Thai Digital Minister Refuses to Halt $45M 'TH-AI Passport' Project
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Digital Minister Chaichanok Chidchob defends the 1.62bn-baht AI initiative, denying procurement interference as opposition demands anti-graft scrutiny.
Key facts
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DE) Minister, Chaichanok Chidchob, has firmly rejected calls to suspend the government’s controversial 1.62-billion-baht ($45 million) "TH-AI Passport"
7 April 2026: Contract signed for 1.621 billion baht, saving the state 29 million baht ($805,000) against the original median price.
Fiscal Year 2027: A proposed 900-million-baht ($25 million) budget request for Phase 2 is submitted for review.
The ministry has already requested an additional 900 million baht ($25 million) for the 2027 fiscal year to fund Phase 2 of the rollout.
The winning bid of 1.621 billion baht successfully saved the state 29 million baht ($805,000) against the set median price.
Providing a detailed breakdown of the project's timeline, DE permanent secretary Patchara Anuntasilpa explained that the policy originated in late 2025 under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's administration, focusing on national digital
Summary
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DE) Minister, Chaichanok Chidchob, has firmly rejected calls to suspend the government’s controversial 1.62-billion-baht ($45 million) "TH-AI Passport" project, despite threats of a formal anti-corruption investigation by the opposition.
The opposition People’s Party announced plans to petition the State Audit Office (SAO) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to probe the initiative.