On June 28, 2024, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued Circular No. 19/2024/TT-NHNN to amend certain regulations of Circular No. 08/2023/TT-NHNN dated June 30, 2023 (‘Circular 08”), on conditions for foreign loans not guaranteed by the government (“Circular 19”). Circular 19 took effect on July 1, 2024, and provides changes in relation to, among other things, foreign loans to pay for goods import contracts and letters of credit. Foreign Loans to Pay for Goods Import Contracts Circular 08 exempts foreign loans in the form of deferred payment for imported goods (a buyer-seller relationship) from applicable foreign loan conditions. Circular 19 adds provisions regarding foreign loans taken out by non-bank borrowers (a buyer-seller-lender relationship) to make the deferred payments for goods import contracts for the implementation of an investment project, production or business plan, or other project. In this case, the foreign loan’s purpose is determined to be for implementing an investment project, production or business plan, or other project; and the borrower can exclude medium- and long-term foreign loan balances arising from the deferred payment in the import contracts when calculating the foreign loan limit. In addition, the borrower is allowed to borrow from foreign lenders to pay for the goods import contract via letters of credit. However, it is worth noting that other requirements relating to the loans are still applied to the borrower, such as foreign loan agreement, currency, and records/reporting obligations Letters of Credit Following the reclassification of letter of credit (L/C) activities from a “payment service” to “extension of credit” under the Law on Credit Institutions 2024, Circular 19 supplements L/C activities into the current foreign loan regulatory framework, including adding foreign loans between credit institutions and branches of foreign banks (as issuing banks) and non-resident banks (as reimbursing banks) where issuing banks are

With the growing prominence of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors, businesses in Vietnam are increasingly recognizing their importance in driving global demand, societal impact, and economic value. A comprehensive acknowledgment of ESG-related legal requirements is critical for investors and companies operating in Vietnam to meet stakeholder expectations and ensure compliance. Our guide provides a basic overview of the rapidly evolving ESG landscape in Vietnam, covering a range of key issues for companies doing business in the country: What is ESG, and what does the ESG legal framework look like in Vietnam? Who needs to follow ESG regulations in Vietnam? What are the benefits of ESG compliance? How can enterprises enhance ESG best practices in Vietnam? Please click on the link below to view the full article.

Thailand has continued to face economic challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, and some businesses have struggled to survive. One of most important measures that indebted businesses in Thailand can take is to file a business rehabilitation petition with the Bankruptcy Court. The Bankruptcy Act B.E. 2483 (1940) provides “automatic stay” measures to protect the debtors that have entered the business rehabilitation process, and during this time creditors have duties and rights under the Bankruptcy Act as well. Once Thailand’s Bankruptcy Court accepts a rehabilitation petition and issues an order for rehabilitation, the debtor is under this automatic stay protection against actions from the creditor to seek debt repayments, and the creditors are only allowed to pursue their debt repayments by submitting a debt repayment application to the official receiver within one month of publication of the plan preparer’s appointment in the Government Gazette. These are general conditions specified in the Bankruptcy Act. However, there are several practical precautions that are not specified in the Bankruptcy Act but that creditors should take during rehabilitation. Below are several steps creditors need to consider taking at various stages of the rehabilitation process. 1. Appointing a local Thai representative to act on behalf of the creditor in the rehabilitation The rehabilitation process requires much more than just submitting the debt repayment application within the fixed one-month period and then waiting for the result. It also involves contacting, meeting, and discussing with the official receiver, plan preparer, other creditors, or debtor representative to investigate or settle any arguments on the debt. Moreover, the language used in all the processes and documents is usually Thai. In practice, creditors—especially foreign creditors—should authorize a Thai attorney or representative through a valid power of attorney (POA) to represent them during all the rehabilitation proceedings. This includes the investigative

In April 2024, Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance published a draft circular concerning securities transactions, clearing and settlement of securities transactions, activities of securities companies, and information disclosure on the securities market (the “Draft Circular”) for public feedback. The Draft Circular, if adopted, will amend several regulations impacting public companies and the securities market. Some of the more notable amendments are discussed below. Relaxing Pre-Funding Requirement for Foreign Institutional Investors To place orders to purchase securities, investors are currently required to have sufficient cash in their securities trading accounts to pay 100% of the cost of the transaction, except in cases of: Margin trading (applicable to Vietnamese investors only); and Transactions in which there is a settlement guarantee or confirmation from the custodian bank on accepting the settlement request. The Draft Circular allows foreign institutional investors (“FIIs”) to purchase securities without 100% pre-funding their securities trading accounts, based on a signed agreement with a securities company. However, the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (“SSC”) has the right to temporarily reinstate the 100% pre-funding requirement if measures for securities market stabilization are required. The Draft Circular also specifies that securities companies must (i) assess the capacity of FIIs to determine the pre-funding requirement under relevant agreements signed between them, and (ii) be responsible to settle the shortfall of a securities purchase order through their proprietary trading account(s) if the FIIs are unable to fully pay for such securities purchase order, except in certain circumstances. Further, a securities company cannot directly exempt or authorize other entities to exempt an FII from the 100% pre-funding requirement if the FII purchases securities of (i) such securities company, (ii) a company in which such securities company is a majority shareholder, or (iii) the parent company of such securities company. The 100% pre-funding requirement for FIIs