PHUKET: Mobile phone users will be giving their thumbs a serious workout between September 1 and November 30 as the country switches from nine-digit mobile numbers to 10-digit ones.
The change, which will not apply to land lines, will be brought about by adding the number 8 after the initial zero. For example, a mobile number beginning with 01 will be altered to begin with 081, rendering obsolete all mobile numbers stored in mobile phones or other databases.
Supakarn Boonchan, an engineer with the National Telecommunications Office, explained that the change is necessary in order to add numbers to meet rising demand.
The current system, he said, allows for 90 million numbers, but the change to 10 digits will allow up to 300 million numbers, enough to cater for expected demand for the next 30 years.
Between September 1 and November 30, callers may dial either the old nine-digit number or the new 10-digit one. But after November 30, only the 10-digit numbers will work, he said.
