The Immigration Bureau failed to collect the biometric data of about 17 million travellers who entered and exited Thailand last year after the system reached its maximum capacity, according to People’s Party deputy leader Rangsiman Rome.
“Thailand currently does not utilise the biometric system for border control security. This lack of data collection poses a significant risk of criminals re-entering the country,” the opposition politician said in a post on his Facebook account on Friday.
“Throughout the entire year of 2024 and up to today, there has been no actual collection of biometric data. What is being collected are merely photographs of facial images and fingerprint photos, not true biometrics,” added Mr Rangsiman, who chairs the House Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and Reform.
Since the previous licence for the system expired, about 17 million people have arrived in and departed Thailand without their biometric details being recorded. It could take up to 29 months for the Immigration Bureau to get a new system up and running as the procurement process has not even begun, he said.
Mr Rangsiman stressed that many people, including immigration officers, are unaware of the issue.
He also revealed that the bureau had discussed the issue on seven occasions with the National Security Committee. However, higher authorities have not taken action, he noted.
“This is a complete failure of police organisation,” Mr Rangsiman said. “This loophole likely explains why so many transnational criminal groups continue to operate freely in Thailand. It is also difficult to remove them due to the inefficiency of state agencies.”
Pol Col Neti Khanboon, head of the database division at the bureau’s IT centre, admitted the system had reached full capacity while testifying before Mr Rangsiman’s committee on Thursday.
He said the current biometric system can store personal identity data for 50 million people. Purchasing an unlimited licence would require a budget of 500 million baht, he said, adding that a new personal identity collection system was being developed with a budget of 3 billion baht.
Personal identity data collection relies on facial photographs, fingerprint images and written records. In 2024, 17 million people entered and left the country without biometric records, he confirmed.
“The limited capacity of the biometric system is a weakness,” he conceded.
The biometric system used by the bureau was procured in 2019 at a cost of 2.1 billion baht. Among those who spoke out against it publicly was Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the high-profile officer who has feuded with many senior figures and was dismissed from the force last year.
In 2020 Pol Gen Surachate was the apparent target of gunmen who fired seven bullets into his car while it was parked on Surawong Road in Bangkok.
He denied that the incident had been staged, saying the attack was related to the Immigration Bureau’s procurement of the biometric system.
The case was never solved, and a senior officer was later dismissed over the leak of a recording in which a superior is heard telling him not to pursue the investigation.
In July 2023 it was reported that the National Anti-Corruption Commission was planning to file charges against former national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda and three other high-level officers in connection with the procurement. There has been no progress in the case since then.