태국 경쟁법의 발전 동향에 관한 연구

The aim of this study is to analyze the development trend of the Competition Act in Thailand. Since the introduction of Competition Act in ASEAN, Thailand has been making steady progress in the framework of the competition system amid the changes in the economic structure and the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community. Some of the provisions of the existing Competition Act (1999) have not been able to keep up with the changing economic structure and trade behavior over time, and lacked the independence of the Competition Commission. In light of this, the revised Competition Act (2017) reduced the scope of exclusion, ensured the independence of the Competition Commission, and expanded its authorities. In addition, various types of transaction activities were specifically suggested. However, to effectively enforce the law, it is necessary to prepare detailed rules such as setting legal interpretation and specific examination criteria. On the other hand, the development of the Competition Act in Thailand is deeply related to the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community. As the ASEAN economic community develops, the competition law system of the member countries is expected to converge into a higher level. Thailand, which acts as both geographical and economical hub, is expected to play a leading role in the convergence and harmonization of competition acts among the newest ASEAN member countries that recently introduced the new Competition Act.