Thailand Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)

According to the research by We’re Social, 59% of Thai people are strongly concerned about the misuse of their personal data.

In this digital age where everything is connected, we are giving our personal information for various services, with or without our knowledge, from personal details such as names, phone numbers, birthdays, to activities on social media. According to the research by We’re Social, 59% of Thai people are strongly concerned about the misuse of their personal data.

To kickstart the new age of personal data protection in Thailand, the Thai government has established the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which is the first of its kind for the country. The act will come into effect on 27th May 2020 with 1 Year prison sentence or a fine up to 1 million Thai Baht penalty for the omission of an instruction.

From the Analytist’s survey, only 61% of a sample group are aware of this policy. However, only 12% of them actually know the details. 91% agreed that their personal data should not be used by any companies without prior notice and 68% see that this policy will be beneficial for Thai people. Below is the summary of this policy in detail.

The personal rights for data owner are;

1. The right to be notified
2. The right to edit
3. The right to receive and transfer data
4. The right to access
5. The right to object
6. The right to delete
7. Restriction of rights
8. The right to withdraw consent

The exceptions that our data can be used without consents are;

1. To make history documents, research archives, and statistics
2. To prevent danger to life
3. Data collected by government for public interest or nation’s stability

Top Industries that must adopt this policy are;

1. Legal and Compliance
2. IT
3. Marketing
4. Sales
5. Operation
6. Human Resources

No matter which industry your company is, all businesses should prepare their staff and their clients as Thailand is gearing up for this policy in 3 months time. A proper plan of action within the company will avoid costly penalties and legal actions you might face in the future.

Article by Sutida Sukhot