BANGKOK, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand launched a government program on Friday to give citizens access to commercial artificial intelligence (AI) tools after more than 1.3 million people had registered for advance access in less than two weeks.
The TH-AI Passport scheme, run by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), aims to reach up to 5 million people, with the platform bundling more than 30 models from over 14 leading developers alongside a learning and skills-development system.
Citing Microsoft AI Economy Institute data, the ministry said 12.4 percent of working-age Thais used generative AI in the first quarter of 2026, up from 9.1 percent, against a global average of 17.8 percent and far behind countries where AI is widely adopted, such as Singapore at 63.4 percent.
MDES Minister Chaichanok Chidchob said AI is rapidly taking on a role in the economy, the labor market, education, and public services, adding that preparing the Thai population is therefore a key mission under the AI national action plan for 2022-2027.
"Competition between countries in the coming era will not be decided by who has the most advanced technology but by which country develops its own people to use it," Chaichanok said, adding that the best investment is not in tools but in human potential.
TH-AI Passport seeks to empower Thais to be both users and creators of technology, generating value for the Southeast Asian nation, Chaichanok said at the launch event.
Ahead of the platform's official opening on Aug. 31, he said the number of applicants crossing the 1-million milestone within such a short timeframe represents a critical indicator that Thais are ready to embrace the technological shift.
Registrants comprise a broad spectrum of individuals, including students from various educational levels, workers, entrepreneurs, and members of the general public spanning all geographic regions of the kingdom, the ministry said in a statement. ■