Southeast Asian food exporters to China should be aware of new regulations announced in late November 2019 by China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) for all food products. The first is still in draft form and seeks to expand the scope of the GAC’s role in policing all food products, while the second update—already implemented–makes the application process for an import license for animal and plant food products much more rigorous.

Labor disputes typically arise when one party—often the employee—feels unfairly treated, for reasons that may stretch far beyond the law, and consequently he or she will feel entitled to restitution. Thailand’s labor laws encompass several safeguards that help employers meet a standard of fairness when dealing with dissatisfied or aggrieved employees.

In late 2019, Thailand’s cabinet approved in principle the draft amendments to the Life Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (1992) and Non-Life Insurance Act B.E. 2535 (1992). The key changes introduced by the draft amendments include:Added provision on insurance business transfers that result in a change of insurer. In such a case, the transferee of the insurance business is required to notify the insured of the right of objection. A novation by substitution of the debtor will be deemed to occur when the insured does not object to the business transfer.

Tilleke & Gibbins authors have provided the latest update to the Thailand Q&A section of Doing Business in… , a Q&A-style guide published by Thomson Reuters Practical Law that presents an overview of recent legal developments affecting doing business in 59 jurisdictions worldwide. The Thailand chapter of the guide was written by attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins and presents an overview of Thailand’s legal system and key laws applicable to foreign companies doing business in the country.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) viewed 2019 as a year for improving the country’s ranking in the ICT sector, with the motto of “Modeling, Discipline, Focus, and Breakthrough.” In 2019, among other goals, the MIC focused on shifting telecom infrastructure to ICT infrastructure to promote digital transformation; shifting the telecom industry from voice to data by reducing voice interconnection fees; universalizing smartphones; planning for 5G frequency; testing mobile money; and dealing with spam email and messages.

Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code, which took effect on January 1, 2018, introduced the concept of corporate criminal liability to Vietnam. For the first time, companies could be held criminally liable for an assortment of offenses, including intellectual property crimes (under Articles 225 and 226 of the Penal Code). However, the enforcement of the corporate criminal liability provisions was still questioned due to a lack of actual experience of the authorities, including the police and prosecutors.

On January 7, 2020, the Thai General Insurance Association hosted a session on the insurance industry’s compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which was enacted in 2019 and is due to come into force on May 27, 2020. Representatives from the Office of Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) gave presentations, followed by a panel discussion with representatives of the OIC and the Thai General Insurance Association.Speakers were able to give clarity on a number of issues:

On January 6, 2020, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Decision No. 27/QD-TTg establishing the Danang IT Park in the rapidly developing city of Danang on Vietnam’s central coast.