Kobkit Thienpreecha, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial department, was quoted by Asian Legal Business (ALB) in a recent article looking at the trade competition regulatory regime in Thailand. This legal landscape has undergone significant changes in recent years, with developments such as an amended Trade Competition Act coming into force in 2017 and merger control requirements being implemented in December 2018. The article includes Kobkit’s insights on all of these issues, commenting especially on how businesses—and legal professionals—are adjusting to the new measures. He also addressed the introduction of sector-specific guidelines covering modern trade, franchising arrangements, fruit trading, and food delivery, and cautioned that more industry-specific rules are likely to follow. Similarly, Kobkit explained that Thailand’s Trade Competition Commission has been active in providing “stimulus initiatives for SMEs and operators in the agricultural sector—two cornerstones of Thailand’s economy—both to provide COVID-19 relief and to protect from unfair trade practices of large firms with superior bargaining power.” ALB, which is owned by Thomson Reuters, provides news and analysis covering regulatory, commercial, and legal developments across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, in addition to a selection of awards and networking activities for the legal industry. To read the full article, please visit the ALB website.

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency in the country and took control of the government, arresting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior government officials from the National League for Democracy. The seizure of power, and the government’s subsequent actions to suppress public protest and dissent, have received widespread international condemnation.  The USA, Canada, and the UK have reacted by imposing economic sanctions on certain companies and individuals, and more sanctions are expected as the situation in Myanmar evolves. These sanctions pose a major concern for foreign investors with interests in Myanmar—concern which is exacerbated by the lack of clarity about the current situation on the ground. To address these issues, Lex Mundi is bringing together leading legal authorities on the topic from Myanmar, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a special webinar on March 23, 2021. The speakers, which include Tilleke & Gibbins counsel Ross Taylor, will discuss the situation on the ground in Myanmar; how the sanctions imposed this time differ from previous restrictions on Myanmar under earlier regimes; the impact of the sanctions imposed by each country; and the practical impact of sanctions on companies with operations in or relating to Myanmar. The session will be followed by a Q&A with all speakers, where attendees will be able to address any specific queries they might have. For more details and to register for this free webinar, please visit the event information page.

As the implementation of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act looms, Tilleke & Gibbins joins forces with Bird & Bird Data Privacy Solutions to look at the data protection officer requirement, and what lessons can be learned from the European experience with the GDPR.

On Thursday, February 11, 2020, Tilleke & Gibbins will host a webinar entitled “Myanmar Investment 2021: Opportunities and Challenges.” Presented by Yuwadee Thean-ngarm and Nada Songsasen of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Yangon office, and moderated by Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh, a partner and director of the firm’s corporate and commercial department, the session will provide attendees with an overview of general investment law and opportunities in Myanmar and take a look at how local COVID-19 regulations and policies implemented by the Myanmar government may affect businesses in the country. The webinar will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Thailand Time) or 9.30 a.m – 11:00 a.m. (Myanmar Time), and will be delivered in Thai. To register your interest in this free-to-attend event, please complete this registration form.  Should you have any queries, please send an email to [email protected].