DE reviews TH-AI Passport TOR after experts warn of outdated specs

Digital Economy and Society (DE) Minister Chaichanok Chidchob has ordered officials to gather public and expert feedback on the controversial TH-AI Passport project, as scrutiny grows over whether the 1.6-billion-baht AI scheme offers real value for money or simply buys Thai users access to foreign platforms.

Speaking at Government House in Bangkok on Tuesday (June 2), Chaichanok addressed questions over the project, which has faced allegations of unusually rapid approval and procurement specifications that critics claim may have favoured certain private-sector bidders.

The minister said he had been following the issue since it was raised in Parliament through a live interpellation, adding that many comments from different sectors had been constructive and could help improve the project.

Chaichanok insisted that his intention was to provide Thai people with the best possible tools to improve national productivity. He has instructed Deputy DE Minister Boontida Somchai and the ministry’s permanent secretary to compile all relevant opinions for further review.

Asked whether the project’s terms of reference (TOR) would be revised, Chaichanok replied that all proposals capable of improving the project would be considered. However, he asked for time to gather the information before giving a further update.

When asked whether the ministry remained committed to moving ahead with TH-AI Passport, he said he wanted to review the feedback first, adding that he would do everything within his authority if it proved useful and helped improve the project.

Experts question whether TOR reflects modern AI use

The minister’s comments came as technology experts raised concerns that the project’s technical requirements may already be outdated, lack clear usage limits and contain conditions that could undermine its stated objective of giving people access to high-performance AI.

Critics argued that the project appears to focus more on spending public funds to buy access to foreign AI platforms than on developing Thailand’s own technology, infrastructure or long-term AI capabilities.

Thanachart Numnonda, director of the IMC Institute and a Thai academic specialising in AI technology, analysed the project’s TOR and pointed to clause 4.2.2.1, which refers to functions such as file uploads, data analysis, image generation and coding support.

According to Thanachart, many of these features are already available in free AI models in 2026. By contrast, truly advanced “Pro” capabilities — such as top-tier reasoning models, deep research systems or agent mode — are not clearly specified in the procurement requirements.

He also expressed concern over the absence of a clear token quota, which is one of the most important factors in determining the real cost and quality of AI access.

If the project is expected to support 5 million users with frontier-level AI models, he warned, the available budget may allow each user only a few dozen meaningful uses per year. That could pressure the contractor to rely on cheaper models, meaning the public may not receive genuine Pro-level AI performance.

Another technical concern involves the requirement that the project use one of the world’s top five AI models while storing and processing data 100% in Thailand. Thanachart noted that most leading AI models are closed systems and generally cannot be deployed directly on local infrastructure in Thailand.

As a result, the project could end up using lower-tier models despite promising access to world-class AI.

AI sovereignty becomes the bigger policy question

Pathom Indarodom, a senior figure in Thailand’s technology sector, said the 1.6-billion-baht AI Pro budget had become one of the most widely discussed topics in the Thai tech community because the issue was not simply about “buying AI to give away”.

Instead, he said, the debate reflects how Thailand thinks about its wider digital future.

Pathom noted that the ministry had presented its case more clearly than in previous explanations, particularly on Thailand’s AI adoption rate, which it says remains below the global average.

The ministry has also argued that many Thais have yet to use AI seriously in their working lives, while the cost per user would amount to only a few dozen baht per month.

That policy narrative, he said, is easy for the public to understand. From the perspective of ordinary citizens, AI today resembles the early days of the internet: those who gain access earlier, learn earlier and use it effectively are likely to have an advantage.

However, the deeper question raised by Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, a party-list MP from the People’s Party, goes beyond whether Thais will get to use AI.

The core issue, Pathom said, is whether Thailand is building technological capability of its own or using public money to accelerate the transformation of Thai people into users of foreign platforms.

He noted that the 1.6-billion-baht budget does not appear to be directed towards building a Thai AI model, national GPU infrastructure, a Thai foundation model or a deep-tech ecosystem. Instead, the money would mainly be used to buy access to services operated by foreign technology companies.

In other words, Thailand may be investing in “usage” rather than “ownership” of technology.

Pathom stressed that there is no simple answer over whether this approach is right or wrong, because countries need both sides in the AI era. On one hand, Thailand must quickly expand AI access so its workforce does not fall behind. On the other, the country must also begin building its own capabilities, or risk remaining only a consumer of technology.

This is why many countries are investing heavily in what is now called AI sovereignty, Pathom said.

China is building its own AI models, Saudi Arabia is investing in large-scale GPU and data-centre infrastructure, while Singapore is working to attract global AI labs and companies while developing local talent at the same time.

Thailand, by contrast, appears to be starting with the distribution of access rights. That may not be wrong, Pathom noted, but the crucial question is what comes next.

Having access to AI Pro tools does not automatically increase national productivity if organisations lack digital workflows, if most users only experiment casually, or if the education system cannot turn AI into a practical workplace skill.

Without those foundations, AI could become similar to earlier digital projects that generated excitement at first but failed to change the economic structure in any meaningful way.

The larger challenge for the government, Pathom said, is for the public and private sectors to begin a serious discussion about where Thailand wants to stand in the AI world: whether it will be a country that merely uses AI well, or one that can build its own technological bargaining power.

OKMD platform adds pressure over value for money

Pawoot, who questioned Chaichanok over the TH-AI Passport project last week, later raised fresh concerns on the “Nation Analysis” programme.

He said he had found the OKMD AI Playground, an AI aggregator developed by the Office of Knowledge Management and Development. The platform allows Thai users to access several leading AI tools through a single website without having to register separately with multiple providers.

Pawoot said he had tested and reviewed the platform and found it appeared to be highly similar to the TH-AI Passport concept. However, he claimed the OKMD AI Playground had been developed with a budget of only 2.4 million baht.

That comparison, he argued, raised further questions over whether TH-AI Passport is worth the much larger investment, especially if an existing public-sector platform can already provide a similar service at a far lower cost.

He also claimed that although TH-AI Passport is designed around 5 million user rights, its real-time capacity may allow only a little over 100 users per hour, raising further questions over practical access and system performance.

Ministry defends project as digital upskilling push

The ministry had earlier set out the project’s goals at a press conference on May 29, when Patchara Anuntasilpa, permanent secretary of the DE Ministry, joined Wetang Phuangsup, secretary-general of the Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission, to explain the process behind TH-AI Passport.

Patchara described the project as part of the government’s “Quick Big Win” policy, aimed at improving digital and AI skills among the public to support Thailand’s transition into a digital economy.

The ministry has argued that the digital economy is now worth more than 5.91 trillion baht and is becoming a key engine for the country’s future growth.

Officials said AI would become essential infrastructure for the new economy, making it necessary for Thailand to accelerate workforce upskilling and reskilling, reduce the gap in technology access and strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

TH-AI Passport is funded through the Digital Economy and Society Development Fund, with a total budget of 1.6 billion baht. The project aims to give 5 million Thais access to Pro-level AI tools for one year.

Patchara stressed that the fund is outside the regular state budget, meaning the project does not have to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.

However, he said it is being implemented under the Digital Economy and Society Development Act 2017, particularly Sections 23 and 26, which authorise the fund to support digital projects and national capacity-building.