Personal information of 106 million international tourists visiting Thailand has been leaked.

According to Comparitech, a cybersecurity research firm, the personal data of 106 million international tourists who visited Thailand over the past 10 years was leaked online in August of this year. Comparitech stated that the leaked data included full names, gender, passport numbers, arrival dates, visa types, and residency status.

The National Cyber ​​Security Agency of Thailand (NCSA) confirmed the incident and stated that they found no evidence that the data was sold to underground sites. Bob Diachenko, head of cybersecurity research at Comparitech, discovered the leak on August 22nd. Thai authorities secured the database again on August 23rd.

According to Mr. Diachenko, hackers could find unsecured databases globally within hours. However, Thai authorities responded to Comparitech that the leaked data had not been illegally used by any third party. A month after Comparitech discovered the security vulnerability, this personal data leak scandal was finally exposed by the media. This incident angered both tourists and foreigners in Thailand.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, affirmed that the leak of personal information has significantly affected the trust of tourists. "Tourists can rest assured that similar incidents will not happen again in the future," Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn emphasized. "Tourists, especially business travelers, should think carefully before coming to Thailand if they perceive threats to their personal security."

"Travel companies, hotels, and airlines need to work together to assess the risks from this and expand preventative measures as soon as possible," added Yuthasak Supasorn.

Huyen Chau