The government is pressing ahead with gathering public input on the controversial TH-AI Passport project amid criticism that the move is an attempt to "whitewash" the scheme.
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said Thursday's process is intended to collect opinions from stakeholders, with feedback to be used to improve the project.
The scheme is a 1.6 billion baht digital initiative which aims to provide 5 million Thais with 1 year of free access to premium AI. He said that based on his review of the project and discussions with the ministry's permanent secretary, any changes would have to remain within the framework of the terms of reference (ToR).
Mr Chaichanok said the ministry could still make adjustments and negotiate details with the winning bidder, adding he believed there is considerable room for improvement. He urged critics to wait for the findings of the consultation process, saying many of the concerns raised on social media are included in the project design.
When pressed whether the government will proceed despite provisions allowing contracts to be terminated, Mr Chaichanok said the decision would depend on the outcome of the public input gathering. "If it can be fully explained and the project proves beneficial and fair, it should move forward," he said. "If not, I am open to all options."
Mr Chaichanok dismissed concerns the controversy would undermine public support, saying the government is willing to listen to public opinion and make changes for the public good.
Asked about reports that the project's ToR requires ministry officials to participate in overseas study visits, Mr Chaichanok said he has not seen those details and would like to examine them first. "At the moment, there is a mixture of accurate and inaccurate information circulating, so it is best to wait for all the facts," he said.
People's Party MP Pawoot Pongvitayapanu on Wednesday intensified criticism of the project, claiming the public hearing risked becoming a "whitewashing" exercise.
Citing the ministry's permanent secretary's remarks that the project could not be revised, he questioned the purpose of the consultation process when the scheme could not be changed. "This indicates the project didn't originate from public demand.
"Instead, it was due to the availa- bility of funds and how to spend them," he said.
Mr Pawoot alleged the ToR was drafted in a way that created opportunities for corruption and misuse of public funds. He claimed a requirement in the ToR specified that bidders must have completed projects worth at least 400 million baht over the previous eight years.
He said the term-limited competition, saying fewer than 15 technology companies in the country would be capable of meeting the requirement, which raised concerns about possible collusion. "These 15 companies are well known to one another," he said. "That creates the appearance of a closed group competing for the same pool of public funds."
He questioned why the qualification requirement was not lowered to allow medium-sized technology firms to participate in the bidding process.
Mr Pawoot alleged the benefits would be channelled to networks linked to political interests. He referred to the businesses involved as part of what he called a "blue capital network", which was part of the "blue regime".
Mr Pawoot also asked why the DES Ministry's budget for next year was set to increase by more than 33%, saying the sharp rise warranted closer scrutiny. He said the party is reviewing the budget to examine the figures in greater detail.
