removed from office on August 14, 2024 (archived here), the continuation of the cash handout scheme is in limbo. Newly-elected Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra talked about the policy when asked during her first press conference (archived here) on August 18, 2024. She said every policy needs to be discussed with the government coalition first. She added the government still intends to push for a major economic stimulus but needs to "listen to different opinions" on how to best do that.

On August 28, 2024, caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Phaopoom Rojanasakul said at a "Thailand Focus 2024" lecture that the handout will likely continue, but asked that the people wait for the new government's official policy statement that will be read before the Parliament after the Prime Minister and her cabinet are sworn in, according to Bangkok Biz News (archived here). Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the new Prime Minister's father, also said on August 22, 2024, that his daughter will likely continue the plan, Bangkok Post reported (archived here).

At the time of writing, the application remains available on Apple Store and Play Store (archived here and here), and the program website remains operational. The registration period ends on September 15, 2024.

The claim appeared in a video on TikTok posted on May 6, 2024 (archived here). It had the following caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):

Three dangers that moms have to be cautious about. #machikomom #goodthingsmomandki

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu May 9 11:32:12 2024 UTC)

In the video, the narrator explained three impacts that would happen to a fetus if a pregnant mother frequently uses her phone. First, the radiation from the phone will slow down the fetus' brain development. Second, its sleeping schedule and daily routine could change if the mom uses her phone loudly during the fetus' sleeping time, waking it up. Third, the child will be difficult to raise after birth as they will be used to this different routine of waking up in the middle of their sleeping time and consequently sleeping during the day. The video didn't present any evidence to support these claims.

While cell phones release non-ionizing radiation, routine exposure to it doesn't pose any harm to humans, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (archived here). Specifically, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website entry (archived here) that exposure to nonionizing radiation is usually "not hazardous to you or your unborn baby."

Many workers are exposed to common sources of nonionizing radiation at work. Microwave ovens, computer screens, and cell phones use nonionizing radiation at exposure levels that are considered safe.

There are specific workplace cases where caution must be exercised, reads the website:

Some healthcare workers (diathermy operators) and certain industries use nonionizing radiation at higher levels.

Most scientific studies have yielded similar results: The health risks to a fetus from its mother's phone aren't confirmed.

While a 2012 study from Yale University, published in Scientific Reports (archived here), found an association between prenatal cellular telephone use and hyperactivity in children, the direct effects of the exposure on neurodevelopment remain unknown. Additionally, the study was done in mice and noted that further experimentation is needed in humans or non-human primates.

A more recent study in 2017, published in BMC Public Health (archived here), looked into how cell phone usage in early pregnancy affects a child's language, communication, and motor skills at three and five years in Norwegian moms. It concluded that "no evidence of adverse neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal cell phone use was reported."

A 2017 study published in Environment International journal (archived here), said to be the largest study to date on prenatal phone use in five birth cohorts, found some association with the use and an increased risk for behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and inattention. However, the study didn't consider other social factors such as parenting style, material hyperactivity, and more.

The World Health Organization confirmed the notion (archived here): Exposure to electromagnetic fields in the living and working environment doesn't increase the risk of any adverse outcome from a pregnancy.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @janejindajane on February 13, 2024, under the title with caption (translated from Thai to English by Lead Stories staff):

Warning! Money in a bank account can disappear by making a phone call just for 2 minutes.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Feb 20 16:40:32 2024 UTC)

According to the video, one scammer brought to light how scammers purportedly hack people's bank accounts via phone calls. She claimed that there is no need to download any applications; simply engaging in a two-minute phone call with a scammer can result in the disappearance of all your money.

Recent news reports (archived here) have highlighted the activities of a scammer associated with Chinese interests. Allegedly, this person operates within a company equipped with four hacking machines, each valued at 120 million baht ($3.3 million). These machines are used to target individuals whose personal information, including telephone numbers, citizen numbers and birthdays, has been purchased from the black market. The primary targets of these scams are reportedly retired military personnel, businessmen and people with bank account balances exceeding two million baht ($55,000). When the scammer contacts the victims, they are instructed to keep the phone call active for two minutes, after which the hacking machines are used to gain access to the victim's bank account.

According to experts, hacking mobile banking is not so simple. Thananon Patinyasakdikul (archived here), a software engineer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, debunked this claim in a YouTube video posted on his channel on February 16, 2024. He explained that technically, hacking a bank account requires previous actions, such as having downloaded specific applications or having clicked on malicious links. Even if a scammer gains access to your mobile phone, controlling it is still challenging due to the robust security systems employed by mobile banking platforms.

On February 12, 2024, the Thai TV program "The Discussion" (archived here) on Channel 7 hosted a scammer identified as Mr. A. Representatives from the Royal Thai Police also participated in the TV program. In the televised discussion, Mr. A was questioned about his alleged involvement in bank hacking activities. The Royal Thai Police, including the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, shared their findings, stating that it is impossible to hack mobile banking systems without installing any application on the victim's phone. They emphasized that victims might have unwittingly installed malicious applications before receiving calls from scammers.

During the discussion, the police pressed Mr. A for further details on how his group allegedly bypassed the stringent security measures of mobile banking systems. Mr. A disclosed that their method involved utilizing the victims' voices to authenticate voice biometrics.

On February 13, 2024, after the TV program, TB-CERT (archived here), Thailand's Computer Emergency Response Team, of the Thai Bankers' Association, refuted the claim made by Mr. A, stating that mobile banking applications do not utilize voice biometric systems. Instead, they clarified that mobile banking security relies on face scan biometrics as a means of identity verification, necessary before conducting financial transactions or adjusting credit limits.