Newborn babies will get their own ID cards if a legal amendment proposed by the Interior Ministry becomes law.
The Cabinet yesterday approved the proposed amendments to the Identification Card Act of 1983, which would require, among other things, that applications for ID cards be filed for babies no later than 60 days after they are born, said Yuranan Pamornmontri, deputy government spokesman.
Under the proposal, new ID cards would be valid for 10 years, compared to the current six.
The proposed changes to the ID card law would improve the government’s database on the population, Yuranan said.
Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana said that under the planned legislation, parents or guardians of newborns would be required to apply for the ID cards. Existing law requires citizens to apply for the cards when they turn 15.
Pongthep said that if the new law took effect, there would be no need to change ID cards when a person reached 15. Titles like mister or miss would be added accordingly in official documents.
Published on March 09, 2005
The Nation
