A lecturer from Silpakorn University has rushed to file a complaint with the Democrat Party, claiming obstruction from participating in the SME assistance project by OSME. Korn exposed suspicious gaps allowing "outside influential groups" to intervene. Meanwhile, OSME issued a statement confirming transparency at every step.
At 3:00 p.m. on 3 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Korn Chatikavanij, along with Kandi Liao-pairoj, a party-list MP and deputy party leader, and Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, the Democrat Party spokesperson, held a press conference regarding a complaint received from Silpakorn University representatives. The complaint accused the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSME) of non-transparency in using SME promotion funds for the e-Commerce and live-commerce platform development project aimed at helping small entrepreneurs (SMEs). Korn stated that Thai small businesses and online vendors have suffered disadvantages relying on foreign platforms, facing higher fees (GP) and loss of trade data to foreign entities.
Korn added that the Democrat Party supports using government funds to develop a Thai platform, but OSME's project operator selection process raised doubts and appeared non-transparent. Silpakorn University, as a public educational institution submitting a proposal, felt unfairly treated during project consideration. There were issues of unreasonable minor criteria used to reject Silpakorn's proposal, possibly indicating specification locking. Worryingly, outsiders with no official OSME role reportedly intervened in negotiations with universities. Furthermore, after Silpakorn appealed per procedure, university staff faced intimidation to withdraw their appeal, prompting formal police reports. Such incidents should not occur within government agencies.
Korn plans to summon OSME for clarification.
"The Democrat Party believes there are questions needing answers, as public budget sourced from taxpayers is increasingly limited. Budget use must be efficient and free from corruption. We will exercise legislative authority to bring this matter to the relevant parliamentary committee for review, calling OSME to clarify all related issues, especially standards for committee selection, explanations of outside individuals' roles, and the fairness of the appeal process," Korn said. .
Kandi added that as a former university lecturer, she is deeply saddened and concerned that an educational institution, which should nurture honest and virtuous individuals, has been heavily interfered with by certain groups. The Democrat Party reaffirms its commitment to political integrity and will use parliamentary committee mechanisms to thoroughly investigate and protect the highest interests of taxpayers.
OSME issues statement affirming transparency.
The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSME) released a document clarifying the facts of the selection process for partner units in the e-Commerce and live-commerce projects for Thai SMEs. It affirmed that all procedures were lawful, transparent, and verifiable, detailing the steps involved.
1. The selection process for partner units for both projects is a government policy initiative urgently helping SME entrepreneurs keep pace with competition. OSME applied the selection method under Section 34(2) of the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Act, a legally prescribed mechanism for such projects, approved by relevant committees according to procedure. OSME did not choose this method solely for speed but considered legal frameworks, project nature, and joint operation objectives. Importantly, although this differs from the e-bidding process used by the Comptroller General's Department under public procurement law, all steps remained transparent, auditable, and compliant with laws applicable to OSME. Furthermore, this partner selection regulation has been consistently applied in various projects under the action plan.
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2. Scoring and decision criteria. The SME promotion projects for entry into e-Commerce and live-commerce markets, as well as the development of Thailand's e-commerce ecosystem for SMEs, have clearly defined scoring criteria as announced.
The evaluation committee used the same pre-announced criteria, assessing the capacity, readiness, and proposal completeness in alignment with the TOR. Each committee member judged independently and professionally without score guidance, reaching decisions by consensus.
3. Evaluation committee.
To ensure neutrality and transparency, OSME appointed an evaluation committee covering three groups: - External experts with relevant knowledge and project experience.
- OSME internal staff involved directly or indirectly, including project originators, project managers, legal and procurement experts, and monitoring and evaluation officers.
- OSME internal staff not directly involved, such as deputy directors and assistant directors not overseeing the project.
To promote transparent partner selection aligned with budget, OSME emphasizes governance and transparency principles. All committee members must comply with laws, regulations, and government ethics. Any member with conflicts of interest must act according to relevant laws and guidelines. The selection process involves multiple parties with recorded meetings and is fully auditable, ensuring transparent and fair evaluation.
Affirmation of no intimidation behavior.
4. Regarding allegations of intimidation and external interference.
OSME confirms no intimidation or threats against university staff or anyone as alleged. OSME operates as a regulatory agency under official contracts only. The selection process is conducted in a closed system with clear meeting records and evidence, leaving no opportunity for outsiders to interfere or influence committee decisions.
Commitment to cooperate fully.
5. Appeal process.
OSME respects all proposers' rights, allowing them to appeal selection results within 15 days of notification. All appeals are submitted to the OSME executive committee for legal review aiming for prompt resolution.
OSME reiterates its readiness to fully cooperate and provide all information, facts, and evidence to parliamentary committees and auditing bodies, reaffirming its commitment as a key organization dedicated to driving and building a transparent and fair e-Commerce ecosystem for Thai SMEs.