Thailand failed to collect biometric data from 17 million arrivals due to ‘limited' storage
Thailand's Immigration Bureau has come under fire for allowing about 17 million foreign arrivals to enter last year without storing their biometric details due to a capacity issue – a lapse an opposition lawmaker called the 'ultimate failure' of the organisation.
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The bureau told a parliamentary committee on border affairs last week that its biometrics system had insufficient storage capabilities and therefore failed to collect information on foreign arrivals, local media reported.
Immigration officers had been manually taking pictures of travellers' faces and fingerprints, but with no biometric data, the system was unable to flag blacklisted individuals, Bureau Data Division Commander Neti Khanboon told the panel.
Unlike basic photos and fingerprints, biometric data include advanced features such as facial recognition patterns and fingerprint mapping, which enable automated identity verification and cross-checking against watch lists.
Neti said the bureau had been allocated 3 billion baht (US$88.8 million) to develop a new system with unlimited storage capacity, but it would take around 29 months to complete.
09:04
Why are Chinese tourists wary of going to Thailand and has it become a dangerous place to travel?
Why are Chinese tourists wary of going to Thailand and has it become a dangerous place to travel?
The current system's storage had maxed out at 50 million people, although Neti noted the bureau had also set aside 500 million baht to buy new licences for further data entries.
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AllAfrica
an hour ago
- AllAfrica
Give the A-10s to Taiwan and they can stop a Chinese sea invasion
The US Air Force proposes to 'divest' itself of 162 A-10 Warthog aircraft by 2026 and send them to the boneyard at Davis Monthan Airbase in Tucson, Arizona. There the A-10s would rot away in the sun. If the US Air Force does not want them anymore, they would be gone by the end of 2026 or sooner. Sending them to the scrap heap would be a massive mistake. Better to send them to Taiwan where they could make a major contribution to defending the island. Taiwan faces the risk of a massive invasion from China, something the Chinese army, navy and air force have been practicing for years. The US knows the risk of a Chinese invasion, and Washington has accelerated its efforts to pivot to the Pacific. Planners know that any attack on Taiwan could end US influence in the region and deprive the US of vital assets, including specialized semiconductors needed for the Artificial Intelligence revolution. Companies such as Nvidia, which calls itself the world leader in artificial intelligence computing, relies on Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) to manufacture their advanced chips. A scene at TSMC. No matter how you look at it, Taiwan will have to shoulder the burden of an initial attack by China. The first few days will be critical. Swarms of Chinese invasion craft, supported by missiles and drones, will push Taiwan's modest defense resources to the breaking point. Taiwan's air force consists of modernized, but quite old, F-16s and home-grown short-legged F-CK-1 Ching Kuo fighter jets. A near-fourth generation jet, the F-CK-1 is underpowered and has limited range and endurance. Taiwan's existing aircraft are unlikely to be able to stop an incoming invasion fleet, or support Taiwanese air defenses by knocking out swarms of drones. F-CK-1A model. The A-10, however, can do both jobs, and it is more sturdy and survivable than any Taiwan air force jet in the inventory. The A-10 also has superior firepower and is equipped with new weapons ideally suited to sinking an invasion fleet or blasting away at drones. An A-10 peels away from a KC-135 tanker over Afghanistan, February 2011 with Pave Penny pod visible and featuring a false canopy painted in dark gray on the underside. The A-10 is a creature of the 1970s. Originally built by the now defunct Fairchild-Republic company between 1972 to 1984 in Farmingdale, New York, the A-10 was conceived as a ground attack plane to knock out Soviet tanks and other armor on the battlefield. Its creators thought of the A-10 playing a big role in stopping a Soviet invasion of then-West Germany through the Fulda Gap, an ideal funnel where Soviet armor could be picked off. That mission faded away just as the USSR dematerialized. But over the years, and especially in the last half decade, the remaining A-10s have been significantly modified and equipped to carry new weapons that were not yet dreamed about in the 1970s. Equipped with new, sturdy wings, new electronics and fire control, laser designators, and 'smart' rocket pods, the A-10's upgrades complement the huge firepower of its GAU-8 Avenger 30mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon. The autocannon fires PGU-14/B armor-piercing incendiary rounds featuring a depleted uranium penetrator that can easily tear up any landing ship or other seagoing vessel. The new star of the show is the A-10's ability to fire the new/old 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II. The APKWS is an old Hydra unguided rocket that is upgraded with a guidance kit that is operated with a laser designator to hit a target. APKWS recently were diverted to the Middle East from Ukraine because they proved valuable in shooting down Houthi drones. The APKWS II system is highly effective but cheap compared with using air-to-air missiles to knock out drones. The cost of a Sidewinder AIM-9X missile is around $600,000; typically two are fired at a target to nail it. The all up cost of the APKWS including the unguided Hydra unguided rocket (which are about $3,000 each) is less than $25,000. Because it is a man-in-the-loop guidance package – unlike the Sidewinder, which uses an infrared seeker – the chance for a successful hit is better. Sidewinder has far better range, but most of the time small drones are not picked up by radar or E/O sensors until they are much nearer. The range of the APKWS is around two miles. Most drones cannot fight back, so knocking them out of the sky is a turkey shoot. If Taiwan had the full fleet of A-10s it could focus its air defenses against Chinese missiles and let the A-10s operate against drones. If Taiwan had the full fleet of A-10s it could focus its air defenses against Chinese missiles and let the A-10s operate against drones. Compared with modern jet fighters the cost of operating the A-10 is far lower, coming in at $6,000 to $9,000 per hour compared versus the F-16's $30,000 per hour. A-10 aircraft are made to be robust, including titanium armor to protect the cockpit and self-sealing fuel tanks if the plane is hit by ground fire. The upgraded A-10s also has a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which means it can see targets even in bad weather. This means that if the PLA Navy tries to launch an invasion in heavy overcast conditions, thinking it can preclude Taiwan's use of airpower, the SAR upgrade takes that strategy off the table because SAR can see through clouds, mist and bad weather. In the past Taiwan has always wanted the newest and the greatest, not old stuff that the US has often dumped on the island. That view is understandable, but the A-10 must be viewed as a formidable exception. The A-10 would hand to Taiwan a capability it sorely lacks, and one that China will fear. With F-16s challenging China's air arm, the A-10 can sink an invasion fleet and do so quickly. In the past the US has refused to export the A-10, a strange posture considering that the Air Force has a low opinion of the fighter. But the potential struggle over Taiwan is looming. Taiwanese air crews could quickly be trained here by the existing operators, and support and maintenance assets rapidly transferred to the island. Any new equipment, if we had any, will take years to materialize and probably can't duplicate the flexibility and utility of the A-10. So, if the Air Force does not want the A-10, the A-10 can still contribute to Taiwan's defense and to security in the Pacific region. Stephen Bryen is a special correspondent to Asia Times and former US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. This article, which originally appeared on his Substack newsletter Weapons and Strategy, is republished with permission.
HKFP
2 hours ago
- HKFP
10 Years of HKFP: 8 new benefits for monthly donors – join today as an HKFP Member
A decade in, Hong Kong Free Press is launching eight new benefits for our HK$150+ monthly donors, now known as HKFP members. 🚨 Funding alert: Facing a fourth year of deficit, HKFP needs to add 500 new members to sustain our current output. Existing supporter? Please click here to activate your new account & ensure benefits. Donors of HK$150/month or more are eligible for HKFP Member benefits: 1. Exclusive HKFP deer keyring or tote. Our mascot derives from the Chinese expression 'to point at a deer and call it a horse' – which refers to being deceptive for ill gain. HKFP will always call a deer a deer, and now you can own an exclusive HKFP deer keyring – designed from scratch by HKFP. Alternatively, opt for heavy duty HKFP tote bag. (Apologies, no US shipping). 2. Exclusive columns by Tim Hamlett. HKFP's Tim Hamlett is penning extra columns exclusively for HKFP members. Sign up to receive sharp analysis on local affairs via email. 3. Previews of HKFP original reporting. Receive regular previews of our exclusive features, interviews and explainers via email, a day before they arrive on our website. 4. Merch drops and discounts. Exclusive access to merch store drops, and up to 15% off. 5. 'Behind the scenes' newsroom insights. How do we gather the news? What does a day look like at HKFP? Does HKFP self-censor? How to survive a chief executive press conference? Is press freedom dead, alive or on life support? To mark a decade of HKFP, our editor-in-chief will be sharing regular newsroom insights with members. 6. A chance to join monthly newsroom tours/Q&As. Join us for an after-hours peek of our mini-newsroom in Kennedy Town, then take part in a Q&A with HKFP's founder – ask us (almost!) anything. Regular events are first-come-first-served, offered to a dozen members at a time. 7. 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Unfortunately, donations cannot be deducted from your tax bill. Can I donate over HK$50,000 per year? Yes. HK$50,000 is our limit for donations via our website. If you could like to support us with a larger sum, please contact us. We respect the anti-money laundering ordinance so may request 'know your client' information from larger contributors. HKFP also welcomes donations-in-kind, should you wish to support us indirectly in the long-term.
AllAfrica
5 hours ago
- AllAfrica
US loath to drop 'economic bunker buster' on China, India, Russia
US Senator Lindsey Graham recently said that his bill to impose 500% tariffs on every country that imports Russian resources is 'an economic bunker buster against China, India, and Russia' – yet, for all his tough talk, the US is still reluctant to drop it. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Administration is 'quietly pressuring' the Senate to water down the legislation by turning 'the word 'shall' into 'may' wherever it appears in the bill's text, removing the mandatory nature of the prescribed reprimands.' The Journal's report was lent credence when Graham himself proposed an exemption for countries that aid Ukraine, thus averting an unprecedented US-EU trade war in the event that his bill passes into law. Trump's remark to Politico in mid-June about how 'sanctions cost us a lot of money' suggest that he's not interested in going this route, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio later adding that sanctions could derail the Ukrainian peace process, although he also didn't rule them out in the future. These are sensible explanations for the United States' reluctance to drop its 'economic bunker buster' on Russia but they don't account for its reluctance to drop it on China and India, which have served as invaluable valves for Russia from the West's sanctions pressure due to their large-scale import of its oil. Graham expects that they'll cut off their purchases if the US threatens them with 500% tariffs but they're unlikely to comply since they know that the US would also harm its own economy through such means. Not only that, but the trade deal that US and China recently agreed to would be jeopardized, as would the ongoing talks with India over a similar such agreement. Trump is pleased with both and doesn't want to rock the boat right now. While he might revert back to his previous tariff pressure if things don't go his way, he could just unilaterally impose more tariffs against either in that scenario, and they probably wouldn't be anywhere near the counterproductive level that Graham's legislation demands. Seeing as how the US is once again trying to 'subordinate India,' which is part of his administration's efforts to reshape South Asian geopolitics, he's more prone to imposing higher tariffs against it instead of China but it's premature to predict that he ultimately will. In any case, the pretext probably wouldn't be energy-related given that he has surprisingly posted that 'China can continue to purchase Oil from Iran' in spite of early February's Executive Order that explicitly aims to 'drive Iran's export of oil to zero.' It would therefore be utterly bizarre for Trump to impose tariffs of any level on India or whoever else for purchasing Russian resources when he now no longer cares about the United States' systemic rival China purchasing oil from none other than Iran, which he just bombed, in defiance of his own decree. The aforementioned calculations make it very unlikely that Trump will drop Graham's 'bunker buster' on either of those two. If his bill should become law, it's likely that a loophole would be found to avoid complying with it. This prediction brings the analysis back around to the future of Graham's 'economic bunker buster.' Quite clearly, the Trump Administration doesn't want him to move it through Congress. He may respect the administration's wishes, thus leading to his bill becoming nothing but bluster. This is especially likely if his team signals that it's already found a loophole to get around it unless he changes the language as reportedly requested. China, India, and Russia, therefore, almost certainly have nothing to worry about.
