Thailand To Issue Safe Dna Passports

[george]

Post-9/11 passports

BANGKOK: The government is considering issuing new passports that include DNA data and biometric information “to meet international standards”.

Information and Communications Technology Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday his ministry and the Foreign Ministry had been assigned to jointly assess the technology and procedures required to issue such passports.

There will be two types of new passports, he said. The first would include biometric data, such as fingerprints, blood group and facial profiles. The second type would include DNA information.

Certain groups of people would be issued with one type of passport, he said, without giving further details.

The new passports would make it easier for officials to verify the identity of travellers, he said, and make it more difficult for forgers to produce counterfeit copies.

Thailand has used sophisticated passport technology for some time, but has yet to produce electronic passports. Despite the current technology, false Thai passports have been found.

The Cabinet was informed yesterday that the Foreign Ministry was ready to produce passports with biometric or DNA information.

The new passports would be in line with guidelines for travel documents to be issued soon by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The international community has been on high alert in the wake of recent terrorist atrocities and security agencies have been under increased pressure to scan travellers. From October, the United States will require nonUS passport holders from countries that do not require US visas to present machine readable passports.

--The Nation 2003-12-03