The government targets 10 million registrants for digital ID systems by the end of next year, double the current total, to improve the country's digital ecosystem, says the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry.
There are three major digital ID platforms, comprising Mobile ID by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, D.DOPA by the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) and National Digital ID.
Digital ID is designed to make it convenient for people to verify their identity when contacting state and private agencies online.
The DES Ministry is pursuing the first phase of the Thailand Digital ID framework (2022-24) to support people accessing state and private services through digital means.
The Phase 1 framework was recently approved by the cabinet. Related regulations and standards are being developed to support it.
DES Minister Chaiwut Thanaka- manusorn said the goal of the framework is to let people access many services from both the public and private sectors through their digital ID.
More people are becoming familiar with digital innovation, while all online transactions require identity verification.
Digital ID is key to allowing users to access and receive digital services conveniently anytime and anywhere with reliable and safe systems, he said.
The face verification service (FVS) system is being developed to allow people to register and verify their identity online, allowing them to forgo physically travelling to service locations.
The DPA was assigned to develop the FVS system with the help of the DES Ministry.
A draft royal decree regulating service business for digital identification systems is in the process of being announced in the Royal Gazette.
The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has also ushered in guidelines, standards and measures that support the use of the digital ID system.
The agency works with partners to enhance digital ID performance through the ETDA Sandbox project.
According to Mr Chaiwut, the first phase of the Digital ID framework encompasses eight strategies.
The first is to ensure digital ID covers Thai individuals, juristic persons and foreigners. Secondly, people can use digital ID to access state and private services.
The third strategy is the Interior Ministry will play a key role in supplying data that can be used to support identification, while the fourth supports the use of digital ID for transactions among juristic persons by using the identity of those with authority in the organisations, he said.
For the fifth, the Department of Business Development serves as the main agency that provides juristic person information to support corporate transactions via Digital ID, while the sixth involves efforts to ward off repetitive digital ID registrations.
The seventh strategy is to support the ETDA in rolling out a digital ID policy and central standards, while the last is to support equal standards for digital ID services and data exchange between private and state agencies.