Thales High Tech to Offer Thai Citizens One of the World’s Most Secure E-Passports
6.8.2020 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Even though the COVID-19 health crisis has been severely disrupting the global travel industry, in the past few months the DGM Consortium has continued its close collaboration with MOFA. Global teams were working remotely to deliver the project, supporting the Thai Government’s ‘Thailand 4.0’ vision to develop an innovative, digital economy.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200806005034/en/
Thai passports (Photo: Thales)
The new Thai e-passport project was delivered on the 8th of July to MOFA and launched in an official inauguration ceremony conducted on the 5th of August in the presence of Minister Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
The Thai e-passport project is one of the largest passport programs for Thales worldwide, as it aims to provide Thai citizens superior technology and the highest possible level of security in a travel document.
The newly designed 64-page biometric travel document includes an e-Cover and a thin, flexible data page made of polycarbonate material. The reverse side of the data page features a high definition, true color UV picture of one of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks, the Wat Arun temple. The security features visible on the data page include an additional secondary image of the citizen perforated in the semi-transparent window; as well as the traditional Thai four-petal lotus symbol, the line-pra-jum-yam, embossed using Thales’ Secure Surface technology.
Designed to counter new types of forgeries, Thales Secure Surface provides optical elements with light reflective and animation effects revealed by tilting a document in different angles. This visible security feature allows fast and efficient verification by border authorities.
An additional perceptible feature is the tactile signature of the citizen embossed on the data page. Biometric data is securely embedded into the passport chip using Thales’ secure embedded software. This software provides strong security for identification and protection of citizens’ privacy.
The technological features of the passport ensures secure and fast border crossing, while complying with all relevant data protection laws in Thailand and is fully compliant to the highest security standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Since the project’s inception, Thales has trained 250 local experts in its passport issuance technologies. Over the next seven years, Thales will be operating know-how transfer and upskilling more than 500 Thai nationals in its technologies, thus significantly contributing to the local economy.
Thales has been a dedicated partner to Thailand for almost 50 years in industry sectors ranging from defence to air traffic management and ground transportation. Aligning with this vision Thales will henceforth be providing its digital identity and biometrics expertise to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, making the Group their trusted partner as they deliver a highly-secure and modern passport for their citizens.
“I am delighted that Thales has successfully delivered this new generation passport to Thai citizens and helped the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strengthen homeland protection and safeguard their citizens’ identities. Throughout the last few months amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have continued our close collaboration with MOFA and worked tirelessly to deliver this milestone. Thai citizens now possess one of the world’s most sophisticated e-passports that integrate biometrics and other high-security features that will provide a seamless and secure travel experience. We will continue to build local expertise in passport issuance with training and transfer-of-technology aligned with our commitment to upskilling the Thai workforce as Thailand moves towards a digital future.” Massimo Marinzi, Country Director, Thales in Thailand
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader shaping the world of tomorrow today. The Group provides solutions, services and products to customers in the aeronautics, space, transport, digital identity and security, and defence markets. With 83,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales generated sales of €19 billion in 2019 (on a pro forma basis including Gemalto over 12 months).
Thales is investing in particular in digital innovations — connectivity, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — technologies that support businesses, organisations and governments in their decisive moments.
PLEASE VISIT
Thales Group
Download HD photos
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200806005034/en/
Contact information
Thales, Media relations
Digital Identity & Security
Vanessa Viala
+33 (0) 6 89 73 25 47
vanessa.viala@thalesgroup.com
Thales, South East Asia Communications
Serene Koh
+65 6594 6898
serene.koh@asia.thalesgroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Nebex Raises $30M Seed Round Led by GV to Build Market Infrastructure for the Global Space Economy29.6.2026 18:38:00 EEST | Press release
Nebex, the market infrastructure platform for the global space economy, announced a $30M seed investment led by GV (Google Ventures), with participation from other top-tier venture funds. The company also announced a banking relationship with J.P. Morgan. The capital raise and new banking relationship will help Nebex scale its platform and connect sovereign space programs with the founders and companies building new technologies to serve the space industry. "We built Nebex because we've seen firsthand that ambitious space founders struggle to deliver complex sovereign programs due to the lack of capital markets infrastructure that supports revenue and cashflow. This is something that exists in nearly every other industry," said Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO of Nebex. "Support from these organizations gives Nebex the additional leverage and financial infrastructure to build the global space economy at the scale it demands.” Since its inception, the space industry has run on a closed loop with a h
Medisca Enters Its Next Chapter Under Founder Antonio Dos Santos29.6.2026 17:19:00 EEST | Press release
For more than 35 years, Dos Santos has helped shape Medisca into a global leader in pharmaceutical compounding. As Chief Executive Officer, he will lead the company's long-term strategy, with a focus on expanding Medisca's global reach, investing in new areas of growth, strengthening strategic partnerships, and continuing to advance the products, services, education, and expertise that healthcare professionals rely on every day. "When I founded Medisca, my vision was to raise the standard of pharmaceutical compounding by bringing pharmaceutical-grade quality to the industry and giving healthcare professionals access to the products, knowledge, and innovation they needed to deliver better patient care," said Antonio Dos Santos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medisca. "That purpose continues to guide us. As we begin this next chapter, we'll keep investing in our people, our partnerships, and the innovation that will help shape the future of Medisca and the pharmaceutical compound
The Premier Jumping League (PJL) & McCarthy Jumping Team Announce Landmark Purchase29.6.2026 16:10:00 EEST | Press release
The Premier Jumping League (PJL) today announced that seasoned trader, investor, and competitive race car driver Jason McCarthy and McCarthy Jumping League LLC acquired the first PJL team in a landmark $50 million acquisition, building on rising momentum for the highly acclaimed professional jumping league. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629512997/en/ The Premier Jumping League (PJL), photographed by Daniel Benson. The milestone investment represents an unprecedented valuation for a team in a newly established sports competition and underscores the confidence that sophisticated investors are placing in the PJL. The inaugural PJL season is scheduled to commence in April 2027. McCarthy brings extensive investment and trading experience to the League, having held leadership positions across the financial sector throughout his career. A graduate of MIT, McCarthy is the Founder and Managing Principal of a propr
InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund IV Holds a Final Close With Total Commitments of C$106M29.6.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
InvestEco Capital is pleased to announce the final close of the InvestEco Sustainable Food Fund IV. This fund will continue InvestEco’s work of investing in high-growth food companies that promote health and sustainability in the food sector. The Fund closed with total commitments of C$106M, the largest InvestEco fund to date. Investors include Farm Credit Canada, Export Development Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and two Government of Canada Social Finance Fund wholesalers: Boann and Realize Capital Partners. In addition, the Fund received commitments from a number of private investors and family offices. The Fund's investments to date include Humble Snacks, Little Sesame, Mid-Day Squares and Algae Cooking Club. The Fund expects to make a further 6 - 10 investments over the next few years. InvestEco Capital, founded in 2002, is a Toronto-based venture capital firm and impact investor focused on the sustainable food sector. For more information, em
Geoswift and SKUx Announce Strategic Partnership to Develop a First-of-Its-Kind Programmable Stablecoin Commerce Network29.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Geoswift and SKUx announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop a next-generation programmable stablecoin commerce network. This strategic collaboration bridges digital assets, traditional finance, and real-world commerce at a global scale, representing a "one-of-one" opportunity by combining Geoswift's global infrastructure with SKUx's specialized item-level controls directly within point-of-sale (POS) systems. While enterprise stablecoin usage continues to accelerate globally, governments, enterprises, payment networks, and AI-driven commerce platforms are increasingly seeking programmable payment infrastructure that can bridge digital assets with real-world commerce. The innovation goes far beyond treasury management or even enabling consumers to spend stablecoins at retail locations. Instead, it unlocks true "programmable money" with embedded controls, rules, and purpose-driven utility —requiring both programmable settlement and programmable spending controls. Geoswift and SKUx
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom