Thailand: Adopted ETDA order on criteria for calculation of average monthly active users in the Kingdom (AMAU) (no. 1/2566)

On 22 June 2023, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) adopted the order on criteria for calculation of average monthly active users in the Kingdom (AMAU) (no. 1/2566). The order establishes the guidelines for determining the number of active users of digital platform services in Thailand and aims to standardise the reporting of user statistics for regulatory purposes. Furthermore, the order mandates that digital platform operators calculate the Average Monthly Active Users (AMAU) by identifying unique users who interact with the platform each month. The monthly active users (MAU) are calculated based on activities such as logging in, searching, purchasing, or other interactions specific to the platform’s nature. Operators must use distinct methods like user accounts, IP addresses, or device identifiers to avoid counting the same user multiple times, while ensuring compliance with personal data protection laws. The regulation specifies that in cases where the platform has fewer than 5,000 monthly users or if the user count is affected by unforeseen incidents like cybersecurity issues, operators can report simplified statistics or exclude affected months from the AMAU calculation. In addition, operators must report their AMAU statistics to the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) if they have more than 5,000 users monthly or if users exceed 10% of Thailand’s population. The order will enter into force on 21 August 2023.