Thailand begins to test the vote on Blockchain

The National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (Nectec) of Thailand will soon begin to test the small-scale blockchain vote in elections in universities and smaller communities.

According to the Bangkok Post, Nectec hopes that the decentralized nature of blockchain can protect voter data from hacks, eliminate labor costs and prevent fraud. Thai citizens living abroad will be able to vote at Thai embassies and consulates after their identity has been verified through a camera.

Chalee Vorakulpipat, head of the Nectec computer security lab, told the Post that the center will develop blockchain technology for electronic voting "that can be applied to national, provincial or community elections, as well as company votes such as the board of directors ".

Vorakulpipat said the new blockchain system would require an electoral controller to identify voters' qualifications and verify the eligibility of registered political candidates for the system. After the vote, the results will be sent to the election controller and to the candidates where they can be determined much faster than a traditional voting system.

Before the system can be adopted, national voters will need access to the internet and identity verification at affordable prices. This will further eliminate the need for voters to go to polling stations and allow them to vote online. Nectec said that once the 5g or fifth generation cellular technology is adopted, all voters will be connected and the blockchain vote will become a national program.

Cautious Thailand on Crypto

Despite the growth in support for blockchain technology, Thailand was cautious when it came to adopting cryptocurrency. In November 2018 Cryptoglobe reported that Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam called for "further measures to control cryptocurrencies in response to the fear that cryptocurrency would be used to finance terrorism or other illegal activities. At the time, the Bangkok Post stated that the Thai authorities have implemented "various legal measures to prevent the misuse" of digital currencies.