Foreign Ministry reassures on issuance of e-passports as deadline looms
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE ISSUANCE of e-passports for Thai citizens will continue as usual, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday after reports that passports would be unavailable within three days after the contract with a consortium of outsourcing companies expires.

 

Two years ago, the ministry signed a contract with the outsourcing companies to issue passports, stipulating that the company would produce 7 million passports, after which the contract would end.

 

The companies in the consortium are Chan Wanich Co Ltd, Chan Wanich Security Printing Co Ltd and NEC Asia Pacific Ltd.

 

At present, 6.97 million have been issued, leaving only 30,000 more to be issued. On a typical day, 10,000 requests are received for the issuance or re-issuance of passports, which would have left only three more days. The ministry had said the process to find new companies through an e-bidding process could take a year to complete.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30307665

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-02

"No one at the ministry would explain why there were not plans in place to maintain the supply of passports."

 

Another fine example of government planning, NOT.

No new passports are going to be available for a year. Not really sure what to think. Incompetence at the highest level

or a well thought out plan to make passports available to those who are able and willing to make a personal donation.

The no receipt kind.

5 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

"No one at the ministry would explain why there were not plans in place to maintain the supply of passports."

 

Another fine example of government planning, NOT.

Who cares about passports submarines are the priority on the governments radar. I guess an extension for the existing company would be to difficult to comprehend. 

Reassure all you want but id there are only 7mn blank passports produced, when they are gone, they are gone. Even if the contract is suddenly extended, production will not be able to start at once. Passports are (or should be) high security documents. Paper stocks, special inks etc (plus the chips) need to be ordered.