The government's TH-AI Passport project is unlikely to be launched by the end of July as expected, pending a complete review of the amended contract by the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG).
According to Patchara Anuntasilpa, digital economy and society (DES) permanent secretary, his ministry has yet to set an official timeline for the project launch.
He said the contract amendment is to ensure an optimal public benefit, adding he has no idea when the OAG review process will finish.
Nan Boonthida Somchai, deputy DES minister, previously said the TH-AI Passport project may be rolled out by the end of July.
She recently said the project's launch would be delayed because the last week of the month has several public holidays.
The contract adjustment follows a recent public hearing on the project and detailed deliberations between the ministry and winning bidder TH Consortium.
Mr Patchara said the amendment accommodates expanded operational scope and technical requirements.
When amending standardised government contracts, every detail must be thoroughly verified to prevent future legal liabilities or procedural loopholes, Mr Patchara said.
Under the first phase, the government plans to spend 1.6 billion baht to procure AI models to provide up to 5 million Thais with access to professional AI platforms for a year.
The project was scrutinised by opposition party members and IT analysts over its transparency, value for money, and data privacy implications.
Democrat MP Karndee Leopairote called on the public to oppose the project, demanding greater transparency and value for taxpayers.
DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob insisted the project is a transparent and cost-effective investment.
Ms Nan said the project will debut with a Learn to Earn platform designed to ensure high user engagement.
She said the project will utilise a "replacement" system. Instead of expanding the user base indefinitely, inactive participants will be rotated out to make room for new applicants.
Preliminary surveys conducted in April indicated significant interest, with nearly 2.7 million potential users identified within the student and civil service sectors alone.
