Gemalto part of group awarded contract for 15 million biometric passports by Thailand

Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has awarded a contract for the supply of 15 million biometric e-passports over the next seven years to a consortium including Gemalto, according to a company announcement.

The contract awarded to the DGM consortium represents one of the largest passport programmes for the Thales Group, of which Gemalto is a member, in the world. Other consortium members include Data Products Toppan Forms Ltd. and MultiCert.

The passports are being launched under the government’s ‘Thailand 4.0’ initiative to provide a technically advanced, high-security travel document for Thai citizens as part of a transition towards an economy based on innovation and dynamism. The document includes multiple images, one a true color UV photo, to meet the security standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), along with secure embedded software for fast border crossing. The consortium will also implement an end-to-end electronic passport system to adhere with the Personal Data Protection Act of Thailand.

Two active high security production sites will be established to increase capacity and ensure business continuity and security, and Thales will provide continuous training to develop local expertise. Enrolment operations will also be expanded for more efficient registration.

“Having supported the ambitions of our Thai customers over the last three decades in multiple industries, Thales is strongly committed to developing local industrial capabilities in close collaboration with our partners. The Group has developed some of the world’s most sophisticated e-passports that continuously support governments’ push towards the use of biometrics to ensure quick and secure cross-border movement,” states Thales Thailand Country Director Massimo Marinzi.

“Today, we are proud to add Thailand to that list and to help the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strengthen homeland protection and improve the travel experience of Thai citizens. We look forward to close collaboration with MOFA and our partners to design and develop a superior e-passport that meets their unique requirements, and that exceeds the highest level of security recommended by ICAO.”

Thales has a long history of partnership with Thai public sector organizations.

Thailand is also launching a national digital ID service this year, and recently moved to increase biometric controls for SIM registration in three states.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  Gemalto  |  ICAO  |  Thailand  |  Thales