Thailand to adopt fingerprint registration for SIMs

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has revealed plans to require all mobile operators to introduce an online fingerprint ID system for prepaid and postpaid mobile SIM registrations.

The regulator has given a tentative deadline of February for operators to support mandatory fingerprint ID registration.

NBTC officials told the publication that the system is designed to ensure greater security in mobile banking and reduce the risk of fraud as Thailand continues to transition to a cashless society.

Around 14 million of Thailand’s 103 million mobile subscribers are already using mobile banking services, according to the report.

According to the report, while the operators will be required to implement a fingerprint registration system to complement their existing mandatory SIM registration systems, mobile customers will not be required to submit their fingerprints. The fingerprints will be stored on an NBTC database server.

The fingerprint system was developed by the Engineering Faculty of Kasetsart University, which won a tender to supply the system for 15 million baht ($421,000).

Operators will be able to deduct the costs of implementing the system from their annual universal service obligation fee, which amounts to around 3.5% of operators’ total revenue.