Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing biometrics in connection with Thai Immigration. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Bangkok Post, that is bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: New Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal on track for September opening. A lot going on in that article. I urge those who are watching this video, go check that out in detail. I am going to quote a small except here, quoting directly: "The AOT (that is the Airports of Thailand, it is like the Airport Authority of Thailand) the AOT will introduce an automated biometric identification system with facial recognition technology to identify passengers at check-in counters in the middle of next year." So they are going to have a facial recognition system that can essentially check you in to the flight at the counter. 

Now it's one of these things where I often want, look for those who watch this channel with any regularity over the years, I do have a little bit of an Orwellian streak in me. I am always kind of looking at this stuff and I mean honestly, this is getting kind of creepy, let's be clear. I mean facial recognition and all of this, do we really need it? I mean to what end is always kind of my question. Now that being said, it has been useful in keeping out like foreign criminals and things, I do get it but it's kind of one of those, 'is anybody trying to do a balancing act anymore to try and figure out the cost benefit of this kind of thing?' I often sort of wonder that.

Meanwhile, I am always kind of in the back of my mind, I always wonder if there isn't an element of planned obsolescence that is sort of front loaded into these plans. What I mean to say is the minute I read this, I was sitting there thinking 'man it would be nice if you did not have to just wait around in line with all your baggage, they have to click in all the numbers and look at your passport, check all your stuff in. You can just walk up and they take a photo of you effectively and they just go oh yeah, hi Mr. Hart, just yeah give us your bags and we will put them on the thing'. Yeah look, convenience does seem to arrive on the same train with tyranny sometimes; they seem to kind of sometimes go hand in hand. So again, I am not joking about this but it just it's one of those if you didn't laugh you might cry kind of things. But yeah, the notion of facial recognition to this extent is just very again surreal and maybe a little bit concerning/disturbing so we certainly will keep you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.