Educational Information Only
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PDPA Section 79 — Criminal penalty
Personal Data Protection Act (พระราชบัญญัติคุ้มครองข้อมูลส่วนบุคคล) — Section 79.
Plain-English Summary
Unlawful use or disclosure of sensitive personal data in a manner likely to cause another damage, loss of reputation, contempt, hatred or humiliation is punishable by up to 6 months' imprisonment or a fine up to THB 500,000 or both, rising to up to 1 year or THB 1 million where done to obtain an unlawful benefit; the offence is compoundable.
Official Text
Official Thai text at the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State. Translation summary only.
Consult official sourceParent Statute
Personal Data Protection Act
พระราชบัญญัติคุ้มครองข้อมูลส่วนบุคคล · B.E. 2562 (2019)
The Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) is Thailand's first consolidated data-protection statute and is closely modelled on the EU GDPR. It was given royal assent on 24 May 2019, but its core operative chapters were postponed by Royal Decree and took full effect only on 1 June 2022. The Act regulates the collection, use and disclosure of personal data by data controllers and processors, creates the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) and its Office, grants data subjects GDPR-style rights, and carries civil, criminal and administrative liability with administrative fines of up to THB 5 million.
The summary above is a plain-English educational paraphrase of Section 79 of the Personal Data Protection Act. It is not an authoritative translation. For the binding Thai text, consult the Royal Gazette or the Office of the Council of State. Educational use only — not a substitute for advice from a Thai-qualified lawyer.
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