Thailand to enforce Personal Data Protection Act from June 1

The Thailand government is set to enforce the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) from June 1, which will affect the kind of customer information businesses can collect, use and disclose.

The PDPA, which regulates the processing of personal data with regards to commercial transactions, has already been delayed beyond a two-year timeframe and there should be no more delay in implementing it, said Thienchai na Nakorn, chairman of the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC).

“Our expectation is to strengthen the security system to protect people’s personal data. This is not only to make business owners aware of privacy issues but to also raise Thailand’s corporate governance,” he said, reports Asia News Network.

Even after the  regulations come into effect, the PDPC would continually engage all related parties, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to ensure they have a deep understanding of the law, he added. 

Some firms in the private sector have objected to the enforcement of the PDPA, which is a result of them not fully understanding the law, noted the chairman. 

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An entrepreneur who violates the law will face penalties ranging from a fine of not more than THB5 million (US$144,519) to a one-year imprisonment term, in cases where a business intentionally breaks the law and carelessly leaks clients’ data.