The Ministry of Finance has issued two separate Notifications, published yesterday, with immediate effect, in the Government Gazette, that will relax the foreign shareholding and board limits for life and non-life insurance companies, for the purpose of promoting stability for insurance companies and the insurance industry.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Laos has, at long last, issued a decision on the Implementation of Geographical Indications under the Law on Intellectual Property No. 1119/MOST, dated October 25, 2016. The decision allows both local and foreign geographical indications (GIs) to be registered in Laos, and it outlines a number of matters concerning GIs that had not previously been included in the Law on Intellectual Property No. 01/MOST of 2011, such as registration processes and remedies.

Franchising experts from Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group have contributed the Vietnam chapter to International Franchising, Second Edition (Release 5, 2016), a guide to franchising law and practice in 34 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The chapter provides an overview of the following main subjects:

Sriwan Puapondh, of counsel, and Alan Adcock, partner, of Tilleke & Gibbins have coauthored the Thailand chapter of International Franchising, Second Edition (Release 5, 2016), a guide providing analysis of franchising law and practice in 34 countries worldwide. The chapter covers the following principal subjects:

The fourth edition of International Employment Law  (Release 5, 2016) provides an overview of employment law in 43 jurisdictions around the world. The Vietnam chapter of the guide, written by lawyers at Tilleke & Gibbins, discusses Vietnam’s Labor Code in detail, and it covers subjects such as the legal relationship between an employer and employee, terms and conditions of employment, discrimination, collective bargaining and worker participation in management, dispute resolution, termination, retirement, employer and employee contributions, and more.

The fourth edition of International Employment Law  (Release 5, 2016), published by the Center for International Legal Studies, provides an overview of employment law in 43 countries worldwide. Kitti Thaisomboon, attorney-at-law, and David Beckstead, consultant, in the corporate and commercial department at Tilleke & Gibbins, contributed the Thailand chapter of this guide.

The Indonesian Parliament approved amendments to the country’s Trademark Law on October 27, updating the Trademark Law No. 15, which had been in force since 2001. The amended Trademark Law has now entered into force—it took effect on November 28, 2016—introducing a number of significant changes that refine current practices, add new features, and clarify certain provisions.

The Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population announced on December 1, 2016, that the visa fees for Myanmar have been increased with immediate effect. Aimed at bringing Myanmar’s visa fees in line with those of other countries, the rise affects 11 out of 12 types of visas, except diplomatic visas, which will remain free of charge. Visas should be applied for prior to one’s intended travel dates at the Embassies of Myanmar or at authorized agents.