On January 18, 2022, Tilleke & Gibbins held a Thai-language webinar to clarify key principles of Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019 (PDPA) for human resources professionals as the law’s effective date draws closer. In the webinar, Nopparat Lalitkomon, senior associate, and Gvavalin Mahakunkitchareon, associate, in the firm’s corporate and commercial group jointly discussed the following items: Scope of personal data collection for the human resources department; Purpose of personal data processing and establishing the principle of legality; Notification of data collection and data processing in accordance with the law; Requesting consent from data subjects; Procedures of execution according to the rights of data subjects (e.g., job applicants, employees, and former employees); and Managing personal data collected prior to the effective date of the PDPA. A recording of the webinar (in Thai) is available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

On January 12, Enlit Asia, a digital content platform and events organizer for the energy industry, published an article that featured the insights of Joseph Tomkiewicz, partner and co-chair of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional energy practice. Titled “Uncertainty & Silver Linings: An Energy 2022 Outlook,” the article takes stock of some recent trends in the energy industry in Asia, and considers how power production and consumption might play out in the coming year. The writer sought Joseph’s perspective specifically on the continued volatility of natural gas prices, which spiked throughout ASEAN in 2021. Joseph explained that the price of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) may well end up being the single most influential factor for the ASEAN power sector in 2022. The article also noted that a possible silver lining of the high prices could be an accelerated shift toward renewable and sustainable energy sources in line with the region’s targets as affirmed in the latest United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Overall, the article makes the case that 2022 will again be a year of transition for the energy sector in ASEAN as the world moves toward more sustainable practices and greater emphasis on environmental, social, and corporate governance goals. To read the full article, please visit the Enlit Asia website.

On December 15–16, Kasamesunt Teerasitsathaporn and Pongpalin Chantrapirom of the firm’s dispute resolution group in Bangkok offered a two-part Thai-language webinar series titled “Violations of the Personal Data Protection Act and Case Studies in Europe” to equip Thai businesses with proper knowledge and understanding before Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act comes into full effect in June 2022. In the webinar series, Kasamesunt and Pongpalin provided a comprehensive overview of obligations of the data controller and data processor; discussed civil liability, criminal offenses, and administrative penalties; addressed enforcement structures; covered complaint proceedings; and shared case studies from Europe to highlight mistakes that Thai companies should learn from. Video recordings of the two parts (in Thai) are available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

On December 8, Tilleke & Gibbins collaborated with True Digital Park to offer a Thai-language webinar on e-commerce laws and regulations in Thailand. In the webinar, Penrurk Phetmani, senior associate, and Nutavit Sirikan, associate, both in the firm’s corporate and commercial group in Bangkok, provided a comprehensive overview of the regulatory framework for launching and sustaining successful e-commerce operations in the country, including in-depth discussions on a number of common legal concerns for SMEs: Relevant licenses and permits and how to secure them; Appropriate procedures to establish and register e-commerce operations in Thailand; Newly announced regulations on credit terms and food pickup/delivery services; Key trends and issues in tech, e-commerce, and e-services; and The impact of competition, consumer protection, and data privacy laws on online business operators. A full video recording of the webinar, which was presented in Thai, is available on the Tilleke & Gibbins’ YouTube channel.