BANGKOK, Thailand – A civil society group has petitioned a parliamentary committee to investigate a massive data breach after a government agency leaked the national ID numbers and healthcare details of approximately 67.1 million people. Thanarat Kuawattanaphan, a software expert leading the group, submitted the petition to Alongkot Maneekat, chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy. Thanarat stated that the compromised system allowed easy access to sensitive data—including birth dates, addresses, and parental details—using just a name or ID number.
“This reflects a systemic failure,” Thanarat said, noting this is the second critical vulnerability he discovered in the same database this year, following a previous leak in March. He urged authorities to disclose the full scale of the breach, noting that the data is already being traded on the black market, and warned that such leaks serve as vital raw material for call center scams. Committee chairman Alongkot acknowledged the severity of the breach and confirmed that relevant agencies will be summoned next week to clarify the facts. He emphasized that the committee will prioritize upgrading government cybersecurity standards, establishing victim compensation mechanisms, and strengthening personal data protection measures. (TNA)
