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Yuthana Sivaraks

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Yuthana is a partner and co-head of the Investigations, Compliance & Ethics Practice Group at Baker McKenzie, Bangkok. He is an acknowledged leader in the field of government procurement and contracts, and public-private partnership (PPP) projects. One of his most notable areas of expertise is advising on court cases that challenge decisions made by government authorities, or address disputes arising from procurements, bid rigging, administrative orders and contracts, as well as arbitration proceedings. Prior to joining the Firm, he was a judge advocate, serving in the Royal Thai Navy for more than five years, becoming well versed in government procurement and contracts, and negotiation and investigation skills. His roles and responsibilities covered a wide range of issues dealing with administrative law, government contracts and civilian and military personnel law, acting as an inquiry official legally empowered to conduct investigations. His responsibilities also extended to the provision of legal advice in the area of procurements, terms of reference (TOR), and contracts in procuring armaments and naval ships, as well as the law on the use of navally supervised state-owned land, including drafting rules and regulations and negotiating international contracts for the Royal Thai Navy.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board has published the Notification of the Advertising Committee on Guidelines for Using Advertising Statements in Manners That Affirm Facts That Are Difficult to Prove and Guidelines for Proving the Facts Concerning Advertising Statements, B.E. 2565 (2022) in the Government Gazette on 13 January 2023, effective on 14 January 2023.

The “provision or acceptance of gift policy” is a key compliance principle in the governmental sector, as reflected in several key pieces of legislation. On 13 January 2023, the Office of the Prime Minister issued the Regulation on the Provision or Acceptance of Gift of Governmental Officials, B.E. 2565 (2022), which came into effect on 14 January 2023. This regulation updates and strengthens the policy on the provision or acceptance of gifts for the governmental sector. The regulation applies to all government officials, including but not limited to officials, staff, and employees of government agencies and state-owned enterprises.

Governance plays a key role in protecting a company from undesirable misconduct and may help to mitigate some of the consequences of non-compliance, whether in terms of civil or criminal liabilities of the company itself or its board of directors.This article explores ESG from the corporate governance and management perspective.

Advertising is a great way for business operators to connect with consumers, and advertisers today are able to reach more customers than ever before through the use of various media and channels (e.g., electronic, social media, brochures, newspaper advertising and TV advertising). In response to this, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board has deemed it necessary to step up its efforts to protect consumers. This article discusses the potential regulatory development that business operators should be aware of concerning the use of advertising that presents unsubstantiated claims or statements that are difficult to prove true.

At present, certain promotional activities (e.g., sweepstakes, raffle games or random premiums) are subject to the Gambling Act, B.E. 2478 (1935), which require the business operator to get permission from the Department of Provincial Administration. The Gambling Act regulates all sweepstakes activities with a strict and complicated permission system. The Office of the Council of State has now updated the requirements under the Gambling Act by passing the Bill on Sweepstakes Activities in the Course of Business or Occupation to reduce the strict procedures and difficulties for business operators in arranging these promotional activities.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow known as COP26, countries agreed to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerate its action plans to cut global greenhouse gas emissions. Along the line of this endeavor, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, announced Thailand’s enhanced ambition towards a low carbon society, aiming to reach carbon neutrality in 2050, and Net Zero GHG Emissions in or before 2065.

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow known as COP26, countries agreed to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerate its action plans to cut global greenhouse gas emissions. Along the line of this endeavor, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, announced Thailand’s enhanced ambition towards a low carbon society, aiming to reach carbon neutrality in 2050, and Net Zero GHG Emissions in or before 2065.