MDES Permanent Secretary Denies IO Hiring for TH-AI Passport

Patchara Anantasilp, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, has strongly denied allegations that the government has hired information operations, commonly known as IO, to artificially boost public support and generate trends for the TH-AI Passport initiative. He firmly asserted that public sector budgeting strictly follows regulatory frameworks with no hidden allocations for such activities.

The clarification comes amidst ongoing online discussions regarding the project. Patchara explained that government regulations entirely prohibit using state funds to hire external parties for social media campaigning. He added that he is unfamiliar with the concept of IO operations, noting that government agencies typically find themselves on the receiving end of public criticism rather than orchestrating campaigns.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

"Under government principles, hiring an IO is impossible. Regarding these claims of IO, we cannot tell whether supporters mean well or harbor ill intentions, but what is scarier are those who appear well-intentioned yet harbor malicious motives—something no one can easily predict."