TUESDAY, March 19, 2024
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Best and most secure technology used for e-passports, Foreign Ministry says

Best and most secure technology used for e-passports, Foreign Ministry says

The Foreign Ministry has defended its decision to select the best security technology for its new e-passport to prevent counterfeiting, rejecting an allegation of adopting lower standards to save money. 

The e-bidding auction was conducted transparently and with accountability to ensure safety, the ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary General Thani Thongpakdi said at a press briefing on Monday.

The [DGM Consortium] company which won the Bt7.4 billion e-bid to produce 15 million Thai passports over seven years offered the more advanced “window lock” technique, he said.

This technique uses lasers to create many layers of images, making it very hard to copy and use to produce fake passports, Thani said, noting that many countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Finland and Switzerland use the same technique for their passports.

The ministry has used more advanced techniques than required by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a long time, he said, adding that the current e-passport with Image Perforation using lasers is already of a higher standard than the ICAO’s requirement.

“We don’t reduce specifications to save on costs. On the contrary, we adopt technology that prevents counterfeiting and makes our passport welcome in all countries,” he said.

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