Vietnam Moves First
On 1 March 2026, Vietnam became the first country in ASEAN to officially enforce a standalone AI law under the Law on Artificial Intelligence (passed by the National Assembly on 10 December 2025). The law contains 35 articles covering both the development and use of artificial intelligence.
While many countries in the region are still in the draft-law stage or relying on voluntary guidelines, Vietnam chose to act first — establishing a risk classification framework, prohibiting harmful uses of AI, and imposing penalties for non-compliant AI deployment.
Key Provisions of the Law
Risk Classification
The law classifies AI into three levels:
- High-Risk — AI systems that could cause serious harm to life, health, rights, or national security, such as AI used in credit, healthcare, and employment
- Medium-Risk — AI systems where users may be misled by interacting with AI without knowing it, or by AI-generated content
- Low-Risk — All other AI systems
Main Prohibitions and Requirements
Prohibitions (Article 7) — AI may not be used to violate rights, create deceptive deepfakes, exploit vulnerable groups, or bypass human oversight.
Transparency (Article 11) — Disclosure is required when AI generates or modifies audio, images, or video, along with machine-readable markings for synthetic media.
Incident Response (Article 12) — Serious incidents must be reported and remediated through a centralized reporting system.
Chain of Responsibility — The law defines obligations for all parties across the AI lifecycle: developers, providers, deployers, and end users.
Transition Period
For AI systems already in use before the law took effect, the compliance timeline is:
- 18 months for AI used in healthcare, education, and finance
- 12 months for all other AI systems
Pressure on Other ASEAN Countries
Vietnam’s early move increases pressure on other countries in the region:
| Country |
AI Regulatory Status |
Stage |
| Vietnam |
In force (Mar. 2026) |
Production |
| Singapore |
AI Governance Framework (voluntary) |
Guidelines |
| Thailand |
Draft AI Act under consideration |
Draft |
| Indonesia |
AI Ethics Guidelines |
Guidelines |
| Malaysia |
National AI Framework |
Policy framework |
What stands out is that Vietnam is the only country with a mandatory legal framework, rather than merely voluntary guidance.
Where Does Thailand Stand?
Thailand currently has a draft AI law under consideration, led by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), while the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) is developing AI guidance in relation to the PDPA.
What Thailand already has:
- PDPA, which covers the use of personal data in AI systems
- AI Ethics Guidelines from NSTDA/ETDA
- A draft AI Act, expected to be submitted to Parliament within 2026
What is still missing:
- A standalone AI law that is actually enforceable
- A formal AI risk classification system
- A legal AI framework covering the full chain of responsibility
How Should Thai Organizations Prepare?
Even though Thailand’s AI law is not yet in force, organizations using AI should start preparing now:
- Inventory current AI usage — Identify which AI systems the organization uses and determine each system’s risk level
- Conduct AI Impact Assessments — Evaluate AI’s impact on individuals and society, especially for systems making decisions about people
- Prepare for transparency requirements — Check whether users are informed when interacting with AI
- Align with PDPA — Verify that AI systems using personal data fully comply with the PDPA
Perspective
Vietnam introducing AI legislation first does not mean Thailand is falling behind — but it does mean the timeline is getting shorter. With the EU AI Act set to apply to high-risk AI systems in August 2026, organizations operating across borders will need to be ready for multiple regulatory regimes at the same time.
Organizations that begin building AI governance today will have an advantage — regardless of when Thailand’s law is enacted.
Source: Vietnam's First Standalone AI Law — IAPP, Vietnam AI Law Takes Effect, First in South-East Asia — The Star
