The Digital Economy and Society Ministry's Secretary-General dismissed 'Ice Rakchanok's' view that the public hearing was a whitewash of the TH-AI PASSPORT project, pointing out that the price is lower than the market rate and acknowledging that once the contract is signed, the terms of reference cannot be changed.
On 9 June 2026 at 13:20 GMT+7, Mr. Patchara Anantasillpa, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, spoke about the public hearing and feedback exchange on the TH-AI PASSPORT project. He said it was held to gather opinions in line with policy from Minister Chaiyachon Chidchob, who would personally attend to listen to feedback and invite private contractors involved in the project to participate.
When asked about the next steps after collecting feedback, Patchara said they would likely negotiate with the client, as they are contractual partners, to determine if the feedback is acceptable or falls within the terms of reference, and how to proceed to ensure the project's success.
Asked whether the feedback could lead to changes in the terms of reference, Patchara replied that this was not possible since the contract had already been signed. Regarding MP Rakchanok Srinok of the People's Party list, who said the hearing served as a whitewash for the project, he said that was a matter of perspective. He views the hearing as beneficial to the government and aligned with the project's objectives, aiming for maximum public use. He also noted that the project's overall cost is clearly lower compared to existing market or private sector offerings.