Thai minister admits knowing the winner of ฿1.621 billion AI contract as opposition MPs question tender transparency, pricing, bidder links and a 30-day rollout. Chaiyanok denies any role, insisting civil servants ran the procurement process.
Thailand’s ฿1.621 billion TH-AI Passport project faces intensifying scrutiny after Digital Economy Minister Chaiyanok Chidchob acknowledged knowing the individual linked to the winning bidder while denying any involvement in the tender. The disclosure came as opposition MP Teerachart Kotrakul questioned the project’s procurement process, pricing, accelerated rollout and whether a costly state AI platform offers sufficient advantages over free services such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s widely popular ChatGPT.
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiyanok Chidchob admitted he personally knows the individual linked to the company behind a controversial ฿1.621 billion AI contract. However, he denied any involvement in the tender process and said career civil servants handled the procurement.
The acknowledgement came on 11 June during the TH-AI Passport Forum organised by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The event was designed to collect public feedback and discussion on the government’s TH-AI Passport project.
Instead, the forum became the setting for intense questioning over the contract’s transparency, cost and demanding implementation timetable.
Questions grow over AI contract transparency, costs and tight delivery schedule as forum scrutiny
During the question-and-answer session, People’s Party MP Teerachart Kotrakul raised a series of concerns. He attended as an adviser to a parliamentary committee responsible for budget oversight. In particular, he questioned requirements involving advertising displays at convenience stores.
Teerachart said officials had not adequately explained why those conditions were included. Separately, he highlighted similarities between the tender requirements and another government-backed project overseen by a Bhumjaithai Party minister.
The opposition lawmaker also questioned whether senior officials had personal connections with the successful bidder. He sought a direct answer from the minister and other officials.
“The question I would like a clear answer to is whether either of you personally knows the company that won the project,” Teerachart said.
MP challenges tender links and asks whether officials know the winning company involved in the AI contract
Beyond personal connections, Teerachart challenged the structure of the bidding process. He questioned whether a company that supplied pricing information for the project’s reference cost should later compete for the contract.
Notably, he argued such an arrangement could raise concerns about fairness in the competition. He also turned his attention to the project’s overall price.
The MP questioned spending ฿1.621 billion on a government AI platform when free alternatives already exist. He specifically named Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT as examples.
As part of his criticism, Teerachart asked how the TH-AI Passport system differed from existing services. He also questioned whether the large investment represented proper value for public spending.
On another front, he examined the contract’s strict implementation schedule. Registration must open within 30 days after the agreement is signed. The services must also be operational within 90 days.
Questions over bidder pricing role, AI value and demanding project deadlines emerge during scrutiny
Teerachart questioned whether a company without prior knowledge could meet such aggressive deadlines.
“It is difficult to imagine how a private company that had no prior knowledge of the project could complete a 1.621 billion baht project within 30 days,” he said.
In response, Chaiyanok said procurement decisions were made by officials rather than politicians. He stressed that ministers had no direct role in selecting the successful contractor.
“If you ask whether I know the person personally, yes, I do,” he said.
The minister acknowledged the personal relationship but rejected suggestions of influence. Moreover, he said his extensive private sector career meant he knew many people across Thailand.
“I know many people in this country. Having worked extensively in the private sector, it would be impossible to say that I do not know anyone who has won a government contract. But I can confirm that I was not involved in the procurement process,” he said.
Subsequently, Teerachart pressed him about the nature of that relationship. The minister declined to provide further details.
“I have already answered clearly that I know them,” Chaiyanok said.
Minister admits knowing the bidder but denies any involvement in the government procurement process
The discussion also examined claims that the winning bidder offered capabilities beyond the minimum terms of reference, known as the TOR. Nonetheless, Chaiyanok argued that exceeding government requirements should not harm the state.
“If the contractor reports that what they are providing exceeds the TOR requirements in several respects, are you saying that is a bad thing and puts the state and the public at a disadvantage?” he asked.
In addition, the minister said any extra capabilities promised by the company would become contractual obligations. Failure to deliver them could trigger penalties under the agreement.
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Meanwhile, the TH-AI Passport project remains under scrutiny over its price, tender requirements and delivery timeline. The public exchange at the forum brought renewed attention to how the contract was awarded.
Even so, Chaiyanok maintained that knowing the successful bidder did not affect the procurement process and repeated that he had no involvement in the selection.
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