BANGKOK – Thai telecom regulator has banned import a batch of Galaxy Note 7 samartphones that have faulty batteries.
The national telecom regulator has banned Thai Samsung Electronics from importing a batch of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones associated with a technical flaw that caused the phone to burst into flames.
National Broadcast and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said Samsung had not yet imported its flagship Galaxy Note 7 model into Thailand.
Takorn added that the company could import Galaxy Note 7 smartphones that did not have safety problems at a later date, but it would have to show the NBTC that the models complied with the required electrical safety standards.
The NBTC move came after Samsung recalled 2.5 million phones last week after reports of the device exploding during or after charging. Airline passengers were warned by US authorities not to use or charge the phones while on board planes.
DJ Koh, president of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, said in a statement, “Just over a week ago, Samsung Electronics announced a global replacement programme for the Galaxy Note 7 as a precautionary measure due to a battery-cell issue. Since then, we have been working hard to expedite product shipments in order to fulfil that exchange programme and reduce any inconvenience for our customers.”
During the past week, Samsung said they understood customer concerns and the company wanted to emphasise the importance of exchanging the defecting models.
“Our number-one priority is the safety of our customers. We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them as soon as possible,” Koh said on Saturday.
“We are expediting replacement of devices so that they can be provided through the exchange programme as conveniently as possible.”
