A new regulation from Thailand’s Ministry of Interior grants a three-year extension for obtaining an alteration permit or a certificate to change the use of a hotel building. The eligibility period—which had been scheduled to expire on August 18, 2021—is now open until August 18, 2024. The extension was announced in the Government Gazette on August 6, 2021, after Ministerial Regulation Prescribing the Descriptions of Other Types of Buildings Which Can Be Used for a Hotel Business Operation (No. 3) B.E. 2564 (2021) was issued on August 2. The regulation, which is issued under the Building Control Act B.E. 2522 (1979), specifies which types of buildings can be used as “hotels providing accommodation only,” and which types can serve as “hotels providing accommodations and a restaurant, or a place for serving or cooking food.” This is the third such regulation, with previous versions being issued in 2016 and 2018 prescribing standards of the qualified buildings. The previous regulations set requirements for the following building features: The width of walkways in the building; The width and length of ladders; The maximum loading weight in all parts of the building; and The number of standard fire extinguishers installed on each floor. Moreover, the previous ministerial regulations stipulate that the building’s boundaries, height, space from other buildings, setback, and parking lots must comply with the building control regulations effective at the time of construction or alteration. These regulations also include requirements on additional fire alarm systems and emergency lighting system, as well as details on the fire escapes and ladders for buildings over a certain size. For more information on property and building regulations in Thailand, please contact Chaiwat Keratisuthisathorn at [email protected] or +66 2056 5507.

The government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 55/2021/ND-CP (Decree 55) on May 24, 2021, to amend and supplement penalties for administrative violations against environmental protection regulations.

As many are already aware, following the change of government in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, a draft Cyber Security Law was proposed which attracted widespread criticism. However, less attention has been paid to significant amendments to two existing laws, some of which have a similar effect to parts of the draft Cyber Security Law. In other words, while the draft Cyber Security Law has not progressed further and is under public scrutiny, significant elements of it have found their way into law in Myanmar by other routes. Because these amendments are already law, it is very important that individuals and businesses in Myanmar understand their implications. Amendments to the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens The Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens (2017), or the “Privacy Law,” was amended on February 13, 2021, less than two weeks after the military government came into power. These amendments chiefly address the power of the government to conduct searches, seizures, and arrests; to extend detention without judicial oversight; and to carry out broad surveillance and investigation activities that could intrude on individual privacy. The amendments accomplish this by suspending various sections of the Privacy Law for as long as the State Administration Council (the military body now governing Myanmar) is in power. The suspended sections include the following: Section 5: Search, seizure, and arrest without civilian observation The relevant part of Section 5 of the Privacy Law states, “The responsible authorities shall … when acting in accordance with existing law, not enter into a person’s residence or a room used as a residence, or a building, compound or building in a compound, for the purpose of search, seizure, or arrest, unless accompanied by minimum of two witnesses who should comprise Ward or Village Tract Administrators…”. The suspension

Following the recent imposition of sanctions on Myanmar individuals and companies by the US, the UK and Canada have now imposed new sanctions. As with the US sanctions, these new measures impact UK and Canadian citizens and companies, and non-UK and non-Canadian companies and citizens with interests in those jurisdictions. The EU has indicated that it is planning to issue similar sanctions in the near future. New UK Sanctions In addition to the 16 individuals already sanctioned by the UK government, on February 18, 2021, the UK government announced that three individuals have been sanctioned for serious human rights violations and are now subject to asset freezes and travel bans. The full list of Myanmar individuals and companies sanctioned by the UK is available on the website of the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. Breaches of UK financial sanctions are criminal offences punishable in the UK by up to 7 years imprisonment and heavy fines. New Canadian Sanctions Also on February 18, timed to coincide with the UK sanctions, new Canadian sanctions were imposed on nine individuals. As with the UK, Canada already had a number of individuals in the Myanmar military on its sanctions list, and the new additions bring the total number of individuals sanctioned by Canada to 54. All assets of these individuals in Canada are now frozen, and they are banned from travelling to Canada. Canadian businesses or entities may not do business with any of the 54 individuals. Full details of the impact of the sanctions are available on the Government of Canada’s website, as is a database of the Myanmar individuals and companies subject to them. Breach of Canadian sanctions carries with it up to 5 years’ imprisonment in Canada and/or a large fine. Other Countries The EU is reportedly drawing up sanctions