Thailand’s TH-AI Passport project, valued at 1.62 billion baht, drew scrutiny over its cost, procurement process, and expected benefits.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), led by Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, recently presented the TH-AI Passport project to the Cabinet and the public as one of the ministry’s flagship digital initiatives.
According to the ministry, the programme is designed to improve artificial intelligence (AI) skills among Thai residents and strengthen the country’s competitiveness as AI becomes increasingly important across industries.
The project would provide free access to AI tools for five million Thai residents aged 15 and above for one year. Participants would be able to use the tools for work, education, and skills development.
In addition to AI access, the ministry plans to offer digital skills training to help participants better understand AI technology and improve their digital capabilities.
MDES said the 1.62 billion baht budget would primarily be used to acquire AI licences from multiple providers and establish a central platform for users nationwide.
The ministry estimated that the arrangement would reduce costs to about 324 baht per user per year, or roughly 27 baht per month. Officials said this would be significantly lower than the standard cost of subscribing directly to AI services.
However, the TH-AI Passport project has faced criticism regarding the value of the investment and the transparency of the procurement process.
Critics questioned how widely the platform would be used and whether the programme would deliver measurable improvements in digital skills and AI adoption.
Opposition politicians also raised concerns about the project’s terms of reference (TOR), arguing that some requirements appear to favour large companies participating in the bidding process.
According to those critics, certain conditions outlined in the TOR may provide advantages to specific AI service providers seeking government contracts
Some politicians have called on MDES to reconsider or delay the project to ensure transparency and demonstrate that the proposed expenditure represents value for money.
Responding to the criticism, Chaichanok said the project would proceed as planned. The minister stated that the initiative complies with government policy, is lawful, and does not constitute a misuse of public funds. He added that there was no reason to cancel the programme.
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