Phuket runs out of “smart” ID cards

PHUKET: People looking to be issued one of the new “smart” ID cards will have to wait until about mid-year to get their hands on one, as all District Offices on Phuket have run out of the new cards.

Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana said that people will have to settle for an old-style card until the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) is able to get more smart cards from the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Supattra Bhannaros, a registration officer at Phuket City Municipality, explained, “The ICT Ministry makes the smart cards and DOLA issues them. But now it seems that DOLA is having problems getting the budget to buy more cards from the ICT Ministry.”

K. Supattra explained that Phuket City Municipality received 1,000 smart cards directly from DOLA in Bangkok at the beginning of 2006, but has yet to receive more.

“Phuket City Municipality will issue the old-style card for people renewing their ID cards or applying for new ID cards. I can’t say when Phuket City Municipality will start issuing smart cards again. We have to wait for DOLA,” K. Supattra said.

An officer at the local DOLA office told the Gazette that more smart cards are expected to arrive about mid-year.