The September issue of Asian Legal Business includes a story on the recent foreign dominance notification issued by Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. Building on a similar notification first issued in 2011, the new notification forbids foreign dominance in telecommunications not only through shareholding but also in management and operational roles, among others. ALB reports that the notification threatens to harm the growth of Thailand’s telecoms sector, especially with spectrum auctions on the horizon.

Starting October 1, 2012, overseas pharmaceutical manufacturers that have never before been recorded in the Drug Product Registry of Thailand will need to be accredited by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before marketing authorization can be obtained. Otherwise, the FDA will not allow the business operator to submit an Application for Importation of Drug Product Sample, which is a required document for drug product registration.

On September 21, 2012, Tilleke & Gibbins, together with the National Innovation Agency, will host a Thai-language seminar on “Medical Devices: Opportunities & Regulations.” The seminar with consist of three presentations, one of which will be conducted by Rarana Phanudulkitti, a consultant at Tilleke & Gibbins. With her expertise in regulatory affairs, Rarana will deal specifically with registering medical devices in Thailand, with an emphasis on best practices for companies in ensuring a smooth registration process.

New legislation in the United States will help to crack down on companies that use pirated software in Thailand, according to a feature report in the Bangkok Post, published on August 19, 2012.A total of 36 U.S. states and territories have passed Unfair Competition Acts, under which action can be taken against companies that use stolen or pirated IT in the production of their goods. This applies to all goods marketed or sold in these jurisdictions, even if they are manufactured abroad.