A serious privacy scandal has rocked Thailand after medical documents meant for disposal were found repurposed in the most unexpected place, wrapped around snacks sold by local street vendors.
The private hospital has been fined 1.21 million baht (approximately US$37,000) after more than 1,000 pages of confidential patient records were discovered being used to wrap street food.
The breach first came to light in May 2024, when Thai influencer Doctor Lab Panda shared viral images showing a popular street snack wrapped in printed medical documents. Some of the papers clearly revealed sensitive details, including patient names, diagnoses, and lab results.
Hospital fined after medical record leak
Following widespread backlash, Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) launched an investigation into the incident.
As reported by the Bangkok Post, the PDPC confirmed on August 1, 2025, that the hospital had violated the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and issued a fine of 37k USD for failing to properly safeguard and dispose of patient data.
The hospital, which was not named in the report, is located in Ubon Ratchathani province, and investigators found that it had outsourced its document disposal to a small, family-run contractor who improperly stored the records at home instead of destroying them.
While the hospital received the brunt of the fine, the contractor also had to pay 16,940 baht ($523) for mishandling personal information. Authorities have now urged all healthcare providers and data handlers to tighten their privacy protocols, warning that future lapses could result in further legal action.
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