One of the more positive outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic is that telemedicine has become remarkably important as an interactive system between patients and healthcare professionals. Thailand, which ranks near the top as a world medical hub, is a highly favored destination in Asia for expat workers. Currently, the Thai market has both Thai-based and foreign-based platforms with information about healthcare providers and telemedicine readily available. “Doctor Locator,” “Weed Map,” and “Find a Teeth Aligner Dentist” are examples of online platforms connecting patients with medical and telemedicine services. These digital platforms provide information about the location of specialized clinics, cannabis dispensaries, pharmacy stores, and orthodontic practitioners in Thailand. These platforms act as intermediaries between medical care businesses and consumers. As actual medical services are not offered or provided, these digital platforms do not have to be regulated under the Medical Facility Act of Thailand. However, healthcare digital platform services that act as an intermediary or conduit managing information used to connect medical clinics or cannabis dispensaries with patients or customers via a computer network are now regulated under the soon-to-be-implemented Royal Decree on Digital Platforms, regardless of whether payment is actually made via the platform. The regulatory authority for this is the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA). Under this royal decree, digital platform providers that intend to operate a digital platform service must notify the ETDA prior to initiating operations. The extent of the details to be included in the notification to the ETDA will be more comprehensive if the digital platform: has annual revenue (before expenses) for digital platform services within Thailand exceeding THB 1.8 million (approx. USD 51,200) for an individual operator or THB 50 million (approx. USD 1.42 million) for a corporate or entity operator; or has more than 5,000 users (on average) per month. Apart

Practitioners from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Vietnam offices contributed content for the latest edition of the Practical Law Life Sciences Global Guide. The guide provides a comparative overview, in Q&A format, of laws and regulations on pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other life sciences products in dozens of jurisdictions around the world. The Life Sciences Global Guide is divided into two sections: Regulation (see more details here) and Commercialization, which covers the following topics: Overview of the life sciences sector Pricing, government funding, and reimbursement: National health care system, price regulation and reimbursement Distribution and sale Cross-border trade and parallel imports Advertising to the public and engagement with patient organizations Advertising to healthcare professionals and organizations: Gifts and incentives and transparency and disclosure Patents: Conditions for patentability, registration, length of protection, infringement, international treaties Trademarks: Requirements, registration Competition law issues: Authorities and legislation, commercial contracts and competition law, licensing approvals and formalities Product liability: Regulators, medicinal product liability law, liable partners, defenses, product liability claims, remedies Practical Law, produced by Thomson Reuters, is the world’s leading legal know-how resource for business lawyers, publishing a huge range of guides covering hundreds of jurisdictions and practice areas. The full “Life Sciences Commercialization in Vietnam” section can be found on the Practical Law website.

Practitioners from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Vietnam offices contributed content for the latest edition of the Practical Law Life Sciences Global Guide. The guide provides a comparative overview, in Q&A format, of laws and regulations on pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other life sciences products in dozens of jurisdictions around the world. The Life Sciences Global Guide is divided into two sections: Commercialization (see more details here) and Regulation, which covers the following topics: Pharmaceuticals: Laws and regulatory authorities Clinical trials: Legal, regulatory, and procedural requirements Manufacturing and distribution Marketing: Authorization for marketing medicinal products, monitoring compliance and penalties, pharmacovigilance and other commitments, foreign marketing authorizations Data privacy Packaging, labeling, and tracking Biological medicines Medical devices: Legislation and regulatory authorities, definition and classification Healthcare IT Combination products and borderlines Natural health products Recent developments and reform proposals Practical Law, produced by Thomson Reuters, is the world’s leading legal know-how resource for business lawyers, publishing a huge range of guides covering hundreds of jurisdictions and practice areas. The full “Life Sciences Regulation in Vietnam” section can be found on the Practical Law website.

Life sciences specialists from Tilleke & Gibbins have supplied the Thailand and Vietnam contributions to the International Bar Association (IBA) Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Committee’s global telemedicine survey. The survey, spanning 54 jurisdictions worldwide, functions as a comparative legal guide on the provision of telemedicine and related products and services. It offers practitioners and industry users access to relevant rules and regulations, addressing key aspects such as regulation, data privacy, liability, and recent developments in telemedicine. Telemedicine has emerged as a transformative force in healthcare, revolutionizing the way medical services are accessed and delivered. As in many other jurisdictions, telemedicine has gained prevalence in Thailand and Vietnam, as it enables patients to remotely consult with healthcare professionals, access diagnostic services, and receive timely medical advice while minimizing physical contact. As the global healthcare landscape continues to evolve, understanding the legal and regulatory aspects of telemedicine becomes paramount, making initiatives like the IBA’s telemedicine survey vital for practitioners and industry stakeholders. The IBA is a globally recognized organization that brings together legal professionals and bar associations from around the world, and its Healthcare and Life Sciences Law Committee plays a crucial role in addressing legal issues and developments in the healthcare industry. The complete surveys for Thailand and Vietnam­—and the 52 other participating jurisdictions—are available on the IBA website.