The recognition follows a deluge of complaints online by people unable to register through the portal, https://tp.consular.go.th/
The key issue was people entering all their details to register through the site only to receive an “API Error” message, with the registration not accepted. Some of the people had spent 12 hours trying to register, to no avail.
However, it was later explained by users ‒ not officials ‒ through the Department of Consular Affairs official Facebook page that entering a space after the passport number resolved the issue, with no need to install any browser extensions.
The Phuket News has yet to confirm any report or notice issued by officials specifically explaining a workaround to the problem, or confirming that the problem has been fixed.
“Some issues have been noticed at the early stage of the rollout, but they have already been addressed,” Mr Anucha said yesterday, said a report by state news agency NNT.
No other details were offered.
Mr Anucha, a rising prominent public figure in recent weeks, gave the assurance while inspecting the processing of international arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday (Nov 2), during which he praised the Thailand Pass system.
Of note, the Thai language-version of the same story posted by NNT made no mention of any issues with people trying to register through the website.
The new travel document submission system known as ‘Thailand Pass’ now being rolled out is helping to better facilitate international arrivals, the NNT report noted.
The Thailand Pass system was introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “to better and quicker process international visitors, Thailand Pass replaces the Certificate of Entry visitors were required to apply at a Thai Embassy or consulate in their country of origin”, said the report.
The new online-based system allows visitors to upload their required documents with step-by-step explanations to obtain their QR-code equipped pass, which they need to present when entering Thailand.
Mr Anucha said this new system comes with safeguard measures including data encryption to protect personal information, in accordance with international standards.
So far, around 10,000 Thailand Pass applications have been submitted, with the entry pass having already been issued for some 4,000 travelers, he said, noted the English-language report by NNT.
Travelers with a valid Certificate of Entry will be able to enter the country during this period. However, the Thailand Pass system will entirely replace the Certificate of Entry in the next seven days, Mr Anucha said.
Applicable to both Thai and foreign nationals, Thailand Pass is a document required for all international air arrivals, he confirmed.
“In the past, Thailand used the COE system, but there were difficulties in document preparation. It was found that last year, there were more than 400,000 documents to notify the country and found the problem of delayed processing,” Mr Anucha said, reported the Thai-language NNT report.
Contradicting the much lower Thailand Pass registration numbers given in its English-language report, the NNT Thai-language report noted that 30,000 registrations were accepted through the Thailand Pass website on Monday, with 4,000 registrations approved.
During the inspection yesterday, Suvarnabhumi airport General Manager Kittipong Kittikachorn reported that 31 inbound flights carrying about 2,600 passengers landed at airport yesterday. Of those, 1,500 were foreign nationals, he said.