Governing the digital economy in Thailand: domestic regulations and international agreements

Thailand is among the ASEAN countries that have seen the most rapid growth in digital infrastructure and e-commerce since the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2022 study conducted by the Asian Development Bank, Thailand was among just eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have implemented comprehensive legislation governing digital trade. In the absence of a multilateral agreement, Thailand, like many other countries, is leveraging its participation in FTAs to shape global rules for digital trade; but this approach requires significant administrative resources and can lead to regulatory fragmentation and increased business costs. Alternatively, the standalone Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) is emerging as a key consensus-building platform towards a multilateral digital economy regime that Thailand may consider joining.