Thais to Get Secure E-passport
- By CDOTrends editors
- August 07, 2020
Despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 health crisis, the DGM Consortium delivered the new Thai e-passport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The e-passport, which is part of the Thailand 4.0 project, was delivered on July 8, 2020. It was launched in an official inauguration ceremony conducted on August 5, 2020 with Minister Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
“Thai citizens now possess one of the world’s most sophisticated e-passports that integrate biometrics and other high-security features that will provide a seamless and secure travel experience,” said Massimo Marinzi, country director at Thales in Thailand.
The Thai e-passport project is one of the largest passport programs for Thales worldwide. The company claims that it provides the highest level of security in a travel document.
The new 64-page biometric travel document includes an e-Cover and a thin, flexible data page made of polycarbonate material. The reverse side of the data page features a high definition, true color UV picture of one of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks, the Wat Arun temple.
The security features visible on the data page include an additional secondary image of the citizen perforated in the semi-transparent window. The traditional Thai four-petal lotus symbol, the line-pra-jum-yam, embossed using Thales’ Secure Surface technology.
Designed to counter new types of forgeries, Thales Secure Surface provides optical elements with light reflective and animation effects revealed by tilting a document in different angles. This visible security feature allows fast and efficient verification by border authorities.
An additional perceptible feature is the tactile signature of the citizen embossed on the data page. Biometric data is embedded into the passport chip using Thales’ secure embedded software. This software provides strong security for identification and protection of citizens’ privacy.
The technological features of the passport ensure secure and fast border crossing, while complying with all relevant data protection laws in Thailand and is fully compliant to the highest security standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“We will continue to build local expertise in passport issuance with training and transfer-of-technology aligned with our commitment to upskilling the Thai workforce as Thailand moves towards a digital future,” added Marinzi.
Photo credit: iStockphoto/asiandelight