As part of the Vietnamese government’s efforts to overhaul its labor legislation, it adopted Decree 102/2013/ND-CP on September 5, 2013 (Decree 102), elaborating on the provisions of the new Labor Code (in force since May 1, 2013) on foreign workers in Vietnam. Decree 102 will be effective as of November 1, 2013. We discuss some of the key points below.Employer Reporting Requirements

Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk recently reiterated the government’s determination to continue promoting the Thailand Creative Economy initiative. In an attempt to rally support for Thailand’s transition to an innovation-driven country, he used rousing words such as “creative” and “sustainable” to describe his latest strategy. A three-stage, 20-year plan is now being drawn up, but it is not without its challenges.The Three Stages

Under Thai law, there are no requirements that employment contracts be made in writing. For some employers, this may create the perception that they can simply reach a cursory agreement with an employee on a few basic issues, such as job role and salary, and work out any other issues as they arise. In reality, this could not be further from the truth.

Getting the Deal Through has published a guide to franchising in 30 jurisdictions worldwide. The Vietnam chapter was written by Thom Thi Mai Nguyen and Huong Thi Thanh Nguyen, attorneys-at-law at the Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial team in Vietnam. The chapter covers the following topics:

Thailand faces the need for new public infrastructure and expanded public services, for which substantial investment will be required. Investment by the government can have a major impact on public finances, and so it is an attractive option to shift these costs to the private sector, in the form of public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Companies dealing with customs disputes in Thailand face a number of significant decisions in determining how they should respond.One possible option is to consider settlement with the Customs Department at a pre-litigation stage or even after claims have been filed. Specifically, a company facing a customs dispute has the right to enter into a settlement agreement with the Customs Department under sections 102 and 102 bis of the Customs Act B.E. 2469 (1926).

Consultants David Duncan and Kasma Visitkitjakarn of the Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial group have coauthored the Thailand chapter of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Telecoms, Media, and Internet Laws and Regulations 2014 (7th edition), a Q&A-style guide that covers 35 different jurisdictions. The chapter gives insight into Thailand’s changing regulatory landscape in the telecommunications and media industries. In particular, it covers:

The Vietnamese government has enacted a new regulation on sanctions against industrial property infringement by the administrative route. The regulation is Decree No. 99/2013/ND-CP, dated August 28, 2013 (Decree 99) and will come into effect on October 15, 2013, replacing Decree 97/2010/ND-CP (Decree 97). The passage of the decree comes as the result of the enactment of the 2012 Law on Handling Administrative Violations, which aims to guide the implementation of the law in the field of industrial property rights.