On the 18th of August 2016, the Cabinet approved in principle a Ministerial Regulation Draft (the “MRA”) and a Prime Minister’s Office Announcement (the “PMOA”) for relaxing certain rules of the Working of Alien Act B.E. 2551 (2008) (the “Alien Act”) for long-term foreign residents in Thailand. Under the MRA, foreigners who had been living... Read More

On 12th October 2016, the European Commission released the news that the Commission has awarded intellectual protection to Khao Sangyod Muang Phatthalung (“Phatthalung Rice”), a golden rice registered as a GI in Thailand 10 years ago, as a Protected Geographical Indication (“PGI”). It is described in the Official Journal of the European Union granting the... Read More

The Royal Decree Issued under the Revenue Code, Re: Tax Exemption (No. 621) B.E. 2559 (A.D.2016) (the “Royal Decree”) was published in the Government Gazette on 30th August 2016 and came into effect on 31st August 2016 to grant corporate income tax exemption to social enterprises. Social Enterprises  Under the Royal Decree, a social enterprise (the “SE”)... Read More

On 16th September 2016, the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha attended the opening of the ”Start-up Thailand and Digital Thailand 2016” event in Phuket. He reiterated the commitment of the Government to promote startups and to transform Phuket into a smart city. The ultimate aim of the Government is to digitalize the economy and society of Thailand so Thailand... Read More

The Act on Establishment of the Criminal Court for Corruption Cases B.E. 2559 (2016) (“the Corruption Court Act”) was published in the Royal Gazette on 16th August 2016 and it has come into force on and from 17th August 2016. The Criminal Court for Corruption Cases (“the Corruption Court”) will begin hearing cases on 3rd... Read More