New AI legislation set to be completed in coming months

Thailand aims to finalise a draft of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act in this fiscal year, with a focus on balancing the promotion of AI adoption and strict regulation.

It is also promoting AI governance across all sectors to build trust and support responsible innovation, positioning Thailand as a regional hub for AI governance.

"AI is highlighted as one of the most significant technological shifts of this generation, deeply altering how humanity learns, works, competes in business and delivers government services," Chaichanok Chidchob, Digital Economy and Society minister, said on Monday at AI Governance Week 2026 (AIGW 2026), held by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) and its AI Governance Center (AIGC), from June 29 to July 3.

Global studies estimate that AI could contribute more than US$15 trillion to the world economy by 2030.

Mr Chaichanok cited the AI Governance International Evaluation Index 2025 (AGILE Index 2025), noting that among 40 countries Thailand ranked second globally in AI social acceptance, 5th in AI development inclusivity, 17th in AI governance environment, and 11th in AI governance effectiveness.

The next chapter for Thailand involves moving from policy discussions to real-world implementation, he added.

Thailand has established the AI Governance Practice Center (AIGPC) to position the country as a trusted regional hub for AI ethics and practical governance, in collaboration with international partners.

FINAL DRAFT

"Rather than rushing into heavy regulation, Thailand is taking an observant approach to see how AI fits into its economic development, social welfare and cultural landscape," said Chaichana Mitrpant, executive director of ETDA.

He added that geopolitical tensions surrounding AI are raising questions about whether powerful AI should be viewed as a restricted "weapon" or as an enabling tool.

There are multiple regulatory approaches to AI, ranging from strictly promotional to heavily prohibitive. The focus is on building a hybrid model that combines both.

"We're holding public hearings on the AI draft law and hope to finalise it by this fiscal year," said Mr Chaichana.

The ETDA's development of the AI Act is based on the electronic transaction law of 2001.

Mr Chaichana said there is an ongoing dispute over AI developers using copyrighted media to train their models without permission from content owners. To address this, ETDA has established a committee comprising intellectual property specialists, legal experts and judges to outline clear revenue-sharing structures and define acceptable boundaries for training data usage. The findings will be incorporated into the AI draft law.

AI-generated content may soon be subject to mandatory labelling to ensure transparency, although care is being taken not to overburden rule-abiding creators.

Clear enforcement structures will specifically target "high-risk" AI applications to protect national and personal security without discouraging foreign tech investment.

Thailand is weighing two penalty models for violating AI law: fixed flat-rate fines or fines calculated as a percentage of organisational revenue.

AI playbook for schools

Mr Chaichana said ETDA will propose a cabinet measure for enforcing AI governance guidelines in state agencies in the coming months.

"Once approved, it will transition from a voluntary guideline to a mandatory framework for all state agencies using AI," he said.

Non-compliance will be tracked and penalised through agency performance ratings by the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission.

AIGC has partnered with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation to bring AI ethics into secondary schools.

Key initiatives include training 100 teachers in global AI governance guidelines, engaging school leaders, compliance teams, parents and students to build a safe AI culture, and piloting Unesco's Ethical Impact Assessment tool to identify and manage ethical risks in school activities.

A practical handbook focused on "AI Ethics and Governance for Schools" has been developed through workshops.

It outlines clear guidelines on how teachers can responsibly use AI for grading, test creation and lesson planning, while addressing critical youth-related risks such as AI-driven cyberbullying.

Moving forward, AIGC is prioritising discussions on the role of AI in justice processes and education systems.