You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

November 9, 2020

Practical Law Insurance and Reinsurance Q&A Guide: 2020 Myanmar Update

The latest update to the Myanmar chapter of Thomson Reuters’ Practical Law guide to insurance and reinsurance has been published, written by legal practitioners from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Yangon office. The guide presents a Q&A-style overview of insurance and reinsurance laws and practices in major jurisdictions around the world. The Myanmar chapter of the guide was written by Ross Taylor, counsel; Yuwadee Thean-ngarm, director of the firm’s office in Myanmar; and Nwe Oo, attorney-at-law. The chapter provides information on the following subjects:

Market trends and regulatory framework: Trends in the insurance and reinsurance markets over the last 12 months and the regulatory framework for insurance and reinsurance activities.

  • Regulation of contracts: Contracts of insurance, contracts of reinsurance, and regulations.
  • Corporate structure: Forms of corporate organizations insurers can take.
  • Regulation of insurers and reinsurers: Regulated insurers, non-insurance business and restrictions, and statutory limits and restrictions on transferring risk.
  • Operating restrictions: Authorization and licensing, restrictions on ownership or control, key ongoing requirements for authorized or licensed entities, penalties for noncompliance, and restrictions on persons to whom services can be marketed or sold.
  • Reinsurance monitoring and disclosure requirements: Extent to which reinsurance company must monitor claims, settlements, and underwriting of a cedant company, and disclosure/notification obligations of a cedant company to a reinsurance company.
  • Policies: Form and content requirements for insurance policies, commonly found clauses, facultative and treaty reinsurance, implied terms, customer protections, and standard policies and terms.
  • Policy claims: Establishing an insurance claim, third-party insurance claims, time limits, enforcement, remedies, and punitive damage claims.
  • Insolvency: Regulatory framework to dealing with distressed insurers or reinsurers, protection measures, “drop down coverage” in insurance policies, and setting-off mutual debts and creditors.
  • Taxation: Tax treatment for insurers, reinsurers, and other entities.
  • Dispute resolution: Special procedures and venues for dealing with complaints or disputes, enforceability of arbitration clauses, and choice of forum, venue, and applicable law clauses.
  • Reform: Proposed reforms relating to the provision of insurance or reinsurance services.

Practical Law brings together guides to key legal practice areas around the world for business lawyers. Tilleke & Gibbins contributes many overviews on various legal practice areas in Southeast Asia, including regular updates for Southeast Asian jurisdictions in the Practical Law guide to insurance and reinsurance law.

The full Laos Q&A chapter is available on the Practical Law website.

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

April 1, 2025
The collapse of a building under construction in Bangkok on March 28, 2025, following a powerful earthquake in Myanmar has sparked widespread public concern about the potential financial impact on local insurers and insurance implications. The construction site was insured under a contractors’ all risks (CAR) policy, and initial reports and market speculation suggest that the event could cause serious financial strain for the domestic insurance industry. Nevertheless, local insurers connected to the site of the collapse may face limited exposure for two main reasons: Reinsurance significantly mitigates local insurers’ exposure. According to market sources, 95% of the CAR coverage for the construction site was reinsured by foreign reinsurers. This is standard risk-management practice for large-scale infrastructure and construction projects, allowing local insurers to participate in underwriting while transferring most of the liability offshore. As a result, the direct financial impact on domestic insurers is expected to be minimal, subject to the reinsurance contracts and any potential claims disputes. Potential exclusions may apply. The Thai General Insurance Association has issued an interim public advisory noting that coverage under the CAR policy may be limited or excluded altogether, pending a full investigation. CAR policies often contain exclusions for certain events, depending on how the policy is worded and the actual cause of the incident. A thorough factual and forensic investigation will be necessary to determine the true cause and assess policy applicability. For further information or assistance in reviewing CAR or project insurance coverage in Thailand, please contact Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh at [email protected], Witchupong Chittchang at [email protected], or Ajaree Trachukul at [email protected].
December 10, 2024
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) has issued a new notification easing foreign shareholding and board limits for life insurers. This long-awaited update aligns with the draft notification that was previewed in May 2024, and reflects the MOF’s intention to enhance the stability and competitiveness of life insurers. Life Insurer Qualifications Life insurers may apply for permission to exceed 49% foreign shareholding or have a majority of foreign directors if: The life insurer operates in a manner that could harm the insured or the public, and either (1) the OIC has directed the company to improve its status or adjust its capital, or (2) the company’s actions may have a significant impact on the insurance industry, causing significant compensation burdens and affecting the company’s capital adequacy ratio (CAR); The life insurer’s shareholders are unable to increase capital; and The life insurer is unable to attract Thai investors to increase the capital necessary to ensure stability and the long-term operation of the business. Foreign Shareholder Qualifications To qualify, foreign shareholders must: Either be an insurance company or have at least 10 years of relevant experience in the insurance industry; Demonstrate financial stability and possess a credit rating (or have a parent company with a credit rating) of at least “A” from a reputable credit rating agency; Present a clear and comprehensive business plan to develop and promote the company’s efficiency and competitiveness in the industry; and Be able to make an investment that increases the company’s capital by at least THB 2 billion to maintain stability with a CAR of at least 250%. For more details on the MOF’s notification regarding criteria on foreign shareholding limits for life insurance companies, or on any issue concerning insurance regulations in Thailand, please contact Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh at [email protected], Witchupong Chittchang at [email protected], Ajaree
December 6, 2024
Thailand’s Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) recently announced two Notifications regarding Timeframe Standards for Service Level Agreements, for both life and non-life insurance companies. Under these notifications, every insurance company is required to set out clear and specific timeframes in its service level agreement (SLA) for at least the following activities: Providing information about life and non-life insurance and offering insurance policies; Underwriting and providing after-sales services; Paying compensation under the insurance policy; and Handling complaints. The timeframes described in the SLA must not exceed those specified in the insurance policy or by the relevant laws, and the SLA (which must be published on the insurer’s website) must be continually updated to reflect any changes in the timeframes. Insurance companies are required to disclose the standard timeframes for SLAs on their website by January 1, 2025, and notify the OIC through the channels and methods specified by the OIC. For more details on the OIC’s notifications on SLA timeframe standards, or on any aspect of insurance regulations in Thailand, please contact Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh at [email protected], Witchupong Chittchang at [email protected], Ajaree Trachukul at [email protected], Thammapas Chanpanich at [email protected], or Sireethorn Wijan at [email protected].
December 4, 2024
Thailand Legal Basics, a valuable primer for foreign investors, explores all aspects of living and doing business in Thailand. Written by specialists at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok, it is the only comprehensive English-language guide to the Thai legal system with a focus on the concerns of foreign business and investment.