The Thai government has launched a nationwide facial biometrics verification system for patients under its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, seeking to reduce widespread fraud and enhance service delivery across the health sector.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) said the new biometric requirement was rolled out at the start of this week and links patients’ facial scans to the national digital ID database, enabling authentication against the population registry.

Under the new process, patients requesting UHC services must present a QR code or their national ID and undergo a tablet-based face scan before treatment or reimbursement, authorities said.

Deputy government spokesperson Aiyarin Phanrit emphasised that facial verification is compulsory at more than 15,000 health-care facilities — including hospitals, private clinics, pharmacies and traditional medicine outlets participating in the UHC scheme — and that only facilities compliant with the update will be authorised to serve patients.

More than 3,500 providers have already adapted their systems to support the process, and those that fail to meet the deadline risk being unable to provide UHC services.

NHSO Secretary-General Dr Jadej Thammatacharee stated that patients who do not complete the face biometric check will not have their claims processed under the scheme, underscoring the government’s determination to close loopholes exploited in recent years.

Officials estimate that the enhanced verification could eliminate roughly one billion Thai baht in dubious claims annually while improving efficiency and safeguarding the viability of the universal health programme.

The initiative reflects Thailand’s broader effort to strengthen digital identity and fraud prevention measures, following recent moves to tighten online and mobile identity checks as part of an escalating national campaign against identity theft and related financial crimes.