The Global Attorney-Client Privilege Guide, published by Lex Mundi, provides information on what constitutes attorney-client privilege in over 65 jurisdictions around the world. The Thailand chapter of the guide was written by Michael Ramirez, counsel in the dispute resolution group of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok office.

On April 9, 2020, the Cambodian General Department of Taxation (GDT) issued an official notification to clarify and widen the scope of the tax relief measures granted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2020, the Cambodian Department of Intellectual Property Rights (DIPR) of the Ministry of Commerce issued new requirements for trademark owners and their agents to file Affidavits of Use or Non-Use due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While an official announcement has not yet been made, the new affidavit filing requirements are already in practice.

In order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, on April 27, 2020, the Central Bank of Myanmar issued Directive 8/2020 causing a reduction in bank interest rates effective from May 1, 2020, as follows:

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating effect on Thailand’s aviation industry. Both international and domestic flights have been dramatically curtailed or stopped altogether. When operations do resume, it is uncertain how many passengers will actually fly because of virus fears and economic impacts. Meanwhile, while airlines’ revenue drops, their expenses continue. A lack of cash flow has resulted in airlines resorting to laying off employees or having their employees take leave without pay.

Thailand’s Ministry of Interior has proposed a second round of automatic visa extensions for non-Thai citizens in Thailand whose visas will expire on or after April 30, 2020, along with a temporary exemption from the 90-day report duty, due to the continued travel restrictions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.On April 21, the Cabinet approved the second automatic visa extension. All types of visas will therefore be automatically extended to July 31, 2020. A temporary suspension of the 90-day report requirement has also been granted until July 31, 2020.

On April 2, the president of the Supreme Court issued further details and guidance on the handling of cases during the COVID-19 outbreak in Measures for Case Management according to the Declaration of an Emergency Situation between March 26, 2020, and April 30, 2020, in all areas of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Thai judiciary’s initial response to the crisis had come in an announcement on March 24, 2020, that postponed most hearings until the end of May 2020 and enumerated a list of exceptions to this postponement.

The Government Office of Vietnam recently announced the conclusions of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc regarding the combat of the COVID-19 pandemic following government meetings on April 20 and 22, 2020. Accordingly, the country has now moved into long-term epidemic combat, and thus needs to practice appropriate social distancing while facilitating the supply of goods and business development. As such, the strict social distancing guidelines under Directive No. 16/CT-TTg issued on March 31, 2020, have been lifted for most localities.