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May 3, 2011

Thailand Legal Basics: Insurance

Tilleke & Gibbins

Thailand has had insurance companies for over half a century, and the industry is regarded as competent and well regulated. The insurance industry was supervised and regulated by the Ministry of Commerce through the Casualty Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (A.D. 1992) and Life Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (A.D. 1992) until the recent amendments imposed by the Casualty Insurance Act (No. 2) B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008) and Life Insurance Act (No. 2) B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008), which transferred the supervisory and regulatory role of the Ministry of Commerce to the Ministry of Finance. These Acts permit foreign life and loss insurance companies to operate branch offices in Thailand, subject to certain conditions. Compulsory insurance in Thailand is minimal. However, compulsory third-party motor insurance was introduced through the Motor Accident Victims Protection Act B.E. 2535 (A.D. 1992). The Office of Insurance Commission, an independent government organization, was established in 2007 by the enactment of the Insurance Commission Act B.E. 2550 (A.D. 2007) to take over the responsibility of day-to-day administration from the Department of Insurance, Ministry of Commerce.

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

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The Ministry of Finance has issued two separate Notifications, published yesterday, with immediate effect, in the Government Gazette, that will relax the foreign shareholding and board limits for life and non-life insurance companies, for the purpose of promoting stability for insurance companies and the insurance industry.
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On November 29, the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) in Thailand announced that it had approved, in principle, draft notifications that set out the criteria, procedures, and conditions for the issuing and offering for sale of both life and general insurance products through online channels.The key features of the draft notifications are as follows:   
September 2, 2016
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August 10, 2016
On July 1, 2016, the Vietnam government enacted with immediate effect Decree No. 73/2016/ND-CP guiding the Law on Insurance Business 2000, as amended in 2010 (Decree 73). Decree 73 replaces Decree No. 45/2007/ND-CP (and its amendments) and Decree No. 46/2007/ND-CP.Decree 73 introduces the following key changes to the reinsurance business in Vietnam: