Rukchanok Srinork, People’s party MP and chairwoman of the House committee on budget monitoring, has vowed to press ahead with an investigation into the government’s ‘TH-AI Passport’ project, suspecting that the terms of reference (TOR) may have been tailored to favour specific contractors.
The scrutiny follows a committee meeting called to track progress on contract amendments between the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) and its contractor.
She stated the panel has requested bidding documents, particularly surrounding public relations conditions, to determine whether the process involved any rigging of specifications. The ministry is, however, yet to submit the complete paperwork.
The committee is also awaiting full scoring criteria across all evaluation areas, including AI infrastructure, PR campaigns, training modules and call centre operations, to ensure a transparent selection process.
Addressing the repeated absences of Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, Rukchanok revealed that he has failed to attend committee clarification sessions on four consecutive occasions. The minister cited prior engagements for his latest absence, sending the ministry's permanent secretary to represent him instead.
Rukchanok stressed that appearing before the House panel is a fundamental duty under parliamentary oversight, noting that commissioners exercise checking powers on behalf of the electorate.
She urged the minister to respect the people's representatives, regardless of coalition or opposition affiliation, rather than attempting to avoid scrutiny.
Warning of legal escalation, the chairwoman stated that, if Chaichanok fails to appear in response to the next summons and the ministry continues to withhold documents, the panel will consider invoking its statutory powers under the Parliamentary Summons Act formally to compel his testimony.
She also pointed to persistent public skepticism regarding the minister's performance, highlighting criticism that he frequently requires political backup and deputy assistance to manage the ministry's affairs.
Commenting on the government's target to launch the ‘TH-AI Passport’ by September 1, Rukchanok expressed skepticism over the timeline. She noted that deep-seated flaws in the initial TOR drafting and contract formulation have led to repeated delays and contractual revisions, casting serious doubt on the project's actual readiness.
