Thailand to introduce facial ID system in major airports by end of year
Thailand will roll out an automated biometric identification system utilising facial recognition technology in six major airports later this year, reducing the need for passengers to show their physical ID multiple times during their journey.
The system will be operational for domestic flights starting November 1 and for international flights by December 1.
The six airports set to implement the biometric system include Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Mae Fah Luang/Chiang Rai International Airport, Phuket International Airport, and Hat Yai International Airport. as reported by the Bangkok Post.
With tourism on a strong recovery trajectory, Airport Authority of Thailand (AOT) director Kirati Kitmanawat shared that passenger numbers using the airports in September and October have risen almost 20% from the same period last year, and are expected to be still higher next year.
Thailand has seen a resurgence in tourism since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the country welcomed about 28.15 million tourists—a significant increase compared to the roughly 11 million tourists in preceding years. This recovery has been fuelled by loosened travel restrictions and new visa waiver programmes introduced in 2024 for citizens of countries like China and India.
