Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) has issued a regulation mandating the closure of the legacy “e-Registration” system for registration of juristic persons, effective June 1, 2025. The e-Registration system will be formally discontinued as part of Thailand’s transition to the “DBD Biz Regist” digital platform, which aims to modernize and streamline online registration processes for corporate entities. Beginning July 1, 2025, the DBD will suspend all paper-based application submissions. All corporate registration applications for partnerships and private limited companies must be submitted online through the DBD Biz Regist system. The DBD introduced the DBD Biz Regist system in 2024 by a regulation of the Office of Central Company and Partnership Registration. While paper-based registration has remained available during the transition period, it has been limited to a reduced number of cases. DBD Biz Regist System The key principles of the DBD Biz Regist system include: Online submission and identity verification. The application process is fully digital throughout the entire registration procedure. Users can create accounts on the DBD Biz Regist website and complete identity verification online through ThaID, National Digital ID (NDID), or the DBD e-Service application—which is currently the only online option available to foreign nationals. In-person verification before a DBD registrar remains available as an alternative option. Electronic signatures. The system supports electronic signatures without requiring physical appearance for document signing. Users can sign documents electronically through ThaID, NDID, or the DBD e-Service application. Consent form process. After the DBD registrar approves an online application submission, the system will generate a consent form to be signed by the relevant parties. This form certifies the information presented in the online registration application. Applicants may either print and physically sign the consent form before uploading it to the system or sign it electronically through the DBD Biz Regist platform. Digital certified corporate documents. Upon completion of the registration process, certified corporate documents become available for

On May 16, 2025, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH) issued Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BYT on registration of drugs and drug materials (Circular 12). Circular 12 will come into effect on July 1, 2025, replacing Circular No. 08/2022/TT-BYT (as amended), which provides the current regulations on drug registration, along with Circular No. 16/2023/TT-BYT on registration of drugs under toll manufacturing and technology transfer, and Circular No. 07/2017/TT promulgating the list of non-prescription drugs. Some of the key stipulations of Circular 12 are outlined below. Regulation of non-prescription drugs Circular 12 abolishes the detailed list of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs previously stipulated in Circular No. 07/2017/TT-BYT. Instead of relying on a fixed list for classification, Circular 12 introduces a new framework based on principles, criteria, and specific methods for determining the status of non-prescription/OTC drugs. This approach aims to enhance safety, ensure timely access, reflect actual usage and supply conditions, and align with international standards. Drugs that have already been approved will retain their classification (i.e., as prescription or non-prescription) throughout the validity of their marketing authorization (MA), and reclassification will be considered when the MA is renewed. If a change in classification is requested, the MA holder must submit a variation registration dossier to the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV). For drug registration dossiers currently under evaluation by the DAV, the classification will be assessed in accordance with the new provisions set out in Circular 12. Drug registration The new regulations under Circular 12 loosen the requirements on providing a Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP). For all drug registration cases, a single CPP will suffice, provided it is issued by the competent authority of the manufacturing country or by an authority from a country that is a member of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or a Stringent Regulatory Authority (SRA), and confirms that the drug is licensed and actively

With the fifth round of negotiations between Thailand and the EU for a free trade agreement (FTA) now complete and the sixth round scheduled for June, both sides appear to be well on the way to meeting the desired Christmas 2025 deadline. The latest discussions were held in Brussels, and Pichai Naripthaphan, Thailand’s commerce minister, announced that the two sides have reached agreement on two chapters: Customs and Trade Facilitation, and Sustainable Food Systems. No details have been released regarding what concessions were made to reach the agreement, but reports suggest that good progress is being made in all remaining chapters. Market access for goods has reportedly become the current focus of negotiations. The first draft of goods and services that will be exempted is expected in early June, which will be welcome news for importers. While the first draft cannot be expected to represent the finalized list, it will at least provide an indication of the goods and services likely to benefit from tariff exemption. Similarly, both sides have begun to share the geographical indications that they wish to be protected, which will be of great interest to producers and manufacturers in Thailand and the EU. This is especially true considering the upcoming amendments to the Geographical Indications Protection Act B.E. 2546 (2003) expected in Thailand, as one of the key changes under the prospective amendment is to enable easier registration for geographical indications protected under international agreements. Other updates from the intellectual property (IP) chapter show good progress in relation to copyright and civil and border enforcement of IP rights. Both sides are also continuing to examine possible bridging proposals for unresolved issues. Given the substantial differences in IP laws between Thailand and the EU, how negotiators will bridge this gap remains at the forefront of most rightsholders’ minds. With patents

On September 6, 2024, Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) issued Decision No. 4565/MAF on Forest Carbon Management. This decision, which took effect on October 29, 2024, enables Laos to participate in both domestic and international carbon markets. It outlines comprehensive guidelines for forest carbon activities, including investment procedures, carbon credit trading, and benefit allocation. The Department of Forestry (DOF), under the MOAF, oversees these activities and grants relevant permissions. Definitions The decision defines key terms related to forest carbon management: Forest carbon: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorbed by forests, calculated in tonnes per hectare. Forest carbon credit: Quantity of CO₂ reduction, absorption, and storage, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), achieved through various projects or activities. These credits are verified for the reduction, absorption, and storage of CO₂ to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. They can be exchanged and traded in accordance with established standards for greenhouse gas emissions. Forest carbon trading: An agreement between a buyer (domestic or foreign legal entity or government) and a seller (the owner of a forest carbon project) to trade tCO2e . This trading allows the buyer to offset greenhouse gas emissions that exceed the emission allowances set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change. The forest carbon sold becomes the property of the buyer. Forest Carbon Business Operations According to the decision forest carbon business operations include: Cooperation between the government and development partners: This involves bilateral and multilateral cooperation based on international agreements and treaties. The use of carbon credits from this cooperation is not market-based but agreement-based, contributing to Laos’ national climate change goals. Forest carbon investment: This includes direct government investments and joint investments with the private sector, international organizations, or communities. These investments aim to create forest carbon credits without granting exclusive rights to forest resources. Joint investments are partnerships, not land concessions. Investment Requirements Investors

On May 21, 2025, the Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) published a press release signaling heightened regulation of digital platforms in response to the influx of products from foreign countries being sold in Thailand via e-commerce platforms. In recent years, the rapid expansion of cross-border multi-sided e-commerce platforms has unlocked unprecedented growth, but it has also flooded Thailand’s digital marketplaces with low-cost imports sold by unregulated foreign vendors via these platforms, unfairly undercutting local merchants’ market share and exposing consumers to uneven product quality. According to the press release, the TCCT announced progress on drafting new guidelines on unfair trade practices, monopolistic conduct, and competition restraint by multi-sided e-commerce platforms at a recent meeting of the Management Committee for Addressing Issues of Foreign Goods and Businesses Violating Laws. This regulatory push is part of a broader governmental effort to tackle issues stemming from the foregoing that create uneven playing fields and undermine consumer welfare. The draft guidelines are designed to regulate platform operators and their complex and multidimensional trade relations that cause network effects and distort competition. The forthcoming guidelines, to be issued under the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017), will undergo public consultation to ensure platform operators, the public, and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input before they are finalized and enforced. The guidelines are seen as an important priority, with the minister of commerce urging swift implementation of the measures to achieve the government’s objectives. In addition to the legislative advancement, one of the TCCT commissioners has been appointed to advise a subcommittee on preventing nominee arrangements by foreign investors and a subcommittee dedicated to promoting Thai SMEs and eliminating poor-quality imports. The appointee will also support the nationwide task force against illegal foreign products in overseeing proactive field operations and comprehensive enforcement, in line with

While digital technologies have significantly enhanced communication and information sharing, they have also created new opportunities for misuse, particularly for children, who are especially vulnerable to online abuse and exploitation. These risks are often difficult for parents and guardians to detect or prevent in a timely manner. To address these concerns, Thailand has drafted an amendment to the Criminal Code to introduce new provisions targeting offenses against children committed via online platforms. The objective is to close existing legal gaps and to provide more robust protections for children in the digital environment. The draft amendment focuses primarily on addressing online offenses against children and enhancing legal protections for children. The draft amendment proposed changes regarding the following issues: Jurisdiction and media misuse Expanding Thailand’s jurisdiction to cover sexual and liberty-related offenses committed against children outside the country. Adding offenses for misuse of media, including recording, publishing, or transmitting text, images, or sounds for unlawful or exploitative purposes. Offenses involving child exploitation Adding penalties for persuading, luring, or enticing children to engage in sexual or indecent conduct. Imposing harsher penalties for aggravated cases relating to child exploitation that result in serious harm or death. Adding penalties for sending or forwarding inappropriate sexual content to children with exploitative intent. Adding penalties for using threats involving sexual conduct to pressure or coerce victims. Removing ignorance of a child’s age as a possible defense for certain offenses (e.g., luring children or sending inappropriate content) when the child is under 13 years old. Special protections for vulnerable individuals Imposing harsher penalties for offenses committed against parents, persons under legal guardianship or parental authority, or individuals unable to protect themselves. Adding penalties to offenses such as luring children, sending inappropriate content, and cases involving serious harm or death. Child pornography Increasing liability for possession and distribution of child pornography through online platforms. Harassment and cyberbullying Adding a new offense for harassment causing unreasonable

Thailand’s Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) held an explanatory session on the draft principles and regulatory approaches of the country’s planned artificial intelligence (AI) law on May 2, 2025. This came after a lull of two years following the initial release of draft legislation on AI. In the session, the ETDA explained that the earlier drafts were modeled after the EU’s legal framework for AI, but given the evolving Thai legal and technological landscape, it is now necessary to revisit and refine the drafts to ensure they remain relevant and effective in the local context. To aid in this process, the ETDA will accept public comments on the draft principles of the AI law until June 9, 2025. Based on gap analysis and a comparative study of how different countries have addressed AI issues, the ETDA’s draft AI law principles are structured into five key areas. These are described below. 1. Risk-Based Requirements The draft principles outline a set of approaches that the legislation will take toward mitigating risk: Delegation of powers to enforcement agency or sectoral regulators The primary legislation will not directly specify a list of prohibited risks or high-risk types of AI. Instead, it will empower an enforcement agency or relevant sectoral regulators to determine and issue such lists. This approach allows regulators in each specific industry to assess the necessity of risk classifications within their respective sectors, based on the principle that sectoral regulators are best positioned to understand the specific risks in their domains. These regulators are expected to issue subordinate legislation in alignment with the overall framework. Meanwhile, the central enforcement agency will coordinate oversight across sectors and cover areas not under the jurisdiction of any specific regulator. Duties of high-risk AI providers Providers of AI deemed by the enforcement agency or sectoral regulators to be high-risk will have certain additional

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has published for public consultation a draft amendment of the Law on Donation, Recovery, and Transplantation of Human Tissues and Organs and Donation and Retrieval of Cadavers, a law which has been in effect since 2007. Among its changes, the draft amendment notably includes new provisions on stem cells, a hot-button topic with social, legal, and ethical ramifications extending beyond the medical field. There are currently no specific regulations on stem cells under Vietnamese law—only the MOH’s technical guidance—leaving many controversial issues unsettled. Key points related to stem cells that may impact the activities of researchers and institutions in Vietnam and abroad are highlighted below. Requirements for Stem Cells Under the draft amendment, stem cells are defined as cells naturally occurring in the body, having the ability to divide and differentiate into various types of cells. The draft amendment outlines conditions for stem cell donation, establishes requirements for medical facilities authorized to receive stem cell donations, and specifies the rights of stem cell donors. Under the draft amendment, it is prohibited to receive, screen, or produce stem cells at facilities that do not satisfy conditions. Establishment of Private Stem Cell Banks In addition to state-owned stem cell banks, the draft amendment also addresses independent stem cell banks established by private investors. In general, the stem cell banks (whether public or private) must obtain an operation license by meeting various conditions on personnel, equipment, facilities, and management systems to be further guided by the government. Notably, stem cell banks will have the right to cooperate with foreign entities in exchanging stem cells for treatment, education, and research purposes. Prohibition on Creating Embryos for Stem Cell Research or Therapy Considering the ethical concerns over the use and destruction of embryos, the draft amendment expressly prohibits the creation of embryos for the purpose of generating