On January 28, 2019, Thailand’s National Council for Peace and Order issued Order No. 1/2562 (the Order) granting the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) the right to suspend cannabis-related patent applications on legal grounds. This development is in response to the ongoing legalization of medical cannabis in Thailand, and has raised a number of thought-provoking issues.The NCPO Order    

Since its initial enactment in 1997, Cambodian Labor Law has remained largely untouched. However, with recent amendments introduced by the government in the past year, Cambodia’s Labor Law is now witnessing the most significant changes in its 22-year history. Starting in mid-2018, a number of pro-employee initiatives were introduced in an attempt to bolster and improve Cambodian Labor Law and the benefits provided to the workforce.

On December 28, 2018, the Trade Competition Commission (TCC) published notifications related to merger control under Section 51 of the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 (2017) (TCA) in the Government Gazette. They came into effect on the following day, December 29, 2018. Among other things, the notifications provide much-needed definitions for key terms relating to merger control, including:

After more than three years of deliberation and consultation with multiple stakeholders and industry experts, Myanmar’s new Science, Technology and Innovation Law (No. 22/2018) (the Law) was finally enacted into law on June 25, 2018. The Law, which repealed the old Science and Technology Development Law (No. 5/1994), is set to introduce substantial changes to collaborative innovation practices in the country.    

With the growing power and influence wielded by online content, concerns have been raised in Thailand (as in many other countries) that online channels, which facilitate free and easy exchange of information across a variety of forums, could be used to conduct illegal activities that will incite discontent and conflict within the country. This is especially true of information exchanged and shared through social media and Over-the-Top (OTT) services.    

In January 2019, the Thai Cabinet agreed to propose the Marine Insurance Bill, as prepared by the Ministry of Finance, to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration. When the bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate it will be passed to the monarch to be signed into law, and then published in the Government Gazette  before coming into force.

Vietnam’s Central Party Steering Committee recently issued a strong directive ordering strict policies emphasizing improved consumer protection. Specifically, Directive No. 30/CT/TW on Strengthening Party Leadership and State Management Responsibility in Consumer Protection (Directive 30) was issued on 22 January 2019.

Thailand’s long-awaited Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) was approved by the National Legislative Assembly today, February 28, 2019. It will now be passed to the monarch to be signed and endorsed, and will then be published in the Government Gazette before passing into law later this year.