Telemedicine Regulations (Thailand)

This page summarizes the main legal instruments governing telemedicine and online clinics in Thailand, including the framework for Thai traditional medicine.

Modern Medicine

  • TMC Notification No. 54/2563 (2020) — Guidelines on Telemedicine & Online Clinic. Published 21 Jul 2020; effective 20 Oct 2020. Sets professional standards and duties for physicians providing telemedicine.
  • MOPH Notification B.E. 2567 (2021) — Standards of Telemedicine Services provided by Medical Facilities. Published 18 Jan 2021; effective 2 Feb 2021. Legalized telemedicine in medical facilities and defined operational/permit requirements.
  • Medical Facility Act (Sanatorium Act) — Primary statute governing clinics and hospitals; telemedicine must operate under this framework.

Thai Traditional Medicine

  • TTMC Notification (8 Feb 2022) — Thai Traditional Medical Council regulation permitting Thai traditional and applied Thai traditional telemedicine; requires compliance with TTMC professional standards.
  • Professional Standards: “Professional Standards for Thai Traditional Medical Practitioner B.E. 2563 (2020)” and “Professional Standards for Applied Thai Traditional Medical Practitioner B.E. 2560 (2017)”, plus TTMC Medical Competency Assessment Criteria.

Quick Reference Table

Norm/NotificationAuthorityPublication / Effective
TMC Notification No. 54/2563 (2020)Medical Council of ThailandPublished 21 Jul 2020, effective 20 Oct 2020
MOPH Notification B.E. 2567 (2021)Ministry of Public HealthPublished 18 Jan 2021, effective 2 Feb 2021
TTMC Notification (2022)Thai Traditional Medical Council (TTMC)8 Feb 2022
Medical Facility Act (Sanatorium Act)Ministry of Public HealthPrimary legal framework

Telemedicine Demands

The core requirement is demonstrable medical justification and a correct procedure: lawful telemedicine, verified identities, informed consent, sufficient clinical information, correct prescription dataset, and data protection. This follows the TMC and MOPH notifications on telemedicine (no mandatory consult duration) plus general PDPA rules for personal and health data.

  1. Legal basis of the session
    • Service is provided by a licensed medical facility authorized for telemedicine (MOPH permit).
    • Doctor/practitioner holds a valid license for the respective profession.
  2. Identification and consent
    • Patient identity verified (document selfie‑match or equivalent assurance).
    • Informed consent to telemedicine and PDPA explicit consent for processing health data; clear purposes and safeguards.
  3. Clinical sufficiency (chart note)

    Minimum data to justify prescribing:

    • Chief complaint/symptoms (with onset), brief history (Hx), current meds, allergies, comorbidities, red flags; vitals/objective data if available.
    • Working diagnosis (ICD‑10 preferred) and brief rationale (1–2 lines).
    • Plan: drug/dose/frequency/duration, follow‑up, red‑flags for in‑person/ER visit.
  4. Prescription dataset (minimum)
    • Patient: full name, ID/passport/record number, date of birth.
    • Medication: name, form, strength, dose, route, frequency, duration, quantity/refills.
    • Prescriber: full name, profession, license number, contact, date/time, signature/e‑seal.
    • Warnings/contraindications, allergies, diagnosis/indication.
  5. PDPA & compliance
    • Inform retention period and patient rights (access, deletion/de‑identification; typical response SLA up to 90 days per sub‑regs).
    • Secure transmission/storage and audit trails.