Bangkok – A new Thailand passport will be introduced with a validity for 10 years, twice as long as the current one.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that it is progressing with the introduction of a third edition of the electronic passport, which will come out with a 10-year validity for holders over the age of 20 years.
Deputy MFA Permanent-Secretary Thani Thongphakdi said the longer validity will provide greater conveniences for travelers who will no longer have to renew their passport as frequently, while the passport validity for persons aged under 20 years will remain unchanged at five years as the biometric facial features for young people can still change.
The new passport will store more security features with biometric data of holders, including iris scans, in keeping with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) requirements.
The MFA is currently drafting the Terms of Reference (TOR) for private firms in a transparent bidding process to manufacture the new passport. The fee for the new passport has yet to be announced.
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