Democrat Party official calls for audit of 1.6 billion baht TH-AI Passport project

Dr. Karndee Leiwpaiboon, Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, has formally requested the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand to investigate the ‘TH-AI Passport’ project. The initiative, managed by the National Digital Economy and Society Commission, involves a budget of approximately 1.621 billion baht aimed at enhancing digital and artificial intelligence skills for Thai citizens.

The request highlights several concerns regarding transparency and contract validity. A primary issue is the alleged failure to comply with the ‘Integrity Pact’ required by the Terms of Reference (TOR) for projects exceeding 1 billion baht. Additionally, the investigation seeks to address risks associated with a ‘Pay per Active User’ payment model. Dr. Karndee noted that the current contract lacks clear, written calculation criteria, leaving significant discretion to the employer. This lack of oversight raises concerns about the potential for ‘inflating user numbers’ to trigger taxpayer-funded payments without delivering actual skill improvements.