A database allegedly containing personal information of about 36.1 million Thai citizens has appeared for sale on an underground forum for US$100,000, or around 3.3 million baht.
The seller claimed the database includes full names, phone numbers, dates of birth, genders, and current addresses. The listing also claimed the data covers between 50% and 70% of Thailand’s adult population.
The seller said the information had been collected from several government and private sector sources. Payment was requested in Monero, or XMR, a cryptocurrency known for being harder to trace than many other digital currencies and commonly associated with cybercriminal use.
Daily Dark Web, which reported the listing, stated clearly that the authenticity of the data has not been independently verified.
The outlet said it could not confirm the real source of the data, the number of people potentially affected, or whether the information was newly collected, old data being resold, or a compilation of several earlier leaks.
Cybersecurity analysts warned that, if genuine, the database could represent one of the most significant exposures of Thai citizens’ identity data seen on online black markets.
They said such databases can be misused for identity fraud, SIM card takeover attempts, financial scams, account recovery attacks, and targeted social engineering schemes.
However, analysts also cautioned that claims involving tens of millions of people must be proven through technical analysis and supporting evidence before any firm conclusion can be made, reported MGR Online.
At the time of reporting, no named government agency or private organisation had confirmed or denied the claim.
In a similar incident in Thailand, the Thai government has apologised for the data leak, which saw people who registered for a Covid vaccine have their personal information revealed.
The government says there was a “temporary glitch” on the vaccination booking website, and the error was because of “urgent system maintenance”.
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