On April 7, 2020, the Immigration Department of the Lao Ministry of Public Security issued Notification No. 740 announcing updated regulations relating to the renewal of permits and visas which may expire during the lockdown period. The notification came into effect on the same date.

Domestic Travel RestrictionsOn April 9, 2020, the Cambodian government issued travel restrictions within Cambodia to prevent the progression of COVID-19 to the community transmission stage, effective from 12:00 a.m. Thursday, April 9, 2020, to 12:00 a.m. Thursday, April 16, 2020.During this period, the following are prohibited: 

On April 6, 2020, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 13/2020/QD-TTg on the mechanism for encouraging the development of solar power in Vietnam (“Decision 13”). Decision 13, which will take effect on May 22, 2020, introduces a number of new incentives and mechanisms for investors in solar power projects in Vietnam.New Feed-in Tariff

Following the announcement of a state of emergency on March 26, 2020, Thailand has put in place several measures that limit international travel as part of its efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of land borders with neighboring countries and the prohibition of arrivals by almost all international commercial passenger flights. These measures have left many non-Thai citizens in the country in a difficult position, due to the potential expiry of visas during a period when travel is being widely restricted.

Faced with the specter of corporate liquidity problems brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) have announced an array of measures to assist small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures range from preemptive financial support, to debt moratoria, to the granting of low interest financial assistance.Below is a chronological summary of the measures as at April 7:

On April 9, 2020, Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational (MLVT) enacted measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections during the now-postponed Cambodian New Year holiday from Monday, April 13, 2020, to Thursday, April 16, 2020.

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has issued BOT Announcement No. Wor 277/2563, dated February 28, 2020, to provide relief measures for small and medium-sized debtors who suffer adverse economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The key points of this announcement are summarized below.Revised Definition of Debt RestructuringUnder this announcement, “debt restructuring” means restructuring of debt arising from a debtor’s increased credit risks, which can be divided into two categories: