Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the fact there are new E-Passport gates going in in Thailand at International Airports. Let's get on this. This is kind of in the vein of a lot of things I have been talking about over the past two years. Look, they are moving digital; they are heavily moving digital in terms of travel, and in a lot of ways, I have real issues with this. I think the analog paper-based system was probably a lot better. I know a lot of people, especially in the younger generations, aren't quite as troubled by digitization but look having grown up on both sides of the looking glass as it were, I'm here to tell you, there are serious concerns. One man's opinion but serious concerns nonetheless. 

That being said, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Phuket News that's thephuketnews.com, the article is titled: Phuket Airport to open e-passport gates. Quoting directly: "Phuket International Airport will begin operating automated passport control gates for international departures from June 13 with Immigration Authorities also warning travellers of temporary disruption due to renovation works in the International Arrivals area." Quoting further: "Phuket Airport Immigration announced that the new Automated Border Channel (ABC) system, will officially open at the airport's International Departure Immigration area in a move aimed at improving convenience, speeding up passenger processing and increasing efficiency. According to the announcement, the automated gates will be available to passengers holding electronic passports" - so e-passports, electronic passports. So as we have discussed, that basically means it has like the biometric chip and everything in it. Quoting further: "with Thai nationals able to use all available ABC channels. To use the system, travellers must be at least 120 centimetres tall. Passengers are also required to remove face masks, glasses, and hats before passing through the automated gates." Love the fact that the face masks are at odds with the “automated gates”. You notice that? Like all this stuff we have had to deal with these last five years, nothing makes sense in an increasingly dystopian sort of totalitarian like system. And I'm not just calling out Thailand for this; this is happening globally. So it's not just Thailand that's in on this. I have talked about this supranationalism - some call it globalism, it's concerning, but there is never any internal consistency to the logic. It's always a telltale sign of it. Five years ago, "oh maskless, you'll never be able to take off a mask! Blah, blah, blah." But now, because they want to digitally ID us all, oh of course you have to take off a mask. Kind of crazy. That said, quoting further: "Immigration Officials noted that pregnant passengers will not be permitted to use the ABC system, while luggage taller than 120cm may not be taken through the automated channels. Passengers have also been advised to ensure their passports are in good condition and free from covers or sleeves before use. Only one passport may be placed on the passport reader at a time, and no other items should be placed on top of the document. In addition, passports must have at least 6 months validity remaining, equivalent to 180 days, officials said." 

Yeah, sort of the back end of this video I guess, one, it's just to notify people, "hey they're rolling out more this digital stuff". But the back end of this video is also kind of more for expats insofar as look, it's almost like keep your passport in a cool dry place sort of thing. You have got to really preserve that thing in a lot of different ways. You have got to stay on top of it, especially if you're going to be an expat. And this is one of those things that to new folks - and I'm seeing a lot of you now especially as we are going into this low season and the folks that are usually here in high season work and live back home, are sort of receding - we are seeing the people that want to live here. Those folks, this is just a tip for you guys.  You really do need to treat your passport as almost just like a sacred document because you lose it, it's not in good condition, it's under six months of validity, you have real problems being able to travel or even maintain status in a given jurisdiction. So assiduousness about passport validity and condition of passport is exceptionally important especially as we are stepping into this increasingly, overwhelmingly dystopian sort of totalitarian system. That said, it remains to be seen how this plays out, so we will certainly be keeping folks updated on this channel as the situation evolves.