On 2 July 2026, Thailand's Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) released a revised draft of the Act on Artificial Intelligence for public consultation, concluding approximately 30 days after publication. The release followed a prior draft from 2025 that underwent industry review. The consultation is the final formal public input stage before the draft proceeds to the Council of State for legal review and subsequent parliamentary reading. If enacted without material amendment, the Act would give Thailand one of the most extensive AI regulatory regimes in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Draft Act classifies AI systems into prohibited, high-risk, and limited-risk categories. Section 5 lists prohibited AI practices, covering manipulation of human behaviour that causes significant harm and exploitation of the vulnerabilities of identifiable groups. High-risk AI systems deployed in healthcare, critical infrastructure, education, employment, and law enforcement must pass conformity assessments, register with ETDA, and maintain ongoing monitoring documentation. Providers whose high-risk AI systems are accessible to users in Thailand must appoint a local representative in Thailand with authority to act on the provider's behalf under Section 4, mirroring the local representative requirement in Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562.
Section 4 of the Draft Act applies to any developer or deployer whose AI system is used by individuals in Thailand regardless of where the provider is incorporated or where the system is hosted. Non-Thai AI providers offering AI-assisted financial products, healthcare tools, content platforms, or employment services to Thai users must classify each system against the risk tiers, register high-risk systems with ETDA, and appoint a Thai representative. Entities already operating under MiCA, the EU AI Act, or comparable multi-jurisdictional AI regimes must separately assess compliance with the Thai draft, as the risk thresholds and registration mechanics differ from the EU approach.
Administrative fines under the Draft Act range from THB 1 million (approximately USD 27,000) to THB 5 million (approximately USD 135,000) per breach. Courts may order ISPs to block a non-compliant AI system in Thailand. Strict liability applies to developers of high-risk AI systems for damages caused to users in specified categories. The consultation closes around 1 August 2026; Council of State review and parliamentary processing will follow, placing likely enactment in late 2026 or early 2027 at the earliest.
Licentium advises technology firms and financial institutions on AI regulatory compliance across Asia-Pacific jurisdictions. Work we undertake includes risk classification mapping under the Thai Draft AI Act and EU AI Act, local representative appointment structuring, AI system registration preparation, cross-jurisdictional AI compliance programme design, and regulatory engagement during consultation processes.