Thailand

Overview

DFDL is the non-exclusive cooperative law firm of Yingke in the Southeast Asia region (not a subsidiary of Yingke, and the partners/ associates introduced hereunder are not employees of Yingke Law Firm). In 2005, DFDL established a permanent presence in Bangkok to better serve the needs of DFDL growing client base in Thailand. With years of solid local experience, working in conjunction with small and medium businesses, large corporations and major Thai banks and financial institutions, DFDL continue to provide a comprehensive range of integrated legal, tax and consulting services in Thailand, on various types of complex, multi-jurisdiction and cross-border transactions.

DFDL team of legal and tax advisers are qualified in numerous jurisdictions, able to advice in several languages and have been involved in major projects in Thailand and the wider ASEAN region, with notable experience working on energy and electricity projects, infrastructure including railway, road and airport projects, large real estate, commercial and industrial property developments and construction projects, aviation, cross-border financing, telecommunications and IT, trading and manufacturing. DFDL Thailand practice continues to grow in size and scope as new streams of work have flown in due to increased capital inflows from China, and to the emergence of a variety of new business models relevant to renewable energy, public-private partnerships, TMT, fintech, healthcare and data protection projects. Heightened levels of infrastructure-related work and factory relocations have driven a lot more M&A activities, all requiring the sort of international standard services in this area that DFDL provide. DFDL have dedicated professionals who are able to offer legal services to foreign or international clients in Mandarin, French, and Hindi. DFDL practices and legal advisers are also featured in the world’s leading legal directories.

DFDL Thailand acts as both local and international counsel along with being a key referral partner of international law firms lacking an established local presence that seek to facilitate their clients’ activities in South and Southeast Asia. The Bangkok office is also where a number of DFDL’s regional advisers are based, all with extensive and longstanding experience in complex multi-jurisdictional matters.

Given Thailand’s position as a springboard for foreign corporates wishing to expand their investments into other ASEAN markets, DFDL sector expertise, depth of local knowledge and integrated regional footprint, uniquely position us to offer the international standard services that foreign investors demand when operating in some of these frontier markets. The key services offered includes: market entry report, BOI promotion & sector specific licensing, company incorporation & corporate procedures, contract drafting, due diligence, legal & tax structuring advice, negotiation assistance and closing assistance.

Area of Expertise

  • Aviation
  • Banking, Finance and Technology
  • Competition
  • Compliance, Investigations and Regulatory
  • Corporate and Commercial
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Employment and Labour
  • Energy, Mining and Infrastructure
  • Real Estate and Construction
  • Restructuring and Insolvency
  • Taxation

Key Experience

Agriculture
Aviation
Banks & Financial Institutions
Construction
Distribution
Education
Engineering
Energy
Fintech & Cryptocurrency
Food & Beverage
Healthcare
Insurance
Manufacturing
Media
Mining
Oil & Gas
Public-Private Partnerships
Pharmaceuticals
Private Clients & Individuals
Technology
Telecommunications
Transportation
Travel & Hospitality
Utilities
Wholesale & Retail

Key Members

Audray Souche

Audray Souche is DFDL Managing Partner. She has been working in the region since 2004, combining general commercial/foreign investment experience with specialized experience focusing on energy, mining and infrastructure projects. As the Deputy Head of the Regional Energy, Mining and Infrastructure Practice Group (since 2012), she leads DFDL teams on numerous energy project development, financing and technical assistance matters in the Lao P.D.R., Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, and Bhutan. Audray is the Head of the Clean Energy Division and has extensive experience on development and financing of renewable projects across the region. As Managing Director of DFDL Thailand, she manages DFDL team members in Bangkok, Phuket, and Samui. In addition to her work on numerous renewable energy matters in Thailand, she also continuously supervises general market entry regulatory assessments, foreign investment structuring and restructuring, due diligence and risk assessment, merger and acquisition and private equity transaction works in retail, hospitality, manufacturing, insurance, mining, and aviation. Audray has worked in DFDL’s Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and Ho Chi Minh City offices. She has been based in DFDL’s Bangkok office since 2012.

Audray Souche

Managing Partner

Nipaporn Supha-Utchaichan

Nipaporn is Partner and Deputy Managing Director for DFDL Thailand. Her areas of expertise include corporate matters with an emphasis on foreign direct investment, corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions and financings. She has led numerous merger and acquisition projects, involving full due diligence and the drafting and review of transactional documents. Nipaporn specializes in Thai and international tax law and is experienced in tax structuring for both inbound and outbound investments. She has provided advice on the compliance of Financial Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) (i.e. US tax laws) and implementation of FATCA guidance and has been a speaker at FATCA training sessions for Thai financial institution clients. Nipaporn holds a Master of Laws from Queen Mary University of London, UK, a Master of Laws from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a Bachelor of Laws from Assumption University, Thailand.

Nipaporn Supha-Utchaichan

Partner & Thailand Deputy Managing Director

Kraisorn Rueangkul

Kraisorn specializes in merger and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, public-private partnerships, corporate and commercial matters, regulatory compliance, competition law, and human resources and employment. He is also experienced in cross-border mergers and investments in the Mekong region. Kraisorn has in-depth expertise in many industries including oil and gas, energy & renewable energies, EPCs, aviation, food & beverage, manufacturing, trading including commodity trading, banking & finance, FinTech, tech-startups. He holds an LL.B. from Thammasat University, Thailand and an LL.M. from Durham University, UK.

Kraisorn Rueangkul

Partner

David Doran

David Doran is a Founding Partner of DFDL. He has over 25 years’ experience as a legal adviser in the Mekong Region. After having run DFDL’s offices in the Lao PDR and Cambodia, David relocated to Bangkok in 2005 and subsequently opened DFDL’s office there. David has special expertise in the energy sector, having represented both developers and lenders for major power projects in the region, with focus on hydropower projects. He has advised on nearly 20 hydropower projects worth over USD 15 billion in the Lao PDR and major non-hydro projects in Southeast Asia and South Asia. He also has strong experience in Thailand and regional M&A transactions. He speaks English and French. David was born in Thailand and is a Thai citizen. He is authorized to provide legal advice in Thailand and is admitted to the practice law in California and Washington State.

David Doran

Founding Partner