Thailand's amended Bankruptcy Act (No. 9) B.E. 2559 (2016) (the "Amendment") was published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 24 May 2016 and came into force on 25 May 2016. The Amendment is specifically aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It introduces a new scheme which allows SMEs to enter into Court-supervised business rehabilitations.
Thailand’s economy does not paint an image that befits the country’s reputation as the “Land of Smiles.” Politics, drought, floods, and conflict in the Deep South have taken their toll on Thai businesses. As a result, we have seen a steadily rising number of business reorganizations over the past few years. This article outlines Thailand’s business reorganization procedures and how creditors can collect debts from companies involved in reorganization.
Recent amendments to Thailand’s Bankruptcy Act which came into force on May 25, 2016, will provide SMEs with greater protection against bankruptcy.
Recent Developments
The Law on the Amendment to the Income Tax Law and Certain Laws (the "Omnibus Bill") entered into force upon its publication on the Official Gazette No. 30836 dated July 19, 2019. The Omnibus Bill includes provisions for financial restructuring and tax related matters.
What’s New?
Financial Restructuring
Yeni Gelişme
Türkiye Bankalar Birliği, hazırladığı Finansal Yeniden Yapılandırma Çerçeve Anlaşması'nı ("Önceki Çerçeve Anlaşma") büyük ölçekli ("Büyük Ölçekli Çerçeve Anlaşma") ve küçük ölçekli ("Küçük Ölçekli Çerçeve Anlaşma") borçlular için iki farklı çerçeve sözleşme olacak şekilde bölmek üzere değişiklik yaptı.
Değişiklik ne getiriyor?
Recent Development
The Financial Restructuring Framework Agreement ("PreviousFA") drafted by the Banks Association of Turkey was revised to be divided into two separate framework agreements for large scale (the "Large Scale FA") and small-scale (the "Small Scale FA") debtors.
What's New?
The concept of "financial restructuring" was introduced in Turkey following the country's currency crisis in the summer of 2018. Financial restructuring, defined as revising a debtor's financial structure and redetermining its financial strategy, became the major agenda of Turkish financial institutions. Regulators intervened immediately and began working to form the legal infrastructure for restructuring.
Certain amendments are made on multiple laws concerning Turkish financial markets with the Law No. 7186 and the Capital Movements Circular in line with the letter of Ministry of Treasury and Finance dated 16 July 2019.
Introduction
Execution and Bankruptcy Law (“EBL”) enables a company in financial difficulty to propose a composition to its creditors to restructure its debts. However, EBL only provides formal proceedings and does not provide out of court workouts. As a result, courts do not have the authority to order a creditor to cooperate with an informal composition. Therefore there is a lack of safeguards in favour of debtors with regards to any informal composition proceedings under the current legislation.
A foreign creditor has the right to initiate a lawsuit or an enforcement proceeding against a debtor in Turkey even if there is no reciprocal agreement between Turkey and the creditor's own jurisdiction.