12 Million 'smart' Id Cards Issued By Sept. 30

[george]

12 million 'smart' ID cards issued by Sept. 30

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Interior Ministry will meet its target of issuing 12 million electronic identification cards to Thai citizens by the end of next month, Provincial Administration Department Director-General Charnchai Sunthornmat said Wednesday.

To date, the department has issued about 11 million cards and the remaining one million cards will be completed by the end of September, he said.

The government approved an e-citizen initiative project in 2004 to give Thai citizens smart electronic identification cards holding, in a microchip, not only personal details such as name, birthdate, gender,

address and a fingerprint, but also personal information related to social welfare, public insurance and tax numbers.

The Information and Communication Technology Ministry (ICT) was assigned to oversee the card's technical specification and bidding.

The Bt800 million project for 12 million cards was initially scheduled to be launched by the end of 2004 but the implementation was delayed until late last year due to the delayed bidding process.

Officials at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and provincial administrations nationwide have made the smart cards available to the public under this project without any holiday, and some district offices have even provided civil servant services at department stores so as to have all smart ID cards issued by schedule, Mr. Charnchai said.

--TNA 2006-08-16

[Rinrada]

Works out at if I got my sums right at about 66 baht each....mai peng..

We aint far behind assuming its still agoer...

Maybe we should sub them out to whoever does them in LOS...but ......er no chance of a forg.....

Being able to prove who we are is a fundamental requirement in today’s society.

The development of ID cards builds on the changes being made to passports to provide a secure and straightforward way to safeguard personal identities from misuse.

The Identity Cards Act 2006 creates the legal framework for the scheme.

...from our sunshine B&Gs@ the Home Office

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/passports-and...ation/id-cards/

bit of Info...

Re Benefits.....

Immigration and illegal working

There are an estimated 430,000 illegal migrants living in the UK (source details), and employers currently have no reliable way of establishing whether or not a job applicant has a right to work here.....hey they have admitted it....

The National Identity Scheme will help employers find out about the immigration status of job applicants and about any visa restrictions which mean they cannot legally work in the UK.

This will speed up the checking process and could be an advantage to those immigrants who are entitled to work.

It could also help to identify people who try to work here illegally and could deter potential illegal immigrants from coming to the UK.

How much will an adult package for a passport/ID card cost me?

The current best estimate for the unit cost of an adult passport/ID card package for UK citizens valid for 10 years is £93.

Top 10 Questions....

What is an ID card?

Why introduce the National Identity Scheme?

Who will be eligible to have an ID card?

What information may be held?

Will I be able to check the information held about me?

When will the first cards be issued?

What are biometrics?

Will it be compulsory to have an ID card?

Will it be compulsory to carry a card?

Will information be given without my consent?

and for the card.....

I don't want a passport so how much will you charge me for a 'stand-alone' ID card?

Within our current estimates of the National Identity Scheme as a whole, it will be affordable to set a charge of £30 at current prices for a standalone ID card valid for 10 years