​Thailand's Emerging AI Governance Framework: From Ethics to Enforcement

Thailand is increasingly positioning itself as a regional leader in the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) balancing innovation, competitiveness and social responsibility. Through a combination of ethics-based frameworks, draft legislation, sectoral guidelines and education initiatives, the kingdom is actively shaping an AI ecosystem aligned with both national development goals and global standards.

 

Strategic Context and AI Integration

Under the banner of its Thailand 4.0 vision and the broader ambition to become a digital, value-based economy, Thailand views AI as a critical enabler of economic growth, social development and global competitiveness. The Office of the National Digital Economy and Society Commission (ONDE) together with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) are guiding this transformation under the 2022-2027 Thailand National AI Strategy and Action Plan. The strategy acknowledges that Thailand must navigate structural challenges (such as infrastructure gaps, digital skills, inclusivity) while ensuring that AI deployment remains ethical and socially beneficial. For instance, the kingdom's approved AI ethics guidelines emphasise culturally informed values, human-centred design and equitable access.

 

Evolving Legal and Regulatory Framework

Thailand's first major step was the publication of the Digital Thailand: AI Ethics Guideline (by the ETDA) which set out high-level principles around transparency, fairness, human rights, accountability and safety in AI. In 2024 - 2025 the government moved to more concrete regulatory tools. For example:

• In October 2024 the MDES and Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) released "Guidelines for the Application of Generative AI with Good Governance for Organizations"
• Early 2025 saw public hearings on the proposed draft AI law (or "Draft Principles for the AI Law") which aims to merge previously separate "Supported AI Law" and "Regulated AI Law" approaches into a unified instrument.

 

Fig 1.0 Thailand's regulatory timeline reflects a clear shift from voluntary ethical guidance toward a unified, enforceable AI governance framework bridging innovation and accountability

 

Key Features of the Draft AI Legislation

Thailand's proposed AI law marks a pivotal step toward establishing a comprehensive and enforceable governance regime. The draft introduces a risk-based regulatory model that balances innovation with accountability, aligning national policy with international standards such as the EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. It sets out clear obligations for both domestic and foreign AI providers, emphasizes transparency and human oversight, and empowers sectoral regulators to tailor compliance to specific industry contexts.

Key Features can be listed as following:

1. Risk-Tier Classification: AI systems will be categorized by risk level, with high-risk systems subject to stricter oversight, conformity assessments, and documentation duties.
2. Local Representation Requirement: Foreign AI service providers must appoint a local legal representative and register with Thai authorities before offering AI systems or services in the market.
3. Compliance & Accountability Obligations: Organizations must implement logging, transparency, auditability, and incident-reporting mechanisms, ensuring traceability and accountability throughout the AI lifecycle.
4. Alignment with International Standards: The framework references globally recognized benchmarks such as ISO/IEC 42001 (AI management systems) and NIST AI RMF, encouraging harmonization with global best practices.
5. Sector-Specific Oversight: Line regulators in domains such as healthcare, finance, and education will have delegated authority to define and supervise high-risk AI use-cases, enabling context-sensitive enforcement.

 

Fig 2.0 These provisions illustrate Thailand's transition from principle-based ethics guidelines to a structured, enforceable framework that integrates accountability, transparency, and international alignment

 

Ethics, Equity & Social Readiness

Thailand's governance agenda emphasises more than just regulation: it seeks to ensure AI systems are aligned with Thai culture, values and social priorities. For example, concerns around bias, job displacement, digital divides and rural/urban disparity are explicitly part of the narrative. Academics have noted, however, that the underlying tension between modernisation-push and preservation of traditional values remains unresolved in the guideline texts.

 

Infrastructure, Education & Workforce

Thailand is investing heavily in digital infrastructure (cloud services, data centres, 5G, edge computing) to underpin AI systems. Educational policy aims to build AI literacy at all levels (schools, universities, professional training) and emphasises that workers must gain not only technical skills but also ethical literacy. The government targets a substantial build-out of high-tech workforce across AI, semiconductor, EV sectors etc.

 

Sectoral Implementation & Governance

Thailand recognises that one size does not fit all: the regulatory and governance framework allows for sector-specific tailoring (e.g. healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing) while anchoring on core principles of transparency, fairness, accountability. Oversight will be shared across MDES/ETDA and line regulators, using industry-specific compliance standards for AI-related services. The broadcast of generative AI guidelines in 2024-25 underscores this tailoring.

 

International Cooperation & Thailand's Role

Thailand is active in the global ethics and governance discourse: for example, via hosting forums (e.g. UNESCO's Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in 2025). Engagement in global standard-setting (ISO/IEC), regional forums (ASEAN) and alignment with OECD ethics guidelines help Thailand remain compatible with international best practice.

 

Challenges and Forward Outlook

Despite the progress, several key challenges remain: The draft AI law is still not finalised; clarity over risk-tiers, enforcement mechanisms and cross-border AI service regulation remains in flux. Implementation across regions (urban vs rural), sectors and smaller enterprises may lag if skills, infrastructure or awareness gaps persist. Ethical and cultural tensions (modernisation vs tradition; innovation vs rights) continue to surface in academic analysis. Ensuring meaningful transparency, auditability and enforceability (not just guidelines) will be crucial for public trust.

Looking ahead, anticipated priorities include:

• Finalisation and passage of the AI Act / primary legislation by 2025-26, followed by regulatory rule-making and enforcement (incident reporting, conformity assessment, audit).
• Deepening organisational governance mechanisms (AI risk assessments, human-in-the-loop, data governance, bias mitigation) aligned with global standards like ISO/IEC 42001.
• Expanding capacity building, particularly for AI ethics, impact assessment, and inclusive deployment to rural/marginalised communities.
• Strengthening public-private-academic partnerships to innovate ethically, govern proactively and build Thailand as an AI hub for Southeast Asia.

 

Conclusion

Thailand's approach to AI ethics and regulation is both ambitious and pragmatic: it recognises that AI offers enormous opportunity for growth and transformation, but insists that ethics, rights, transparency and inclusivity are non-negotiable components of that transformation. The kingdom is evolving from principle-based ethics guidelines to a concrete, risk-based legal and regulatory architecture that seeks to safeguard individuals and society while enabling innovation. For organisations, policymakers and practitioners working in or with Thailand, understanding this duality - opportunity + responsibility - is critical to successful and sustainable AI deployment.