Thai data protection laws must quickly be updated to EU standards: experts

[webfact]

Thai data protection laws must quickly be updated to EU standards: experts

By ASINA PORNWASIN 
THE NATION

 

 

THAILAND will take a hit if the country does not quickly enact its data protection bill, say experts, since worldwide enforcement begins today for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
 

Multinational firms and some Thai businesses have taken steps to comply with the EU data protection law, whose punitive measures include fines of up to 4 per cent of a company’s global sales turnover or 40 million euros.

 

Google said starting today its user data would be retained according to users’ settings in compliance with the EU law, while Google Analytics would automatically delete data that is older than the retention period its users have selected.

 

Google’s approach is similar to that of other foreign and Thai companies that have taken steps to comply with the EU law, which aims to protect the rights of EU citizens regarding their personal data stored and used by businesses around the world.

 

Thai Airways International, which serves a large number of EU passengers, is subject to the data protection law. The national flag carrier recently required all members of its Royal Orchid Plus programme to renew their membership by agreeing to new terms and conditions consistent with the EU’s GDPR.

 

Rajiv Bava, chief of corporate affairs and business development for DTAC, one of the country’s major mobile phone operators, said the company has been working towards overall GDPR compliance. 

 

This includes measures to strengthen the rights of its customers such as easy-to-use solutions for customers to consent to processing, and better solutions for internal consent management.

 

DTAC is also sharing its best practice with the regulators and across industries including healthcare, airlines and tourism.

 

Paiboon Amonpinyokeat, a cyber-legal expert, said enforcement of the EU data protection law would have a significant impact on Thailand as far as EU citizens’ data is concerned. As a result, Thailand needs to enact its own data protection law so as to avoid problems with the EU, he said.

 

Regarding the proposed Thai law, Paiboon said the draft approved by the Cabinet earlier this week does not have specific measures to deal with data leaks. The EU law requires that data processors report any leaks within 72 hours.

 

Paiboon said Thailand could be blacklisted by the EU if there were serious problems regarding compliance. Also, the EU law includes the “right to be forgotten”, and so Thai authorities must be able to comply with this requirement.

 

E-commerce and other businesses, such as hotels and tourism, could be affected if there are compliance problems, he said, adding that the EU may also impose sanctions on countries that do not have strong data protection laws.

 

Arthit Suriyawongkul, coordinator of Thai Netizen, said standards in the Thai data protection law are likely to be lower than those required under EU law. Thai businesses that deal with EU customers will need to seek certification on this matter on a case-by-case basis to avoid compliance problems, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30346209

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-25

[YetAnother]

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

such as easy-to-use solutions for customers to consent to processing, and better solutions for internal consent management.

this will all turn into the usual non-sensical do-you-agree we see with new software , written in unending legalese that would bore a tree; written intentionally that way so No One would read it

[rkidlad]

Thailand 4.0?

 

I remember being in immigration to get my extension with my missus. My missus had printed off a google map for where we live (in Thai). The immigration officer said it had to be hand drawn. I gave my missus that please-bite-your-tongue look and thankfully she did. After we were all done, she ranted for about 5 mins about ‘Thailand 4.0’. She also wondered where all the paperwork goes and is it really secure. 

[bluesofa]

26 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Thailand 4.0?

 

I remember being in immigration to get my extension with my missus. My missus had printed off a google map for where we live (in Thai). The immigration officer said it had to be hand drawn. I gave my missus that please-bite-your-tongue look and thankfully she did. After we were all done, she ranted for about 5 mins about ‘Thailand 4.0’. She also wondered where all the paperwork goes and is it really secure. 

Half the time I think it's down to a lot of Thais not being to understand a map that is anything but basic. Perhaps the google map has too much detail on the page, I don't know?

Maybe that was why they said it had to be hand-drawn, to avoid losing face and admitting they couldn't follow it?

 

I originally drew a map on my PC showing only the main roads, marked traffic lights with a three colour icon, and the smaller road to our house with the exact distance from the last junction to our house, along with my full name and the address at the bottom. It has our GPS location too. All road names marked in Thai first and also English.

For the past five years it has been accepted without question. Perhaps I'm too pedantic.

 

[rkidlad]

4 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Half the time I think it's down to a lot of Thais not being to understand a map that is anything but basic. Perhaps the google map has too much detail on the page, I don't know?

Maybe that was why they said it had to be hand-drawn, to avoid losing face and admitting they couldn't follow it?

 

I originally drew a map on my PC showing only the main roads, marked traffic lights with a three colour icon, and the smaller road to our house with the exact distance from the last junction to our house, along with my full name and the address at the bottom. It has our GPS location too. All road names marked in Thai first and also English.

For the past five years it has been accepted without question. Perhaps I'm too pedantic.

 

My missus drew a kindergarten style map. I think it would be easier now in this day and age to just ask for the name of address and coordinates. 

 

My missus said it’s just ‘cos they’re stuck in their ways and don’t know any better. But if there’s someone who should be all about 4.0, it’s immigration.

[klauskunkel]

Ye, let's update those laws to EU standards, and then enforce them to Thai standards. 

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

My missus drew a kindergarten style map. I think it would be easier now in this day and age to just ask for the name of address and coordinates. 

 

My missus said it’s just ‘cos they’re stuck in their ways and don’t know any better. But if there’s someone who should be all about 4.0, it’s immigration.

Maybe that says it all, about making it easy to follow.

 

I'd be keen on Immigration 4.0 too. Remember, it's only three months to go until the TM6 is abolished - we will wait and see:

"As part of the new system, the Immigration Bureau will cancel the use of the Immigration 6 form and instead use e-passport data"

 https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1025048-foreigner-database-to-be-ready-in-six-months/

 

[Darcula]

Does this mean all those signed copies of passports collected for everything from buying a car to getting a foot massage will no longer be used for serving fish and chips?

[Khun Paul]

Seen Pigs flying over Bangkok area now.

 

[NCC1701A]

I heard Thailand hired some experts from the EU to help with the transition to GDPR but they were killed in a mini van accident.

[bluesofa]

46 minutes ago, Darcula said:

Does this mean all those signed copies of passports collected for everything from buying a car to getting a foot massage will no longer be used for serving fish and chips?

Fear not, I have it on good authority that regarding the "e-passport data", someone higher up thought the "e" was short for 'elephant', so there will be even more fish and chip paper available - as long as you want a jumbo-sized helping that is.

 

Edited May 25, 2018 by bluesofa
misprit

[wwest5829]

Hmmm, why do I have some doubt here? A military coup installed government will comply to EU privacy laws guarding the individual citizen against government/private business electronic information gathering??? Asking for a friend...

[Cadbury]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai data protection laws must quickly be updated to EU standards:

The new EU laws come into effect today and here we have Thailand still fiddling and farting around trying to get their act together, even though the EU may also impose sanctions on countries that do not have strong data protection laws. 

Before anything can happen in Thailand's 4.0 bureaucratic wonderland there needs to be endless committee meetings. Therefore the EU should not he expecting anything to happen too soon.

The only thing that will stimulate any action in Thailand will for the EU to start imposing sanctions. There may be half a chance that could get them off their lazy asses.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Cadbury

[Parsve]

4 hours ago, YetAnother said:

this will all turn into the usual non-sensical do-you-agree we see with new software , written in unending legalese that would bore a tree; written intentionally that way so No One would read it

If you talking about GDPR, the new EU dataprotection, you are wrong. The law itself say that "Terms of Services and privacy policies" has to be written in a way that it is easy to understand. 

[lvr181]

5 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Perhaps I'm too pedantic.

NO, you are realistic and understanding of those who are intellectually challenged.  

Edited May 25, 2018 by lvr181
correction

[timendres]

Frankly, I prefer to just eject EU visitors from my website.

[DrTuner]

13 hours ago, rkidlad said:

My missus drew a kindergarten style map. I think it would be easier now in this day and age to just ask for the name of address and coordinates. 

 

My missus said it’s just ‘cos they’re stuck in their ways and don’t know any better. But if there’s someone who should be all about 4.0, it’s immigration.

Last time I had a map printed from Google Maps with the pin dropped at the house and every soi marked clearly. Wife still had to draw the kids maps and when they came to visit .. they had to call first to ask where the house is. Should have said 150m from 7-11.

 

Thailand 0.04beta.