Thailand was ranked 22nd out of 165 countries in a newly released global assessment of nations' vulnerability to cyber attacks, while its cyber security standards are below those of neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
In an earlier version of the study it ranked No.15 but due to the number of countries sharing the same positions, its updated placement marks an improvement.
Just above Thailand in 21st place was Latvia, while below was India in 23rd spot.
Comparing two cyber security studies issued in 2014 and 2017, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) chairman ACM Thares Punsri revealed the results yesterday at a "cyber warfare" forum, part of NBTC Expo Thailand 2017 run by the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Defence.
He cited the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), organised by the UN agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The survey measures the commitment of member states to cyber security.
In 2014, Thailand shared 15th place with seven other countries including Argentina, Cameroon and Mongolia. Some 52 other countries fared better with the US, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Oman ranking among the top.
Three years later the nation has slipped to 22nd spot with Singapore at No.1, followed by the US, Malaysia and Oman.
Five measures were taken into consideration including each country's technical proficiency, organisational ability, capacity building and cooperation.
Thailand's weak points were named as its poor organisational ability and weak cooperation. In the 2014 study it "failed" three of the measures.
The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has proposed a cyber security bill but this is still being considered by the Council of State, ACM Thares said.
This would see a national cyber security protection committee set up to regulate the cyber security and threats to national defence with the prime minister at the helm.
Although the organisational structure of the proposed agency should be known by the time the bill is passed into law, it is expected that all three armed forces would help operate it, the NBTC chairman said.
The armed forces have already begun training so-called "cyber warriors" to implement measures aimed at protecting the country from such threats, he said.
Thailand has initiated cooperation on cyber security with Japan, Norway, Russia and other countries, he added.
Despite its attempts to improve cyber security, standards remain below an acceptable level leaving much room for improvement, ACM Thares said, quoting the ITU.
Citing figures from the NBTC's centre for telecommunication economic research, he said 113 million mobile phone numbers were registered as being in use last year, reflecting huge growth in this area. This has raised concerns about the increased cyber threat for mobile internet users, he said.
In this respect the country shares a common concern with the rest of the international community as cyber threats can affect all sectors, said Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
Thailand is now teaming up with international security agencies to try and cope with these threats, he said, adding that information exchanges should bear fruit.
Richard A Clarke, a cyber security expert and adviser to several former US presidents, called on Thailand to ensure its cyber security policy is extended to cover the private sector, especially commercial banks and private-run hospitals.
Rights groups worry more cyber security bills may pose a threat to privacy protection as they could mean greater online monitoring by the government.