Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday defended the government's TH-AI Passport scheme after opposition lawmakers raised concerns over procurement procedures, budget transparency and the selection of the winning bidder for the 1.6-billion-baht project under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES).
Under the scheme, professional and premium generative artificial intelligence (AI) models would be procured for 5 million Thais to use free of charge.
At a press briefing, the main opposition People's Party (PP) said it would gather evidence and submit a complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
PP MP Rukchanok Srinork said a kick-off document for the scheme appeared to have been created by a private company on Oct 27 last year, weeks before the DES Ministry held a public hearing on Dec 15 and opened bidding later that month.
She said the timeline suggested preparations had been made before the formal procurement process began.
"This goes beyond suspicion. It is corruption," Ms Rukchanok said.
Responding to the criticism, Mr Anutin said the DES Ministry had already explained the project and insisted that all procedures were being conducted transparently and in accordance with regulations.
Asked whether the government was prepared to face scrutiny over the project, he said he and his cabinet ministers opposed corruption, illegal conduct and abuses of power in all forms.
"If there is corruption, we will act decisively. Everything must follow due process. If something is improper, the system will cause it to fail. If it is illegal, it will not be allowed to proceed," he said.
Mr Anutin also defended the need for the project, saying access to AI technology was essential if Thailand was to remain competitive.
"People are waiting for AI. When they ask a question, they expect an answer right away," he said.
