Questions Raised Over Government Promotion of 'TH-AI Passport' Project

On September 3, 2026, Thai Post reported that Sirikanya Tansakul, a list MP and deputy leader of the People's Party, raised concerns regarding a directive from the Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission. The office requested government agencies to promote the 'TH-AI Passport' project to civil servants.

Sirikanya questioned whether this government-led promotion constitutes a conflict of interest. She noted that the project's contract includes payment terms based on the actual number of active users, and that promotional activities were already included in the original Terms of Reference (TOR) for the project. By mobilizing civil servants to sign up, she suggested the government might be artificially inflating user numbers to the benefit of the private contractor.

For residents and expatriates, this development highlights ongoing debates regarding the intersection of government digital initiatives and private sector partnerships in Thailand. While the 'TH-AI Passport' is intended to streamline digital services, the transparency of its implementation and the role of state resources in boosting private project metrics remain points of contention.

It remains to be confirmed how the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society will respond to these allegations of a conflict of interest and whether the current promotional strategy for the project will be adjusted following this public scrutiny.