This Tilleke & Gibbins Viewpoint article, written by David Lyman (Chairman & Chief Values Officer), provides a review of the current state of corruption in Thailand. The article gives an overview of petty corruption and grand corruption, highlighted by recent prominent examples. The article then discusses recent progress made by the government and the importance of ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

There has been an emerging movement in Thailand for some form of medical malpractice legislation. Various professional organizations (representing healthcare professionals) and NGOs (representing patients) have proposed draft legislation; there have now been a total of seven draft bills governing medical malpractice. The current draft garnered a great deal of attention from both local and international media outlets in July and August 2010, as healthcare experts forewarned of dire consequences that could result from the Bill.

After the Consumer Case Procedure Act and the Product Liability Act became effective, several healthcare providers have voiced concerns regarding the applicability of these new laws and medical injury-related matters. Expectedly, there were recommendations from certain groups of healthcare professionals that disputes involving medical injuries should not be governed by these Acts. In light of this, there has been an emerging movement in Thailand for some form of medical malpractice legislation. This article looks at the draft legislation.

Thailand is one of the few countries where registration (or recordation, to be precise) of a well-known trademark is available at the Department of Intellectual Property under its Regulation Regarding Well-Known Marks B.E. 2548 (2005). Applications for well-known marks will be thoroughly examined by the Board of Well-Known Marks, chaired by the Director of the Trademark Office and composed of Thai Trademark Registrars from all classes of goods and services.

On September 1, 2010, new antipirating legislation aimed at curbing the pirating of DVDs and CDs entered into effect. The new regulations are set forth in Decree No 75/2010/ND-CP Providing Regulations on Administrative Penalties in the Area of Culture (Decree 75), which was promulgated by the Government on July 12, 2010. This article provides an introduction to the regulations.

Thailand has long been viewed as an attractive option for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector. The country has already positioned itself as a regional leader in automotive assembly and parts production, while the electronics and textile industries are also well-established strengths. One of the reasons for Thailand’s competitiveness in these areas is the country’s relatively low rate of unionization, which currently stands at less than 10%.

In this age of amazing technological advancements, broadband information overload, anxiety, turmoil, extremes, diversions, and hope, a Chief Values Officer (CVO) of an organization is the guardian of that organization’s values and virtues, its culture, its spirit, its integrity, its ethical principles and moral foundations, and promotes adherence thereto. A CVO keeps the engine of an organization’s life running smoothly with minimal disruption to the environment and a maximum of character building and social responsibility.

For many years, Thai people have understood that consuming dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs can help them live healthier lives. Based on this, many healthcare companies view Thailand as a strong market with significant growth potential, thus leading to an increase in the number of dietary supplements being registered with the Food and Drug Administration of Thailand (FDA).