Businesses involved with the Thai customs clearance process have been anxiously awaiting changes aimed at improving Thailand’s customs laws, an issue that has long been subject to discussion and sometimes contentious debate. These changes come with the passage of the Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017).

The Law on Investment Promotion No. 14/NA (LIP) became effective in Laos on April 19, 2017, and aims to support both domestic and international private investors by providing a more seamless process for business applications, licensing, and government approvals. Changes in the LIP are applicable to all investors, regardless of nationality, but do not apply retroactively to businesses currently operating in the country. Indeed, every benefit granted and contract entered into under the old law remain applicable until the end of their contractual terms.

In October 2017, the Thai government published the Payment Systems Act in the Government Gazette, setting out the framework for a new licensing and registration regime to regulate electronic payment business operators and putting in place several provisions for a stable and reliable e-payment ecosystem. The Act is expected to facilitate the offering of many new and innovative payment services in Thailand.

As the government seeks to elevate Thailand to the status of a high-income nation, the formation of a digital platform through the “Thailand 4.0” project is seen as an essential element of economic transformation, with the focus now fixed firmly on enhancing research and development, science and technology, and creative thinking and innovation.

Higher life expectancy, a growing middle-income population, and the government’s policy of promoting access to medicine are key drivers boosting demand for healthcare-related businesses in Thailand. In 2015, healthcare expenditures accounted for 4.6 percent of Thailand’s GDP, and there is an increasing trend in government budgetary spending in healthcare. Due to these factors, the healthcare market is experiencing strong growth, bringing opportunities in cosmetics, health supplements, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

The private sector in Indonesia has been vocal about their concern for the government’s plan to make halal certification mandatory, believing that this requirement will add a greater burden to their business. Amid criticism, the government is moving forward with its halal assurance system, citing, among other reasons, the need for a government agency to be the new halal certification authority to create greater transparency in the existing certification process.Halal Regulators

On October 17, 2017, the government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 116/2017/ND-CP setting out the conditions for the manufacture, assembly, importation, and offering of warranty and maintenance services of automobiles (Decree 116). In light of the new decree, which took immediate effect, companies operating in the automotive industry in Vietnam may find it necessary to comply with strict new regulations in order to carry out their business in the country.Automobile Importation

On November 17, 2017, the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce issued Notification No. 55/2017, under section (13) (B) of the Import and Export Law, which grants permission for joint ventures (JV) between foreign and domestic companies to carry out the retail or wholesale trade of agricultural machinery.The Notification provides that any foreign-domestic JV company that wishes to trade in agricultural machinery must: