You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

June 24, 2024

Thailand: Ruling Clarifies “Lawful Basis” for Processing Certain Personal Data

Subscribe to Updates

In March 2024, a Thai court of first instance handed down a decision in a personal data protection case against an insurance company in Thailand. The landmark ruling has important implications for the disclosure of special categories of personal data.

The case concerned an individual, acting as the plaintiff, who filed a claim against an insurance company, as a data controller, and its representatives, for collecting, using, and disclosing the results of the plaintiff’s blood alcohol level test, along with a photo of the plaintiff taking the test, without explicit consent, resulting in his insurance claim being rejected. The company also disclosed the data to the insured party, who is the plaintiff’s family member, causing the plaintiff to suffer reputational damage, discrimination, humiliation, and ill treatment.

Since results of a blood alcohol level test are considered a special category of personal data pursuant to section 26 of the Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) (PDPA), the plaintiff filed the claim with the criminal court, requesting that the criminal penalties under the PDPA and the Penal Code be imposed on the defendants, and that the defendants delete or destroy the plaintiff’s personal data. The insurance company argued that it had disclosed the test results and the photograph to the plaintiff’s family member—as the insured under the insurance agreement—for the purpose of informing the insured of the rejection of the insurance claim.

Considering these facts and reasons, the criminal court ruled that the processing of this special category of personal data was necessary for the defense of the insurance company’s legal claims pursuant to section 26(4) of the PDPA, and therefore, explicit consent was not required. As a result, the criminal court dismissed the case.

Key Takeaways

While this case was dismissed, it indicates that explicit consent is not the only legal basis for processing a special category of personal data, and data controllers are able to process personal data as long as there is a lawful purpose and an appropriate legal basis to achieve that purpose. This case also suggests that data subjects are now becoming more aware of their rights in regard to privacy and personal data, which could increase the likelihood of more cases being brought before the courts.

As this ruling was made by the court of first instance, it might be appealed.

For more information on the interpretation of the PDPA, or on any aspect of data compliance in Thailand, please contact Nop Chitranukroh at [email protected], Nopparat Lalitkomon at [email protected], Gvavalin Mahakunkitchareon at [email protected], or Wilin Somya at [email protected].

Related Professionals

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

August 19, 2025
On August 6, 2025, Myanmar’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) issued Order No. 20/2025, announcing a change in the composition of the country’s Foreign Exchange Supervisory Committee (FESC). The prime minister has been appointed committee chair of the FESC, and five other individuals were appointed to the committee. The order took immediate effect. Originally established in April 2022, the FESC is responsible for approving foreign currency conversion, granting exemptions to foreign exchange restrictions, and permitting overseas transfers of foreign currency. The FESC supervises the flow of foreign currencies for domestic and foreign investment, manufacturing, exports and imports, and service businesses (including education- and health-related initiatives). The FESC is specifically responsible for considering and approving the use of foreign currency for the following: Importing machinery, vehicles, equipment, and raw materials essential for foreign investment and manufacturing projects; Importing fuel, medicine, cooking oil, fertilizer, insecticide, and construction materials not readily available on the domestic market; Covering Myanmar citizens’ needs abroad, such as medical treatment, education, or religious activities; Facilitating imports of general goods, loan repayments, interest payments to foreign lenders, service payments, and profit repatriation from investments; and Importing luxury products, including brand-name goods, jewelry, sports cars, and watches. The FESC is empowered to carry out further duties related to foreign exchange management as assigned by the NDSC Importers, exporters, investors, and business owners are encouraged to consult the most current FESC guidelines and approval lists before conducting transactions in Myanmar. For more details on these FESC composition developments, or on any aspect of financial regulations in Myanmar, please contact Tilleke & Gibbins at [email protected].
Read More
August 15, 2025
More than a decade after the issuance of Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP (as amended by Decree No. 85/2021/ND-CP; collectively, “Decree 52”), Vietnam’s legal framework for e-commerce is under growing pressure to keep pace with the evolving digital economy. While Decree 52 has provided a foundational framework, it has shown certain limitations in keeping up with issues such as counterfeit goods, intellectual property enforcement, unqualified products, and emerging models like livestream selling and affiliate marketing. To address these regulatory gaps, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has released the 2025 Draft E-Commerce Law (“Draft Law”) for public consultation. The Draft Law is intended to supersede the current framework under Decree 52 and establish a more detailed and comprehensive legal foundation for the regulations of e-commerce activities in Vietnam. It is currently expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for review and potential adoption during its 10th session in October 2025. In this article, we discuss the Draft Law’s most significant updates and legal developments in comparison to existing regulations, and assess the practical challenges that businesses may face in preparing for implementation in the near future. Platform Classification: Toward a More Nuanced Framework Unlike Decree 52’s simpler structure, which broadly categorized platforms into either (i) websites selling goods and services or (ii) websites providing e-commerce services, the Draft Law introduces a more detailed framework that aims to classify platforms based on their technical functions and business models. Specifically, the Draft Law introduces a four-tier classification system for e-commerce platforms, consisting of: (i) Direct Business Platforms, (ii) Intermediary Platforms, (iii) Social Networks with E-Commerce Functions, and (iv) Multi-Service Integrated Platforms. This approach reflects an effort to more accurately capture the complexity of today’s e-commerce landscape, including hybrid platforms such as TikTok Shop. While this approach reflects the growing complexity of
Read More
August 15, 2025
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) has introduced a temporary feature in its online filing system to accommodate the submission of annual patent working statements. The requirement to submit these annual working statements was introduced under the amended Patent Law enacted on October 28, 2024, but the implementing regulation has still not been issued. Annual Working Statements Article 20A of the amended Patent Law requires all patentees to submit an annual statement regarding the implementation of their patents in Indonesia. This obligation applies to all active patents, regardless of when they were granted. The annual working statement declares the status of implementation of the patented invention within Indonesia. Acceptable forms of implementation include: Manufacturing the patented product (whether commercialized or not) Utilizing the patented process (whether commercialized or not) Importation Licensing If the patent has not yet been implemented in Indonesia, the DGIP provides an option to indicate: “The mentioned registered patent has not been implemented in Indonesia.” The statement must be made using the official template provided by the DGIP through the online filing system. Submission The working statement must be submitted annually no later than December 31 of each calendar year. No supporting documents are needed for the submission apart from the signed form itself. A color scanned copy will suffice; the original document is not required. There is currently no official fee for submitting the working statement. While the submission process may eventually align with annuity fee payments, the current process remains separate due to the pending implementing regulation. The submission process may be subject to change upon issuance of the implementing regulation, which is under discussion and expected in the coming months. In the interim, the DGIP accepts submissions of overdue working statements, allowing patentees to fulfill their obligations retroactively. This flexibility is expected
Read More
August 8, 2025
ベトナム政府は、2025年6月29日、改正薬事法（政令第163号）の施行に関する詳細な指針を示す政令第163/2025/ND-CPを公表した。政令第163号は、改正薬事法と同様に2025年7月1日に施行され、政令第54/2017/ND-CP号（政令第54号）に正式に代替された。新規な政令は、薬剤師開業証明書、医薬品事業資格証明書、医薬品および医薬品原料の輸出入、外国製造業者に対するGMP検査、医薬品および医薬品原料の回収、医薬品広告内容証明書、医薬品価格管理など、医薬品管理の主要分野にわたる包括的な規制を導入している。 政令163号の主な変更点 政令第163号におけるいくつかの重要な変更および追加を以下に示す。 特別管理薬物の破壊 麻薬、向精神薬、前駆薬物、および麻薬もしくは向精神薬である医薬品原料、もしくは薬物の前駆物質を廃棄する前に、管轄当局の承認を得る必要がなくなった。その代わり、廃棄予定日と廃棄対象品目の詳細なリストを含む、少なくとも7営業日前までに通知を行う必要がある。 医薬品業界における電子商取引 電子商取引プラットフォームを通じて医薬品事業者は、透明性と消費者の安全を確保するため、（ i ）医薬品事業適格性証明書、（ii）医薬品専門知識責任者の薬剤師実務証明書、（iii）医薬品情報などの情報を公開する必要がある。 輸入製品の賞味期限要件 総有効期限が9月以下の医薬品および原料については、通関時に有効期限の少なくとも3分の1が残っている必要がある。有効期限が30日以下の医薬品については、通関時に有効期限内である必要がある。 輸入製品の管理 輸入規制の対象となる医薬品には、（i）感染症予防および管理法(Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases)の規定に従って流行が宣言されたA群感染症の予防および治療のニーズを満たす医薬品、および（ ii ）有効期限が30日未満の医薬品を除き、販売承認（MA）のあるすべての医薬品が含まれる。 輸入者は、通関申請の少なくとも5営業日前までに省人民委員会に通知しなければならない。人民委員会は、通知受領後5営業日以内に、税関当局に対し書面による不遵守通知を発行することができる。 医薬品広告 政令163号は、従前の規制のように医薬品広告内容の最初の登録を再度行う代わりに、承認された医薬品広告証明書をいくつかの変更（MA保有者の変更や製造業者情報の変更など）に合わせて調整できる手順を補足している。 薬価管理 政令第54号の薬価申告手続と同様に、卸売価格を公表または再公表する必要がある。緊急対応、国家保健プログラム、人道援助、臨床試験、科学研究、展示目的で無料で提供される医薬品や、個人手荷物として持ち込まれる医薬品など、特定の医薬品はこの要件から免除される。 保健省は、公表または再公表された価格が、既に市場に出回っている同等の医薬品よりも大幅に高い場合、勧告を発行することができる。これには以下のケースが含まれる。 当該医薬品の公表または再公表された卸売価格が、類似医薬品の最高価格を超えている場合 入札の落札価格との価格差が35%（100万VND未満の医薬品の場合）または15%（100万VND以上の医薬品の場合）を超えている場合 公表または再公表された価格が、原産国または他の市場の価格よりも高い場合（ベトナムに類似の製品が存在しない場合） このような矛盾が特定された場合、保健省は発表機関に正式な勧告を発行し、透明性と説明責任を確保するためにそれをオンラインで公開します。 新しい通達でさらなるガイダンスを提供 保健省は2025年7月1日、改正薬事法および政令163号（通達31号）の施行について詳細を規定した通達31/2025/TT-BYTを公表した。通達31号は、通達07/2018/TT-BYT号および政令第54号に正式に代替し、公表後直ちに施行された。 通達第31号の主な規定は次のとおりである。 薬剤師業務届出書 薬局チェーンに加盟していない医薬品事業者は、現在当該事業所で業務を行っている薬剤師開業許可証を保有する者のリストを所轄官庁に届け出なければならない。届出は、医薬品営業許可証の発行日またはリストに変更があった日から15日以内に提出する必要がある。これにより、従来の規則では30日とされていた期限が短縮される。 薬局チェーンにも同様の届出義務と期限が適用される。具体的には、薬局チェーン運営者は、チェーン内の各薬局の所在地を管轄する州当局に対し、当該薬局で勤務する薬剤師のリストを届け出なければならない。さらに、薬局チェーンは、チェーンに薬局を追加または除去する場合、また、チェーン内の薬局間で薬剤師の専門知識を担当する担当者の交代を行う場合にも、当局に届け出なければならない。 医薬品情報活動 通達第31号では、医薬品情報は、医薬品情報資料の配布、医薬品紹介セミナー、医療担当者を通じて医療従事者に提供してもよい。 しかしながら、通達第31号では、医薬品情報活動を行う前に医薬品情報内容証明書を取得する必要性が撤廃されるという大きな変更が導入された。新規則の下では、製薬企業、ベトナムにおける外国製薬会社の駐在事務所、および販売承認取得者は、保健省が承認した医薬品の添付文書、ベトナム国家医薬品集、および保健省が発行または承認した医薬品に関する文書および専門的指示に準拠した医薬品情報資料の作成および配布の責任を負うことになる。 結言 医薬品事業所、医薬品分野で活動する外国貿易業者の駐在員事務所、およびベトナムの医薬品登録者は、改正規定を適時に遵守できるよう、新しい規制を徹底的に検討することを提案する。   本記事についてのご質問などがある場合は、Ms. Mai Thi Leまでお問合せください。   備考：本和文は英文記事を翻訳したものです。原文については、以下のリンクをご参照ください。 Vietnam Issues New Guidance for Amended Law on Pharmacy
Read More