Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 dated June 27, 2025, of the National Assembly of Vietnam (the “IFC Resolution” – see our previous article) set out the foundational legal framework for the establishment and development of Vietnam’s first-ever International Financial Centers (IFC). In furtherance of this framework, on December 18, 2025, the government of Vietnam issued eight implementing decrees to provide detailed regulatory guidance and to operationalize the IFC Resolution in practice. The Eight Implementing Decrees: An Integrated Regulatory Ecosystem The new decrees governing the IFC include the following: Decree No. 323/2025/ND-CP on the establishment of the IFC. Decree No. 324/2025/ND-CP on financial policies applicable within the IFC. Decree No. 325/2025/ND-CP on labor, employment, and social security within the IFC. Decree No. 326/2025/ND-CP on land and environmental matters within the IFC. Decree No. 327/2025/ND-CP on entry, exit, and residence of foreign nationals in the IFC. Decree No. 328/2025/ND-CP on the International Arbitration Center of the IFC. Decree No. 329/2025/ND-CP on banking licensing, foreign exchange management, and anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) within the IFC. Decree No. 330/2025/ND-CP on the establishment and operation of commodity exchanges within the IFC. Taken as a whole, these eight decrees translate the IFC Resolution into a coherent and fully operational legal regime governing the establishment, organization, and functioning of Vietnam’s IFC. Collectively, they demonstrate that Vietnam’s IFC framework is best understood not as a collection of isolated incentives, but as a deliberately designed and integrated regulatory system. The Legal Architecture of the IFC: Four Interlocking Pillars Read together, the decrees seem to be designed to address four core regulatory questions from the outset: (i) what the IFC is, from a legal and institutional perspective; (ii) who may participate in the IFC and what activities are permitted; (iii) how people, capital, and projects operate

The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Office), with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is drafting additional annexes to its Guidelines for Patent Examination, focusing on the examination of patent applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. The new annexes are expected to be officially issued in early 2026 as Annexes III and IV, following the successful issuance in 2023 of Annexes I and II addressing computer program-related inventions. The IP Office recently organized a seminar to gather feedback on the draft annexes from intellectual property representatives, academic institutions, research institutes, and other interested parties, emphasizing its intention to receive further constructive opinions to refine the guidelines for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Why These Guidelines Matter Patent examination in Vietnam has traditionally relied on the Guidelines for Patent Examination issued under Decision No. 487/QD-SHTT (2010), recently supplemented by Annexes I and II. While these documents provide a solid foundation, they do not fully address practical challenges in examining pharmaceutical and biotech inventions, particularly issues related to clarity, sufficiency of disclosure, enablement, features of function and utility, combination therapies, and inventions involving artificial intelligence (AI) applications in these fields. Annexes III and IV aim to close these gaps by introducing structured principles and illustrative examples. Guidance on Patent Specification Requirements Annex III provides detailed guidance on the requirements for patent specifications in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, covering two main parts: Part A addresses sufficiency of disclosure, clarity of specifications, and consistency between claims and descriptions. Part B covers inventions related to Markush-type compounds, claims containing exclusion statements (disclaimers), and additional experimental data submitted during examination. The Guidelines outline specific disclosure requirements for subject matters such as compounds, formulations, pharmaceutical compositions, genes, polypeptides, proteins, vectors, transgenic organisms, modified organisms, and hybrid cells. Annex III emphasizes that disclaimers are not accepted

On December 17, 2025, Laos’ Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) issued a notice introducing a new digital system that allows e-commerce businesses to obtain required certificates and licenses through an online, application-based platform. Notice No. 3988, which will take effect on February 1, 2026, introduces the E-Trust platform, a downloadable application that allows e-commerce businesses to remotely obtain acknowledgement certificates and business operating licenses. New Digital Registration Options Under the previous framework established by the Decree on E-commerce (2021), businesses were required to complete registration exclusively through paper-based submissions. The new system now offers businesses two registration options: Traditional paper-based process at the Division of E-commerce Management within the MOIC; or Electronic registration and renewal through the E-Trust platform. This change is expected to streamline procedures, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance accessibility for businesses operating outside Vientiane. The E-Trust platform facilitates compliance for both individuals and legal entities required to submit applications and renewals for required certificates and licenses. The development is particularly beneficial for businesses located in remote provinces, as it eliminates the need for physical travel and significantly accelerates processing times. Compliance Requirements and Penalties Businesses must obtain or renew the required certificates and licenses to avoid sanctions under the Decision on Fines and Other Measures for Violation of the Decree and Regulations on E-commerce (No. 2828/MOIC, dated November 11, 2025). Penalties for noncompliance may include monetary fines and other enforcement measures.

Thailand has granted ride-sharing platforms additional time to comply with new regulatory requirements, extending the compliance deadline to March 31, 2026 (replacing the previous deadline of October 2, 2025). The postponement was made official on December 18, 2025, when Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) published the second Notification Regarding Supervision of Ride-Hailing Platforms Classified as High-Impact Digital Platform Services under the Royal Decree on Digital Platform Service Businesses. The notification provides additional time for ride-sharing platforms and drivers to transition to full regulatory compliance. The extension replaces the effective date provision of the earlier notification and applies specifically to ride-hailing activities. Background The postponement responds to feedback from operators and driver groups regarding challenges converting private vehicles into legally registered public vehicles, including complex registration procedures, high compliance costs, and operational delays. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) is concurrently reforming its vehicle registration and driver verification processes to streamline operations. Given these issues, the Electronic Transactions Committee has deferred enforcement to provide an adjustment period for operators and drivers to meet compliance requirements. Ongoing Obligations While the effective date has been deferred, the substantive obligations imposed on ride-sharing platforms remain fully intact. Operators must continue preparing to comply with the additional duties applicable to high-impact digital platform services, beyond the general requirements under the digital platform services framework. Operators are expected to use the extended transition period to finalize operational and compliance readiness ahead of enforcement on March 31, 2026. Key focus areas include: Integration with DLT vehicle-registration systems Deployment of robust driver and passenger identity verification mechanisms Updates to platform terms of service, driver-onboarding standards, and internal operational policies Preparation for ETDA reporting obligations and future audit and review processes Next Steps While the postponement replaces the previous effective date with the new March 31, 2026,