On May 17, 2017, Thailand published its new Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017) in the Royal Gazette, the official journal in which new laws are announced. The Act, effective 180 days from publication, repeals the outdated and controversial Customs Act B.E. 2469 (1926) and its prior amendments.

Thailand’s new Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017) (TCA) was published in the Government Gazette  on July 7 and will come into force 90 days later on October 5. The new TCA will likely lead to many significant changes, including expanding the powers of the Office of Trade Competition Commission (OTCC) and making the OTCC independent from the government. Other important provisions in the new TCA are set out below.Defining market-dominant business operator

In order to resolve the issue of illegal foreign workers in Thailand, and regulate those who hire them or help to bring them into the country, the government has urgently promulgated a new law, entitled the Royal Decree on Managing the Work of Foreigners B.E. 2560 (2017) (the New Law), which came into effect on June 23, 2017. It replaces and unifies the Working of Foreigner Act B.E. 2551 (2008) and the Royal Decree on Recruitment of Foreigners B.E. 2559 (2016). The New Law is designed to systematically manage the employment of foreigners, regardless of the industry in which they work.

In Vietnam, granted patents can be amended under provisions found in Article 97 of the Law on Intellectual Property (IP Law). Under Article 97, a patent owner has the right to ask the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) to amend a granted patent for any of the following reasons:

Condominiums have long been one of the most popular properties for people living in Thailand’s big cities. The different units in a condominium are individually owned, while common properties, such as lobby areas or swimming pools, are jointly owned by the owners of individual condominium units.

The Thai government has focused on updating the Labor Protection Act (LPA) this year. The LPA was first amended on January 24, 2017. More recently, on June 29, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has approved further amendments that are now pending Royal endorsement. With the goal of encouraging local businesses and foreign investors to protect employees, the amendments address issues that the LPA did not fully cover in its previous form.Important provisions in the amendments to the LPA include:

On June 17, 2017, the Petroleum Act (No. 7) B.E. 2560 and the Petroleum Income Tax Act (No. 7) B.E. 2560 were both enacted, amending their predecessor laws. The amendments to both statutes entered into force on June 23, 2017. The amendments had been anticipated for some time, introducing production sharing agreements (PSAs) and service contracts as alternative host government instruments by which upstream oil and gas producers may invest in Thailand.

Bad faith trademark filings are not uncommon in Vietnam. In fact, bad faith is often included under the label of “dishonesty basis” as a ground for opposition or cancellation of a trademark application/registration. Generally speaking, bad faith is deemed to occur when an applicant intentionally registers a trademark to benefit from the goodwill and reputation associated with the trademark of another owner. Some notable issues of bad faith trademark filings in Vietnam are discussed below.