As the COVID-19 situation escalates, governments worldwide are imposing travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine procedures, and curfews and lockdowns in an attempt to slow the transmission of the virus. The Thai government has announced many measures to deal with the COVID-19 outbreaks, including ordering the postponement of the Songkran holidays and the temporary shutdown of portions of the public and private sectors. 

According to Section 42/1 of the Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), an annual general meeting (AGM) of joint owners in a condominium project must be held within 120 days from the end of its fiscal year, in order to approve, among other things, the balance sheet, annual report, and the appointment of an auditor.As part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Lands issued a notification on March 23, 2020, recommending that condominium juristic persons (CJPs) proceed with AGMs as follows:

The Department of Lands (DOL) has issued a notification to request that the public refrain from contacting the DOL for nonessential matters during this time in light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, the Board of the Social Security Office has agreed to reduce the rate for both employee and employer contributions to the Social Security Fund.On March 23, 2020, it was announced that there would be a reduction from a 5% contribution to a 4% contribution, for both employees and employers, for a period of six months, commencing in March and ending in August.

Directorate General of Intellectual Property

On March 4, 2020, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 28/2020/ND-CP Providing Regulations on Administrative Penalties in the Areas of Labor, Social Insurance, and Sending Vietnamese Workers Abroad for Working Under Contract (“Decree 28”). Decree 28 contains 57 articles geared toward protecting Vietnamese workers, including outsourced workers.Decree 28 sets out a number of infractions which employers should be careful to avoid committing and which can result in severe penalties.

On March 25, 2020, the IP Office of Vietnam (formerly the NOIP) issued Announcement No. 5060/TB-SHTT on Strengthening the Initiation of Measures to Prevent and Combat COVID-19.Announcement 5060 provides some measures to protect IP Office personnel in the COVID-19 situation, in particular in relation to arranging fee collection and receiving guests such as for interviews, and relating to working remotely from home. Announcement 5060 provides some important points that warrant attention by rightsholders and practitioners, namely:

The adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led employers to look for ways to mitigate the losses being wrought by the turmoil. While working remotely from home is a viable option for some, economic slowdown or to the nature of some industries make it unfeasible for others.This article considers the legality of some measures to mitigate employment costs in Laos.Can an employer suspend an employment contract?