July 12, 2023
PRANAT LAOHAPAIROJ The Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560 of Thailand (“Act”) was enacted in 2017 and is the second version of the anti-trust and trade competition law in Thailand. Its predecessor is the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2542, which was enacted in 1999 and saw very little usage due to a lack of necessary supplementary regulations and will of the government and the public to put the law to use. During the 18 years of its existence, the 1999 law only saw action a few times, with all of the cases dropped due to lack of evidence or governing support. The Act is the reincarnation of the 1999 law, with most of the provisions transposed from the 1999 law onto the Act almost verbatim, but with minor differences regarding categorisations and re-classifications of penalties and other minor details. The Act was deemed appropriate to change the competition landscape in Thailand in order to promote more holistic competition within the economy and enhance understanding between different stakeholders and the governing authority. The Act is also intended to extinguish, or at least limit, unnecessary hindrances to trade that had (and to some extent nowadays still have) existed because of historical trade practices and unique cultural conduct. These practices and conduct, such as arrangement, exclusivity, resale price maintenance, unfair poaching, cost imposition, have largely been banned in countries that have enacted their version of anti-trust and trade competition law, and Thailand was deemed ready to follow suit. The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (“ TCCT ”), which is the governing authority over the Act, was very clear that during the first few...
April 17, 2023
Christopher & Lee Ong (CLO), a member firm of Rajah & Tann Asia (RTA), has appointed Kuok Yew Chen as Managing Partner with effect from April 1, 2023. He succeeds Yon See Ting, who handed over the reins after four years at the helm. See Ting will continue in her Corporate M&A practice, and head the Firm’s Competition and Anti-trust Practice Group. During her tenure as Managing Partner, See Ting prioritised a balanced, inclusive and people-first work environment that allowed the firm to attract and retain top talent lawyers and business professionals. She also laid a solid foundation in governance and industry expertise for CLO, which translated to new practice areas being introduced to meet growing client needs, as well as ensuring clients have a safe pair of hands for their transactions and business ventures. Stepping into the role of Managing Partner, Yew Chen brings with him valuable experience and knowledge in both legal practice and management, and is known for his strategic vision, strong relationships with clients, and ability to drive growth and innovation. “CLO has grown to over 100 fee earners since its inception 10 years ago. The challenge ahead would be to maintain the momentum and growth, given local and global headwinds. However, I am cautiously optimistic that, together with my colleagues at CLO and RTA, and the invaluable support of our clients and business partners, we will be able to build on the solid foundations laid over the last decade, and continue to grow from strength to strength,” said Yew Chen....
December 27, 2017
A proposed amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act (Fair Trade Act) was approved by the State Council on September 26, 2017 ...
December 27, 2017
The Philippine Competition Commission issued the Rules on Merger Procedure which explain the timing for the filing of a notice for covered transactions, the procedure for notification, Phase 1 and Phase 2 review and other matters, including confidentiality claims ...