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Technology

Technology

Key Contacts

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Myanmar

Thailand

Vietnam

OVERVIEW

Innovative Legal Solutions for Southeast Asia's Evolving Tech Landscape

Tilleke & Gibbins is a recognized leader in the technology sector, renowned for delivering expert legal counsel across Southeast Asia. Our strong track record includes advising a diverse clientele—from pioneering startups to multinational tech giants—on all aspects of the launch, implementation and use of technology in the region. Our comprehensive legal services cover key areas such as AI and robotics, blockchain, cybersecurity, data centers and data protection, digital assets and cryptocurrencies, fintech, IoT, OTT services, SaaS, and telecoms.

We assist AI and robotics companies, digital platform operators, e-commerce platforms, fintech providers, SaaS companies, technology manufacturers, and telecom players in navigating and addressing evolving legal, commercial, and regulatory challenges amidst rapid technological advancements. Leveraging our deep market insights, industry expertise, and local knowledge, we develop robust strategies that help clients manage risk and capitalize on new opportunities. We work seamlessly across practice areas to offer holistic legal solutions aimed at protecting, commercializing, and driving innovation in the increasingly regulated technology landscape of Southeast Asia.

Experience

  • Advised one of the largest telecommunications firms in Japan on offering mobile and cloud-based services in Southeast Asia. We advised on company establishment, licensure, and regulations pertaining to various services and business models.
  • Represented a major U.S. telecommunications and software vendor in negotiations with five Thai mobile telecom operators to deploy mobile number portability (MNP) in Thailand. We successfully negotiated the deal to full deployment, which included a build operate and agreed optional transfer build out. We also handled the formation of the client’s Thai subsidiary and associated visa/work permits and required Thai bank guarantees. MNP is now up and available in Thailand, and we continue to advise the client on mobile virtual network operator regulations and the offering of SMS services.
  • Advised Voice over IP (VoIP) operators on numbering regulations and related business issues.
  • Represented credit card network operators and electronic payment companies on licensing and regulatory requirements.
  • Advised multinational telecommunications operators on data privacy, data retention, and lawful interception.
  • Advised a consortium of financial institutions on telecommunications laws in connection with their bids to provide credit facilities (totaling THB 15.85 billion) to a major telecommunications operator for the expansion of a 3G mobile network and infrastructure.
  • Advised a global technology company on the launch of a network game platform in Thailand; including counseling on censorship and obscenity laws.
  • Advised a leading global Internet brand and an international video game company on website development, Internet services, and the legal implications of same.
  • Advised a Japanese-Chinese joint venture on the regional broadcast distribution of an animated television series, including advising on intellectual property assignment and registration in preparation for licensing and merchandising opportunities.
  • Assisted a producer of real-time strategy games with the launch of their latest offering in Thailand. Much of our work focused on localizing business approaches and terms of use. The game went on to meet with considerable success, both in Thailand and overseas.
  • Advised a multinational media company on a regional copyright dispute in the broadcasting field.
  • Advised a leader in wireless technology on government authorities related to the telecommunications industry.
  • Liaised with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) on behalf of our client, an operator of a social-media website, to ensure compliance with the Computer Crime Act and, as a result, successfully prevented the website from being banned by the MICT.
  • Helped a multinational company establish a foreign direct investment company engaged in the import/export and distribution of mobile phones and computers.  The established company is one of the few foreign-owned companies permitted to do business in this sector in Vietnam.
  • Provided in-depth advice to a global software solutions provider on doing business in Vietnam.

PROFESSIONALS

RELATED INSIGHTS

July 6, 2026
Vietnam has introduced an official list of high-risk AI systems, triggering more stringent compliance obligations for developers, suppliers, and deployers operating in the country. On June 30, 2026, the prime minister issued Decision No. 33/2026/QD-TTg (Decision 33), which establishes the List of High-Risk AI Systems under the Law on Artificial Intelligence (AI Law) and Decree No. 142/2026/ND-CP (Decree 142). Decision 33 takes effect on August 15, 2026. Decision 33 is significant because only AI systems included on the list will be subject to the heightened compliance obligations applicable to high-risk AI systems under the AI Law and Decree 142. These include, among others, local presence requirements for foreign providers, mandatory conformity assessment before deployment, comprehensive risk management and data quality documentation, and strict liability for damages even when the provider is fully compliant. Decision 33 also specifies the applicable conformity assessment pathway for each listed system, indicating whether the system must undergo mandatory third-party conformity certification before being placed into use, or whether the provider may self-assess conformity or voluntarily engage a registered or recognized conformity assessment body. Which AI Systems Are Covered? Decision 33 identifies high-risk AI systems across six sectors—the key attributes of which are summarized below. Education: AI systems used for automated assessment, learner ranking, behavioral monitoring, or generating educational content from uncontrolled data sources. Ethnic affairs and religion: AI systems used to automatically score, classify, or rank applications for government ethnic policies; approve or reject regulatory applications; suspend benefits on suspicion of fraud; allocate budgets; or infer and classify individuals by ethnicity or religion for administrative purposes. Healthcare: AI-assisted surgical systems and autonomous AI-powered surgical robots. Banking: AI systems that autonomously conduct electronic banking transactions or make credit approval decisions. Judicial proceedings: Certain large-scale biometric identification systems used in public-interest civil proceedings. Transport: Thirty-one categories
July 6, 2026
Indonesia’s regulation on reporting online intellectual property (IP) infringement provides comprehensive procedural guidance for IP rights holders and their licensees in reporting online infringement complaints. Issued in December 2025 by the Ministry of Law as Regulation No. 47 of 2025 regarding Handling of Intellectual Property Infringement Reports in Electronic Systems, this regulation covers all types of IP rights. It also specifies documentation when reporting infringement, and lays out the procedures for examination, verification, and enforcement actions. Submission of Complaints Complainants may submit reports through the online system of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) or in person at the DGIP office. Complaints may also be filed through an authorized proxy. Under the regulation, complainants are required to provide the following information and documents: Personal details of the complainant; Brief description of the protected work or subject matter (i.e., type of IP and name or address of the infringing website, portal, account, or application, or a link to the location of the infringing content); Complete description of the alleged infringement; Certificate of registration or recordal of the relevant IP; Recordal of IP license agreement, if any; and Other supporting evidence. Verification and Examination Process Upon receiving a complaint, the responsible formality officer may request clarification or additional supporting documents. In the latter case, the complainant must then submit the necessary administrative documents within 14 days of the notification date. Once the documentation is deemed complete and sufficient, the case will be formally registered. Subsequently, the DGIP will establish a verification team to handle online IP violations, which will include the Civil Servant Investigator (PPNS), the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, experts with relevant expertise in IP, and representatives from related associations such as AVISI (Indonesian Video Streaming Association). After examining the report, the team will prepare the Minutes
July 6, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has contributed the Vietnam chapter to Data Protection & Privacy 2027, a global guide published by Lexology Panoramic that provides comparative insights into data protection and privacy regimes across multiple jurisdictions. The Vietnam chapter offers a comprehensive overview of the country’s data protection framework, addressing both regulatory structure and practical compliance considerations for businesses operating in or engaging with Vietnam. Topics covered include: Law and the regulatory authority: Legislative framework; data protection authority; cooperation with other data protection authorities; breaches of data protection law; judicial review of data protection authority orders Scope: Exempt sectors and institutions; interception of communications and surveillance laws; other laws; personal information formats; extraterritoriality; covered uses of personal information Legitimate processing of personal information: Lawful bases for processing; grounds for legitimate processing; types of personal information Data handling responsibilities of owners of personal information: Transparency; exemptions from transparency obligations; data accuracy; data minimization; data retention; purpose limitation; automated decision-making Security: Security obligations; notification of data breaches; internal controls Accountability: Data protection officer requirements; record-keeping; risk assessment; design of personal information processing systems Registration and notification: Registration requirements; other transparency duties Sharing and cross-border transfers of personal information: Sharing with processors and service providers; restrictions on third-party disclosures; cross-border transfers; further transfers; localization requirements Rights of individuals: Right of access; other statutory rights; compensation Enforcement: Enforcement mechanisms; exemptions, derogations, and restrictions; further exemptions and restrictions Specific data processing: Cookies and similar technologies; electronic communications marketing; targeted advertising; sensitive personal information; profiling; cloud services The chapter concludes with an update on key legal and regulatory developments over the past year and emerging trends in Vietnam’s data protection landscape. The full Vietnam chapter is available as a PDF through the button below. Readers can also gain 30 days of complementary access to the full Data
July 2, 2026
Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) released a new version of the draft Act on Artificial Intelligence on July 2, 2026, for a public hearing period expected to be approximately 30 days. The draft act adopts a risk-based regulatory approach modeled in part on international frameworks—particularly the EU’s AI Act—while incorporating provisions tailored to Thailand’s regulatory landscape and digital economy objectives. If enacted in its current form, the law would introduce extraterritorial obligations, a tiered risk classification system, strict liability for AI-related damages, and new transparency requirements for AI-generated content. Scope and Extraterritorial Application The draft act applies to AI development, deployment, or any other action affecting people in Thailand, even if the action occurs outside the country. Of note: This extraterritorial reach creates compliance obligations for global AI companies whose systems impact Thai residents or consumers, even if the provider has no physical presence in Thailand. Foreign AI providers serving Thai deployers or users must appoint a local coordinator or authorized representative. Depending on the type of AI system, the representative may need full authority to act on behalf of the provider without any limitation of liability. Certain activities are exempt from the draft act’s oversight, including AI used by natural persons solely for personal or household activities, AI for educational research conducted by higher education institutions with ethics committee approval, research and development activities conducted prior to distribution or service provision, and other AI systems prescribed by royal decree. Risk-Based Classification Framework The draft act establishes a tiered risk classification system with three main categories: Prohibited AI. The act outright prohibits AI systems employing cognitive-behavioral manipulation using subliminal techniques, AI systems causing unfair broad-scale discrimination from processing irrelevant data, and other categories of serious risk as determined by announcement of a forthcoming committee that will be responsible
AWARDS & RANKINGS
April 3, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted in two categories at the Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards: Innovative Lawyers in Cyber and Data Privacy – “Digital Identity & Cryptocurrency Compliance” Innovative Practitioner – Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh The FT Innovative Lawyers APAC Awards recognize law firms and practitioners who are driving innovation in legal services and delivering innovative client solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. This recognition marks our third acknowledgment in the Innovative Lawyers category and, notably, our first-ever nomination in the Innovative Practitioner category at the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC awards. It reflects our team’s continued ability to support clients on groundbreaking, forward-looking projects across the region. The awards ceremony will take place on May 14, 2026, in Hong Kong. To learn more about the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards and to view the full list of shortlisted organizations, please visit the FT website.
March 25, 2026
The 2026 edition of the Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers list from Asian Legal Business (ALB) includes Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial department in Bangkok. This marks Nop’s third inclusion in the list, following her previous recognitions in 2023 and 2024. She is one of only three lawyers in Thailand named in the 2026 edition. The Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers list recognizes leading practitioners across the region’s technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. The rankings are based solely on client and peer feedback, with no submissions accepted from law firms. To read more and view the full list, please see the March 2026 issue of ALB.
March 19, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been recognized in 17 categories at the 2026 Thailand Law Firm Awards from Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ), up from 10 categories in 2025. The awards highlight leading law firms in Thailand across a broad range of practice areas, as well as overall firm performance. This year, Tilleke & Gibbins was named a co-winner in the Best Overall Law Firm category as well as in the following practice-specific categories: Artificial Intelligence Aviation Blockchain & Digital Assets Competition & Antitrust Data Compliance & Cyber Security E-Commerce, Digital Trade & Platform Regulation ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Fintech Healthcare & Life Sciences Insurance & Reinsurance IP Litigation IP Prosecution Labour & Employment Private Equity & Venture Capital Shipping & Maritime Technology, Media & Telecommunications The awards are determined through ABLJ’s independent research, which considers recent work, client feedback, and market standing. The annual Thailand Law Firm Awards recognize firms demonstrating strong performance and breadth of expertise across key practice areas. For more details and the full list of winners, please visit the ABLJ website.