The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry is hopeful the TH-AI Passport project can drive the number of artificial intelligence (AI) users in Thailand to soar past the global average.
The government wants to ask state officials and politicians in the provinces to encourage people to register for the scheme.
DES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said the project initially registered 500,000 sign-ups per day during the first 48 hours for pre-registration starting on Aug 19, though the pace has recently moderated.
He attributed the slowdown to public hesitation and “counter-information” circulated by the opposition.
Mr Chaichanok said he remains optimistic registration numbers will continue to rise.
The initial peak was driven by early adopters, whereas the current phase targets beginners, which is a demographic the government considers crucial for long-term success, he noted.
The technological foundation is already in place, as nationwide mobile infrastructure ensures the AI application is accessible to all people via their smartphones.
REGIONAL DISPARITIES
A breakdown of the current 1.3 million registrants reveals a concentration in cities. Bangkok leads the nation with 250,000 registrations, while provinces such as Buri Ram tallied 16,000.
Mr Chaichanok said the government is not issuing a formal mandate for AI adoption with the project, aiming instead for organic growth.
Local members of parliament and civil servants are being encouraged to use their discretion to educate and inform residents about the opportunities provided by the project.
The goal is to drive the movement naturally based on necessity and appropriateness, rather than through official orders, he said.
The ministry launched the TH-AI Passport project on Friday, aiming to bridge the AI usage gap in Thailand that remains below the global average.
The TH-AI Passport project provides up to 5 million Thais with access to AI tools from more than 14 leading developers, offering more than 30 AI models, alongside learning and skills development programmes on a single platform.
According to the Microsoft AI Economy Institute, the proportion of Thailand’s working-age population using generative AI rose to 12.4% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 9.1% a year earlier, representing a 36.4% increase.
Despite the rapid growth, Thailand’s GenAI adoption rate remains below the global average of 17.8%.
According to a representative from Microsoft Thailand, assuming all 5 million registrants are entirely new to AI tools, and if the state target of 5 million users is equal to 11% of the population unfamiliar with AI, achieving 5 million users will nearly double Thailand’s AI adoption rate to 23%, well above the global average.
Mr Chaichanok said a theme of the project is dismantling the financial barriers that prevent people from using advanced technology.
The pro versions of AI tools cost between 250 to 1,000 baht per month, a price point he described as a “wall of inequality” for many Thais.
“This is not just about distributing tools; it is about teaching Thais how to master AI,” said Mr Chaichanok.
“This is one of the largest investments ever made in Thailand’s human resources.”