Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul today threw his support behind Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob's controversial ‘TH-AI Passport’ project, saying Thailand would lag behind many other countries if the scheme were abandoned.
He stressed that the project is essential for Thailand’s future and aligns with technological development, particularly in artificial intelligence. It will enable Thais to understand and utilise AI to enhance their studies, work performance and efficiency. Without such capabilities, he said, Thailand would fall behind other countries and see its global competitiveness decline.
He said Thailand’s communications infrastructure and the digital skills of most Thais remain at a basic level, while access to advanced technologies such as AI is still limited, underscoring the need for broader access to and understanding of the technology.
The 1.6-billion-baht ‘TH-AI Passport’ project aims to educate five million Thais on the use of generative AI technology.
Regarding allegations of collusion and favouritism in the bidding process, the prime minister said the process was handled by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) in accordance with the law and overseen by Chaichanok.
He insisted that the government has made transparency and compliance with laws and regulations top priorities, adding that, since the DES Ministry has publicly clarified the project and all procedures have been properly followed, it can now proceed.
The prime minister stressed that his government does not tolerate corruption or illegality in any form, whether in procurement processes, the buying or selling of government positions, scam operations or illegal narcotics trafficking.
