Fingerprint and facial recognition now scanning passengers at Don Mueang Airport

A biometric scanning system is now in operation at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok

The system scans the fingerprints of all travellers coming in or going out of the country. 

The system, which also includes facial recognition, is in the process of being rolled out at all immigration checkpoints nationwide as Thailand looks to boost its border security. 

Biometric scanning was first introduced at Phuket Airport earlier this month and has now been fully integrated into passport control at Don Mueang, as well as other major immigration checkpoints in Thailand.

Eventually, a total of 2,000 biometric devices will be installed at 170 points in Thailand by the end of July.

The system will help combat people entering Thailand using counterfeit passports, as well as potentially stopping those who have already been blacklisted from re-entering using new passports. 

Last Friday, the biometric system at Suvarnabhumi International Airport led to the first arrest of a foreigner trying to leave Thailand on a forged passport. 

The man was trying to board a flight to the Philippines using a Malaysian passport in the name Oh Chee Boon.

However, the airport’s biometric system recognised that the man’s face did not match the data stored on the passport’s chip.

Despite initially claiming he was Oh Chee Boon, the man’s passport was later found to be a forgery. 

He was also found to be in possession of $500,000.

Police suspect the man, who remains in custody, is involved in transnational crime. 

Police also said the immigration records from before the biometric system was introduced showed the man had a history of re-entering Thailand via checkpoints on the Thai-Malaysian border. 

Thai Visa

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