The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society is listening to feedback on the "TH-AI Passport" project; the Permanent Secretary is proposing a pay-per-use formula to resolve budget controversy.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) held a public hearing on the "TH-AI Passport" project, a 1.6 billion baht mega-project aimed at boosting Thailand's AI index. The Permanent Secretary proposed a pay-per-use formula to address budget controversy. The ministry explained the project's specifications, highlighting a shift from populist approaches to demand-driven solutions. They revealed the significant cost-effectiveness of the program, averaging 324 baht per person per year, which is expected to increase Thailand's AI access rate to 23%, exceeding the global average. However, the public and opposition parties are closely monitoring the project and questioning its sustainability after the annual contract ends.

June 11, 2569 – The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) has held a public forum to gather feedback on the “TH-AI Passport” project. led by Mr. Pachara Anantasilsin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE). Mr. Wetangk Puangtrakul, Secretary-General of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission (BDE) Amidst current tight fiscal conditions and intense public scrutiny of the national budget allocation, government technology mega-projects are frequently subject to scrutiny regarding their economic viability.

A key reason why this policy is being closely watched is the structural challenge lies in Thailand's current digital and AI capability indicators, which are below the ASEAN and global averages, ranking 89th globally at only 10.7% (the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society uses data from the Microsoft AI Economy Institute Report).

Therefore, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) aims to use the TH-AI Passport project as a key engine to reduce the learning inequality, targeting a major upskilling of 5 million people (out of a population of 50 million). This group includes students, government personnel, the general public, and entrepreneurs, enabling them to access modern data analysis tools. The project focuses on two main areas: upgrading workforce skills and reducing the digital divide.

This policy targets up to 5 million people aged 15 and above (representing 10% of the core population), and is divided into three key strategic sectors:

• Student groups: Aiming to bridge the gap in access to AI technology between educational institutions in urban and rural areas, in order to create equal opportunities from the outset.
• Staff and employees group: Promoting the application of AI to improve data management efficiency and reduce operational time will ultimately enhance the overall quality of the workforce.
• General public and business owners: To lay the foundation for digital skills in line with the transition to the digital economy.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society's executives emphasized that this project breaks away from the traditional approach of welfare or handouts, but rather aims to create a "demand-driven" approach, stimulating the desire to learn and apply the knowledge in real life. It avoids the old model of simply providing technology and leaving people to learn on their own.

"The main goal is not to distribute money for assistance, but to develop skills so that people who have never had access to ICT and AI technology can learn and use them to their real economic benefit."

In the context of public finance management and economic efficiency, Mr. Pachara, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, proposed key principles to reduce the risks associated with budget spending, particularly the risk from forward-looking contracts. If the actual number of users does not meet the target of 5 million, it could become a financial burden and raise questions about transparency.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) has therefore proposed considering a pay-per-use disbursement model, coupled with stricter controls on personal data management and scrutiny of the advertising and public relations budget allocation within the Terms of Reference (TOR). This is to ensure that every baht of taxpayer money is fully utilized to develop citizens' skills. Furthermore, the DE Ministry is prepared to allow scrutiny of the project's transparency at any time, and is ready to suspend the project immediately if any corruption is discovered in the future.

Mr. Pachara further stated that the accounting figure of 1,621 million baht presented by the government is an interesting case study. The Terms of Reference (TOR) stipulate that the contractor must provide world-leading technology developed in collaboration with international Big Tech companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. The awarded contractor will have access to high-level features (Premium, Pro) not available in the free versions.

When calculating the cost-effectiveness per unit, it shows that the project costs an average of only 324 baht per person per year, or approximately 27 baht per person per month. This compares to other service providers in the free market, where the general public has to pay for premium AI subscriptions (such as ChatGPT Plus or Google Gemini Advanced), which have a standard rate of around US$20, or about 700 baht per month, or about 8,400 baht per year. Furthermore, other private service providers offer starting packages at around 200-300 baht.

Therefore, from the government's perspective, the economies of scale of the TH-AI Passport project can reduce costs by more than 20 times compared to the general market price. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society claims this is the "most worthwhile" deal to attract and empower 5 million Thais to overcome the digital divide and boost the country's AI penetration rate from its current level of 10.7%, which is currently lagging behind the region, to 23%, immediately exceeding the global average.

Dr. Kardee Leowpairoj, Deputy Leader and Member of Parliament (List System) of the Democrat Party, as a representative of the opposition. It reflected sharp strategic concerns and suggestions, emphasizing that driving technology mega-projects requires a clear resource allocation plan and measurable targets.

Dr. Kardee raised crucial budgetary questions and suggested that the government review its target groups, emphasizing that budget allocation should not be concentrated solely on students or the general public. Instead, it should proactively expand its benefits to key GDP drivers such as tourism and agriculture. These are real-economy sectors facing transitions and urgently needing technological skills upgrades to increase productivity and generate revenue for the country as quickly as possible.

The conclusion of this public hearing on the TH-AI Passport project has shifted from a focus on cutting-edge technology to a crucial process of scrutinizing the country's "financial governance." The fact that senior executives at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) acknowledged and proposed a model for disbursement based on actual expenses, coupled with questions raised about the advertising budget in the Terms of Reference (TOR), is a positive sign indicating an effort to address loopholes.

However, in the eyes of the general public, the real test lies in how effectively the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society can translate these recommendations into practical implementation in actual procurement contracts, and how efficiently the budget can be distributed to the tourism and agricultural sectors, as the opposition has argued, so that taxpayers' money can truly drive Thailand's digital economy in a cost-effective and sustainable manner.

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