Bangkok Post
Top civil servant defends TH-AI Passport project
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The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has strongly defended the controversial TH-AI Passport project, rejecting allegations of procurement irregularities, bid-rigging and political favouritism.
Key facts
- Patchara Anantasilp, the ministry’s permanent secretary, on Thursday presented a detailed timeline of the project’s development, denying it had been rushed, as lawmakers intensified scrutiny of the 1.6-billion-baht initiative.
- The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has strongly defended the controversial TH-AI Passport project, rejecting allegations of procurement irregularities, bid-rigging and political favouritism.
- Mr Patchara told the lawmakers that the policy objective underpinning TH-AI Passport — expanding public awareness and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies — dated back to May 2022 under the administration of former prime
- In May 2025, under the administration of former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, the national AI steering committee established an ambitious target of reaching 20 million AI users or AI-aware citizens by 2027.
- Mr Patchara said the objective remained unchanged even after subsequent political transitions and the establishment of a permanent national AI committee under newly enacted legislation in 2026.
- Responding to allegations that the contract for the project had been awarded just 34 days after bids were called, Mr Patchara said the development process stretched across several stages, beginning in 2025.
Summary
Patchara Anantasilp, the ministry’s permanent secretary, on Thursday presented a detailed timeline of the project’s development, denying it had been rushed, as lawmakers intensified scrutiny of the 1.6-billion-baht initiative.
The hearing brought together MPs from two House committees: Budget Planning and Monitoring; and Legal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights. They asked questions about the project’s accelerated implementation timeline, procurement process, and potential links between the winning consortium and politically connected business interests.