On November 13, 2017, Thailand introduced substantial amendments to the Thai Customs Act, an act that had long been considered outdated, controversial, and lacking in clarity. Numerous important provisions therefore became effective, offering a new platform upon which Customs authorities, law enforcement officials, and the Thai courts could operate.

Registration of sound marks has been possible in Thailand since September 1, 2017, based on amendments to the Trademark Act B.E. 2534 (1991) and the issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 5 B.E. 2560 (2017).

The Contract Committee of the Consumer Protection Board has issued a new notification under the Consumer Protection Act designating the lease of residential property as a “contract-controlled business.”The Notification of the Contract Committee Re: The Stipulation of Residential Property Leasing as a Contract-Controlled Business B.E. 2561 (2018) (the “Notification”), published on February 16, 2018, imposes a number of important requirements and restrictions on residential lease contracts that will come into effect on May 1, 2018.

On January 18, 2018, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Vietnam issued Circular No. 01/2018/TT-BYT (Circular 01) on the labeling of pharmaceuticals (referred to hereinafter as “drugs” for brevity). This circular will take effect from June 1, 2018, and will replace the current drug labeling regulations (Circular No. 06/2016/TT-BYT).

The much-anticipated Myanmar Companies Bill was passed by the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw and assented to by President U Htin Kyaw on December 6, 2017. The newly enacted Myanmar Companies Law 2017 (MCL 2017) effectively repeals the archaic Myanmar Companies Act 1914 (MCA 1914), and will come into effect at a date to be designated by the president, currently anticipated to be no later than August 1, 2018. In the meantime, the MCA 1914 remains in effect. The main changes introduced by the MCL 2017 are detailed below.

The Consumer Protection Act B.E. 2522 (1979) grants the Contract Committee of the Consumer Protection Board the power to designate “contract-controlled businesses,” in order to control the contents of written contracts between certain businesses and their consumers in the course of sales or services. Designation as a contract-controlled business is intended to ensure that contracts contain necessary terms and conditions and to prevent consumers from being unreasonably disadvantaged by unfair contract terms.

The Indonesia National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NADFC) has issued the nation’s first official guidelines for food recall in the Head of NADFC Regulation No. 22 of 2017, which entered into force on November 28, 2017. The regulation establishes food recall procedures for manufacturers, importers, and distributors who are obligated to recall food products that are not in accordance with requirements set forth in prevailing laws and regulations.

After much anticipation, the latest Myanmar Trademark Bill (the “Bill”) was published in the third quarter of 2017, alongside the Patents Bill, Copyright Bill, and the Industrial Designs Bill. The publication of the four bills marked the first development in the intellectual property sphere initiated by the National League of Democracy government since it entered into office in April 2016. In January 2018, the Union Minister for Education, Dr. Myo Thein Gyi, submitted the Bill to the Parliament for the Upper House’s consideration.