Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob is defending the government’s TH-AI Passport initiative, insisting the 1.6-billion-baht project is a transparent and cost-effective investment aimed at preventing Thailand from falling behind in the global artificial intelligence race.
He was responding in the House to criticism from opposition People’s Party MP Rukchanok Srinork, who chairs the House budget scrutiny committee. She said there were questions about the project’s transparency, value for money and data privacy implications.
Under the initiative, the government plans to procure 12 AI models to provide up to 5 million Thais with access to professional AI platforms for one year.
Officials have said that monthly subscription costs of 700 to 1,000 baht for premium AI applications put them beyond the reach of many Thai people, including students, who could benefit from them the most.
Mr Chaichanok said the project is not a “free AI giveaway”, but rather a strategic national investment to strengthen the country’s digital workforce and long-term economic potential.
The project has followed legal and procurement procedures, including consultations with relevant agencies since Nov 17, 2025, he noted.
The procurement process is being conducted through the e-bid system to ensure open and fair competition, while funding is from the Digital Development Fund, in compliance with regulations.
Low diffusion rate
Recent studies have found that Thailand’s AI diffusion rate is only 10.7%, well below Singapore at 60.9% and Vietnam at 23.5%.
AI diffusion measures the depth and extent of usage — how profoundly and widely AI is integrated into everyday operations and routines. It differs from adoption, which focuses more on uptake of AI tools as a percentage of the population.
Mr Chaichanok said many countries are aggressively subsidising AI adoption to improve national productivity. Singapore supports public access to premium AI tools alongside AI literacy programmes with a budget exceeding 27 billion baht, equivalent to roughly 900 baht per person annually.
By comparison, the TH-AI Passport project is expected to raise the country’s AI access rate to 23%, surpassing the global average of 16.3%, while costing 324 baht per person per year, or roughly 27 baht per month.
The programme aims to increase the number of skilled AI users through practical training courses developed in collaboration with global technology firms including Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.
User data protected
Addressing concerns over data security, Mr Chaichanok said AI service providers will not be allowed to utilise user data to train generative AI models.
User prompts and account data will be stored on cloud infrastructure located in Thailand and accessed only in anonymous form, he said.
Identity verification will be used solely to confirm eligibility for Thai citizens without disclosing personal information to AI model providers, he added.
“The TH-AI Passport project is designed to reduce inequality in accessing advanced AI technologies, while eliminating the need for multiple users to share the same accounts,” said Mr Chaichanok.
“This is not merely support for AI usage, but an investment in upgrading the capabilities of Thais so they can compete in the global digital economy and keep pace with rapidly evolving technological change.”
Procurement questions
Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, a People’s Party MP, urged the ministry to delay the project, citing possible conflicts of interest and irregularities in the bidding process.
Mr Pawoot questioned the rapid pace of the procurement process, noting that the tender period lasted only 34 days, compared to the usual 3–6 months for billion-baht projects.
He alleged that specifications were tailored to favour certain bidders, including requirements for digital advertising through convenience store screens controlled by a single media group.
He claimed that the same companies had set benchmark prices for multiple billion-baht projects across ministries led by the ruling Bhumjaithai Party, suggesting a pattern of collusion.
Mr Chaichanok responded by insisting that the initiative is lawful, transparent and open to scrutiny.
