The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) explained that the TH-AI Passport project collects and processes data within Thailand, stressing maximum security. It revealed that the contract has been updated to a Pay Per Active User payment model and plans to change the domain suffix from .net to .go.th instead.
On 21 August 2026, Mr. Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), assigned Mr. Patchara Anantasilpa, Permanent Secretary of DE, to chair a press briefing tracking the progress of pre-registration for the TH-AI Passport project. Mr. Wethang Puangsap, Secretary-General of the Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Committee (BDE), also attended at the press room on the 2nd floor of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society building.
Mr. Patchara stated that public interest in registering for the TH-AI Passport project, which opened pre-registration on 19 August 2026 and will allow official system use starting 31 August 2026, has been strong. Currently, there are 1,132,496 registered users (data as of 13:30 on 21 August 2026).
Regarding the original contract, BDE used a standard contract template as mandated by the Public Procurement Policy Committee, which requires a fixed payment amount except for fixed-price, unlimited-quantity contracts—where payment is made according to actual usage, such as the Department of Corrections purchasing food for inmates or hospitals ordering ingredients for patients’ meals.
The revised contract introduces Pay Per Active User payment, consistent with the original contract’s principle of paying for actual usage. The company must deliver an operational plan showing 5,000,000 logins before acceptance and payment. If the 5 million logins are not met, penalties apply per clause 11 of the original contract concerning actual user logins. This Pay Per Active User payment method clarifies payment terms without changing the original contract’s intent. The revised contract has been reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General.
Regarding user rights, those who register and activate the TH-AI Passport will receive Innovator status for the first 30 days, granting access to the Pro-level Model. Afterwards, users must complete training with a score of 100 points and accumulate at least 100 points monthly to maintain Innovator status for continued use each month.
Users registering after 30 November 2026 will receive Beginner status initially and must complete training with a 100-point score to be promoted to Innovator status.
Monitoring progress revealed public concerns about personal data and behavior data collection related to Generative AI usage among project participants. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society reassures that all personal data, online learning data, usage behavior data, registration processing, online learning, and dashboard creation are stored and processed within Thailand, strictly complying with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and cybersecurity laws.
Additionally, the TH-AI Passport system is designed to screen and mask personal or sensitive data according to set criteria before sending prompts, images, audio files, and similar data for processing by foreign AI service providers. These providers are prohibited from using the processed data for other purposes or training their own AI models. After processing, the AI providers do not retain the data.
Regarding domain suffix use, there was no requirement to use .net exclusively. When the project officially launches, the domain will switch to .go.th. Pre-registered users via the original .net domain need not take any action; their registrations are considered complete, and the system will automatically transfer data to the .go.th domain.
"The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society confirms that the new contract changes comply with the law and have been reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General. The payment method has been adjusted to Pay Per Active User to ensure the most efficient use of budget funds. Meanwhile, data storage is conducted within Thailand, strictly following personal data protection and cybersecurity laws," said the Permanent Secretary of DE.
