The ID card is the most common form of personal data Thais use for their financial transactions, legal agreements or obtaining commercial and public services. While the use of it has become more widespread and the storage of data has been increasingly easier, protection of personal data by law has remained weak and almost nil for many cases.
A bill on personal data protection, which is pending cabinet approval, is seen as a remedy proposed by lawmakers. But critics is not hopeful that the bill, which has been in the making for a few years, in its current form can bring about far-reaching impacts.
Like many Thai laws, the bill is vague, broad and almost toothless. Critics have cast doubt how much consumers can rely on it, especially in the wake of the recent consumer data breach cases concerning True Move H's data leak of 11,400 customers' personal information including scanned images of ID cards.
