Business Wire

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

Share

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/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

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.

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

SPIE Announces 2027 Prism Awards Finalists for Best Photonics Products4.11.2026 22:22:00 EET | Press release

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, has announced finalists in the seven categories for the 2027 Prism Awards, which recognize remarkable new photonics products on the market. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at SPIE Photonics West on 3 February 2027 in San Francisco, California. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261104613876/en/ SPIE has announced the finalists for the 2027 SPIE Prism Awards, which recognize optics and photonics innovations. Recipients will be announced at the awards ceremony on 3 February 2027 at SPIE Photonics West. During the Prism Awards, SPIE will also announce the winner of the SPIE Catalyst Award, honoring a for-profit company with social or environmental programs that have made significant advances in workplace opportunity, community engagement, or environmental progress. Finalists for this year’s Catalyst Award, now in its fourth year, are Lume

Every Critical System Should Have a Backup: Elliptic Opens Up Fast Track Monitoring to the Crypto Industry4.11.2026 22:07:00 EET | Press release

Elliptic, the leader in on-chain risk management, is making Fast Track Monitoring available to firms with digital assets exposure as a back up screening option for firms that need business continuity, if their primary screening service is unavailable and they need a second option. Criminals are increasingly using AI to scale their attacks, so on-chain risk now moves at machine speed. Compliance teams need the broadest range of options to keep screening every wallet and transaction, and a second screening provider builds resilience into any on-chain risk management approach. Elliptic recommends every business has one in place. Organizations that rely on a single screening vendor can also still need a second option. Fast Track Monitoring gives compliance teams real-time wallet and transaction screening powered by Elliptic Lens, with a clear, explainable risk score on every wallet and transaction. When screening stops, a compliance lead faces two hard choices: hold customer withdrawals, o

Smartsheet Adds New AI Agents, Integrations and Security Advancements at ENGAGE 20264.11.2026 20:00:00 EET | Press release

Smartsheet, the AI-powered enterprise work management platform, today announced new platform capabilities at ENGAGE 2026, its annual customer conference. The company introduced new AI agents, agentic workflows, system integrations and security controls built to end execution drift: the costly gap between what an organization sets out to deliver and what it actually delivers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261104562370/en/ Today, Smartsheet introduced new AI agents, agentic workflows, system integrations and security controls built to end execution drift. AI has helped teams move faster, but it is also widening execution drift. As AI agents join people, partners and systems in doing the work, three problems keep that distance from closing. Data is scattered across disconnected tools, so no one sees the full picture. AI is arriving faster than IT can govern it, so leaders hesitate to scale it. Most AI also lack

MultiBank Exchange Holding Forms Predominantly Emirati Board as Platform Records US$500 Billion in Monthly Trading Volume4.11.2026 19:54:00 EET | Press release

MultiBank Group has announced the formation of a predominantly Emirati Board of Directors for MultiBank Exchange Holding, the first interbank trading platform in the BRICS and emerging countries, which achieved in October 2026 a turnover of over US$ 0.5 Trillion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261104483253/en/ Naser Taher, Chairman of MultiBank Exchange Holding, announced the board which comprises: H.H. Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Board Member; H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saqr bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Board Member; H.E. Mohammed Al Hakim, Vice Chairman of the Board; H.E. Ali bin Khalid bin Zayed Al Falasi, Board Member; H.E. Rashid Sultan Al Malik, Board Member; Mr. Majid Al Ghaslan, Board Member; and Mr. David Ogg, Board Member. Naser Taher, Chairman of MultiBank Exchange Holding, announced the board which comprises: H.H. Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Board Member. H.E. Sheikh Moham

Smartsheet Unveils vsActual: The AI-Native Platform that Connects Strategy to Execution at ENGAGE 20264.11.2026 19:00:00 EET | Press release

Smartsheet, the AI-powered enterprise work management platform, today unveiled a new AI-native strategic planning and execution product at ENGAGE 2026, its annual customer conference. vsActual is designed to solve the two biggest obstacles to enterprise execution: siloed work scattered across disconnected systems and teams, and the manual tracking and reporting that keeps individuals and executives from seeing problems until it’s too late. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261104989965/en/ Today, Smartsheet unveiled a new AI-native strategic planning and execution product, vsActual. AI is helping individuals move faster than ever, but it's also making it harder to keep everyone moving in the same direction. In fact, a PMI research report found that leaders cited the disconnect between planning and execution as the biggest barrier to reinventing their businesses, and VentureBeat Intelligence found that 64% of res

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
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye