Thailand joins UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts

Thailand joins UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts - Trade Treasury Payments

Thailand has officially acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts (ECC), becoming the 19th State Party and the third ASEAN member to adopt the instrument. The instrument of accession was deposited on 28 March 2025, on the margins of the 68th session of UNCITRAL Working Group IV (Electronic Commerce) in New York.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005, the ECC provides legal clarity for the use of electronic communications in cross-border transactions. It ensures that contracts and other exchanges conducted electronically carry the same legal effect as their paper-based equivalents.

Thailand’s accession comes ahead of the Convention’s 20th anniversary and reflects ongoing efforts across East and South-East Asia to modernise trade law frameworks in line with digital economy developments.

The framework is intended to reduce uncertainty in international trade by aligning legal treatment across jurisdictions.

The instrument of accession was delivered by Professor Wisit Wisitsora-At, former Chair of UNCITRAL and current Chair of Working Group V (Insolvency), to David Nanopoulos, Chief of the United Nations Treaty Section.

In line with Article 19 of the Convention, Thailand made three formal declarations. These specify that the ECC will not apply to: (1) electronic transactions excluded under Section 3 of Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Act B.E. 2544 (2001); (2) contracts involving a Thai state agency; and (3) transactions subject to mandatory registration with a Thai competent authority. These declarations aim to maintain consistency with national law and regulatory practices.

The ECC will enter into force for Thailand on 1 October 2025 and is expected to support the country’s digital trade agenda by strengthening legal certainty for electronic commerce and reinforcing Thailand’s position in the regional trade landscape.

Within ASEAN, Thailand joins Singapore and the Philippines as parties to the Convention. The development may contribute to a more harmonised legal environment for digital trade in the region and could serve as a reference point for further accessions.

The ECC is part of UNCITRAL’s broader mandate to support the development of international trade law. Legal frameworks such as the ECC are increasingly viewed as foundational tools to support cross-border interoperability and trust in electronic transactions.