Bangkok : Thailand is making travel more efficient with biometric verification across six major airports for faster immigration and check-in.

Effective December 1, 2024, international passengers at six Thailand airports, including Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, will enjoy a smoother and faster immigration process, thanks to the implementation of biometric verification and facial recognition technology.

This facility has already been available for domestic passengers starting November 1, 2024. The move will ensure passengers use only their physical ID once throughout the travel process, making the entire journey more efficient and relaxing.

To use this facility, travellers must consent to sharing their personal identification information at check-in counters or self-check-in kiosks. Once the Airport Authority of Thailand (AoT) registers the flyers' biometric information and travel itineraries, they can go from the baggage drop section to the boarding gate without having to show their boarding pass or passports. Only one trip is covered by this consent, and the process will have to be repeated the next time.

Alternatively, all flyers can also scan their barcode from the boarding pass at the time of web check-in. The process is simple: select the airline you're flying with on the online check-in page, click on enrolment, scan the barcode on the boarding pass, add the passport or ID card details, and scan your face.

The six Thai airports where this technology will be implemented 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.

BKK unveils new runway

Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samutprakan, Thailand, officially opened its third runway.

The new 4,000-metre-long and 60-metre-wide addition increases the airport's capacity to manage 94 flights per hour, bolstering annual passenger handling to 65 million.

This milestone is set to significantly enhance air traffic flow and accommodate Thailand's growing tourism and travel demand.