Since Thailand formally removed Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) from the list of narcotic drugs, the country has progressed from outright prohibition to a structured, license-based regime. While the Ministry of Public Health oversees cannabis plant regulation, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is the regulatory authority overseeing kratom plants. For the avoidance of doubt, separate Ministry of Public Health notifications prohibit the use of kratom as a food ingredient unless a food safety evaluation has been conducted; however, this restriction does not affect trade in unprocessed leaves per se. For businesses in Thailand dealing exclusively in kratom leaves, the most consequential development is the Ministerial Regulation on the Application for Permits and Notifications for the Importation and Exportation of Kratom Leaves B.E. 2568 (2025), a bylaw of the Kratom Plant Act 2022. The ministerial regulation establishes the following notable definitions: “Kratom leaves”: Fresh or dried leaves in their natural, unprocessed state (no extracts, concentrates, or infused products). “Import/Export”: Any act of bringing kratom leaves into or out of Thailand, whether for commercial sale, industrial processing abroad, or research. Import/Export Licensing Under the Kratom Plant Act, a license is mandatory for importing or exporting kratom leaves. Individuals, juristic persons, community enterprises, and state agencies in Thailand are eligible to obtain a license to import (or a license to export) kratom leaves. Licenses are available to qualified individuals and juristic persons. Individuals must satisfy the following qualifications to be eligible for a license: Thai nationality, ≥ 20 years old, resident in Thailand. Not incompetent, quasi-incompetent, or under legal guardianship. No license suspension currently in force under the Kratom Act or Narcotics Code. No license revocation in the previous two years. No conviction under the Kratom Act or Narcotics Code within the previous two years (unless fully released from punishment). Juristic persons must satisfy

On September 10, 2025, Vietnam’s National Credit Information Center (CIC) reported to the Vietnam Cybersecurity Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) a suspected significant cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to the CIC’s credit information database. A hacker group has claimed responsibility and allegedly posted over 160 million records for sale, including sensitive personal and financial data. Implications for Banks and Financial Institutions Companies that share customers’ or potential customers’ personal data with the CIC for credit scoring or other purposes—and continue to act as a data controller for such data—may be obligated under Vietnam’s Personal Data Protection Decree (PDPD) and related regulations to: Notify A05 (Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention) and the State Bank of Vietnam without delay. Inform affected individuals if their personal data is at risk. Recommended Actions Companies that could be impacted by this data breach should take the following actions: Conduct an internal review of CIC-related data in their systems, and identify whether and how the systems have been affected by this incident. Assess whether to notify regulators and customers/potential customers. Enhance cybersecurity controls, monitor for suspicious activity, and implement additional safeguards to prevent secondary breaches.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has amended its digital asset regulations to permit the offering, trading, and provision of services related to tokenized environmental commodities by licensed digital asset exchanges, brokers, and dealers. This regulatory development is aimed at facilitating Thailand’s green economy and net-zero goals while diversifying the products available in the regulated digital assets market. The environmental commodities currently being traded on certain market platforms and via over-the-counter channels include: Carbon credits: Tradable certificates representing a reduction of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere. Renewable energy certificates (RECs): Tradable proof of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Carbon allowances: Tradable permits to emit a capped amount of greenhouse gases. The tokenization of these instruments is essentially the process of converting them into digital tokens, making it possible to list them on blockchain exchanges for trading purposes. Background Tokenized carbon credits, RECs, and carbon allowances fall under the category of utility tokens for consumption purposes or tokens representing entitlement certificates—that is, group 1 utility tokens, which are not considered financial products. The offering, trading, and provision of secondary-market services of this type of token are exempted from licensing requirements for regulated digital asset businesses under the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018). Under the previous regulatory framework, licensed digital asset business operators were not allowed to provide services involving such unregulated tokens, as it was deemed to be engaging in “other businesses,” which digital asset operators generally cannot engage in without prior SEC approval. Regulatory Amendment Under the amended digital asset regulations, licensed digital asset exchanges, brokers, and dealers may now apply for SEC approval to offer services related to these tokenized assets as “other businesses,” including listing them for trading on digital asset exchanges. Apart from requiring operators to comply with the general conditions

The Indonesian government has implemented mandatory halal certification to protect its predominantly Muslim population. To ensure halal standards, the government has issued several key regulations, including Law No. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance, Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 concerning Implementation of Halal Product Assurance, and specifically for imported products, Decision of the Head of Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) No. 90 of 2023 concerning Procedures of Implementing Foreign Halal Certificate Registration. Compliance Deadlines The government has established statutory deadlines for products and services to obtain halal certification under Government Regulation No. 39 of 2021 concerning Implementation of Halal Product Assurance. The deadline for imported food, beverages, and slaughtering products and services to comply with halal certification was extended to October 17, 2026 (from October 17, 2024, originally) with the issuance of Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024. Other product categories have varying deadlines: October 17, 2026: Natural drugs, quasi-drugs, health supplements, cosmetics, chemical products, genetically engineered products, clothing and accessories, household supplies, prayer equipment, stationery, and class A medical devices October 17, 2029: Over-the-counter drugs and class B medical devices October 17, 2034: Prescription drugs (excluding psychotropics) and class C medical devices SHLN Registration for Imports To simplify the halal certification process for imported products, BPJPH offers a foreign halal certificate registration (Registrasi Sertifikat Halal Luar Negeri, or SHLN registration) pathway. This allows eligible imported products to obtain halal certification without filing the standard national halal certification procedure. Under the Halal Law, imported products are not required to apply for national halal certification if their halal certificate is issued by a foreign halal institution that has entered into a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with BPJPH. Currently, 89 foreign halal institutions from countries (including the United States, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom) have entered into