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January 9, 2026

Thailand’s Tech Industry Outlook for 2026

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Thailand continues to advance its legal and regulatory framework for the technology sector, with several key laws undergoing review and proposed amendments. These developments reflect Thailand’s broader efforts to ensure that its regulatory landscape keeps pace with rapid technological change and aligns more closely with international standards and best practices.

The following are key legal developments and proposed legislative reforms in 2026 that are expected to impact businesses operating in the technology sector and the broader Thai business landscape.

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019)

Following the full enforcement of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in June 2022, businesses and practitioners have identified practical implementation challenges and interpretative issues. These challenges were reflected in an effectiveness assessment conducted by the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) in late 2024. The PDPC published a set of principles for public consultation to identify issues and directions for potential amendments to the PDPA.

  • Key issues: Emerging issues include clarifying the definitions of “data controller,” “data processor,” and “criminal record”; revisiting the scope of sensitive personal data to better reflect Thailand’s context; proposing amendments to the hierarchy of legal bases to avoid misconceptions of consent as the default legal basis; and clarifying the required level of expressiveness for explicit consent, as well as rules for collecting personal data from other sources.
  • Current status: The first round of public consultation has concluded.
  • Next steps: The proposed amendments are proceeding to a revised draft following the consultation outcomes.

Cybersecurity Act B.E. 2562 (2019)

Thailand is moving forward with proposed amendments to enhance the effectiveness of its national cybersecurity framework, as evolving digital technologies bring new risks such as misinformation, system intrusions, and attacks on critical infrastructure, making cybersecurity a national priority.

  • Key issues: The amendments aim to clarify and strengthen the roles and duties of private entities, particularly critical information infrastructure (CII) operators, in preventing, mitigating, and responding to cyber threats. Key highlights include broadening the meaning of “cyber threat” from a narrow technical focus to a holistic assessment of potential national and public impacts; introducing defined terms such as “cyber threat incident,” “computer data,” and “computer system”; strengthening risk management and incident response by CII operators; and expanding the scope of CII organizations to include public and private entities related to industrial work.
  • Current status: The third round of public consultation has concluded.
  • Next steps: The draft amendments are being revised following the consultation outcomes.

Child Online Safety

Penal Code Amendments

Recent Penal Code amendments, effective December 30, 2025, introduced provisions on sexual harassment and revised provisions on sexual assault. Offenses under these provisions that take place through online channels may result in a court order requiring the removal of the relevant content within a prescribed period, with penalties imposed for failure to comply with such a court order. Thailand is proposing further amendments to address technology-related crimes and online platform-facilitated crimes against minors, including child grooming and sexting.

  • Key issues: The proposals introduce new offenses covering online grooming, transmission of sexually explicit content to minors, and sexual extortion, alongside stricter penalties and extended extraterritorial jurisdiction, reflecting a strengthened focus on child protection in the digital environment.
  • Current status: The first round of public consultation has concluded.
  • Next steps: The Office of the Council of State will consider the draft at the third reading in January 2026.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Regulatory Framework

The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has continued its efforts to develop an AI regulatory framework by opening a public hearing on draft principles for future AI legislation.

  • Key issues: The proposed principles focus on a risk-based approach to AI development and deployment while supporting innovation through measures such as data reuse and sandbox mechanisms. (See more details here.)
  • Next steps: The initiative currently remains at the drafting stage, and a further public hearing on a provision-by-provision draft is expected in 2026.

Fintech

Payment Systems Act B.E. 2560 (2017)

Thailand’s payments landscape continues to be shaped by the Payment Systems Act and an active supervisory agenda from the Bank of Thailand (BOT) focused on fraud risk, interoperability, and digital-first service models.

  • Key issues: The BOT’s Guidelines for Digital Fraud Management took effect on December 17, 2025, and impose end-to-end fraud controls across prevention, monitoring, detection, and remediation for financial institutions and operators of inter-institutional fund transfer systems, e-money, and e-fund transfer services under the Payment Systems Act.

Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018)

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released relaxed digital asset regulations that pave the way for tokenization of carbon credit and renewable energy assets, expanding financing and trading options in the environmental sector.

  • Key issues: The amended regulations permit the offering, trading, and provision of other services related to tokenized carbon credits, tokenized renewable energy certificates (RECs), and tokenized carbon allowances through licensed digital asset exchanges, brokers, and dealers. This regulatory development is aimed at facilitating the green economy and the country’s net-zero goal, while increasing the diversity of products in the regulated digital assets market.

Digital Platforms

Royal Decree on the Operation of Digital Platform Service Businesses That Are Subject to Prior Notification B.E. 2565 (2022)

Thailand’s platform governance entered a more prescriptive phase in 2025-2026 as regulators moved from system registration to targeted oversight of higher-risk platform categories. In parallel, Thailand is developing a primary law, the draft Platform Economy Act (PEA), which, if enacted, is expected to supersede the royal decree and consolidate user-protection and competition tools for the platform economy.

  • Key issues: During 2025, the regulator designated online marketplaces with particular risk characteristics under section 18(2) of the royal decree and imposed additional duties focused on merchant traceability and accountability and compliance with goods standards and takedown mechanisms. With respect to the draft PEA, the principles remain under development at the Council of State, with further drafting and a subsequent hearing expected. Latest policy signals continue to envisage adoption of an EU Digital Services Act–inspired regime, with the royal decree expected to be repealed upon commencement and transitional oversight mechanisms to apply.
  • Next steps: Operators should maintain compliance with the royal decree while monitoring developments in new or amended applicable regulations, as well as the PEA’s trajectory.

Telecommunications

Foreign Satellite Operators Draft Notification

Proposed by the National Space Policy Committee (NSPC) for public consultation on August 20, 2025, with the comment period concluding on September 3, 2025, this draft aims to replace the existing notification issued in 2021 to better align with current national policies on foreign satellite usage.

  • Key issues: The draft notification permits both Thai and foreign satellite operators to use foreign satellites to operate a business providing satellite communication services within Thailand. The consideration for granting permission takes into account technical justifications, economic benefits, social benefits, and national security considerations.
  • Next steps: The draft amendments are being revised following the public consultation outcomes.

Gaming

Draft Gaming Industry Promotion Act

The draft was initially proposed by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) under the Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) by opening a public hearing on draft principles for a future Gaming Act.

  • Key issues: The draft law aims to support the growth of Thailand’s online gaming sector while safeguarding youth and society. The draft law introduces registration requirements for developers and platforms (potentially including offshore entities), which may include a rating system. It is also expected to apply to all types of games, with particular focus on games that incorporate gambling-like features, such as lucky draw mechanisms or point-accumulation and reward-redemption systems. This reflects the Thai government’s position of combating online gambling and online scam activities.
  • Next steps: The initiative currently remains at the drafting stage, and DEPA has recently announced that it will proceed with proposing the Draft Act to the MDES for consideration and subsequent submission to the Cabinet. Further public hearing is expected within 2026.

Looking Ahead

Thailand’s technology regulatory landscape continues to develop through a combination of new legislation, subordinate regulations, regulatory guidance, and evolving enforcement priorities. Technology sector businesses should actively monitor these developments and begin preparing for possible compliance adjustments. In particular, companies should review their data governance frameworks, cybersecurity readiness, platform governance structures, and AI risk management practices to ensure they are well positioned as Thailand’s technology regulatory landscape continues to evolve.

We will continue to monitor these developments closely and provide quarterly updates to keep you informed of any significant changes or new regulatory measures impacting Thailand’s technology sector.

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Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act came into full effect on 1 June 2022 and various subordinate regulations have since been issued by the Personal Data Protection Committee. These include regulations on security measures to be implemented by data controllers, data breach notification requirements, a mandatory obligation to appoint a data protection officer when the processing activity requires regular monitoring of personal data or a system due to the large scale of personal data, administrative measures and data processors’ record of processing activities. As some areas under the PDPA still require further clarifications, a series of public consultations for the remaining draft subordinate regulations is anticipated in 2024. Potential areas include data protection impact assessments and cross-border transfers of personal data, which are crucial for organizations and particularly for entities with establishments in other jurisdictions. PDPA enforcement by Thai regulators was silent until the last quarter of 2023, when the PDPC published details about complaints that have been lodged to the Expert Committee. The committee is designated by virtue of the PDPA and has the power to make determinations related to imposing administrative fines and other penalties. Enforcement in 2024 is expected to become more active and potentially more serious, which means organizations should pay closer attention to ensure compliance with the PDPA. Similar to the GDPR, the PDPA also has extraterritorial effect. Once the subordinate regulation on international cooperation has been issued by the PDPC, this should clarify how PDPA enforcement against organizations located outside of Thailand will be conducted by Thai regulators. With respect to sector-specific data protection legislation, in September 2023, Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission issued the Notification of the NBTC Re: Measures to Protect Telecommunications Service Users’ Rights in regard to Personal Data, Privacy Rights, and Freedom of Telecommunications, which replaces the previous notification.
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