The bill aims to standardise trials in a bid to protect people being used as guinea pigs and to attract more research projects, said Dr Chatri Banchuen, head of the Department of Medical Services.

To improve the standard of research practices, a human research board would be set up to certify and ensure the standards of the ethics committees that regulate and control trials.

The rights of people used as guinea pigs would also be clearly defined in the bill, making both researchers and volunteers well aware of their rights, Chatri said.

A fund would receive money based on the value of the research project and use it to provide first-aid to victims in the event of any testing errors. The office of human research would later pursue full compensation from owners of the research project for the victim, according to the bill.

Property rights of research material - for example, blood samples and DNA - were also a major concern of the bill, Chatri said.

Research projects carried out without approval could face action under the Thai criminal code because such studies involve the health and lives of people, he said.

The bill was also important for attracting foreign researchers to conduct human trials in Thailand.

He said foreign research was estimated to bring in at least Bt10 billion each year and the bill should allow Thailand to compete better with other countries to attract more projects.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation