Issue 2/2012 of The Brief, published by the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand, features an article exploring ASEAN free trade agreements, their impact on the region, future expectations, and Thailand’s position in relation to commercial and legal developments in preparation for the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

The article is predominantly based around analyses by Cynthia M. Pornavalai, partner at Tilleke & Gibbins, who published an in-depth article on the AEC in Tilleke & Gibbins’s Informed Counsel client newsletter in February 2012. Cynthia provides expertise on the main focus of the AEC in Thailand, ranging from enhancing total trade transparency and establishing an open investment regime, to regulatory requirements necessary to facilitate the movement of labor within the region. Quoting Cynthia, the article finally delves further into Thailand’s pace of change and how it has “stubbornly held onto antiquated laws that restrict foreign participation in [certain] industries.”