Singaporeans can use facial recognition when departing Thai airports from 1 Dec
Singaporeans departing from select Thai airports can soon benefit from a streamlined boarding process, thanks to the introduction of facial recognition technology.
Currently, passengers need to present their physical ID and boarding pass at multiple checkpoints.
However, on Monday (28 Oct), Airports of Thailand (AOT) Director Kirati Kitmanawat announced plans to introduce facial recognition at six airports, designed to improve convenience and efficiency.
As reported by the Bangkok Post, from 1 Dec, international passengers will need to show their passport only once during check-in.
After this initial verification, the system will capture and store their biometric and travel itinerary information, allowing them to move from the baggage drop through to the boarding gate without presenting further documentation.
This information will be registered solely for a single journey.
For domestic passengers, the system will be available starting 1 Nov.
Tech rollout at 6 major airports in Thailand
The facial recognition system will be available at the following airports:
- Suvarnabhumi International Airport
- Don Mueang International Airport
- Chiang Mai International Airport
- Mae Fah Luang/Chiang Rai International Airport
- Phuket International Airport
- Hat Yai International Airport
As part of Thailand’s efforts to bolster its tourism sector, this technology comes alongside recent measures to ease visa restrictions.
Despite these advancements, some initiatives, like the planned Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), have experienced delays, with the ETA’s launch postponed from its original Dec 2024 target.
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Featured image adapted from enviromantic on Canva.
