THAILAND IS speeding up the enactment of its first-ever legislation on personal data protection while preparing to cope with the consequences of a European Union (EU) law on this matter, as it could negatively affect Thai businesses.

Pichet Durongkaveroj, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, said the Cabinet is expected to approve the final draft of the personal data protection bill within a month after which it will go to the National Legislative Assembly for enactment.

Speaking at a seminar yesterday on the potential impact of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law, he said the public and private sectors needed to be aware of legal consequences for failing to protect the personal data of customers.

To prepare the country for enforcement of the new law, the ministry has set up the Data Protection Knowledge Centre (DPKC) in parallel with the office of personal data protection committee, which will be established under the new legislation.

Breach of data and violation of data owners’ rights are increasingly possible as the country moves ahead with its digital economy and society platforms, he said, adding that abuse of personal data for commercial benefit without proper consent from the data owners are already common.

In addition, passwords and personal data from social media such as Facebook, Google, e-commerce and other websites, mobile banking and other online services could be stolen by cyber-criminals, resulting in financial and other damage to data owners.

On the EU’s GDPR law, which will come into effect from May 25, he said there could be negative impacts on Thai businesses and industries, especially those doing online businesses with EU citizens.

Under the EU law, Thai and other foreign companies may be subject to hefty fines if there was any data breach involving EU citizens. For example, European customers of Thai Airways International and other Thai enterprises were understood to be protected under the EU law.

He said technology was changing fast so the DPKC will serve as a leader in educating the public on data protection issues, as many businesses dealing with EU customers have expressed concerns about the consequences of the new EU law on their operations.

While it remains unclear how the EU will enforce its law in foreign countries, he said all Thai businesses needed to come up with measures to manage their customers’ personal data properly. Otherwise, the country’s economy could be negatively affected due to the lack of good standards on personal data protection.

The government needed to quickly enact the new legislation to create a benchmark for Thai industries and businesses so as to avoid potential negative impacts on foreign trade and investment, he said.

Surangkana Wayuparb. executive director of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, said Thais should have more awareness on personal data protection issues as it was their constitutional right, while both public and private-sector organisations were required to come up with measures to comply with the new law.

For example, if an online service provider faces a cyberattack and there is a data breach, there will be potential damage affecting their customers and public confidence.

As a result, personal data protection is a crucial factor for national cybersecurity and the economy, she said.

Watcharapol said these former officials were suspects in several embezzlement cases.

“The maximum penalty for each case is 50 years. But because of the many cases, the imprisonment term can be combined,” he said. “Then, they may face up to 200 years in jail if convicted.”

Watcharapol reckoned that the convicts might get some penalty reduction.

The NACC has now set up a subcommittee to investigate the use of state funds at 13 temples in response to allegations of embezzlement.

Among the accused are former NBO chief Phanom Sornsilp and former deputy director of the NBO, Pranom Kongpikul.

Watcharapol said the NACC probes would proceed fast as the NACC already had relevant information in hand and evidence could be shared in some cases.

File photo

He said those who had fled the country would have to be fugitives all their life because there would be no statute of limitation in such cases under the NACC laws.

It has been reported that another former director of the NBO, Nopparat Benjawatananan, had already fled Thailand.

Many more temples are now being investigated. In the latest temple-fund scandal, police found evidence suggesting a senior monk might have transferred Bt25 million to a company that appeared to exist only on paper and is controlled by a woman with links to a military official.

The woman is a relative of Second Lieutenant Thititat Niponpittaya, whose house in Bangkok is shown as the company’s address.

Thititat and his relative were apparently close to the top monk at the Sa Ket Temple.

His home was searched on Wednesday and his maid admitted to providing her documents to Thititat’s family at their bidding. The search also uncovered many guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, prompting police to summon Thititat for questioning.

Deputy National Police Commissioner Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Thititat had submitted a written request asking that he have until May 21 to answer to the summons.

“As for the maid, she has been treated as a witness. The interrogation on her past is already complete,” Srivara said.

Last month, the NBO lodged a complaint against five senior monks, accusing them of embezzling state funds meant for Dhamma schools. Implicated are Phra Phromdilok, the abbot of Sam Phraya Temple; Phra Phrommedhi, an assistant abbot of Samphanthawongsaram Temple; Phra Phromsitti, the abbot of Sa Ket Temple; and Sa Ket Temple’s assistant abbots Phra Medhisuttikorn and Phra Wijitdhammaporn.

As the probe has expanded, police found links to DD Thaveekhoon Limited Partnership.

The registered address of this firm turned out to be just a house, which belongs to Thititat, police found on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Deputy Supreme Commander ACM Sutti Inseeyong cancelled the order for Thititat to help with work at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters command and general staff unit. Following the cancellation, Thititat has had to return to the headquarters’ security centre.

Thititat, who worked as secretary to Pisit Leelavachiropas during the latter’s term as the auditor-general, joined the Armed Forces in 2016.

An informed source said Thititat could get the job because of the influence of a senior figure.

“We have never seen him come to work at the security centre during his first six months in the Armed Forces or before he was transferred to the command and general staff unit,” the source said. “Following his transfer, we heard that he was often seen at the Sa Ket Temple.”

Of the 2,188 patent requests submitted between 2000 and 2010, 84 per cent were the “evergreening type”, the study found.

Aids Access Foundation’s representative Chalermsak Kittitrakul has estimated that evergreening had already caused more than Bt8.5 billion in damage to Thailand over the past two decades.

He was speaking at a recent academic seminar organised by the Thai Drug Watch Centre to highlight Thailand’s need to come to grips with the problem of patent evergreening.

Chalermsak

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that Valsartan could no longer be patented after the original patent expires because the second patent involved just a manufacturing method that even pharmacy students knew about.

However, as the legal battle between the patent holder and a Thai firm dragged on for more than seven years, the damage done to the latter’s reputation during the battle were so serious that it had to sell its business to a foreign investor.

Usawadee

“Original-drug manufacturers have widely used the evergreening tactic. They have sought patents for products that get some minor revamp, something that is not innovative enough to warrant patent protection,” Dr Usawadee Sutapuk, a researcher and lecturer at Payap University’s Faculty of Pharmacy, said at the same seminar.

She said that of 31 patents granted between 2000 and 2010, 70 per cent fell into the “evergreening category”.

“This means 70 per cent of the patents should have not been granted,” she emphasised.

In Usawadee’s opinion, the evergreening problem and the Intellectual Property Department’s workload would be reduced if major changes were made to the patent-review process.

Yupadee

Assistant Professor Yupadee Sirisinsuk, a deputy manager at the Thai Drug Watch Centre, said if evergreening persisted, pharmaceutical users would suffer and have difficulty accessing necessary drugs.

“With evergreening of patents, drugs are very expensive,” she said.

Yupadee hoped the Intellectual Property Department would strictly screen patent requests based on its manual.

Usawadee also expressed hope that the channel to oppose patent requests would become more efficient.

“I used to issue an opinion opposing a patent request before. But I could not know whether the Intellectual Property Department had taken my opinion into account,” she said.

Peeracha

Peeracha Thanawattanawanich, a representative of Siam Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, said she hoped the patent database would be up to date and easier to use.

“Today, it’s like generic-drug manufacturers have to search relevant information all on their own,” he said.

He said the Intellectual Property Department should also provide counselling services and access to experts, so that Thai entrepreneurs could avoid any patent problems.

Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, an independent researcher and a vice president of the FTA Watch, earlier said that not many Thai firms had the courage to fight a legal battle with big multinational firms.

“In Thailand’s pharmaceutical industry, drug prices will drop only after 20-year patents of original drugs expire. But original-drug manufacturers keep seeking new patents [through evergreening efforts],” she lamented.

According to her, multinational firms have sued at least three Thai firms over drug manufacturing.

The first case involved Valsartan, which is used to treat blood pressure and a congestive heart. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Thai firm on May 9 and ordered the patent held by Novartis cancelled.

Another case surrounded Finasterine, a medication used mainly to treat an enlarged prostate or scalp hair loss in men. Neither the multinational firm nor the Thai firm in the case lost their case. Two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that these two firms used different manufacturing techniques.

In the third case, Pfizer had sued MacroPhar, accusing the latter of violating its patent on Celecoxib – a non-steroid anti-inflammatory. This case is still pending in court.

Kannikar said a network of patients had also protested against a request by a firm to patent combined sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (a treatment for Hepatitis C).

They were all awarded certificates. The funding ceremony was held yesterday as Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai led a team to inspect the screening and behavioural-adjustment centre for drug abusers in Bangkok. The centre offers free rehabilitation programmes. Those interested in joining the programmes can contact the centre every day between 9am and 4pm.

“We treat drug abusers as patients. Those who come to the centre for rehabilitation will not face legal punishment [if they do not engage in drug trafficking],” he said.

He said the programmes also covered educational courses and occupational training.

“We also help with finding jobs and start-up capital to open a small business,” he said.

Sirinya urged parents to closely monitor their children to ensure they do not engage in illicit drugs.

“If there are signs that they are getting involved in drugs, alert us on Hotline 1386,” he said.

One resort was found to be hosting a renowned actor.

The force, including the Intenal Security Operations Command Region 4 officers, has continued its operations to suppress at least 135 resorts encroaching on forest reserves and those designated for special uses.

The land, believed to be thousands of rai, was previously allocated to those once fighting the state decades ago before returning to join the government with special terms to help fight fellow communists. They were given land in Khao Kho to make a living, but years later some plots were found changing hands or being turned into resorts.

The force last week raided 15 resorts and this week 15 more. The land seized ranged from one to 13 rai.

As the cases are complicated by various claims to the allocated land, the force would step up measures to ensure that the arrests would lead to court cases and that wrongdoers cannot make excuses to elude punishment, according to Cheewapap Cheewatham, chief of the Phayak Prai task force and the Forest Protection Operation Centre.

The photo exhibition at Siam Paragon shopping mall, which started on Friday and ends on Monday, includes stories and rare photos of the couple, and photos from past British Royal Family weddings.

The exhibition is also giving people in Thailand the opportunity to write congratulatory messages to the couple, said Executive of Siam Paragon, Chadatip Chutrakul. The messages will eventually be sent directly to Kensington Palace to present to the couple with the help of the British Embassy, she said.

Thailand and Britain have long historical ties and both countries have much in common, especially related to them both having constitutional monarchies.

At the “Siam Paragon Celebrates the Royal Wedding in Collaboration with the British Embassy Bangkok”, there are the exhibitions narrating the love story between the royal couple, as well as information about other wedding ceremonies involving the British Royal Family.

The event includes many zones, including Prince Harry and Meghan The Royal Wedding Journey, Royal Wedding and The Tiara, The Royal Engagement and Royal Wedding Dress through the Ages.

The centre was instructed by related agencies at a meeting on Thursday to next week step up traffic management on Sam Sen, Sathorn and Sukhumvit-Phetchaburi roads, which are notorious for their serious traffic jams related to the large number of schools along them, said Pol Lt-General Kraiboon Suadsong, commander of the Police Strategy Division.

Under the helm of national police chief assistant Pol Lt-General Natthorn Phrosunthorn the centre will also weekly evaluate the results of work tackling traffic jams, and make adjustments accordingly, said Kraiborn.

The centre will also make use of the 2,918 CCTV cameras in the capital and vicinity that were controlled by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Expressway Authority of Thailand and the Highway Department.

The centre also will also have BMA officials inspect roads that are under construction, to ensure that contractors keep a path clear for the public’s use. There have been many reports of projects that unnecessarily occupied more road surface than is necessary, said Kraiboon.

The BMA’s Department of Drainage and Sewerage will also inspect flood-prone spots and take measures that ensure fast draining in the event of heavy rains, he said.

Kraiboon also paid tribute to the new Lane Change Camera System run by Bangkok police. Traffic police have issued 140,000 traffic tickets against motorists who illegally change lanes to overtake other vehicles after a strict ban on the practice was implemented on May 9 at 15 flyovers and underpasses in the capital.

Pol Maj-General Ekkarak Limsang-kard, a member of the centre’s working team, said the Thursday meeting had also backed the Land Traffic Act amendment that will see a point system introduced for drivers. The behavioural score-cutting approach would take off points for every traffic law violation committed by motorists and motorcyclists, with a low score negatively impacting the driver’s licence renewal.

The amendment was passed by the National Legislative Assembly pending a June 7 public hearing for future implementation, Ekkarak said.

Sungai Padi district chief Rungruang Thimabutr on Friday morning announced the arrest of Na Jeh-alee, 45, Norma Taphud, 27, and Anusorn Jeh-isor, 21.

They were allegedly in possession of 1,494 methamphetamine pills and Bt145,440 in Thai, Malaysian and South Korean banknotes. The phone and a motorcycle were also seized.

Rungruang said Na was arrested carrying meth at 3pm on Wednesday at a checkpoint on the main road in Moo 1 village in Tambon Sungai Padi.

She allegedly admitted buying the meth from Assaming Sama-il to resell.

Officials had Na call Assaming to arrange another purchase and she was told to collect the drugs at Norma’s house. Anusorn was at the house when police and soldiers arrived and was arrested along with Norma.

Investigators believe Na’s phone was used during insurgent attacks last year in Sungai Padi and Sungai Kolok districts.

A search of Assaming’s house that evening turned up the cash. He was not home at the time and remains at large.

The drone appears to belong to Maruding Sadiyamu, a resident of Ban Lima Puloh (Moo 3).

Maruding is currently in Indonesia, working as an interpreter, but district chief Chaichana Krittiyanart quoted Maruding’s wife, Koriya Sadiyamu, as saying the drone was used only to take images of off-road motorcycle racing.

Maruding is a member of the Redzone Off-road Yala Club, his wife said.

The drone was confiscated as part of an investigation into Tuesday’s M79 grenade attack on the military outpost in the same district, in which two paramilitary rangers were injured.

Someone at the scene reported seeing a drone flying over the outpost days earlier, possibly scouting the layout ahead of the attack.

Although Fourth Army Region command is not convinced insurgents were using drones for surveillance, it issued a reminder on Wednesday that there are rules governing drone flights.

Drones cannot be flown in aviation zones or near military outposts and checkpoints, or near other areas involving national security.

Any found doing so could be seized and destroyed, it said.