On August 15, 2025, Laos’ Immigration Police Department introduced a pilot online arrival registration system for foreign passport holders entering the country. Under the new system, visitors to Laos will be able to register their arrival online up to three days in advance and will be exempt from filling out paper forms at the border. Starting September 1, 2025, online registrations will be accepted at four major international border checkpoints: Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport in Champasak Province, and the First Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane and Nong Khai Province in Thailand. Foreign passport holders arriving in Laos from this date onward will be able to complete the online registration via the official website of the Department of Immigration: http://www.immigration.gov.la/. Upon successful registration, travelers will receive a QR code valid for three days, which must be presented to border authorities upon arrival to verify the registration. During the pilot phase, which is expected to run until early 2026, travelers who have not registered online will still have the option to complete a paper form at the checkpoint. After the pilot phase, the online registration system will become mandatory nationwide, and paper forms will no longer be accepted. This initiative marks a significant step toward modernizing Laos’ immigration procedures. Transitioning from traditional paper-based entry forms to a streamlined digital system will greatly enhance efficiency at border checkpoints. The submission of traveler information ahead of arrival is expected to drastically reduce processing times and alleviate congestion at arrival counters, especially during peak travel periods.

Myanmar’s Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) has issued an announcement reinforcing compliance obligations under the Myanmar Companies Law (MCL). This follows recent updates to reporting requirements and signals increased regulatory scrutiny regarding registered office addresses and directors’ residential information submitted online via MyCO, Myanmar’s company registration system. Key Compliance Areas Under the MCL, every company must maintain a registered office for official communication and legal correspondence. Any change to this address must be reported to the DICA registrar. In April 2023, DICA introduced additional reporting obligations for newly incorporated companies. The additional rules require companies to submit their Annual Return accompanied by verification documents within two months of incorporation. These documents include a recommendation letter from the relevant township police station or ward administrator confirming the operational status and physical location of the registered office. Directors’ residential addresses must also be verified through similar documentation, and foreign directors are required to submit the arrival notification form issued by the Immigration Department. For companies operating through a virtual office, clarification from a DICA official indicates that the virtual office address must correspond with the registered address submitted via MyCO. A recommendation letter confirming the validity and operational status of the virtual office must be submitted. Legal Consequences The recent announcement signals that DICA will begin enforcing these requirements in earnest. Failure to comply with the additional reporting obligations may result in inspections and enforcement actions by the DICA registrar, or complaints from third parties. It may also lead to penalties or other legal consequences as prescribed under the MCL. Recommended Actions It is strongly advised that all newly incorporated companies and their directors: Review their MyCO submissions for accuracy. Secure the required supporting documents within the Annual Return deadline. Ensure that all address information reflects the company’s actual

Indonesia’s current regulations on franchises, as stipulated under Government Regulation No. 35/2024 on Franchising and its implementing regulation, Ministry of Trade (MOT) Regulation No. 71/2019 regarding Implementation of Franchising, highlight fundamental changes in franchise registration. These changes have introduced additional complexities and challenges in the franchise registration procedure, making it more difficult for franchise owners to navigate the process. New procedure Franchise applications are still submitted through the Online Single Submission (OSS) portal of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). However, the new procedure requires each applicant, including foreign franchisors, to have an OSS account and a business registration number (NIB) issued by BKPM. An application for franchise registration must be submitted under the applicant’s own account—submissions can no longer be made through the account of a consultant. Once a franchise application is submitted, the authority will distribute the submission to the MOT—the authorized ministry for franchise registration. Any notification or decision upon the registration made by the MOT will be available in the OSS system. Applicants should regularly monitor the status of the franchise application because no notifications will be sent to applicants to alert them of any deficiency. Here is the summary of the new procedure for franchisors: Notable Requirements The disclosure document, or prospectus, is the key focus for the MOT in examining a franchise registration for a franchisor. This document is subject to thorough scrutiny by the MOT to ensure that all mandatory information meets the requirements set in the franchise regulations. The current regulations specifically require that the mandatory clause “business system” in the prospectus cover operational standards and procedures, which should include human resource management, administration, operational management, standard operating methods, business location selection, business premises design, employee requirements, and marketing strategies. Other clauses that are equally important to pay attention to are:

Although the “passing off” principle has sometimes faced criticism for potentially broadening trademark protection—particularly in cases involving unregistered or unconventional marks like shapes, scents, or sounds—it serves an essential purpose. It safeguards the rights of business owners and shields consumers from deception, ensuring fair competition and reflecting the realities of modern commerce. What is passing off, and why is registrability not required? The passing-off principle is a legal concept rooted in English law, aimed at preventing a person from falsely representing or using a mark similar to another’s in a way that causes consumers to mistakenly believe the goods or services come from the same source. Under Thai law, the passing-off principle is provided under Section 46 of the Thai Trademark Act, which states: No person shall be entitled to bring legal proceedings to prevent or to recover damages for the infringement of an unregistered trademark. The provisions of this Section shall not affect the right of the owner of an unregistered trademark to bring legal proceedings against any person for passing off goods as those of the owner of the trademark. The passing-off principle can be interpreted as a practical legal concept. It does not require proof that the mark is registrable or meets the registrability criteria under trademark law. It is sufficient to show that the mark has established goodwill and that the other party’s use of a similar mark is likely to confuse consumers, making it a straightforward and effective tool for protecting brand assets. Requiring a claimant to prove that an unregistered mark could have been registered would undermine the very function of passing off. The doctrine was conceived precisely to fill the gaps left by the registration system. Imposing registrability criteria would nullify its function and leave many commercially valuable identifiers unprotected. If the