In 2008, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam passed Resolution 19/2008/QH12 (“Resolution 19”), a five-year pilot legislation which permits foreign organizations and individuals to purchase and own condominiums in Vietnam. A qualified foreign individual may only purchase one condominium for his or her private residential use. Resolution 19 does not allow foreign individuals to own stand-alone residential units. As a follow-up to Resolution 19, the Government issued implementation guidelines in June 2009 with Decree 51/2009/ND-CP.

On November 23, 2009, Vietnam’s National Assembly passed the Law on Telecommunications, which will enter into effect on July 1, 2010, replacing the Ordinance on Post and Telecommunication dated May 23, 2003. The Law on Telecommunications governs telecommunications activities relating to investment and business in the telecommunications sector. This article examines the definition of “telecommunications services” under the law, the competition issues addressed by the law, and the effect of the law on assignment of domain names.

The franchise business model is widespread in Thailand in many fields, such as clothing retailers (Zara and The Gap), fast food outlets (McDonald’s and KFC), and convenience stores (7-Eleven and Family Mart). This level of popularity can be attributed to the fact that franchising allows the franchisor to promote a successful business model or product in other geographical areas, while many of the risks are borne by the franchisee.

Over the past 20 years, Thailand has become a major hub for transportation and transition of goods in Southeast Asia. This role can be attributed to the country’s strategic geographical position and improvements to its Customs Department that have made it significantly more efficient in recent years, including the implementation of e-Customs. While trying to develop and facilitate trade through faster, less complicated, and even more environmentally friendly procedures, the Customs Department has maintained its vigilant intellectual property protection.

“Everything that can be invented has been invented” was the mythic pronouncement of the Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Charles H. Duell, in 1899.  Nonetheless, in the one hundred and ten years since these words were purportedly spoken, inventors have continued to develop innovative new technologies that benefit humanity.

Since 2003, Thailand has been engaged in amending its key intellectual property laws—the Trademark Act, the Patent Act, and the Copyright Act. The amendments are intended to provide protection for new types of marks, make the registration process less time-consuming, and clarify some contentious issues such as copyright fees, copyright fee collection agencies, and penalties for copyright offenses. The progress of the amendments is explored in this article.

Ambush marketing is one of the emerging issues wherein the boundaries of permissible unauthorized event-based advertising and promotion are being tested. In recent years, there have been numerous occasions worldwide where conflicts have arisen between organizations that stage proprietary high-profile events and various unaffiliated companies which try to benefit from the popularity and excitement surrounding these events.

This chapter provides an overview of the legal system and key laws for foreign companies doing business in Thailand. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the chapter examines the rules governing foreign investment, business vehicles, employment, tax, competition, intellectual property, marketing agreements, e-commerce, data protection, and product liability.