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Exa: tilleke.com
Exa: tilleke.com
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Chat with Bali Zero on WhatsAppThailand has established one of the most structured AI governance frameworks in Southeast Asia, developed in part through guidance from the law firm T
Thailand has established one of the most structured AI governance frameworks in Southeast Asia, developed in part through guidance from the law firm Tilleke & Gibbins. The framework follows a risk-based model similar to the European Union's AI Act, categorising AI applications by the level of harm they could cause and imposing proportionate compliance obligations on developers and deployers.
At its core, the framework requires businesses using AI systems to conduct impact assessments, maintain transparency with end users, and implement safeguards against discriminatory or harmful outputs. High-risk applications — such as those used in credit scoring, hiring decisions, healthcare, or law enforcement — face the strictest requirements, including mandatory human oversight mechanisms and audit trails.
The framework also addresses data governance. Companies must ensure that the data used to train AI systems is lawfully collected, accurate, and not processed in ways that violate privacy rights. Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), already in force since 2022, underpins much of this requirement and creates a connected compliance ecosystem.
Liability provisions are notably significant. Under the new framework, both AI developers and the companies deploying those systems can be held responsible for harm caused by AI outputs. This dual-accountability structure is a departure from older technology liability models and aligns Thailand with global trends toward shared responsibility in AI deployment.
Thailand's approach reflects a regional push to attract AI investment while managing public risk. Neighbouring markets including Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia have each issued AI governance guidance or consultation papers in the past 18 months, with varying degrees of enforceability. Thailand's framework, backed by a recognised legal advisory body, is among the more detailed and operationally specific in the region.
Thailand's move is a policy signal that every foreign entrepreneur in Indonesia should read carefully. Southeast Asian governments are no longer treating AI as a frictionless growth tool — they are be
ginning to legislate it, and Indonesia is watching closely. Bali Zero clients who are building or scaling tech products, deploying AI in client-facing services, or using automated decision-making tool
s in their Indonesian PT PMA structures should begin building internal compliance readiness now, not when Jakarta issues its own rules.
Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has already released national AI strategy documents and participated in ASEAN-level AI governance dialogues. The architecture of Thailand's framework — risk tiers, transparency obligations, dual liability — is likely to inform Indonesian rulemaking. Companies that build compliant practices in 2025 and 2026 will have a structural advantage when local enforcement begins.
For Bali-based digital businesses serving regional clients, Thai compliance requirements may apply directly if they process data from Thai users. The risk is not hypothetical — it is cross-border and current.
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