World Bank Report Flags Seven Failings Stalling Thailand’s Digital Economy

Overly Strict PDPA: The existing legal framework is deemed complex and restrictive. Crucially, the Bank argues that the current interpretation of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) is “overly strict,” creating confusion in both the public and private sectors and limiting the essential efficient data sharing needed for innovation.

Government ‘Data Silos’: Government agencies suffer from severe fragmentation, leading to ‘Data Silos’ where information is hoarded and cannot be effectively linked. This results in discontinuous and redundant public services. The report recommends establishing a National Data Governance Authority (NDGA) for unified oversight.

Slow Cloud Adoption: Despite its potential to be a regional data hub, Thailand is slow to adopt basic technologies, notably cloud computing within state agencies. The lack of a comprehensive Unified Open Data Platform prevents public data from being unlocked for private sector innovation.

EGDI Target: The World Bank supports the proactive goal of placing Thailand’s E-Government Development Index (EGDI) in the Top 40 globally, requiring significant improvements in the convenience and utility of state services.

Welfare Data Gaps: In the social welfare sector, a lack of interoperability between agencies means aid data is fragmented, leading to inaccurate assistance, failure to identify vulnerable groups precisely, and unnecessary resource wastage. The Bank calls for a Federated Social Registry and increased Big Data Analytics for targeted policy.