Medical Board in Pakistan will no Longer Determine the Gender of Trans People

Pakistan improves the rights for LGBT people in a series of amendments to the “Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Bill 2017”. The amendments include that Tran’s people no longer have to face a medical board when determining their gender.

Chair of the Senate on Human Rights in Pakistan explains how getting the approval of a medical board subjects the Trans person to emotional stress as the process is embarrassing, attacks their self esteem and they sometimes face harassment.

Tran’s people will now be identified as those who express their identity differently from expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. However, there is still a strong social stigma when it comes to attitudes towards Trans people, they still face attacks in their communities.

Read the full story here

Related Blog:
Pakistan Passes First Transgender Law

Related Video:
LGBT Expo Bangkok Thailand IMPACT

Image: HijraPanscheel

Indonesia to Ban Extramarital and Gay Sex

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim population considers adultery to be a serious crime. The Draft of the legislation will rule out not only extramarital sex but same-sex activities and co-habitation.

A conservative group behind the push for the new legislation, Family Love Alliance, comments that the draft is merely a reflection of current values of the “majority … of all cultures in Indonesia”.

Parliament has been holding public conferences, taking the opinions of the public, legal experts, scholars on the topic of extramarital sex. Most political parties have been reported as for the changes that will ban same sex relations. Few politicians have spoken out against the draft for fear of losing the vote of the conservative majority.

Activists argue that the new legislation would cause a disruption with social development and make it hard to police without violating privacy.

Expert divorce lawyers in Thailand advise that it matters where the marriage was registered in order to follow the correct jurisdiction proceedings for their case.

Read the full story here

Related Video:

LGBT Expo Thailand

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Child Abduction Act in Convention with the Hague Treaty on Child Abduction

Thailand lawmakers in 2013 took on many of the provisions from the international treaty, the Hague Convention on Child Abduction Law in Thailand. The domestic law, now known as the Thailand Child Abduction Act, will allow an aggrieved parent to file for the return of their child. However, the parent who is filing for their return must be able to prove that the child’s “habitual residence” is the country where the child is being requested back to. 

The Hague Treaty on Child Abdution is a treaty of international law that provides for uniform enforcement of child abduction laws between participating nations. Under the Act, petitions can be submitted to the Thailand Central Authority.

Chaninat & Leeds, a Bangkok based law firm further explains the international treaty in Thailand.

Divorce Lawyers in Thailand provides advice on international divorce proceedings.

Related Blog:

WWII Sex Slaves Sue their Kidnappers

The EU Urges Thailand to have Democratic Elections in 2018

Pirkka Tapiola, EU Ambassador to Thailand has put pressure on the regime to stay on schedule with the already delayed elections to take place in November later this year. He released a statement encouraging “all stakeholders to respect the previously announced road map” of the elections and that the EU is ready to assist, if Thailand needs.

The statement was issued a day before the National Legislative Assembly will consider whether to pass the proposal of the panel vetting an organic bill on MP’s for delaying the enforcement of the bill, which in turn has delayed the elections to 2019. 

The Foreign Minister of Thailand, stated that the amendment of the bill is not up to the executive sector that includes Prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha but is dependent on the legislative sector.

A Thailand divorce contract is an agreement entered into by divorcing couples who can agree on important issues such as assets, child support and alimony.   \

The EU ambassador responded to the statement saying that the EU is aware of the differences however, “both are essential … in a democracy”. He concludes that it is even more imperative that Thailand returns to democratic elections as soon as possible.

Read the full story here

Related Blog:

Thailand PM Bans Parading of Suspects

Image: Pirkka Tapiola

New Smart Visa will Allow a 4 Year Entrance to Specialist Expatriate Workers

The smart visa will be divided among four main groups. The first being specialist workers in scientific fields who have a base salary of 200k baht. The second, similar but company executives with the same base rate and 10 years of experience. The third and forth groups will be individuals and companies wanting to invest in the target industries, the minimum will be 20 million baht.

Benefits of the smart visa are that it will provide a four year entrance into Thailand as opposed to the standard 90 day visa. Spouses and children of the successful applicant may also work in Thailand. Only a thousand of the visas will be distributed. The government adds that the smart visas will not disrupt the “local labor market”.

The targeted industries will belong to the First S-Curve and New-S Curve Industries. First S-Curve include smart electronics, automotive, medical/wellness tourism, agriculture and biotechnology and the New S-Curve categories will include medical centers, digital businesses, biochemicals, robotics and aviation. 

Chaninat & Leeds’ attorneys have assisted hundreds of couples with child custody cases in Thailand.

Applications for the smart visa will commence on the first of February, 2018. The targeted industries will be Thai-based.

Read the full story here

Related Blog:

Thailand Bans Border Runs, Strengthens Border Runs

Thailand Waves 1000 Baht Visa Fee from December to February

Image: Sergey

Thai Actress Shows Boyfriend’s Genital’s on Social Media

Saipan Sakuljaroensuk has been summoned to court under the Technology Crime Suppression Division for allegedly accidentally live-streaming her boyfriend’s penis on Instagram. She may be charged with a three year jail sentence or a maximum fine of 60,000 baht.

Criminal convictions and other anti social behavior may be grounds for divorce according to Divorce Attorneys in Thailand.

The Instagram live-stream function includes the ability to share photos or videos for 24 hours in which they will disappear afterwards. Screenshots of Saipan’s Instagram live feed went viral before she was able to delete it. The actress issued an apology, saying that she didn’t realize her boyfriend was in the video and it was intended for another private account.

Her manager has commented on the situation that Saipan feels guilty over what had happened and will be careful with her “online actions from now on”. The charge involves uploading pornography onto a publicly accessible system. Saipan is most notably famous for her role in Same Same but Different, starring opposite David Kross in 2009 where she played a HIV-poistive Cambodian prostitute who falls in love with a German man.

Read the full story here

Related Articles:

Computer Crime Act

Image: Tumisu

Thailand Rockstar Opens Fire at Temple

On Thursday evening, Sek Loso live streamed his visit to a temple where he prays to a couple of Buddha statues and then shoots his handgun into the sky and ground. Thai police then issued a warrant for his surrender on Saturday.

Couples requiring a separation agreement in Thailand should contact expert separation lawyers with plentiful of knowledge and experience drawing up separation agreements.

By Sunday, with Loso still not complying with the surrender, Thai police raid his home where they are met with Loso locked in his bedroom live streaming the incident. Loso had taken his gun out and threatened police that if anyone came in, he would shoot.

Police were then commanded to break down the door and arrest Loso for opening fire in a residential area. They will also further investigate whether he has a permit for the firearm. He is currently being held in Police Bangkok headquarters.

In the Facebook live stream Loso is seen lighting incense, praying and then firing the gun.

Read the full story here

Related Videos:

Exploring Gun Culture Around the World on Khao San Road USA Gun Control

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Female Monks in Thailand being Ordained Despite Being Against the Law

An interview with the Huffington Post reveals that females in Thailand are not allowed to be ordained as monks. About 93% of Thailand’s population is Buddhist and only 100 females are monks compared to the 300,000 males that are monks.

Female monks comment that there is a lot of misogyny deep rooted in Thailand’s Buddhism. For example, there are a lot of sexist teachings that are not in the original texts or a lot has been left out to favor men being monks. Venerable Dhammananda adds that “they don’t listen to the Bhudda carefully”.

Thailand is so against female monks that they have even been attacked. These female monks fear for their life every time they go out for their morning walks blessing the community and receiving food.

Male monks retaliate with the explanation that women are too sensitive and not disciplined enough “to endure the hardships of a monk”, especially living in a temple, being abstinent and isolated from society.

Watch the full video here

Thai-foreign couples going through a separation require a divorce lawyer in Thailand to professionally separate assets and other legal matters.

Related Video: Simon Cowell, Adultery and Divorce Law

Image: Greg Walters

Journalists Facing Prosecution for Using Drones in Myanmar

Singaporean freelance camera man Lau Hon Meng and Malaysian documentary producer Mok Choy Lin were sentenced to two months in jail for using a drone, breaching Myanmar’s Aircraft Act, details The Strait Times.

Persons victimized by a breach of contract in Thailand should seek attorneys with contract and litigation experience, court disputes between Thai and foreign entities may potentially be heard by the Court of Intellectual Property and International Trade Law.

Although, Myanmar technically doesn’t have any specific legislation outlawing the use of drones, authorities do not like them over their territories. They are being charged with violating the Export and Import law. Those who export/import prohibited goods can be fined and jailed up to three years.

On top of the drone charges, immigration officials are also trying to charge the pair and their two interpreters for violating the 1947 Immigration Act. Under this Act, individuals who remain in the country after the infringement of rules can be fined and jailed up to five years.

Lau and Mok’s defense attorneys are currently working on getting the export and import charges dismissed.

Read the full story here

Related Articles:

Immigration Act

Image: Andrew Turner

Thailand to Draft New Industrial Design Act

Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property is in the process of drafting a new industrial design law that is set to change the way industrial designs are assessed, registered and protected, both in the country and internationally.

If passed, the law would amend the Thai Patent Act, removing the industrial design aspect altogether to make way for separate legislation.

The bill would bring the following changes:

·         An Extended Term of Protection

The current protection period of ten years would be reduced to five. However, it would also have the possibility of being renewed twice, enabling a full term of up to 15 years.

·         A Creativity Requirement

The current law requires designs to be only “novel” and “industrially applicable”. The new law would introduce an extra requirement for creativity, which means that designs consisting only of well-known shapes, such as those found in geometry or nature, would not be protected.

Thailand trademark and IP attorneys specialize in patent and trademark filing.

·         New Time Restraints for Examination

The system by which applications are assessed and registered would be streamlined to take less time. The current extended period of 180 days will be cut in half, allowing an initial 60-day period with the possibility of an extention for an extra 30 days.

·         All-in-One Applications

While the current law requires applications to make individual applications for each country they wish their design to be registered in, the new legislation will allow international registration to be granted with a single application.

The bill is being drafted in preparation for Thailand’s compliance with the ASEAN IPR Action Plan, which requires all ASEAN countries to become a contracting party to the Geneva Act of 1999 under the Hague Agreement by 2018.

Related Articles: Thailand Draft Electronic Waste Law Open for Public Review

Image: Konrad Foerstner

Hong Kong to Criminalize Mockery of Chinese National Anthem

According to Shanghaiist (http://shanghaiist.com), disrespecting the Chinese national anthem will soon be a criminal offense in Hong Kong.

The act is already illegal in China and punishable by up to 15 days in prison with the possibility of further criminal charges being added.

Chaninat & Leeds’ Thailand criminal defense lawyers assist foreigners and Thai citizens accused of crimes (http://www.thailand-lawyer.com/criminal-defense.html)

The law is thought to be implemented to combat widespread disrespect of the anthem at Hong Kong football matches, where large groups of fans have protested by turning their backs and booing while the anthem is played.

Read the full story here (http://shanghaiist.com/2017/10/16/hong-kong-national-anthem-law.php)

Image: Whampoa Sports Club

Judge Rules that ‘A Feeble No May Mean Yes’ in Rape Cases

A judge in India overturned a rape conviction earlier this week, explaining that despite the victim’s verbal and physical resistance, the accused had reason to believe that she consented, according the Guardian.

Bollywood movie director Mahmood Farooqui was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted for the rape of an American graduate student at his home last year. After appealing his conviction, a judge ruled in his favor and overturned it.

Justice Ashutosh Kumar explained that he had to give Farooqui “the benefit of the doubt” because “instances of woman behavior are not unknown that a feeble no may mean a yes”. The victim testified that she had repeatedly refused Farooqui’s advances and physically resisted, but he restrained her when she tried to prevent him from removing her clothes.

Chaninat & Leeds’ family lawyers help couples to separate property and marital assets during divorce in Thailand

The verdict is raising concerns about what constitutes consent in India. Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy said it “muddies the water and will confuse a lot of the issues around consent”. The Times of India also criticized it, saying that it “set a potentially dangerous precedent that a no does not always necessarily mean no”.

Read the full story here

Related Articles: Oklahoma Court: It’s Not Rape if She’s Drunk

Image: Nick Kenrick

Construction Starting on High-Speed Rail from Bangkok-Korat

A high-speed train route is set to be built from Bangkok and Korat, with construction starting in November, Coconuts Bangkok reports.

A team of Chinese Engineers are being brought in to work on the project. First, they are required to pass examinations on the legal and ethical codes for foreign engineers in Thailand and environmental safety. After that, they will hand over blueprints to the State Railway of Thailand, and construction will commence

When complete, the route will provide locals and tourists with a fast and convenient way to visit Korat, which is most widely known for its national park, Khao Yai. The area has also become a hit with Thailand real estate developers, who have seen the opportunity to build property there. However, Thailand real estate lawyers warn that there is an increasing amount of illegal title deeds that encroach on public land. This is something to watch out for when browsing land or property in the province.

Read the full story here

Related Articles: Green Buildings and Sustainability in Thailand

Image: Chris Baines 

Indonesia Could Outlaw Sex Outside Marriage, Australians Warned

A petition to outlaw sex outside of marriage in Indonesia could affect foreign tourists who frequent the country, News.com.au reports.

The petition was filed by a group called Family Love Alliance, and if successful, it would also outlaw same-sex relations, as gay marriage is illegal in the country.

Andreas Harsono, Human Rights Watch Indonesian researcher, said that it would result in further discrimination against the LGBT community. He called it “ill-informed and bigoted” and said that it was “similar to the anti-LGBT rhetoric espoused by Indonesian officials and politicians earlier this year”.

Chaninat & Leeds’ attorneys can help clients file for overseas divorce in Thailand when they or their spouse are living abroad

Members of the LGBT community suffer discrimination throughout Indonesia. This is in part due to the predominantly Muslim population. Harsono said that very conservative Muslims see homosexuality as a mental illness.

“They believe if they accept it in their society, God’s anger will be on them,” he said.

Indonesia is an extremely popular tourist destination for Australians, who flock to Bali in particular. If law is amended, tourists who are caught having sex outside of marriage could face arrest.

Read the full story here

Related Articles: Interfaith Marriages not Recognized in Indonesia Claim Petitioners 

Image: Thomas Depenbusch

Singapore Blogger Fined for Criticizing Anti-Gay Sex Law Court Case

Alex Au Waipang was fined almost $6,000 USD for blog post he wrote two years ago criticizing Singapore’s anti-gay sex laws, reports Global Voices Online.

The Supreme Court of Singapore found Waipang guilty of contempt of court on March 5.

The article in question, published in October 2013, allegedly accused the Chief Justice of rigging court proceedings challenging Singapore’s gay sex ban.

Prosecutors allegedly said the article “unfairly suggested that the Chief Justice had acted impartially” and by doing so “risked undermining public confidence in the administration of justice in Singapore,” according to Global Voices Online.

Waipang reportedly plans to file an appeal.

Thailand Defamation Lawyer Comments:

Laws protecting freedom of speech and freedom of expression vary greatly from country to country. In Thailand, for example, the law allows for freedom of expression to be restricted by the government to preserve national security, maintain public order, and prevent insults to Buddhism. Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws also strictly prohibit any form of criticism of the monarchy—a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Similarly, defamation could be tried as a either a criminal and/or a civil offense under the Thailand Criminal Code.

Read the full story here.

Sydney Massage Parlor Wins Prostitution Court Case

An Australian court ruled that a massage parlor accused of illegal prostitution can stay in business because there wasn't enough evidence of paid sex to meet the legal definition of “brothel,” reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Hornsby Council reportedly spent nearly $100,000 building its case against the Hornsby Massage Centre, including hiring a private investigator to have sex with a prostitute and submit a graphic report as evidence.

Chaninat and Leeds’ Thailand private detectives have been conducting investigations and surveillance in Thailand for court case evidence since 1997.

After a year-long court battle, the case was dismissed because, according to the ruling judge, the council had not met the "standard of proof" that the premises met the definition of brothel with more than one prostitute providing services, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Hornsby Council reportedly plans to lobby for an “urgent review” of the “legislative definitions” of a brothel.

Read the full story here.

US Housing Scam Fugitive Arrested in Bangkok

Joseph Arsenault, an American who apparently fled to Thailand to escape fraud convictions, was caught and arrested by Thai police in Bangkok after a tip from the United States’ embassy, reports Reuters.

Arsenault was involved in a real estate telemarketing scheme that stole over $20 million from nearly 300 victims by selling Detroit houses at inflated properties under the false impression that they could be flipped and resold for a profit, according to Samui Times.

Arsenault and 15 other defendants were charged in November 2014 with a range of offences including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to Reuters.

Chaninat and Leeds’ criminal defense and Thailand fraud attorneys have successfully assisted hundreds of clients in civil and criminal fraud cases in Thailand since 1997.

Bangkok Police Major General Warawut Thaweechaiyagarn said Arsenault would be deported back to American in the near future.

Read the full story here and here.

Related Articles:
Prominent Extradition Cases in Thailand – Snaring Minor Offenders to Big-Time Crooks
Avoiding the pitfalls in acquiring real estate in Thailand
European Fraud Fugitives Found In Thailand

Related Documents:
Thailand-USA Extradition Treaty

Related Video: Thailand Extradition Law

Thai Govt. Officials Can’t Agree on Inheritance Tax Rate in New Bill

Thailand’s government officials can’t seem to agree on the fate of Thailand’s draft inheritance tax bill, which was sent back to the Finance Ministry for readjustment in February, according to the Bangkok Post.

The officials are getting hung up on whether the tax rate should be 10 percent or 8 percent and whether the ceiling for the tax exemption should be estates valued over 50 million baht or over 80 million baht. Both the Finance Ministry and the Thai Cabinet had passed the bill with the former rates, respectively.

The National Legislative Assembly didn’t approve the bill, though, sending it back to the Finance Ministry Feb. 9.

The Thailand probate attorneys at Thai law firm Chaninat and Leeds have assisted heirs from all over the world with probate proceedings in Thailand.

According to the Bangkok Post, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said he thinks the bill should be thrown out if the tax rate, which already “almost amounts to nothing for state coffers,” is reduced.

It remains to be seen if the changes proposed by the NLA will be agreed upon by all government parties or if the bill will be killed by bureaucracy.

Read the full story here.

Related Articles:
New Inheritance Tax Approved by Thai Cabinet
Thailand Reviews Draft Inheritance Tax Bill, Officials Say Estates Exempt from Taxes

Mississippi Targets Islamic Law, Makes Foreign Law Illegal

United States: Mississippi passed a bill in February banning the use of foreign law, allegedly aimed at stopping the influence and spread of Islam’s Sharia religious law, reports JURIST.

House Bill 177 reflects Republican concerns over international influence on American affairs by claiming to protect constitutional rights such as freedom of religion, speech, or press, and marriage, according to JURIST.

The family attorneys at Chaninat and Leeds are experts on Thailand marriage laws and specialize in assisting binational couples with marriage licenses and registration.

At least a few other American states—mostly in the south and south east—have passed similar laws in their constitutions banning courts from considering international or Islamic law.

Read the full story here.

China Blocks Viral Smog Documentary

“City in Pollution” by leniners is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

The Chinese government banned a documentary about the country’s smog that became viral a week after it originally debuted across official Chinese media, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.


Chai Jing, a former Chinese news anchor, created Under the Dome to raise public awareness in China about its “dependency on burning coal” and regulators’ “weak enforcement of anti-pollution rules,” according to USA Today.


The film quickly became viral after launching on March 1, gaining 200 million views in less than a week before being blocked by the Chinese government from all major websites.

Read the full story here and here.

Watch the full documentary:

Chaninat & Leeds has a team of professional Thailand private investigators with decades of experience collecting and presenting evidence to be used in Thailand courts of law.